[Faith-talk] blindness and faith issues question

[Poppa Bear]

Hello Beth, I understand your Pastors concerns, he is probably looking at
the situation the same way he would as a father, or a brother. I think that
his concerns are valid. I also think that circumstances can be difficult for
people to understand even when they are really tuned into the Bible. I think
that more pastors should be courageous enough to say what he did. If I were
you, I would really examine my heart and sort out if whether or not this man
staying with you would be a sexual temptation, you don't want to deceive
yourself because if you fall into sin in this area it may take a long time
to deal with the guilt. If you feel that your heart is completely certain
that it is not a temptation and that he will strictly be staying with you as
a boarding type of situation, no sleeping in the same bed, getting closer
than you know you should physically then I think you may be able to do it. I
don't think you should leave your church over it, I am only speaking from
second hand, I know so little about your church overall. If you have a clear
conscience over it, then rest in the Lord about it. Don't avoid church, your
Pastor or church friends, don't debate over it or try to make a ten point
bulletin about it. Your pastor may be a little hurt or frustrated and have
his doubts about whether or not you can withstand this kind of temptation,
but that is natural in my opinion. Don't force the pastor to except your
decision, let him do his thing and give it time.
I hope that my thoughts help you have another perspective on this.

-----Original Message-----
From: Faith-talk [mailto:faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Beth
Taurasi via Faith-talk
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2014 11:16 AM
To: Faith-talk, for the discussion of faith and religion
Subject: [Faith-talk] blindness and faith issues question

Dear List members,
I don't normally post here much, but I have a situation that calls for some
blindness education, but it seems like all the blindness education is going
nowhere.  I had a little phone conference with my church's pastor, Glynn,
and he told me that all practicalities are trumped by the Bible's
commandment for women and men not to sleep in the same apartment, no
questions asked.  He didn't approach it in a nasty way, but I'm concerned.
Blake, my boyfriend from Arizona, is an alumni of the CCB.  He's coming over
here to spend a week with me in Denver, but we've got the problem of the
church saying he shouldn't sleep in my apartment.  Well, even if he didn't,
the building I live in has some bad people in it.  Case in point, there was
a guy so demented in the laundry room once that demanded I not touch his
clothes, and I told him in a rather curt way that "I'm blind, I had no clue
those were yours."  
Because of this, I have an aversion to community laundry rooms.  A caregiver
goes down and does my laundry for me.  Plus the machines are not ADA
compliant.  Ugh.
But that's beside the point.  It  just proves that some males don't know how
to take care of themselves in this building.  The other option the church
gave me was to have Blake's mother with him on the trip.  Nope.  
That's not possible, Blake wants to see me and only me, and his mom doesn't
want to come.  Reasonably, I think this is fine since Kathy, the mother,
does not have any motivation much to get up and go to exotic places or
whatever.  All she is doing these days is working the studio.  
She teaches tai kwon do.  Blake on the other hand is no longer active in the
studio.
The church has also suggested that Blake live somewhere but not my apartment
for the week.  I keep explaining that my apartment building is located near
a bus line, the 9.  Glynn didn't seem to think this was ok though.  Blake
and I have prepared for this moment, where the church people tell us not to
stay in the apartment together.  Hey, we don't want to have sex or anything
stupid, we just need places to sleep.  
Where in the Bible would it justify Blake having to sleep somewhere else,
outside the apartment's walls?
Then, Blake and I discussed Glynn's weird thoughts.  Blake suggests Glynn
tour the CCB.  I plan to explain the situation a bit clearer to
Glynn: Blind people must live near a bus or light rail, must have tactile
microwave buttons which hotels don't have, must have a labeled and marked
environment which a lot of hotels don't have, and more importantly, for
Blake, must have someone his mother trusts. She doesn't trust all males in
my building because she's never met them.  Kathy can't meet those people
because she is not apt to going to Denver.  
Kathy is a worried mother who lost her other son to a murder suicide, which
I won't go into.  All I'll say is that it was the boy's sick girlfriend who
killed him.  Kathy now knows I would NEVER kill her son.  
Why would I!
Of course, Glynn tries to put his Biblical commands in the way of
independence.  Where, I ask, does independence end and biblicality begin?
Where do my rights as a blind person end and the right of Christians begin?
Does Jesus know all this could take place?  He healed the blind, not taught
them skills.  I also graduated the CCB, so skills are important.  I can
travel, and from time to time, I take a bus downtown.  Not bad, you say, but
with those resources, I can also get door to door transit via access a ride.
Blake needs to be able to take advantage of that transit.  So it looks easy
to say and I conclude that Blake must stay here, but what do you guys think
of this!  What do you guys say would be a solution to the problem? We
understand that sex belongs in the context of marriage.  It is legitimate to
think this way, and the bodies are from a fallen world, but I want a forward
answer as to what we could do to solve the church and our problem?  What
should Blake and I say to Glynn about the sleeping arrangements if they are
brought up again? Should Glynn, the pastor, go on a tour of CCB and talk to
staff about their lives as blind professionals?  Do you think as a Christian
who is blind that there need to be modifications made to a lifestyle where
cars are the norm?  Thanks in advance.
Beth

--
Check out my Wordpress blog: denverqueen.wordpress.com or you can reach me
by skype at denverqueen0920


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