Was it necessary to repeal DADT?

[Jason B]

Originally Posted by Hoovie

And I too am happy for that. I really think you are and even Mr. Smith - though I doubt those feeling have reciprocation from him.

I would truly like to know, with all the passion of the debate aside, which approach works best. I see it similar to the "permissive" or "tough love" debate in raising teenagers.
I realize the debate is to personal and emotionally charged to give many real life examples. But, I am curious whether the approach taken by Mr. Smith (attending homosexual weddings and blessing them with gifts etc.) actually results in people getting saved and leaving the homosexual lifestyle. That is, after all, the bottom line if we say that the real love of God is our motivation.

I had not thought of this in the context you mention. You know when I was young we were nearly all doing wrong, but there were certain friends of mine who parents would just about kill them if they found out what they were doing (tough love). And there were parents who told their kids "I can't stop you from drinking, smoking dope, etc" so if you going to do it, do it here (at home)." Despite the fact that the sins were the same those that had to do those things to the disapproval of their parents for the most part turned out to be fine (not saved, but their not in prison, hold a job, have a family, etc). Those whose parents didn't have such a tough love approach are for the most part in prison, divorced, homeless, alchoholics, etc.

I am aware that this is NOT the exact same as a preacher attending a homosexual marriage essentially in approval and support, but there certainly are similarities.

If we truly are called of God we need to preach His Word, clearly dstinguish between the holy and the unholy, and make sure the trumpet makes a certain sound. We can do all of this WITHOUT hating sinners. You can practice "tough love" by preaching against sin and still love the sinner.

As far as being accused of not loving people, I'm done responding to such comments (MS). There aree some posters here on AFF who have heard me preach, regardless of topic, I rarely don't mention the need of us as the church to "get messy" with the people of this world. I have involved myself in many things, and plan only to increase that involvement, but I'm not going into specifics here. I am confident that God knows what I have doen, what I desire to do, and more importantly knows my heart. Furthermore, good works, attedning homosexual marriages and abotions (if they could even be called good works, of which I am in doubt) don't save. Thats the message right (which is true). We're not saved by works, yet appearently some think we in some way they are justified by their "getting messy".

None of us are or can be justified by any amount of good works. The motivation for helping should be the love of Christ in us, the realization that He was gracious to us when we deserved nothing but His wrath, and the responsibility we have to be the body of Christ in this world.