Last night, when I first pounded out the previous message, I had walked in on a television show with a popular preacher condemning homosexuality. The people on the couch were watching and listening without question.
I posted with the intention to stir things up. I wrote my feelings out, siphoned some RealLivePreacher, edited, revised and sent away for approval from some of my nearest and dearest. I posted, and do not regret it.
To prepare myself for the onslaught that I felt was for sure to come, I went back to the Bible. I went to the Internet. I researched, I examined, I prayed.
I do not think that God hates homosexuals, nor do I believe that homosexuals should be forced to change. The idea that men in love with another man, or women in love with another woman, are not allowed to consummate their relationship the same, natural way that husbands and wives can seems cruel.
I've been taught by my family, by my school and by my experiences that if something doesn't seem right, to question it. Question authority. Question the government. Question your professors. Ask why- it's essential for learning. Get your answers. Maybe you won't like them, but at least you have them.
I can't question God the same way I question those above me. The most I can do, like a two-year-old child, is ask why. And like a two-year-old child, I usually don't stop. If I see something I don't like, I ask Him until I'm satisfied. Sometimes it's instant, sometimes it's a long, long time before I get a glimpse of the big picture.
When I pray, I ask "why?" Before I pray, I run to His Word to see if He wrote it down somewhere first.
"Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."The common clobber verse, the one that usually came to me during my research was in Romans.Matthew 19:11-12
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
The research I did falls into two categories, one very conservative, the other liberal. The conservative stance was that no matter how you slice it, these acts are perversions.
The more liberal viewpoint, and the one I agree with, looks at the context. Paul was writing about the local idol worshiping and temple prostitution happening in the city that he was writing from.
It's late, and I'm tired and I'm hungry. I have been reading and researching for over three hours now.
From my faith that God is Love, we cannot judge lest we be judged, and that God made us all, I cannot let another attack be made against my brother, against those like him, nor against those he loves.
5 comments:
Do you think letting certain people (ie: the ones sitting on couch) read this post (the research that you have done) would help to give them a different perspective? It may be something to think about....
I would certainly hope so.
A poem quotes that a little learning is a dangerous thing. It's been often misused. Instead, it means that a little learning is dangerous, so dive deep. Grasp and learn what you can, only then will you really maintain full understanding of the subject.
If anything, I hope that this will encourage them to investigate further.
Is it possible to question the authority of the Bible without questioning the [Christian] God? Whenever anyone gets stirred up about these Bible quotes, it always turns into hypocrisy. They all, as you said, use whichever ones that agree with them. So is this what the foundation of the Christian religion has become? It seems to me that countless other arguments could go on about any other book of friendly parables and aphorisms. The point is, the Bible IS God. Everything Christians "know" about their faith comes from the Bible. So when you start picking and choosing, what is left?
I guess my question is What "faith" are you a part of now? When you keep having to continue justifying your better knowledge [ie evolution] to your "faith" , do you still call yourself "Christian"? The Christian Church would not call you one. The "God" you follow is a collection of your own interpretations on things. As is everybody else's. Has it occured to you that you are no longer Christian?
If everyone has a subjective interpretation of God, then the religion is moot. I can't understand how you can continue to be "religious" when you clearly don't conform properly to any religion.
Without any "authorities" on doctrine, a religion ceases to be religion. It turns into some sort of mish-mash of interpretations, ostensibly united. Rather useless for bringing people together.
Anonymous (the 2nd one): The Bible has been given to us by God one way or the other. As I mentioned, it's full of symbolism, metaphor, and historical context. When I read it, I consider many things. Yes, it's one of the cornerstones of our faith. No, I don't question the authority of the Bible, but I do question other people's interpretations of its text.
In the discussion that happened last night, another member present, who has known for as long as I've lived on the Island but does not share my thoughts on evolution, defended my faith to the other two by calling me "a Christian, but also an evolutionist" So, another Christian called me a Christian.
Regardless on my views of our origin, or the way we consider gay people, I still consider myself a Christian. I believe that Jesus Christ is God, came to Earth as a human, died on the cross as a sacrificial lamb for the rest of us (Lamb. See? Metaphor). I Love God, and I work hard at loving my neighbour. But anonymous, just to make sure, I'll ask my pastors tomorrow at church to make sure I'm still considered a Christian by a doctrine authority
Nance: Religions and faiths evolve (*rimshot*) as more people read and study the texts of that religion. Of course there should be authorities on doctrine, they're the ones that have the deeper knowledge of the Scriptures. But now that the Bible has been printed for the common man, we can read the text and see for ourselves if the authorities are right. When the church tried to be the authority on science, it kept astronomy, physiology and anatomy back for 500 years. It's important that there are authorities, but also that the authorities are kept in balance.
ETA: I checked with two pastors at church, two learned men of doctrine, and they agreed that I am indeed a Christian, a fine one at that, and I'm not getting kicked out of the church anytime soon.
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