Kirk Cameron Receives More Backlash Rather Than Support

Kirk Cameron Receives More Backlash Rather Than Support From Fellow Celebs

Note: "Rabbinic thinkers in the past did not consider homosexuality a Jewish behavior problem. ...lesbianism does not involve the spilling of seed."

The 'Growing Pains' actor gets no love from his on-screen family and becomes the target of mockery from the likes of Craig Ferguson and Roseanne Barr. 


Alan Thicke, who plays his on-screen father, was also against him, "I'm getting him some new books. The Old Testament simply can't be expected to explain everything." 

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Kirk Cameron might have been applauded by Piers Morgan for his statement against homosexuality and gay marriage, but the "Growing Pains" star didn't seem to get more support from fellow celebrities than he has already had. Instead, he received more criticisms including the ones from his co-stars.

Kirk's on-screen sister Tracey Gold was quick to declare which side she's on by tweeting, "I am a strong supporter of the #LGBT Community, and I believe in equal rights for all." Alan Thicke, who plays his on-screen father, was also against him, "I'm getting him some new books. The Old Testament simply can't be expected to explain everything."

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, meanwhile, mocked Kirk, "The only unnatural thing about me being gay is that I had a crush on Kirk Cameron until about 24 hours ago." Debra Messing joined the mockery by writing, "I want to thank Piers Morgan for his response to what he wud say to HIS child if (s)he came out: 'Great, as long as you're happy'."

Craig Ferguson shared his thought, "Rush makes me ashamed to be a middleaged white man and Kirk Cameron makes me ashamed to be a failed actor. We don't all think like that NoH8." Roseanne Barr also attacked Kirk, "Kirk or kurt or whatever Cameron is an accomplice to murder with his hate speech. So is rick warren. Their peers r killing gays in Uganda."

Dave Holmes added, "Remember yesterday afternoon, when Kirk Cameron's views were none of our concern? Let's restore America to that golden age." Michael Showalter posted, "Idea for movie: Human Centipede 3 starring Kirk Cameron and Rush Limbaugh." Martha Plimpton wrote, "The word 'equality' shows up too much in our founding documents for anyone to pretend it's not the American way. #usethe19th #equalitynow."

Kirk Cameron set the tongues wagging with his comments on the Friday, March 2 edition of "Piers Morgan Tonight". Opposing the idea of same-sex marriage, he further suggested that he wouldn't be so accepting if one of his sons told him he was gay. "I wouldn't say 'That's great, son, as long as you're happy.'," he said.

source: 

The discussion began when Piers Morgan asked Kirk Cameron his opinion on heated social topics like abortion and gay marriage, and what he would tell his six children about the issues.

Cameron said that he would only instruct his children based on what is written in the Bible. "Marriage is almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve," Cameron told to Morgan. "One man, one woman for life till death do you part. So I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage. And I don't think anyone else should either. So do I support the idea of gay marriage? No, I don't."

"[Homosexuality is] unnatural... I think that it's detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization," the 41-year-old said.

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Homosexuality and Halakhah

Traditional sources on homosexuality.

By Rabbi Michael Gold

The following article is reprinted with permission from Does God Belong in the Bedroom? Two claims made by Gold in this article are disputable and should be noted. First, is the assertion that Judaism is not concerned with inner feelings. While it is true that in Judaism actions are more often than not privileged over thoughts and feelings, certain manifestations of Judaism, including hasidism and musar (a 19th century movement that focused on the study of Jewish ethics and values), do stress the importance of inner feelings. Second, is Gold’s assertion that natural law is a concept foreign to Judaism. While some scholars have assumed this to be true, others disagree.

An important point to make from the outset is that Jewish law does not teach that it is forbidden to be a homosexual. On the contrary, Jewish law is concerned not with the source of a person’s erotic urges nor with inner feelings, but with acts. The Torah forbids the homosexual act, known as mishkav zakhar, but has nothing to say about homosexuality as a state of being or a personal inclination. 

In other words, traditionally, a person with a homosexual inclination can be an entirely observant Jew as long as he or she does not act out that inclination.

The Biblical Sources

The basis of the prohibition against homosexual acts derives from two biblical verses in Leviticus: “Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is an abhorrence” (Leviticus 18:22) and “If a man lies with a male as one lies with a woman, the two of them have done an abhorrent thing; they shall be put to death—their bloodguilt is upon them” (Leviticus 20:13). The Torah considers a homosexual act between two men to be an abhorrent thing (to’evah), punishable by death—a strong prohibition.

The Torah gives no reason for this commandment. Some commentators have looked for a rationale in the story of Sodom, in which the men in the town attempt to rape the visitors to Lot’s house. (See Genesis 19; the word “sodomy” comes from this incident.) However, the occurrence in the story was a case of homosex­ual rape, hardly a legitimate precedent for the kind of consensual homosexual acts we are considering. Others see the root of the prohibition in the verse “No Israelite woman shall be a cult prostitute, nor shall any Israelite man be a cult prostitute” (Deuteronomy 23:18). Cultic prostitution, both hetero‑ and homosexual, was a common feature of idolatrous worship in the ancient Near East, but, like the story of Sodom, it is no longer a relevant precedent for modern homosexuality.

Various rabbis have tried to come up with other reasons for the biblical prohibition of mishkav zakhar. (Note, however, that a Torah prohibition always stands on its own even if no cogent rationale can be found for it.) Some rabbis have argued that homosexuality is forbidden because procreation is impossible. Others have defined the homosexual act as intrinsically unnatural and therefore opposed to the purposes of creation. There are difficulties, however, with both explanations. Judaism grants sexuality a purpose above and beyond procreation, and natural law, although influential in the Catholic Church, is not an authentic Jewish concept.

A Talmudic Interpretation

A more likely explanation for the ban against homosexual behavior is given in the Talmud by Bar Kapparah, who makes a play on the word to’evah (“abomination”), claiming that it means to’eh atah ba(“you go astray because of it”). Both Tosefot and the Asheri (medieval commentators) comment on this passage that a man will leave his wife and family to pursue a relationship with another man. In other words, homosexuality undermines and threatens the Jewish ideal of family life, of marriage and children, articulated in the Torah. Heterosexuality is the communal norm for Jews; homosexuality, a perversion of that norm.

The Assumption of Heterosexuality

Rabbinic literature assumes that Jews are not homosexual. For example, the Mishnah presents the following disagreement between Rabbi Judah and the Sages: “R. Judah said: A bachelor should not herd animals, nor should two bachelors share a single blanket. The Sages permit it.” The halakhah follows the Sages because the Talmud says, “Israel is not suspected of homosexuality.”

The Shulhan Arukh (a foundational work of Jewish law from the 16th century) never explicitly mentions the prohibition against homosexual acts but mentions the precaution that a male should not be alone with another male because of lewdness “in our times.” However, Rabbi Joel Sirkes ruled about one hundred years later that such precautions were unnecessary because of the rarity of such acts among Polish Jewry.

A more recent responsum was brought by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, the first chief rabbi in Palestine. A rumor that a certain shohet (ritual slaughterer) had committed a homosexual act provoked the question of whether he should be disqualified for the position. Rav Kook ruled that the shohet could be retained because, even if the rumor were true, the man might have since repented of his act. It is noteworthy that Rabbi Kook’s responsum considers homosexuality an act of volition for which one can repent.

Lesbianism

Lesbianism is never mentioned in the Torah. One talmudic passage refers to homosexual acts between women: “R. Huna taught, Women who have sex one with the other are forbidden to marry a Kohen(priest).” The halakhah rejects Rav Huna’s opinion and allows a lesbian to marry a Kohen. However, Maimonides ruled that lesbianism is still prohibited and should be punished by flagellation. The prohibition is not as stringent as that against male homosexuality because the Torah does not explicitly prohibit les­bianism, and because lesbianism does not involve the spilling of seed.

A Summary

We can now summarize the classical halakhic position:

Judaism is concerned with explicit acts, not inner feelings.
A homosexual act between two men is explicitly forbidden in the Torah.
A homosexual act between two women is forbidden by the rabbis (i.e. it was not forbidden by the Torah, but was in later times forbidden; this type of prohibition is less severe).
Homosexuality is considered an act of volition for which one can repent.
The reason for the prohibitions seems to be that such behavior undermines the Jewish family ideal of marriage and children as set out in the Torah.
Rabbinic thinkers in the past did not consider homosexuality a Jewish behavior problem. source:

Rabbi Michael Gold is the rabbi at Temple Beth Torah, Tamarac Jewish Center in Tamarac, Florida. He is the author of four books, and his articles have appeared inMoment, Judaism, Jewish Spectator, B'nai Brith International Jewish Monthly, and numerous other publications. He also served as co-chair of the Rabbinical Assembly's committee on human sexuality.

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Paula White as Zachery Tims' Successor

New Destiny Welcomes Paula White as Zachery Tims' Successor

The congregation of New Destiny Christian Center on Sunday welcomed Paula White, the new senior pastor chosen to succeed founder Zachery Tims, signaling her acceptance despite objections raised by some.



“God brought us together for a purpose. None of us imagined this moment,” the 45-year-old White told the half-full church in her first sermon Sunday, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel.

The board of directors of the megachurch in Apopka, Fla., declared last Thursday that White would be the new senior pastor to replace the late Tims, who died in August. That same day, Tims’ ex-wife, Riva, announced that she had filed a lawsuit against NDCC, which she claims is her “heritage and legacy.”

Riva Tims’ supporters had held protests earlier, but on White’s first Sunday no one walked out of the service or showed any displeasure with the new pastor, who comes from Without Walls International Church that she co-founded in Tampa with her former husband Randy White.

“I’m not asking you to like me,” Orlando Sentinel quoted White as saying during her first sermon. “I’m not asking you to love me or respect me, because I’ll do the work to earn that. I always ask people to give me one year of your life and I promise you will be changed.”

Paula White’s First Sermon as Tims' Successor

White also told the congregation she would continue the founder’s vision to build a church that helped people in trouble find success in life. “I recognize I have great shoes to fill,” she said. “The founder of this house was a great man of God. I’m humbled, I’m honored, I’m crying to the Lord with happy tears.”

In its announcement last week, the board of directors affirmed its belief that White will “continue to make New Destiny a church for all people, reaching out to the hurting and the lost by touching lives and helping individuals overcome the disabling challenges of life.”

White rose to prominence as a preacher, motivational speaker, author and TV personality after co-founding what is now Without Walls International Church with her now ex-husband and starting her own ministry. She left Without Walls after her 2007 divorce but returned to lead the Tampa church at the request of her ex-husband. Currently, she is still the lead pastor at Without Walls.

Riva Tims, mother to four children her late husband left behind, helped co-found the 8,000-member NDCC in 1996. The pair divorced in 2009 after Zachery Tims reportedly had an extra-marital affair. Riva Tims eventually founded her own church, Majestic Life Ministries, in Orlando.

Tims is challenging the appointment of White as the new senior pastor in her lawsuit. She claims she is the “real mother” of NDCC and that church by-laws make her the heiress apparent to New Destiny, a claim that church administrators deny.

Zachery Tims was found dead in a hotel room in New York City in August. The cause of his death has not been made known to the public. He was 42.

Zachery Tims, the late pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, Fla., was found dead in a New York City hotel room on Friday, August 12, 2011. Police do not suspect foul play.

Tims, 42, was found dead on Aug. 12 in his room at the W. Hotel in New York City. Investigators ruled out foul play and reportedly suspected that drugs may have been involved, sources close to the investigation revealed. The sources reportedly claimed that a glassine envelope with white powder was discovered in Tims' pocket.

Madeline Tims sued the New York medical examiner's office, as well as New York City, on Oct. 6, one day before the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) was set to issue a press release regarding the cause and manner of Tims' death. Kern allowed the temporary injunction, as Tims' mother argued that making the information known would be a potential embarrassment to his family and the NDCC congregation. 

Paula White allegedly set to be 'enthroned' by Eddie Long's Jewish 'rabbi' accused of being a fraud

BY THE FLORIDA COURIER STAFF: Orlando, Fla. is abuzz with word that Rabbi Ralph Messer is allegedly coming to New Destiny Christian Center, founded by the late Zachery Tims, to make Paula White a 'queen' during a Super Bowl Sunday service.

White's 'coronation,' if it happens, is expected to be like the much-criticized ceremony hitting the Youtube rounds.

"Ralph Messer has been exploiting African-Americans and making a mockery of the Hebrew roots of the faith for years," said former NFL Minnesota Viking chaplain Keith Johnson in a news release.

"I first encountered Messer eleven years ago when my friend the late Football Hall-of-Famer Reggie White paid him an inordinate amount of money to learn Hebrew under his tutelage as a 'rabbi.' A year went by and Reggie never received even a single Hebrew lesson. I decided to confront Messer with Reggie and Pro Bowler Hardy Nickerson as witnesses.

"In their presence 'Rabbi Ralph' admitted he had never formally been ordained as a  real rabbi. I then challenged Messer to read from my Hebrew Bible and he responded by making excuses for an hour about why it was “dangerous” to learn the language. I continued to insist he read from my Bible in Hebrew and with great effort, Messer managed to slowly sound out the first verse of the Bible one syllable at a time. It was obvious to everyone present that Messer did not possess the knowledge to read the Hebrew language let alone to teach it.

"For the past ten years, I have seen Messer continue to throw around Hebrew terms he does not fully understand and misuse holy objects such as Torah Scrolls to manipulate people and bring them under his authority as a “rabbi” and a supposed 'representative of the Jewish People and the Land of Israel.'

"As a United Methodist pastor who believes in the importance of the Hebrew roots of our faith, I am deeply offended by what he did this past week at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. It is my sincere hope and prayer that by speaking out others will be spared from falling prey to his manipulative practices that offend both Jew and Gentile alike," Johnson said.

New Destiny did not return calls for comment.

Link to Religious Dispatch Magazine article & New Birth ceremony on Youtube here

Christian Post article refuting Long's ceremony here

Another critical article here 

"He does not – represent recognizable Jewish thought or practice in his (mis-) representations of the Torah and other Jewish sancta – or for that matter, New Testament and Christian biblical interpretation and theology," Gafney writes.

Long, who keeps a stoic expression throughout the ceremony, wiping his eyes with a napkin on a couple of occasions, was also criticized for simply going along with the "royal" decree.

"Bishop Eddie Long has officially gone off the deep end. How much was this 'rabbi' paid to crown Long a 'king?,'" tweeted pastor Lee Grady from Orlando, Fla., also a contributing editor for Charisma magazine.

"(The ceremony) in no way represents any Jewish ritual that I'm familiar with," said Bill Nigut, Southeast Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League, an Anti-Semitism organization. "We do not proclaim individuals to be kings," he added, the AJC.com reported.

"We wouldn't wrap a Jewish person in a Torah scroll and declare him king. As a Jew, I find that use of symbols very off-putting," expressed Rabbi Joshua Heller of Congregation B'nai Torah in Sandy Springs.

"The Jewish community does not associate itself with the Messianic congregations. We don't feel like this does due justice to either the Jewish or Christian community," Heller noted.

Angus Johnston, a historian and advocate at StudentActivism.net, also insisted in an article that as "bizarre" as the event was, Rabbi Ralph Messer is not a Jewish rabbi.

Johnson writes in his article, "There's nothing that's not creepy about the whole thing, and it's been greeted with the mockery it deserves, but there's one piece of the story that hasn't gotten a lot of attention but should: Rabbi Ralph Messer isn't Jewish.

"Messer is a proponent of so-called Messianic Judaism, a religious movement founded in the 1960s that wraps evangelical Christian theology in Jewish cultural trappings."

"It's my prayer that the world stop judging Christians & churchgoers based on Eddie Long & his wackadoo shenanigans," tweeted Jawn Murray, a media personality associated with EMI Gospel, a Christian music label, reminding others that people should not be quick to put all Christians in the same basket based on the actions of a few