Stumbling Blocks
I commend Christian churches for their charity work this last year. Hurricane season really caught America off-guard, and American churches did the best job getting aid where it needed to go. Seeing active charity only strengthened my belief that faith can be a powerful force of good.
A friend recently pointed me to Christ and Culture. I don't know the author, but it's clear he's very intelligent. His recent post (the one Joe wanted me to see) is on churches splitting because they disagree about homosexuality.
Homosexuality. Such a clinical word, don't you think? Same-sex attraction and gay sex are human universals; gay men and women have lived in every part of the globe, in every culture and society, since the dawn of history and before. The same goes for hundreds of other animal species. It's perfectly natural, if you take my meaning.
Lots of people who read the Bible literally believe that homosexuality is unnatural. While it makes me sad, that's fine with me. Just please let the churches get some real work done. Rather than campaigning to end same-sex marriage and gay adoption rights, American churches could save a lot of time and effort by focusing their creative and practical energies on charity work, because they're good at that. Hurricane season starts in three weeks.
A friend recently pointed me to Christ and Culture. I don't know the author, but it's clear he's very intelligent. His recent post (the one Joe wanted me to see) is on churches splitting because they disagree about homosexuality.
Homosexuality. Such a clinical word, don't you think? Same-sex attraction and gay sex are human universals; gay men and women have lived in every part of the globe, in every culture and society, since the dawn of history and before. The same goes for hundreds of other animal species. It's perfectly natural, if you take my meaning.
Lots of people who read the Bible literally believe that homosexuality is unnatural. While it makes me sad, that's fine with me. Just please let the churches get some real work done. Rather than campaigning to end same-sex marriage and gay adoption rights, American churches could save a lot of time and effort by focusing their creative and practical energies on charity work, because they're good at that. Hurricane season starts in three weeks.
posted by Day at 12:48 PM
5 Comments:
well i'm pretty sure i disagree with everything you said. and i didn't even read it all.
wait, no. i agree with the last sentence. "Hurricane season starts in three weeks." that makes me almost hypervenhilate. that's not spelled right, but it's close enough.
what parts did you disagree with, just out of curiosity. We've discussed this before together, but I was with the understanding that you would agree with most of that post.
Day,
Thanks for linking to my blog and calling me "very intelligent." I think my wife would be to differ. She doesn't understand why I am not smart enough to get the laundry done. And thanks Joe for referring him to my site.
As to the content though, I don't understand why you think it's sad that Evangelicals teach that homosexuality is unnatural. This has been the unbroken tradition of the Church since Paul penned Romans 1 (and really even before this in Jewish rabbinic teaching and of course the OT). If you will check out the comments underneath that post, you will see a debate I am having with a guy who believes homosexuality is perfectly in line with Christianity. But, let me direct you pointedly to another post, "Homosexuality Debate Taking Time". In the comments section you will see that we are now discussing Romans 1. I think that if you honestly look at the passage, anyone holding to the authority of the Bible will come to the conclusion that Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, taught that homosexuality was indeed unnatural and rebellion against God. Furthermore, the collective teaching of the Church has been consistent with this view. Here is an article which presents the traditional position succinctly and much better than I do.
I do agree though that we ought to be about being Christ to others through feeding the poor and caring for those who are in need. But I don't think that means we should abandon the truth of the Bible to do so. The Bible clearly states that "To some he gave to be teachers" and Paul tells Timothy to "Watch [his] life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if [he did], [he would] save both [himself] and [his] hearers."
But thanks again for your kind comments and please stop by the blog anytime.
Our disagreement begins with the part where you call homosexual a clinical word, and then go on to talk about universals. While I agree that it is universal, it is the "nature" that we disagree on. You say it's natural. I do too, but natural after a specific event (that is, the Fall, and the adoption of a sinful nature).
Then I would probably also remind you that the Church is the Body of Christ, so when you plea to "let the churches get some real work done" I would say, "the Church is, whether it's as one body or multiple isn't the issue." So that's where we disagree.
Oh, and sorry it took so long to come back here. I wasn't positive you'd actually start posting consistently.
I need to get those books to you soon. I leave June 1.
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