“Hello, World Vision? I’d like to give, but is it possible for me to insure that none of my financial support goes toward feeding GAY kids?”
In a surprise move, World Vision has made yet another change to its hiring practices. As many of you know, World Vision shocked the evangelical community when three days ago they announced they would begin hiring openly gay Christians, while holding them to the same standards they held their straight employees: Stay celibate if you’re single; stay faithful if you’re married. This from an organization that, as recently as a few years ago, successfully defended their right (to the Supreme Court, who let a lower court ruling stand) to NOT hire and/or fire people based on a person’s slightly differing interpretation of Christianity…. They made the decision to hire gay Christians based on the fact that their organization is about helping vulnerable people, and they decided to leave the decision about the “rightness” or “wrongness” of same-sex unions and marriages up to the individual Church denominations and congregations. President of World Vision Richard Stearns explained it this way: “We are an operational arm of the global church, we’re not a theological arm of the church.” Makes sense to me….
Franklin Graham, demonstrating the knuckle sandwich he’d like to give all those gays. And those Muslims, while we’re at it….
Though many were encouraged by this apparent step toward equal rights and acceptance of LGBT people (who also happened to love Jesus and want to help feed hungry kids), the announcement did not come as good news to many within the evangelical community. Noted homophobe and Vladimir Putin fan Franklin Graham called the decision “ungodly,” while some guy named Russell Moore called it “devilish.” Thousands of people called World Vision and cut their funding to their child sponsorship as a response to World Vision’s idea that maybe gay people who love Jesus and want to help the poor might be good workers too. Because of the threat of losing a large portion of their funding, two days ago World Vision’s board reversed the decision to hire gay Christians. They said that their reversal was based on “Biblical principles.”
Now, in an attempt to more rightly align the organization’s business practices with Biblical principles, World Vision has made some more surprising changes in employment policy. Here are a few of those changes:
Call it a “Conscious Uncoupling” if you want…. you’d better not apply at World Vision!
1) NO MORE DIVORCED PEOPLE
The Bible is very clear about how much God hates divorce. Jesus himself had some pretty stern words about divorce (though he never recorded as saying ANYTHING about homosexuality), and said, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.” (Mark 10:12) Adultery! Yikes…. That’s one of the Ten Big Ones! So from now on, if a woman divorces her husband (who happens to be beating the crap out of her and her kids), she better not hope to start a new life working for World Vision. Because they’re not hiring.
If Mother Teresa can keep her head covered, so can you.
2)WOMEN WILL COVER THEIR HEADS WHILE ON THE JOB
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul says to “pray continually,” and in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul is very clear that it is improper for a woman to pray with her head uncovered, and that doing so “dishonors her head.” The flip side of this change in World Vision’s policy is that men will no longer be allowed to wear hats while they are out there trying to get food to hungry kids. They will also be enforcing Paul’s mandate to the Church at Corinth that men have to keep their hair short, and a women’s hair must remain uncut. Paul writes, “Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering” (1 Corinthians 11:14-15). Men will, however, be allowed to cut their sideburns–Adhering to that rule would just be crazy. So no more pixie cuts if you plan on working for World Vision, unless you’re a man, that is. On second thought, not if you’re a man either. It sounds a little too…. Gay.
Your bodies seem very…. Christian.
3) NO MORE FAT PEOPLE
Effective immediately, all World Vision employees who are more than 20 pounds over their ideal body weight are fired. When you’re operating an organization that is running on Biblical principles, you can’t forget that the Bible is definitely against the clear sin of gluttony. “Our bodies are our temples,” “I will not be enslaved by anything,” etc. etc…. Any way you look at it, scripture is clear about gluttony, and there is no longer any room for you at World Vision…. Literally. Feel free to reapply after you lose some weight, fatty.
4) NO MORE WOMEN IN CHARGE
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he says, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet” (1 Timothy 2:12). World Vision has apologized to the Evangelical community for ignoring this clear Biblical principle in its organizational practices, and they have decided to give demotions to female employees until they are no longer in a position of authority over another man. This will certainly come as major disappointment to the female members of the World Vision leadership team, but, on the bright side, it will give them a lot more time to devote to running a brush through their ass-length hair.
“Hi, my name’s Dr. Phillips. So you’re thinking about getting married? Well, let’s just take a quick peek down there to find out whether or not you’ll be getting stoned to death…. And I don’t mean the fun way.”
5) ENFORCING OLD TESTAMENT LAWS ABOUT VIRGINITY
If you find out that the woman you are marrying is not, in fact, a virgin (or even if it looks like she’s not a virgin), you are allowed to stone her to death. Now, I know that here in the USA that kind of thing will get you thrown in prison, but fortunately World Vision goes into a whole lot of underdeveloped countries where this kind of thing stays under the radar. The Bible is clear, and this stuff is about Biblical principles. World Vision has also started enforcing the policy of cutting off a woman’s hand is she grabs a mans testicles (“If two Israelite men get into a fight and the wife of one tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the testicles of the other man, you must cut off her hand. Show her no pity.” ~Deuteronomy 25:11-12), as well as enforcing the policy of stoning a woman who gets raped inside the city because she should have yelled louder (“If a man meets a young virgin lady engaged to be married in the city and has sexual relations with her, then the two must be brought to the city gate and there they must be stoned to death—the girl because she was in a city but did not cry out for help, and the man who abused a woman who was engaged to another man.” ~Deuteronomy 22:23-24)
Don’t worry, though. Even though some of these new policies may seem a little extreme, it’s really all about feeding hungry kids and helping people who can’t help themselves….
***UPDATE***
I didn’t think I’d need to mention it, but these 5 new employment policies are obviously satire. Also, just for the record, I don’t blame World Vision for making the decision they made. It’s really easy to sit back and criticize an organization for compromising, but a huge number of their large funders threatened to part ways, as well as thousands of people who called and cancelled their sponsorships. This could have been devastating to their mission–A noble and good mission to help people worldwide who really need help. So yeah…. This isn’t meant to be critical of World Vision and its decisions. It’s meant to be critical of the antiquated, intellectually dishonest, “Law over Love” mentality much of the Church still has about homosexuality that forced World Vision to either change their policy of hiring gay Christians (which, by the way, has been the policy since October of last year) or risk endangering their mission. But yeah, these 5 policies are made up. Everything I read about this event was either really angry or really sad–and for good reason. It is tragic and dumb–so I wanted to add a little funny to the conversation. Let us all work toward the day when the Church is known for actually loving people with whom they disagree, instead of being know for pushing those people to the margins and restricting their civil rights.
The Boeskool 
I was so excited to see an organization like World Vision even accept the idea that there are gay Christians, and their reversal is so disappointing – but it’s not surprising. The issue of marriage equality is the log in the eye of the evangelical church – it keeps them from seeing the needs of the poor. They win this battle while kids lose sponsors and clean drinking water. It disgusts me.
These Bible people are insane.
Jesus looked at the masses and he didn’t see gay people, he just saw people. So called “liberal Christians” want us to recognize them as “gay”. So what defines them other than their behavior? They are all potential “children of God” but you want to make their behavior first and foremost!
I am so sick and tired of those that want to treat a sexual behavior as if it were a race of people.You even make young impressionable minds believe this deviation is an alternative way to live! You want to allow them to transform this behavior into an acceptable god (little g) within the Christian community which will never be accepted as long as the bride of Jesus, His Church, operates on earth. Franklin Graham never clenches his fist in hate as you would like to portray. That is a typical liberal tactic you use to demean a real man of God. Why don’t you join a country club or something and give up trying to change the precepts God has laid down for His Church!
Deviation…? Hmm, associating the words “deviant” and “gay” are surely out of fashion now?
Also. It is a lifestyle, in some sense. Well, you say lifestyle, I say cultural worldview. It isn’t exclusive, but it does set us apart, for the reason that we are not welcome in mainstream culture. This is similar in the case of POC, single moms, working/poor working class, people with disabilities, etc. It’s not an alternative for me– it is my way of life. For me, as an example, an “alternative lifestyle” might be the way you live. By the way, Jesus didn’t, as you say, see gay people because they were invisible within their communities lest they be physically harmed.
Skyride, I am quite familiar with your argument that Biblical morals are out of fashion. In fact, if the Word of God had to be changed every couple of decades to accomodate popular trends…… then we might as well just put it in the wastebasket, The Gospel of John claims that Jesus is the Word (expression of God if you will) and before Jesus, nothing existed, He is the eternal God. I believe this. As far as Jesus not being able to identify gay activity…. I would refer you to the Samaritan women He met at the well. Jesus asked her, where is your husband? She replied, “I have no husband”, Jesus said, “and that is true, yet you have had five husbands and the man you are with now is not your husband.” . This lady was convicted of her sin. (fornification) She ran home and told everyone come and see a man that for told my lifes history. Many followed Jesus as a result. Skride, nothing is hidden from the Lord. There is so much I need to discover and work on within my own human nature, I am in no position to lecture you on yours. However, I encourage you to look into a very personal relationship with Jesus to become that man you were meant to be.. When people proclaim to be followers of Christ, however, and omit and twist the Word of God to accommodate what is right in their own eyes, then I speak out. In this instance, I have spoken out when Christians are ridiculed for holding Christian leadership to Christian standards. Isn’t that reasonable?.
No.
What is all this talk of country clubs, anyway?
Skyride, Let me explain. A lot of people go to Church to be seen as an upstanding member of an organization in the community. They can obey all the rules and perhaps even gain a little power of their own. If they don’t like all the rules, they can shop around until they find one that does. So it is with Country Clubs. I used to belong to a Country Club so that my kids had a place to swim. I studied scripture long before I went to Church. I began to attend Church out of a love for God and to serve with members of the Body of Christ. I would only attend a Bible based Church. I have attended several Evangelical Bible based Churches for having moved a few times. I have friends all over the country that do as well. No particular denominations. The Word of God is our only tie and we are in harmony with each other.
Good post…pointing out that while World Vision and some evangelicals huff and puff about this one particular issue, they are quite comfortable ignoring vast numbers of other things the Bible says. They – like all of us – pick and choose what to call “biblical” and what to take literally.
The group’s original statement – recognizing that there is disagreement within the Body of Christ about this and many other issues – was spot on. Too bad they caved to bullying.
Sorry Sarah, there is no disagreement in the Body of Christ on issues concerning homosexual “behavior”. The very Word that revealed the works of Jesus and what he accomplished for you and me defines without question “shameful, unGodly” behavior. (and those that will not inherit the Kingdom of God)Unless you are one of those that believes only what your clergy tells you, I suggest you search it out. I don’t want to be one to beat you over the head with scripture and I am only judging behavior, not people.Behavior not permitted in the administration of the Body of Christ according to His Word.
Dear bdhstone:
I am part of the Body of Christ. As are you. We disagree. There you have it. Disagreement within the Body of Christ on this issue.
Sarah…. you can believe any way you want to. The Word is my basis for belief. Perhaps you wish to ignore parts concerning behavior and leadership.
bdhstone…. you can believe any way you want to. The Word is my basis for belief also. I will pray for you.
This thread tries to use O.T. examples on stoning to death,etc. as to how Christians believe. I know avowed atheists that do this as well. Why do you try and play the game? Jesus fulfilled the law. Until you learn to “rightfully divide the written Word”, as I said before, you may as well join a nice country club and try and fool with their “by-laws”. As hard as you try to justify, adultery, fornification, divorce, etc., God will not allow you to do so. Those are behaviors as is stealing, lying, cheating, idol worship and murder, We all fall prey to them in some form or another. However they do not need to define us as you would have them do. As to the “world” that embraces those behaviors, we are to be loving and supporting in the hope they will discover the Truth. As to self “proclaimed believers” that want to justify those behaviors…..scripture makes it abundantly clear we are to have nothing to do with them! That is where you find your confusion.
,
Is this true? Or is it “The Onion” like?
I’m sad about this. Holding hostage the people that need help and quantifying by law the work of Jesus. Even if your Onion-esque policies were true I would still support my child. It’s not about law. It’s about relationship. I’m very sad.
Your sadness is not warranted. Children are being fed. Franklin Grahm contributes much to this. Is it because the Church will not condone un biblical behavior among its leaders that you are upset? They would have you believe the unacceptance of certain behaviors equates the unacceptance of individuals. That is a lie! It is a tactic Progressives use to attack not only the Church of Jesus Christ, but to change our traditional culture. They could, at the very least, be honest about it!
“Your sadness is not warranted.” Wow. Uphold patriarchal beliefs much? Not only do you judge people’s beliefs and actions, but even their feelings. Who are you to say that someone’s feelings are or are not valid?
“traditional culture”: Do you believe in the Tooth Fairy, as well?
Skyride, I stand corrected. One cannot judge feelings. It would have been better said “if he/she new the Truth of the matter, and discounted the absolute lie in the original post, perhaps she would not feel sad. So if you equate Jesus and the Word of God with the “tooth fairy” …..we’ll leave it at that. You obviously shun traditional culture and judge those that embrace it.
Chris, how are Christians supposed to determine right from wrong in your view?
I’m totally going to reply to this.
I measure right and wrong on the love scale. Are my actions coming from a place of love or are they coming from fear, anger, prejudice, or selfishness. And I refuse to judge another’s actions. That is always between them and God. It’s really pretty simple.
In other words, Rose, your definition of love is the basis for your decision making. I would like to know your frame of reference of what “love” is. Could it be anything that makes YOU feel good….or floats your boat? There are a lot of songs from the sixties and even now
that define love that way. I would like to remain indifferent to this topic…but I am trying to raise children in this culture so I need to know.
Rose,
I completely agree that the motive of our hearts plays a big role in the rightness or wrongness of our actions/decisions. A person could give a great sum of money to the poor (generally a very right or righteous deed), but then turn that good deed into something ugly and bad by say doing it out of a prideful or self-serving motive. 1st Corinthians Chapter 13 backs that up all the way. Paul says, “Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and give my body to be burned and have not charity (love) it profiteth me nothing.” So we can spoil something good by failing to have love in our hearts. I think that is what happens with Christians on both sides of this debate all too often.
The problem comes though when we apply that principle that works so well at informing us about right and wrong in our own hearts to measure right and wrong in the hearts of others in an absolute sense. To say that someone else’s actions are wrong because they are born out of a hateful heart is to presume to know what’s in another person’s heart. Both experience and the Bible tell us that it is impossible to truly know another person’s motives. How many times have you been surprised by something somebody did because you thought you knew them? And then 1 Samuel 16:7 says “… the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance; but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
Furthermore, while bad motives or a lack of love can spoil good deeds, “good” motives don’t really have the same effect on actions that are wrong in themselves. Just last week I read about a woman who drove her children into the ocean because she thought she was saving them from spirits or demons or something. One could argue that she was acting out of love in her heart when she tried to murder (protect) them. If we applied the love test to her actions, should we conclude that she was doing something good to her kids?
What do you think, Rose?
Chris, your reply was to Rose, not to me, and I appreciate that. What you did was quote scripture and I appreciate that also. I often refrain from doing that because when I do, I am considered a “Bible Thumper” by those that resent or are in Rebellion against the Word of God. For me, there is no argument against the Word of God however it needs to be read with a pure motive. You have hit the nail on the head as far as motive of heart and as the Word says our hearts are incredibly deceptive! That is exactly why if everyone does what is right in his own eyes…..we are forever lost as a people. That is why, I believe, God did what he did while we were his enemies… a total example of what Love is. If we humbly seek out how God defines love and He has done that through his Word, then we, in the Body of Christ will rightfully prepare “His Bride!” The Apostle Paul instructed us as to who will inherit His Kingdom, and who will not. 1 Corinthians 6:9-20 speaks to this very issue. Yet in light of this, and the precepts that have been laid down, you ridicule Christians in your Blog for withholding leadership positions from those that practice such immorality. The term “gay Christians” has been used and accepted here. You intentionally blurr the lines between judging potential children of God, and barring those practicing immorality from leadership positions. I am concerned as to why you do this? So I will withhold any judgement and wait for your explanation.
bdhstone
I’m a little bit confused at your reply. It seems like maybe you think I’m the other Chris. If only you could see the pitiful nakedness of my upper lip, my lack of awesomeness would reveal that I am not theboeskool.
As far as gay Christians, I personally don’t see the contradiction in terms. A person with consistent same-sex attraction can put their trust in Jesus just like a promiscuous heterosexual. To me the important aspect of the debate centers around the implications of equating the belief that gay sex is a sin with bigotry, small mindedness, and hatred. If a person holds that view and then op
*** This is a continuation of my initial reply. Stupid phone… 🙂 ***
If a person holds that view and then opens the Bible and reads what it says about gay sex, then they will likely conclude that the same document that claims Jesus’ deity also promotes bigotry. That’s just not who Jesus is. Yes, the Bible pretty clearly presents gay sex as a sin just like it does straight premarital sex and dishonesty and unforgiveness and pride and gossip, etc. etc. etc. The Bible and Christianity is no more bigoted against LGBT people in calling gay sex immoral than it is against wealthy people in calling greed evil. So to argue against the immorality of gay sex in my view undermines Christ’s character and offers a major barrier to people knowing Him. That’s why I think it’s so important.
Chris….sorry if I confused who you are. It is not my intention to come on here and rail against those involved in homosexual activity. Actually all that entails is a sexual sin no more deviant than fornification, adultry or other sins as you have pointed out. Sure, all sinners need to put their trust in Jesus. Actually, we are all sinners. The Hope and Promise is, Christ will lead us out of our bondage to sin. In todays world, it seems that anyone that wants to describe this “liberty” is deemed a “hater” because this “world” wants to continually bathe themselves in sin. Putting “trust in Jesus” and beginning that walk, is a totally different animal than “representing the Body of Christ” in a minor leadership role while walking in a sinful life. There is a difference. In the initial post, TThere is satire ridiculing Christians for Christians taking a stand. We don’t expect our leaders to be perfected, although we should attain to that goal…..we just want them to be obedient to the calling, without excusing their human weakness. After all, that is what is laid down in scripture in the instructions to the Church. “Standfast therefore in the liberty where Christ has set us free and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage. For we have been called to liberty, but use not liberty as an occasion to SERVE THE FLESH, but by love, serve one another!”