Murdered Gay Teen's Ashes

Do you remember about 20 years ago when a gay teen named Matthew Shepard was brutally killed in Wyoming?  His ashes were just laid to rest at the National Cathedral.

Yes, this was a tragic story of evil young men killing another man, but check out what was said at the funeral by the openly gay Right Reverend.

The public remembrance at the filled 4,000-seat cathedral was led by the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal bishop of Washington, and the Right Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man elected a bishop in the Episcopal Church. After, his ashes were interred at the cathedral's crypt in a private family ceremony.

Robinson was emotional throughout the public ceremony, tearfully addressing the large crowd. "For Matthew to come back to church," he said, "is a remarkable step forward."

He extended a particular welcome to attendees who are LGBT, saying, "Many of you have been hurt by your own religious communities, and I want to welcome you back."

Shepard's parents requested that their son's ashes be interred at the cathedral after 20 years of reluctance. They feared his gravesite would be desecrated.

In addition, Robinson said, Shepard's interment at the cathedral is significant for the LGBTQ community in the United States, which has faced hostility from many people in conservative faith circles.

"Let's be honest," Robinson said. "Churches and synagogues and mosques have been the source of our greatest pain as LGBTQ people." Robinson himself was vilified after revealing his sexual orientation, and his election as Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire in 2003 led to a split in the U.S. Episcopal Church.

"For Matthew to come back to church ... is a remarkable step forward," Robinson said. "It's the cathedral saying some churches are different. Some churches have been on this journey with you, and we will not only welcome you, we will celebrate you."

Here;  https://www.npr.org/2018/10/26/659835903/watch-matthew-shepard-laid-to-rest-at-national-cathedral

Yes!  Churches HAVE been a great source of pain to LGBTQ people because they point out that they are sinners!!  And no one likes to be told they are living on the wide road that leads to destruction.  They like their sin and none of us wants to willingly submit to the painful path of repentance and change.

Imagine one day when the Right Reverend will say, "Churches have often been a source of great pain for adulterers.  And even though 90% of men are born with this desire in their bones, they were still made to feel awful about simply acting on their desires.  Well today this ends!  God loves everyone!  God doesn't make junk!  God doesn't care what you do!  There is no sin if you simply act on your feeling and do good and be good!"

Certainly the great apostasy is upon us.

1 Corinthians 6
⁹ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men^{[a] 10} nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.