Harbour Faith Community condemns efforts to protect ministers from threat of carrying out sodomite ‘marriages’

We are told, though it is transparently becoming increasingly less the case, that we live in a ‘free country’, where people are allowed to hold whichever opinion they choose, whether we find it distasteful or not.

However, the rushed through policy of introducing so-called sodomite ‘marriage’ by MPs determined to defy God has seen no legal protection put in place for ministers who object to being forced to act against their conscience and disobey God by officiating at such godless affairs.

This is not the case in the rest of the UK where the ‘marriage’ between those given over to what God terms an “abomination” and “against nature” can be conscientiously objected to by any minister or denomination who so wishes.

Just as is the case with the other devil-inspired policy foisted on us in Northern Ireland by God-defying MPs of abortion, the policy is more extreme in Ulster than it is in the rest of the UK.

Babies could be murdered, legally, up to 24 weeks in the rest of the UK but it is up to 28 weeks in Northern Ireland.

This is an act of twisting the knife by the enemies of God and His Word, rubbing it in the noses of those in Northern Ireland who still seek to place God at the forefront of their lives.

It is an act of gleeful punishment to God-fearing people in Ulster for having the temerity to stand up against their evil notions to then, when the power is in their hands, ram through policies which are worse than the ones operating in their own jurisdiction.

They would all need to read the words of Isaiah 10:1, 3 and tremble: “Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?”

The Christian Institute, who represented Asher’s Bakery throughout their ordeal at the hands of the state in the ‘gay cake’ row, aided by supposed ‘Christians’ in the (In)Equality Commission such as Presbyterian ‘minister’, ‘Rev’ Lesley Carroll, has stepped up to take legal action to protect ministers from this obvious form of discrimination.

However, as is often the case in matters that are exceedingly clear to anyone, the Harbour Faith Community in Carrickfergus, County Antrim and its leader, Steve Ames, contrive to see it differently.

This is evidenced by the fact that the church is “LGBT affirming”, despite the Bible condemning such actions which fall under that man-made umbrella term as “abomination”, the fact that it equates the Lord Jesus Christ to a thug running a protection racket and the fact that it held an event recently where the guest speaker was a militant abortion campaigner.

And now Steve Ames has spoken out against the Christian Institute’s efforts to protect ministers from being forced by the state to officiate at ‘marriages’ with which they profoundly disagree.

How Steve Ames thinks it is a tolerable situation to force ministers to officiate at such ceremonies is hard to fathom.

Yet he is quoted in the Belfast Telegraph saying: “We believe that the LGBT community receives enough hostility as it is from the wider community and that often comes from Christian voices, sadly.

“For us, the Christian Institute seeking protections from having to marry same-sex couples is sending a further negative symbol that there is something wrong with same-sex relationships. That for us is frustrating.”

He also further said apparently that the Christian Institute’s concerns are “completely unfounded”.

Following this up on his Facebook page, Steve Ames said: “Our issue with the Christian Institute is their blind assumption that Christian ministers will obviously not want to perform same sex marriages in the first place.

“They make no attempt to acknowledge those of us who consider guiding couples through the sacrament of marriage to be our privilege, not something we need special protections from.

“An institution claiming to represent Christian values can and should do much, much better than this. They should be advocating for love, acceptance and inclusion for everyone regardless of gender or sexuality, instead of driving yet another wedge between the church and the LGBT+ community.”

It is remarkable that Steve Ames, in taking the position he has, seems to be making a blind assumption that Christian ministers will want to perform same-sex marriages.

The vast majority of ministers in the vast majority of denominations with any sort of significant membership in Northern Ireland would not countenance carrying out such an affront to God.

This includes the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian Church and Methodists, apostate as they all are, where most ministers would be opposed to going to such lengths away from God, while the likes of the Brethren, Independent Methodist, Free Presbyterian, Baptist and Reformed Presbyterian churches (as far as we know) would simply not countenance it in any way.

Indeed, most charismatic / Pentecostal / Elim type churches also would not even consider officiating at sodomite marriages.

Steve Ames may be doing his best to follow the crowd in endorsing what God has called an “abomination”, but he is very much in the minority when it comes to religious circles in Northern Ireland, although of course he has set himself up as a pastor, seemingly entirely off his own bat.

This sort of issue we referred to previously when farmers from outside Ballymena decided to go from pasteurising to ‘pastorising’ in setting up Mid Antrim Vineyard. We would again advise readers to see the inconstancy of such a position by reading the stark example of Micah in Judges 17-18.

The argument of the wrongs of sodomy is one which has been repeated on numerous occasions on this page and it really is remarkable that people who claim to be Christians continue to reject God’s Word in this most clear and important matter.

Anyone looking to know God’s mind on the matter can turn to a host of different passages for His view on sexuality and relationships, including, but most certainly not limited to Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:18-24, Leviticus 18:22, Matthew 19:4-6, Romans 1:22-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Timothy 1:9-10.

However, Steve Ames’ comments that the action by the Christian Institute is “driving yet another wedge between the church and the LGBT+ community” shows his determination to remain at odds with God and His Word.

The wedge between the church of Christ and the “LGBT+ community” comes from the side of those who choose to live their lives in open defiance of God, ie those who fall under the man-made “LGBT” umbrella.

Those who identify with such a lifestyle separate themselves from God and His church.

God will not let sin into heaven, only those upon whom He has imputed His righteousness.

Revelation 21:27: “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

God calls sodomy an “abomination” and nothing which “worketh abomination” will be in heaven.

Furthermore, as referenced above, 1 Corinthians 6 tells us that the “effeminate” and “abusers of themselves with mankind” will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Job 28:28 tells us: “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”

Departing from evil is understanding of the will of the Lord, not wilfully engaging with and supporting the indulgence of evil.

Likewise, those who preach the LGBT false gospel, so obviously contrary to the doctrine of Scripture, are to be marked out and avoided.

Romans 16:17-18: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

Indeed, Steve Ames and Harbour Faith Community are very much the schismatics as they are the ones who are consciously rejecting God’s Word.

So often the ecumenist, compromiser and the heretic tries to paint those who wish to stay in the old paths (Jeremiah 6:16) as the schismatic because they wish not to follow the broad road leading to destruction.

It is clear they are the true schismatics as they put a clear gap between themselves and God’s Word.

And let us follow that clear Scriptural command with any church, church leader or fellowship which chooses to ignore God’s Word and, indeed, chooses to directly disobey God’s Word as they pursue their own ungodly ends.

Harbour Faith Community hosts pro-abortion activist

Psalm 139:13-16: “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

How beautiful are the words above, penned by King David around 3,000 years ago.

How beautifully does David, under God’s inspiration, articulate the special care and note God takes of each and every one of us from the moment we are conceived in the womb.

While “yet being unperfect”, ie the body as yet not fully developed in the womb, God had already shown His care for the unborn child.

So important is the unborn child in the womb that all David’s “members were written” down by God, “which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them”.

This refers to the gradual growth and progression of the baby in the womb and clearly states how precious human life, even its earliest stages, is in the sight of God.

Having this knowledge and revelation from God, it makes it all the more sickening to see the campaign to murder the unborn indiscriminately come so close to having its way in Northern Ireland.

Come 21 October, unless God steps in to the affairs of men to prevent this happening, the process will begin to legalise infanticide, commonly euphemistically described as abortion, in our land.

There has been significant uproar caused by this in our land, with many of various denominations and faiths publicly and volubly expressing their anger and distress at such a vile proposal.

Many churches and church leaders have stated their opposition to such wickedness, and that is absolutely to their credit.

Indeed, it is inconceivable how anyone who claims to be a Christian could possibly seek to excuse the murder of the unborn or seek to equivocate or quibble over whether abortion is, in fact, permissible.

However, that is exactly what happened on Thursday night past, 19 September, and indeed will be done once more next Thursday night, 26 September.

The Harbour Faith Community, based in Carrickfergus and led by Steve Ames (pictured, top), held an event entitled ‘Faith and Choice – Conversations with Kellie Turtle’.

The promotional post on Harbour Faith Community’s facebook page states that they will “welcome Kellie Turtle, who is an activist with Alliance for Choice. She will share some of her journey as a person of faith who also has experience of accessing an abortion in England”.

It further said that she would “explore some of the myths and realities of what it means to end a pregnancy”.

Apparently the purpose of such an event is because “thoughtful conversations around issues such as abortion, reproductive rights and choice are virtually non-existent In churches and faith groups”.

“Thoughtful conversations”, of course, is a self-serving, self-indulgent euphemism for disgracefully trying to apologise and excuse the murder of the unborn, the forcible extraction of a helpless baby from the safety and comfort of its mother’s womb, the literal binning of a tiny little human being.

A quick scan of Kellie Turtle’s facebook page shows she is highly unlikely to engage in anything resembling a “thoughtful conversation”, as she is vehemently campaigning for the “right” for mothers to dispense with their own children.

Take this “thoughtful” post on her facebook page where she strongly encourages, shall we say, all her facebook friends to attend a pro-abortion march in Belfast, which took place on 7 September.

Introducing her comments, she says that only one individual has no excuse not to follow her command to attend the pro-infanticide procession.

As for the rest, she says “everyone else better be there or you’ll be cursed by the gods to never be free to choose anything ever again”.

The irony presumably is lost on this holder of “thoughtful conversations”.

Whilst advocating what she terms “choice”, she is seeking to remove the choice from everyone else she knows to attend a march in support of baby murder.

Indeed the poster on her facebook page promoting the march says “we won’t stop until abortion access is free, safe, legal and local”.

That sounds very nuanced and thoughtful, doesn’t it?

Of course, by safe, she means there ought to be no adverse health ramifications for the woman choosing to destroy her own flesh and blood. There is no concern for the safety of the child, else the woman seeking the murder of her child wouldn’t be looking such a despicable act to be carried out.

Even more grimly ironic from her facebook page is a post where she rages against “anti-vaxxers” (parents who oppose giving their children vaccinations). We have no interest in entering that debate, but Kellie Turtle tells those reading her post: “Don’t be part of putting their lives in danger”.

This is symptomatic of the bizarre mental jump that abortion supporters seem to be able to make – killing a baby in the womb is totally fine but once the baby is born it seems to magically become a human in that instant.

And for Harbour Faith Community to be giving such a wicked notion a vehicle just serves to show even more fully how utterly anti-Christian this supposedly Christian gathering is.

The outrageously ungodly nature of Harbour Faith Community has been clearly highlighted on this page before.

This includes its proud declaration of support for sodomy as well as the despicable comments made by its leader, Steve Ames, that the gospel of Jesus Christ is “not that different from a standard protection racket”.

And now they are seeking to introduce the notion that abortion is not so bad as other churches say it is.

It is not up to us to decide if a baby gets to live, either inside or outside the womb.

Deuteronomy 32:39: “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”

1 Samuel 2:6: “The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.”

God is sovereign and we ought not to interfere with the lives of the helpless and harmless to end them simply because the mother has decided, for whatever reason, they don’t want the child.

The sixth commandment makes it pretty clear for us.

Exodus 20:13 says: “Thou shalt not kill.”

It doesn’t say “thou shalt not kill unless you unexpectedly fall pregnant”.

It doesn’t say “thou shalt not kill unless your baby is a boy and you would prefer a girl”.

It simply states, “thou shalt not kill”.

Yet what Harbour Faith Community is doing is grotesquely striving to muddy the water around an issue which so obviously is clear cut.

Of course, Harbour Faith Community will say we are demonstrating another example of what they term the “virtually non-existent thoughtful conversations” on the matter among many professing Christians.

We couldn’t care less that they think this.

It is crystal clear that it is wrong to destroy children.

Jesus said to “suffer the little children to come unto me”, He had a special care for children.

Let us have that same care and let us not allow ourselves to be swayed from the Biblical view that to slay the innocent is to do a grave wrong, something God will look upon most unfavourably.

2 Kings 24:3-4: “Surely at the commandment of the Lord came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the Lord would not pardon.”

God would not pardon the shedding of innocent blood and brought the enemies of Israel in upon them to conquer and destroy them.

What fate awaits a land which makes legal the slaughter of the innocent, worse still for a supposed church which supports it?

Gospel of Jesus Christ is a ‘protection racket’ – Carrickfergus Church of Ireland extension

1 John 2:22-23: “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”

Galatians 1:6-9: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Those who deny the precious gospel of Jesus Christ are called clearly in the Bible “liars” and to be “accursed” of God.

And in Harbour Faith Community, based in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, on the east coast of Northern Ireland we are presented with one of the most brazen denials of the entire gospel message one could possibly conceive.

Harbour Faith Community is an extension work of St Colman’s Church of Ireland in Carrickfergus and they have recently posted their heresy on their Facebook page, stating their outright rejection of the precious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For they have disgracefully branded the precious gospel message as “not that different from a standard protection racket”.

This refers, of course, to the sadly still fairly common practice in Northern Ireland where local paramilitaries, both republicans (IRA, for example) and loyalists (UVF, UDA, for example), extort money from shopkeepers in order to keep their business safe. Failure to pay up, often, leads to these very same would-be “protectors” then attacking that shop in whichever way they see fit, be it by threats, breaking windows, arson, etc.

And here we have a Church of Ireland work equating the God of the Bible to little more than an IRA (Irish Republican Army) or UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) henchman bully boy.

What a disgusting statement to make.

They, of course, having first mocked the precious gospel message, then teach their own gospel in which “there is no threat from God” and “we are loved and forgiven anyway”.

So they remove the reality of hell and say nobody is going to go to hell.

If we are “loved and forgiven anyway”, then what is the point of anything? Why should we restrain ourselves from any sin? Why should we feel guilt over any action we take? Why can’t we just please ourselves in any way? Why should we go to any church if we are guaranteed heaven regardless of what we do?

This is self-evidently nonsense and, more than that, blasphemous.

Here is the post by Harbour Faith Community on their Facebook page.

It says: “Many people have realised that the ‘gospel’ they so often hear is just a threat dressed up as ‘good news’.

“It’s really not that different from a standard protection racket. ‘Good news! If you just come under our authority, then we won’t have to burn your shop down!’

“The sad thing is that it works. Especially in such a brittle society as Northern Ireland – used to such rackets as we are.

“What is lost along the way, however, is the actual ‘good news’ – that there is no threat from God. And there never was. The whole point of the cross is to show that, if anything, the violence comes from us towards God – not God towards us. And that, in spite of this, we are loved and forgiven anyway. More than that, we are invited to drop our own penchant for violence and follow Christ’s example of love and forgiveness towards all – even those who would harm us.

“In this way we are invited to embrace the way of love as demonstrated by the God of love. Not because we’ll be punished if we don’t – but because, well… who wouldn’t want to live in love?”

If that doesn’t grieve your soul then nothing ever will. You can see the Facebook post for yourself in the picture below, complete with a blasphemous illustration of Jesus.

This is typical of the modern, ‘God is love’ so-called ‘Christian’, but it is rare to see it so explicitly written down as it has been here.

What of God’s justice and His judgment?

Why should Jesus have spoken more of hell than of heaven if there was no threat of anybody ever ending up there?

Just as was the case when we wrote about Presbyterian minister Rev Ernie Rea earlier this month, this statement means the Harbour Faith Community is calling our Lord and Saviour a liar.

Read the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 86:15: “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”

Hebrews 6:18: “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

God is a God of truth, he cannot lie.

He is also a God of compassion and grace, patience and mercy, but this does not extend to Him ignoring sin or winking at sin.

Think of the famous words of Genesis 6:3: “My spirit shall not always strive with man”.

This is also demonstrated in Nahum 1:3, which says: “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked…”

And who are classed as the wicked by God? Every one who has not been saved, who has not come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. 1 John 5:19 tells us that “the whole world lieth in wickedness”.

So we are not “already forgiven anyway”, as the wretched deceiver who wrote that Facebook post would blasphemously claim.

We are warned not to be taken in by such characters in Colossians 2:8, which says: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

These comments are definitely “not after Christ”; after all he preached the hellfire and damnation which so many ecumenists and apostates like to pretend doesn’t exist.

These are some of the words of Jesus.

Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Luke 16:22-23: “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

Mark 9:43, 48: “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Matthew 13:41-42: “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

Jesus talks rather a lot about hell, and in quite vivid detail, does he not?

All this does is serve to demonstrate how Biblically illiterate and how anti-Christian the Harbour Faith Community is.

While we cannot be absolutely certain that it was the Harbour Faith Community leader, Steve Ames (pictured, top) who wrote the post, it seems highly likely.

After all, he is the only person listed on the Facebook page as being a person connected with it.

This is not the first time his outrageous pontifications have prompted a response from this page.

Last July, we highlighted this despicable grouping for stressing how one of its core principles is that it is “LGBT affirming”, meaning it supports sodomy in the church.

This is another example of Biblical illiteracy, given that not only does the Bible never once countenance such practices as being acceptable, it outright prohibits same-sex relationships.

A host of passages are contained within Scripture to demonstrate this beyond any doubt, such as Genesis 2:24, Leviticus 18:22, Matthew 19:5, Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:9-10; Jude v 7.

For any to deny this is the view of the Bible is frankly remarkable and indicative of a character which has rejected God’s Word.

And what of St Colman’s Church of Ireland in Carrickfergus?

This is a quote from Harbour Faith Community’s website, articulating the close and continuing links with that Church of Ireland congregation.

It says: “Our history involved a shared journey with St Colman’s Church of Ireland in Carrickfergus, with whom we still have an enduring relationship. The rector of St Colman’s continues to be instrumental in supporting our relationship with the wider Church family.”

The rector in that church, until very recently, was a Rev Michael McCann (pictured, below) and he ought not to be giving any support whatsoever to such a brazenly anti-Scriptural fellowship as the Harbour Faith Community.

Why is the Church of Ireland supporting this in any way, shape or form?

Why is the Diocese of Connor, under which Carrickfergus falls, allowing such blasphemy and Christ rejecting to carry on while linked to them?

Also, is there any financial support being provided to Harbour Faith Community from the Church of Ireland? If so, what do Church of Ireland members in Carrickfergus or within the Diocese of Connor or even general members think of their money being used to fund such a blatantly anti-Christian church?

While there is little mention of Rev Michael McCann online, we found a couple of articles looking at him taking a sabbatical to go to the Arctic and one such article mentioned how, before going to the Arctic, he was “spending a few days on retreat at the Benedictine Monastery in Rostrevor” in County Down.

So not only is he “instrumental in supporting” a church openly supporting sodomy and casting God as a UVF thug, but he is an ardent ecumenist, eagerly fellowshipping with Romanism.

Quite often when you see one such rejection of God’s Word, there is more to follow and this certainly appears to be the case with Rev Michael McCann.

Dear reader, if you or anyone you know is involved with the Church of Ireland in Carrickfergus or within the Connor Diocese, won’t you even challenge your minister and Bishop for their toleration of such rank rejection of Christ.

The Bishop of Connor is Alan Abernethy and we would encourage you to put your concerns directly to him by emailing office@connordiocese.org and marking your correspondence for his attention.

Let us not sit back and allow such a God-dishonouring situation to continue unchecked in our land.

We would also issue a call to anyone reading this who attends a church which is faithful to the blood and the book to even challenge their own minister to speak out against those who are acting contrary to the Word of God.

Our faithful ministers in this country need to bring to light the works of darkness being practised by corrupters of the gospel message and speak out fearlessly and repeatedly.

Let us make our protest, let us make it loud and clear, let us never shrug our shoulders to the sin which is all around us.

Rather, let us speak out for Christ in this evil day and make sure the religious figures teaching lies and error are not allowed to do it without keeping an eye over their shoulder to see if a supporter of the truth will be snapping at their heels, highlighting the wickedness of their ways.

Joel 2:1: “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand”.

Harbour Faith Community – Church of Ireland extension priding itself on being ‘LGBT affirming’

2 Peter 2:1-2: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”

Today in Northern Ireland, a number of new Church of Ireland fellowships are being formed, mimicking the charismatic style of church.

This is something we have already addressed recently when looking at Hope Community Church in Craigavon, County Armagh.

However, there is another such movement born out of the Church of Ireland which deserves attention and that is the ‘Harbour Faith Community’, based in the coastal town of Carrickfergus, County Antrim.

The Harbour Faith Community is an offshoot of St Colman’s Church of Ireland in Kilroot, Carrickfergus and the only name which appears to be directly linked to it is a Steve Ames.

Our photograph shows him smiling during what appears to have been a baptism service for the Harbour Faith Community.

In its statement regarding itself, the Harbour Faith Community calls itself ‘Anglican’, ‘progressive’ and ‘LGBT affirming’.

This is one of its primary creeds and, despite what the Bible clearly has to say regarding sodomy, this clearly matters little to Harbour Faith Community.

While we have covered the topic of sodomy on numerous occasions of late, we will repeat several passages from the Scriptures which are absolutely fundamental in forming a Biblical view on homosexuality.

Leviticus 18:22: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

Romans 1:22-27: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”

We will also include a passage from Matthew 19 in which Jesus reaffirmed the natural order He Himself, being God, established in Genesis. This is because the Harbour Faith Community seems to reject all parts of Scripture other than the four gospels, and only then the “nice” bits about loving your neighbour.

It says in Matthew 19:4-5: “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”

That doesn’t leave much room for sodomite marriage or transgenderism, does it?

Only, somehow Harbour Faith Community seems to squeeze through anyway.

This is what they say on their website: “There continues to be condemnation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons from the community of faith, or at least a tolerance of such condemnation and exclusion through silence.

“We are convinced that such actions are inconsistent with Christ’s teachings.”

Well, as long as they’re convinced! Notice how not one verse of Scripture is offered to back up their point. Personal notions are much more important to such than faithfulness to the Word of God.

We were recently contacted by a gentleman who stated his concern that Christians at present are possibly placing too much emphasis on the sin of sodomy compared to other sins.

However, this is where the war is being waged at the moment, this is the trendiest sin of our day and as such we must speak out against it, else we are failing in our duty as Christians.

In a blog posting on their website, they discuss what they mean by calling themselves “progressive Christians”.

It appears to be a theological free-for-all, as this quote from their blog entry shows.

It says: “We (that is, “progressive Christians”) differ widely with regard to the inerrancy of Scripture, the existence and nature of hell, intercessory prayer, salvation by atonement, the practice of worship and the doctrine of original sin.”

So they have no fixed beliefs on virtually every vital doctrine from God’s Word (though according to that same blog post doctrine is “fair game” for being altered).

We cannot address all those issues in this article but we will look at a few.

The Bible is God’s Word, penned by human authors under God’s inspiration.

2 Timothy 3:16 says: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”.

The word inspiration also means “God-breathed”, meaning the Bible constitutes God’s very own breath and if it is not inerrant, then God ceases to be perfect and is therefore unable to save us from our sins.

To deny the existence of hell is also easily demonstrable nonsense.

God will punish the unregenerate in hell. Once again, we will use Jesus’ own words to demonstrate this.

Luke 12:4-5: “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

Jesus preached the existence of hell, but these “progressive Christians” at Harbour Faith Community disgracefully seem to claim to have a greater revelation than God Himself.

It certainly seems much more like regressive Christianity, though the word Christianity seems misplaced.

Questioning salvation by atonement and original sin are absolutely reprehensible moves to make for anyone professing to be a Christian.

Salvation by atonement is absolutely fundamental to the Christian faith; there is absolutely no room for debate on this matter.

Ephesians 1:7 says: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

1 Peter 3:18 says: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”

Our sins, if we are one of God’s elect, were atoned for on the Cross at Calvary and we are saved through Jesus’ blood.

Original sin is another vital doctrine clearly demonstrated through the Word of God.

Romans 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

To question these doctrines is to reject God and as such, Harbour Faith Community and other so-called “progressive Christians” must be rejected too.

Isaiah 5:20: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”