Homosexuality in the News Again
scripture's authority and homosexuality meet again among American Baptists. According to this Christianity Today article, a significant number of American Baptist churches will be leaving the American Baptist Churches USA denomination due to the unwillingness to enforce church teaching on homosexuality.
As an outsider to yet another expression of conflict within a church body on homosexuality, I keep praying that peace will prevail. Even as people call for a denomination to hold the line on some doctrinal matter, there seems to be present something that signals a major red flag. If a church or a group of church leaders are forced to enforce church doctrine, then it is a likley indicator that something else is terribly wrong. If I have to tell a group that murder is wrong or stealing is wrong and they are hearing for the first time, then telling them these things in a louder or more persuasive voice isn't going to help much.
Beating people up over homosexuality will never change peoples minds. Lives lived in the spirit of Jesus Christ, reason and healthy ethics evidenced by Christian peoples are the way in which real and lasting changes are affected. And ultimately, matters like the authority of scripture find their ultimately answer in the way in which the voice of scripture is heard. Unfortunately, some Christians think that the authority of scripture is a sledge hammer. For myself, scripture's authority looks a little more like--say a Shepherd.
Carson Reed
6 Comments
Email Article to Friend
Reader Comments (6)
And herein lies where we (the broad spectrum of Christendom) have often embarassed ourselves; where we have allowed ourselves to rationalize hateful speech and actions as being "a firm stance."
I pray that we / I will learn the balance - to become Christ to those who need Him.
I'll stick my neck out and show how deficent my biblical knowledge is, but I think it would be very interesting (and revealing) to compare who Jesus taught through compassion and who He taught through rebutals (the "sledgehammer"). Is there a consistent thread in these interactions?
From memory, His compassion was to the "sinners"- prostitutes, tax collectors, the infirmed, and his rebutals were directed at the religious leaders/teachers and the rich.
I mention this to say that you are right, Carson, to pray that peace will prevail, but the prayer is uttered in a world that will thorouthly resist its message. History, including church history, both recent and modern, does not bode well for an outcome of peace.
It was interesting to me to see that while your title related to homosexuality, all the responses keyed in on a similar struggle: how to believe, or stand up for a belief, without being bombastic and ugly. In other words, "how to be a Christian without appearing unChristian."
The Ying and the Yang of this for me is to recall my own depths of sin and depravity as I examine any issue within or without the church. "There, but for the grace of God, go I," remains a powerful antidote for the struggling sin hater latent within me.
Regarding the barrage of churches fighting to regain their stolen kingdoms, I admit that I miss having churches out there that chose more open positions, even if I didn't agree with all of them. The days when they were internally united (at least apparently united) are ending, and for me we are all the worse for it.