@JimandMary tells me he actually attends a polygamy friendly congregation in Texas. Not sure how far it is away from Austin, but would love to visit there sometime.
-
Biblical Families is not a dating website. It is a forum to discuss issues relating to marriage and the Bible, and to offer guidance and support, not to find a wife. Click here for more information.
Making Progress on the church acceptance front
- Thread starter Daniel DeLuca
- Start date
@JimandMary tells me he actually attends a polygamy friendly congregation in Texas. Not sure how far it is away from Austin, but would love to visit there sometime.
His profile says that he lives near Dallas. They need to think about branching out to more campuses. I assume this is a Bible believing church, that is strong on the other issues of our day.
It is a small home church of sabbath keeping, Torah following families that fluctuates from 8 to 30 bodies a week. Half are 50+ and the others are late 20s or children. 2/3s are related... We alternate between houses. I am finding more often messianic individuals more inclined to accept PM in that they are already in the mind set that the churches may have believed many things incorrectly.
Oh I see. Yeah we need something for the rest of us. My former church holds services both on Sunday mornings AND Saturday evenings, but of course they don't accept polygamy.
Well, the other night at rehearsal, I had fun explaining to the fellow orchestra players, why I was not there on Sunday. I told them that I was in Oklahoma at a retreat, but did not specify what the retreat was, and instead told them that I had been asked by the church to not promote something. The trombone player sitting next to me, knew what I was referring to, when I said that, because I told him that they asked me this. I told them that I had a chance to meet some wonderful people, some of whom had been kicked out of their churches, but I did not specify why. The substitute/former orchestra director, had the most puzzled look on her face. It's kind of fun to leave them in the dark so to speak.
I have thought through how to respond if this topic comes up in Sunday School/Grow Group or whatever you want to call it. I can always express dissent to an opinion offered, and then explain that I... "could give a Biblically based answer/response, but I have been asked not to promote polygamy, so.... they haven't asked me to change my views, and I have shared those vies in the comments sections of a lot of YouTube videos, but I have agreed to not defend polygamy while I am here at the church", or something along those lines, and leave it at that. Then, if they come back, I will just reiterate that I have been asked not to promote polygamy, and because of that, I can't respond to whatever challenge they present. It will be interesting to see how that plays out! It's kind of cool that my fellow trombone players know what I am talking about when I say that I have been asked not to promote the thing that I am referring to!
I have thought through how to respond if this topic comes up in Sunday School/Grow Group or whatever you want to call it. I can always express dissent to an opinion offered, and then explain that I... "could give a Biblically based answer/response, but I have been asked not to promote polygamy, so.... they haven't asked me to change my views, and I have shared those vies in the comments sections of a lot of YouTube videos, but I have agreed to not defend polygamy while I am here at the church", or something along those lines, and leave it at that. Then, if they come back, I will just reiterate that I have been asked not to promote polygamy, and because of that, I can't respond to whatever challenge they present. It will be interesting to see how that plays out! It's kind of cool that my fellow trombone players know what I am talking about when I say that I have been asked not to promote the thing that I am referring to!
Ya, that excuse won't fly. They expect you to be silent about the subject, how that would play out is you almost certainly would get kicked out.
Unless you want to go down in flames soon, a more subtle approach is in order. Side comments like the orchestra thing that get people thinking/asking questions will be more effective. You don't have to hide your life.
Yeah, if it gets back to the pastoral staff, I could be back to having to deal with this particular minister once again, but while I agreed to not promote it, I never agreed to go along with church dogma silently, and I'm not going to compromise what I believe, nor will I agree to be completely silent. If that gets me kicked out, so be it.
Bad idea. Firstly, it sounds like you can't answer and are finding a lame excuse. Secondly, the excuse is so confusing I can't even follow it properly.
I would just say 'I have agreed to not promote this viewpoint in the church, so I'm not going to try and persuade you either way. But if you want to look into it yourself I can point you to relevant scriptures.'. Then proceed to answer every question they have completely openly. If they have no questions the conversation stops. If anyone complains it's no longer you at fault, but them, as they were the one trying to talk about it.
I agree with @FollowingHim there is an old say, ‘Choose you’re battles!’ There are times, you may be right, but you could lose the battle. During those moments, keep in mind, the acceptance of polygyny is a marathon, not a sprint. A little wisdom in our discussions can go a long way.
I don't want to push it. I mean, I said that I would not defend it, and to tell them that I can point them to relevant Scriptures, kind of goes against that. I do want to be true to my word. I am thinking just the first part of my suggested response, will be clear enough so as not to confuse anybody. The latter part is only if they press the issue, and I guess I don't need to mention that the church has not asked me to change my views. I can see where if I go with a more verbose response, that might be confusing, but to point out that I am in disagreement and that the church has asked me not to express my views, is not too confusing.
I just got an email from our church worship director. He wants me to call him before playing on Sunday. This is gonna be interesting!
Booted from Orchestra for a month, because he has been hearing that I have been talking about polygamy. He said that I had agreed not to talk about it, which is not exactly what I had agreed to, but he said his hands are tied, and we can talk about it in a month. Somebody in the brass section ratted me out.
I have enjoyed playing in incredible worship services over the years, but I know that I must move forward. How and where, I do not know.
I have enjoyed playing in incredible worship services over the years, but I know that I must move forward. How and where, I do not know.
Isn't that curious... some things such as wrongful divorce and homosexuality that are not evidently exemplified by any godly people in the Bible can be usually discussed without remonstrance within most of modern churchianity. But polygamy, a practice definitely practiced by many godly people in the Bible, now, in some cases you can't even talk about it without getting booted. When a thing done by many of the most godly in the Bible is forbidden to even be talked about among Christians, while at the same time a topic of definitely forbidden practices easily enters conversation without prohibition to discuss, doesn't that say things are rather upside down within churchianity? ...to say the least!
I am thinking a lot of people suspect there is more substance to the pro-polygyny argument than what they are prepared to deal with and therefore out of fear don't want to talk about it, or even let it be talked about. In other words, no thorough "search to see if these things be so" is in anywise accommodated. What happened to "prove all things: hold fast that which is good"? 1Thesselonians 5:21
Yep, it tells you which things actually threaten them and their power base.
Its perceptive of you to lump those to accepted to discuss topics together, because homosexuality is quickly being pushed to have same tacit acceptance that divorcing now does.
It's kind of amazing... God portrayed Himself as married to more than one, yet now, within a mainline church it is forbidden to even talk about an aspect of God's own character demonstrated by His own description of his own behavior! In addition, since God never changes, how can anyone rightfully imagine they now really know God if they refuse to even talk about how He really is?
Sorry for your loss Dan. I know how much it means to you to play in the church orchestra. When God takes something away from you he always has something better for you.