Do churches generate a lot of revenue from the LGBT community?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

At my house of worship, it is more like the next fight in a series of civil rights movements. In the 1800’s it was bondage. Then came sufferage. Then, the civil rights movements in the 50’s and 60’s and women ‘s rights in the 60’s and 70’s. Then gay rights and AIDS awareness in the 1980’s. It seems there is always some group getting the shaft for just existing.

[Anonymous]

Woke virtue signaling so that they feel especially moral.

They also need to prominently convey the distinction between themselves and the unsophisticated rube Christians who practice biblical teaching of Leviticus 18:22.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, it's not a fair question because no mainstream Christian church forbids sacraments based on race, or forbids sacraments to adults based on age, or forbids attendance at services (vs. ordination) based on sex. So there is no need for a flag out front letting these groups know they are welcome to come in.

But many mainstream churches are actively hostile to LGBT people, to the point that you can assume a church is unwelcoming unless they say they do welcome LGBT people. That's the reason for flags.

Objectively, this is because what used to be universally recognized by the church and its members as a sinful desire and behavior (LGB) is now celebrated by the same church as immutable characteristic. (Except for the fact that TQ+ falls into that same family of categories now and is fluid and easily changeable, which complicates the “born this way” rhetoric that shifted acceptance on the desire/behavior stance in the early 2000s.)
LGBTQ has become its own untouchable god. And the members of the community have successfully redefined a desire and behavior as an identity.

You shouldn't use the word objective, because you are not objective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Woke virtue signaling so that they feel especially moral.

They also need to prominently convey the distinction between themselves and the unsophisticated rube Christians who practice biblical teaching of Leviticus 18:22.

"woke" Tell the social media world you are an idiot is not a good idea.

MEGA churches that scam hard working Americans are more your jam. Or Ericka Kirk's garbage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

Those aren't real churches

Folks, here is the poster who thinks that Protestant denominations that have been mainstays of religious life in the US since the nation’s founding aren’t “real churches.”

Draw your own conclusions.

Objectively, it isn’t that.
It’s that there is literally a “guidebook” that identifies what God considers sinful behavior. It’s called the Bible. And engaging in homosexual acts is specifically called out as a sin in the word of God—several times. So are many many other sins. And each of us sin on a daily basis. Yet we are all welcome and in fact called by by God to worship Him and to confess our sin, repent of that sin (whatever it may be), and accept that on the cross, Christ took the punishment for OUR sins…all of them…paying the price for us and allowing us to live forever with God in heaven.
One would think that the churches that put out the LGBTQ+ flag are signaling “yes—you are welcome here, too. ALL are welcome to come and worship the Lord and repent of whatever sin is keeping hold of you. Jesus is the answer to setting you free from whatever sin is defining you, including sexual sin and sins of lust or idolatry, regardless of orientation.”
But instead, the message from these churches that put out the LGBT flag seems to be “we promise we will value your self-identification as part of the LGBT community above any Biblical teaching. If you come to this church, we will affirm your desire to keep this area of your life off limits to God and you can hang onto this particular sin because you really really like it and society has decided it’s who you are.”

These are “real” churches, but they have been ideologically captured at the seminary level by folks who are more interested in pleasing society than obeying and submitting to God.

The church also welcomes those who are divorced or having premarital sex or who eat shellfish or who tell lies or who have dishonored their parents, etc. The difference is that they do not celebrate those sins as being who you are. Instead they recognize that we are all sinners worthy of love from God and are invited and called to repent.

Eating shellfish is not a sin. It's a dietary prohibition for Jewish people per the Torah.

Okay cool. The point of the forest was missed for this one tree, but the examples were meant to highlight that there are many behaviors that are sinful in the eyes of God that we are called to confess and repent from…and sexual immorality is one of those. Instead, the LGBTQ + community and churches that hang out the flag as an affirming signal are proclaiming that this area of people’s lives is untouchable by God and instead of being called to repent from any acts of sexual immorality (aka any sexual relations outside of the covenant of marriage as defined as union between one man and one woman by God) it must be pridefully celebrated.

Most churches aren't having public sex orgies. Most churches are, however, having public abominations in the form of selfish and cheeseburgers.

Churches doesn't have to recruit people who break kashrut because everyone knows those churches celebrate those abominations.

[Anonymous]

Churches generate revenue by indoctrination of it's subjects.

Churches are cults, religion is a cult.

"revenue" LOL Church leaders enrich themselves. The Mormon church is a great example so is the Catholic Church. I'd rather the Catholic Church use it's Billions to protect children not child rapists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Woke virtue signaling so that they feel especially moral.

They also need to prominently convey the distinction between themselves and the unsophisticated rube Christians who practice biblical teaching of Leviticus 18:22.

Please stop projecting MAGA Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woke virtue signaling so that they feel especially moral.

They also need to prominently convey the distinction between themselves and the unsophisticated rube Christians who practice biblical teaching of Leviticus 18:22.

Please stop projecting MAGA Catholic.

I’m an atheist.

Who’s projecting now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

Those aren't real churches

Folks, here is the poster who thinks that Protestant denominations that have been mainstays of religious life in the US since the nation’s founding aren’t “real churches.”

Draw your own conclusions.

Objectively, it isn’t that.
It’s that there is literally a “guidebook” that identifies what God considers sinful behavior. It’s called the Bible. And engaging in homosexual acts is specifically called out as a sin in the word of God—several times. So are many many other sins. And each of us sin on a daily basis. Yet we are all welcome and in fact called by by God to worship Him and to confess our sin, repent of that sin (whatever it may be), and accept that on the cross, Christ took the punishment for OUR sins…all of them…paying the price for us and allowing us to live forever with God in heaven.
One would think that the churches that put out the LGBTQ+ flag are signaling “yes—you are welcome here, too. ALL are welcome to come and worship the Lord and repent of whatever sin is keeping hold of you. Jesus is the answer to setting you free from whatever sin is defining you, including sexual sin and sins of lust or idolatry, regardless of orientation.”
But instead, the message from these churches that put out the LGBT flag seems to be “we promise we will value your self-identification as part of the LGBT community above any Biblical teaching. If you come to this church, we will affirm your desire to keep this area of your life off limits to God and you can hang onto this particular sin because you really really like it and society has decided it’s who you are.”

These are “real” churches, but they have been ideologically captured at the seminary level by folks who are more interested in pleasing society than obeying and submitting to God.

The church also welcomes those who are divorced or having premarital sex or who eat shellfish or who tell lies or who have dishonored their parents, etc. The difference is that they do not celebrate those sins as being who you are. Instead they recognize that we are all sinners worthy of love from God and are invited and called to repent.

Eating shellfish is not a sin. It's a dietary prohibition for Jewish people per the Torah.

Eating shellfish and bacon is considered an abomination per Leviticus in the Old Testament.
Churches became more welcome to the lgbt community once they started coming out and not feeling the need to hide their relationships.

Do you keep all 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) as commanded in the Torah?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

At my house of worship, it is more like the next fight in a series of civil rights movements. In the 1800’s it was bondage. Then came sufferage. Then, the civil rights movements in the 50’s and 60’s and women ‘s rights in the 60’s and 70’s. Then gay rights and AIDS awareness in the 1980’s. It seems there is always some group getting the shaft for just existing.

Who do you worship in your house of worship?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woke virtue signaling so that they feel especially moral.

They also need to prominently convey the distinction between themselves and the unsophisticated rube Christians who practice biblical teaching of Leviticus 18:22.

Please stop projecting MAGA Catholic.

I’m an atheist.

Who’s projecting now?

I think Trump is an atheist too It's a projection. What do you think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woke virtue signaling so that they feel especially moral.

They also need to prominently convey the distinction between themselves and the unsophisticated rube Christians who practice biblical teaching of Leviticus 18:22.

Please stop projecting MAGA Catholic.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woke virtue signaling so that they feel especially moral.

They also need to prominently convey the distinction between themselves and the unsophisticated rube Christians who practice biblical teaching of Leviticus 18:22.

Please stop projecting MAGA Catholic.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woke virtue signaling so that they feel especially moral.

They also need to prominently convey the distinction between themselves and the unsophisticated rube Christians who practice biblical teaching of Leviticus 18:22.

Please stop projecting MAGA Catholic.

I’m an atheist.

Who’s projecting now?

I think Trump is an atheist too It's a projection. What do you think?

I think that the mainline Protestant churches often prominently display rainbow flags because they want to signal the distinction between themselves and the unsophisticated rube Christians who practice the biblical teaching of Leviticus 18:22.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First off, I am an atheist. Admittedly, I have a cynical view of religion. Also, my vantage point is Bethesda.

I can't help but notice that pretty much every church I see has a flag, placard, or message out front targeting a single demographic: the LGBT community. Not asians, not hispanics, not men, not women, not young, not old - LGBT.

Churches exist for one reason: to propagate themselves. That requires money and customers. So, it must be that singularly advertising to LGBT is a smart business move. Its just a surprising one, given the % of population and, I would think, I general dis-inclination toward religion.

So what is the deal? Smart business move? Meaningless signaling? Something else?

At my house of worship, it is more like the next fight in a series of civil rights movements. In the 1800’s it was bondage. Then came sufferage. Then, the civil rights movements in the 50’s and 60’s and women ‘s rights in the 60’s and 70’s. Then gay rights and AIDS awareness in the 1980’s. It seems there is always some group getting the shaft for just existing.

Who do you worship in your house of worship?

Why does it matter? I answered the OP’s question.