Indeed. I ran across him years ago and found this fascinating book but he is definitely side B-ish.
A Baptist pastor named "Lloyd Sprinkle" (d. 2019) was founder of Sprinkle Publications, so... not necessarily.
How do people even come up with that stuff?
I really think it is more nuanced than that. If you look at the church broadly; there are outlets for many shortcomings of man that plague Christians. There are meetings for addicts, like Celebrate Recovery; there are specific Bible Studies for married couples where marital issues are discussed, there are groups for Parents, Teens, College Students and counseling for all the troubles within those genres. There are Prison and Jail ministries. There are Abortion ministries. There are ministries for the Poor and Homeless. Yet, for all this, even in 2023, there are very few ministries that deal specifically with homosexuality.
I would add that many of the LGBTXYZ flavors have a specific traumatic experience they know not how to deal with, and so, compounded with their fallen nature, turn to the more or most grotesque outlets of iniquity. Often times I have found that they come from "Christian" families where they feel isolated and alone because their churches are absolutely useless in helping them deal with such issues.
It especially upsets me to think of the slew of runaways who spent much of their teen years homeless and molested by adults who pretended to be father figures but instead where predatory pedophiles. Baggage like this is what makes dealing with this group difficult; and one of the barriers to many of them forming healthy relationships.
Thank you for the thoughtful response. Before I was married, my best friend dealt with homosexuality. He was raised in the church, and the church dealt with him so graciously. He had lots of support and lots of friends, and I even went to a conference on the topic with him. But the sad thing was that he was just unwilling to give up that way of life. For him, it seemed like his identity was marked by that way of life. The dressing, flamboyance, the way of speech. He was faithful in all of his church duties, but unwilling to give up the identity, and he kept going back to the full on sexual sin of it. He had so much of a support system with godly people in his life, but just didn't want to lose that identity.
Not giving excuse for his sexual sin; but what does the way he talks have to do with his sanctification? Did he cuss or did he just have a lisp? What did the way he dressed have to do with his sanctification? Did he cross-dress; or not wear Carhartt and life preservers like the Southern Baptist do in my neck of the woods? And what do you mean by flamboyance? Were his mannerisms too gay? Did he snap his fingers, walk an unmanly way, etc? This I have seen as one of the shortcomings of modern reformation in this issue; is that these non-important issues are given emphasis, and many times do not allow those struggling with same-sex issues to be considered reformed until they are conformed into "somebodies" ideal of manhood and genuine masculinity. The Bible prescribes what masculinity is; it has little to do with the way a person talks as opposed to what they say. The Bible talks little about dress codes, just that men do not wear womens clothing, and women do not wear mens clothing (but who is kicking a sister with pants out?) And the Bible could care less if someone enjoys musicals over movies, pink over blue, art over farming, and the list can go on. What the Bible does care about is not committing sexual immorality; not turning a so-called sissy into Paul Bunyan or John Wayne. I mean if that were the case, how many Pastors and Biblical Scholars would also be on the sissy list? Many look like they couldnt fight their way our of a wet paper bag. Even the world considers many of us weaklings. But we know better. We know might is not muscle, but the power of godliness.
I definitely see what you are saying. It was the package deal. He wanted to hold on to the identity and way of homosexuality. So he talked, dressed, and acted like homosexuals typically do. Not that that was the sin, but those were outward indicators that he was still choosing that lifestyle. And he was hooking up with men while still being a part of the church.
How does a godly person dress?
in a way that does not conflict with the conscience of self and others.
With modesty. Also, though it is subjective, to me it is pretty apparent when somebody is trying to conform to the image of the world in their attire. As a general rule of thumb, if I wear leather, chains, I'm all tatted up, and wear a Harley-Davidson shirt, more than likely I am into riding motorcycles. I think the same can be said by the way people present themselves. A woman wearing a mini skirt, high heels, a tight fitted shirt revealing a lot of cleavage, in my mind would not be somebody that seems to love holiness.
Consider, though, that there are many more venues and come ons for heterosexual sins (adultery, fornication). How exponentially greater are the songs, movies, books, culture promoting adultery and fornication! And for all the homosexual hookup bars and areas in San Diego, I don't doubt but that there are far more singles bars and hetero strip clubs and female prostitutes on offer. Numbers-wise, heterosexuals get a much higher push, even in ubiqutous advertising. And online. . . I won't list them all, but, far more large and well known online sites for heterosexual sin.
But that is the point kind of it; that heterosexual marriage is the avenue in which most heterosexual sexual temptation is remedied. Whereas homosexuality is a sin that deals in an unnatural attraction; and as such, must be remedied by an unnatural means; which is grace. Until God facilitates that grace, the unnatural temptation may persist; and if one is conforming to godliness, no avenue of relief is offered except abstinence, or ingenuine heterosexuality.
But just how baptist was he? I'd bet it was just a sprinkle.
How can you perceive what affects another's conscience since there is a clear line between the apprehension to eating meat sacrificed to idols, since idols are a direct offense to God, yet, no clear distinction as to why a certain clothing may offend someone outside of vulgarity in its different forms.
I think the plethora of "biker churches," or "cowboy churches" would slightly disagree as to what constitutes as modest attire. But I think your point magnifies the absurdity in concern for such ambiguities. The only mention in the NT of concerning attire outside of the commendation to be modest, was Jesus chiding the religious elite for their attire while being hypocrites. Not saying this is the case with anyone here, but it does give room for pause before we start placing dress codes at church services. For example, for me I was raised in the 90's and baggy clothing; so the 2010+ trend to wear skinny jeans to me seemed gay. Yet, someone from the 70's may disagree since many people then, even men wore cut-off midriffs and tight clothing. I think if we push this issue, we will be left with the only permissible clothing looking like Puritan garb. No color, lest we be flamboyant; and the same uniform lest we offend someone.
It takes an understanding of your culture and your congregation's view of the culture. Not to say their assessment of culture is justified. If someone hates jeans for the wrong reason, I can disagree with that assessment yet not wear jeans because I do not need to hold onto that right.
Wouldnt that be teaching the doctrines of men as the doctrines of God though? That is to make clothing a sin issue. It seems like it is just a "work around" to pander to define conforming as modesty, instead of simply ignoring that there exists no regulation at all outside of modesty (which is defined in the text.) Would we all just conform to a confined culture that thought women pastors were the norm?
Thank you for pointing that out. I hadn't connected The Center for Faith... with Revoice
I generally agree with that, brother. I'm not one who is really concerned about dress in particular, so long as it is modest.
Yes, that is unfortunate. I am often reminded of the council I believe between the Apostles talking about the Gentiles coming to Christ; and that some where trying to get them to conform to Jewish customs and keeping of the law. In response, there was a very short list followed by a "if you do these things, you will do well." I apologize if it seems I went on a bit of a tangent; its just sometimes people treat this issue as the unpardonable or unredeemable sin. And far be it from me to attach or toss any more of a responsibility their way than the struggle of already abstaining from sexual immorality, which all of us know already plagues the segment that only deal with heterosexual lusts. Peace to you brother, good night.
