So we’ve got this debate raging all around us, my generation
is screaming things like this: http://dannikanash.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/an-open-letter-to-the-church-from-my-generation/
and wanting the Church to change for equality sake.
I’ve been hesitant to write anything about this topic for a
long time. I’m hesitant now as I write because there are faces of friends at
coffee shops and others in my life who are gay streaming through my brain, (And I love them, and in my mind their homosexuality is no different than my pride) but
I cannot keep quiet anymore. Hence the open letter:
(If you didn’t read the above link, give ‘er a check out,
it’s well written and there’s a song too!)
Dear Church and My Generation,
The cry of our generation is not wholly to throw biblical authority away. The cry of my generation is not wholly to give up the beauty of Scripture for a social issue that makes us cool or not cool. The cry of my generation isn’t completely about being comfortable in the midst of a rapidly changing landscape.
There are those of us that desperately cry for biblical authority to override all of our hopes, dreams, feelings, and wishes. There are those of us who want the Bible to be all it says it is – and in so being, just the tip of the iceberg of eternity. There are those of us who keep quiet when our intolerance is intolerable. There are those of us who will loose our friends because our beliefs are different than theirs….
You see there are those of us that see this issue of equality not as an issue of social standing and social pretenses but as a matter of who we worship. In this generation of change stand some who would much rather see God worshipped as he is revealed in Scripture than to worship man and his wants - because that’s what’s at stake here.
What’s at stake is who we worship. Do we worship God as he is revealed in Scripture or do we make Scripture say what we want it to say and therein create for ourselves our own god? Do we believe that there’s a God who hates sin (and in his hatred of sin sends Jesus to die for our sins in the greatest act of love imaginable), tells us that fearing him is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge while at the same time being the God who created all, sustains all, and will make all things boldly new, or do we make for ourselves a god of love who accepts all, cherishes all, never hates, and never fights?
Yet culturally we’ve boiled all these arguments down to one overly simplified question: What would be more tolerant?
It would be much more tolerant to have a god who’d accept all and love all no matter their sexual orientation, their pride issues, their theft disposition and/or their lustful hearts. It would much more tolerant to believe that all are right and none are wrong…. But that’s not the way it is; that's not the way reality works.
Believe us when we say there are those in this generation who stand against homosexuality while at the same time have their hearts break for their gay friends because they want them to be happy and have love too. Believe us when we say there are those who think it would be nice to be standing united with all their generation on this topic. But also believe us when we say that there are those who cannot, will not, and should not give up the foundational authority of the Bible.
Therefore they are, “bigots.” Therefore they are, “conservative nut jobs.” Therefore they are, “intolerant.” Therefore they are, “narrow-minded.” Therefore they are, “hateful.” Therefore they are ____________ (Fill in the blank, they’ve heard it all before).
So our generation’s cry is not wholly the thirst for a rapper’s lyrics, but there are some in our generation whose cry and thirst is for the Word of God – and because of that cry and that thirst they will be hated for their intolerance. Church see this. My Generation know this.
There are those of us who think like this, and I am one of them.
With best regards,Sam MorrisRomans 7:24-25
6 comments:
This is perfect and states exactly what I desire as well.
I read the article you referenced yesterday, and that mindset is what scares me most about the politically charged battle over marriage equality. The person claimed to be a theologian while also stating that they believed their own opinions over the authority of scripture. Unfortunately, that is how most of the coming generation is feeling. I believe the solution for the church is to separate itself from the politics of it all and return to the gospel. It's not about changing laws, it's about turning people to the gospel and changing hearts. That doesn't mean everyone will like us, but at least they will hate us for the right reasons.
I think you may have misunderstood what she was advocating. What she and I are advocating is that the Bible (rightly understood) does not condemn contemporary Christ-centered same-sex relationships.
I don't want to make this a political issue. Simply put, I am not interested in politics. I am interested in the redemptive love of God with regards to sexuality and the embodiment of God's kingdom. I am interested in the Bible, the Word of God, inspired by our Creator and profitable for teaching and reproof. It is from that source and its author (Jesus Christ) that I go to for my ethical paradigms.
Sadly, you seem to be pitting a conservative interpretation of the Bible against what you believe to be her cultural accommodation. What I hope is that you will wrestle with the actual issue here. That is, a moderate understanding of exegesis and an intelligent hermeneutic used to support our position.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that your interpretations of the Bible are the only interpretations or that we don't take the Bible as seriously as you do. I wouldn't make such an assumption of you, simply because I disagree with you on this issue. Give grace and receive grace, by the love of our Lord.
Why is Marriage even a part of Governmental policy? I believe EVERYONE should be able to have equal status in the eyes of the Government by abolishing Marriage as a governmental institution and replace it with a non-religiously linked union for EVERYONE. Personally, as a gay man, I don't want a Christian Marriage. I also don't want a Jewish Bar Mitzfah, which makes this solution perfect to avoid the "separate but equal" discrimination from forming. If Christians are going to continue using biblical references to keep suppressing protection for two people who truly love each other and commit their lives to each other, then the simplest way out of it is to rid federal and state laws of this word. If conservatives can't cope with the fact that the meaning of language evolves, but we all can agree the government of the people should protect each of it's citizens equally, we all should be able to stand together and create this equality by changing this one word.
Normally I don't read article on blogs, however I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to try and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thanks, very great post.
My webpage - diets that work
Sam I thought the Letter to the Church and the song
YOU TUBE awesome and progressive and inspiring to my Belief of Loving God and Christ.
Michael
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