There has been much news reporting about the case in Washington state where the governor has permitted some document from atheists that has been placed next to the Nativity scene. There has been much protest and outrage from Christians about this and some have suggested that the governor is permitting "hate speech" directed at people of faith and Christians in particular. There are references in this document about religion being superstitious, enslaving and dulling minds, and a host of others that are outraging Christians during this advent season.
I could easily put my two cents in on what I think about the winter solstice atheist document and whether it belongs next to the nativity on government property, but I have something else on my mind. On a talk show a woman representing "The Freedom From Religion Foundation" said that her organization is not about hating anyone but she is just against Christianity, a religion she said and I don't have her exact quote but it was something close to this: Man is a depraved sinner who is in need of redemption and anyone unwilling to Jesus Christ as Savior then will be doomed to hell.
That quote struck me because it was theological and accurate and as I heard this woman say it I could see she didn't like the idea at all. So I have been thinking about just how to explain that quote and define all its heavy terms; depraved, sinner, redemption, savior, hell. This is a tall order and I realize that there is a strong probability that whatever she hears will not make her pleased in the slightest. Still she deserves an answer. And I think it is a just as important to acknowledge that in a world where we wish things would be much better and we could all somehow find a way to get along, the message of Christianity would seem like a sure fire way to piss many folks off.
I'm not sure where to go with this and I think I would tell anyone who defined Christianity in those terms that, yes, it is true. But I would go further on and ask them how do they define those terms and what makes the content of those terms so offensive. But perhaps exploring too much may not be beneficial. Can we instead sit and share coffee or a beer and just get to know each other. Though our thinking may be drastically different on the matter of faith, we still share much in common as human beings.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sex And The Fall
For those who believe in the biblical fall, I'm speaking of the fruit incident of Adam and Eve in the garden, I can't imagine anything more affected by the fall than human sexuality. I'm putting this on my blog because I find there is a big barrier when discussing Christ and the church to skeptics and that is the barrier of human sexuality; perhaps the biggest being homosexuality and orthodox Christianity's position on the matter.
Perhaps some of this tension is that many in religious circles seem to have a fetish with anything outside the norm of human sexuality and are quick to throw the bombs regarding anything that the bible prohibits regarding sexual behavior. I can't say that it is wrong to mention that the scriptures equate homosexual practice with being an abomination, I just wonder if it is wise to throw George Foreman knockout punches so early in "the cultural war" so to speak. If we are thoughtful people isn't it wise to see how people may get to a particular place in their lives before we go around telling them to do the "turn or burn" thing.
Over the years I've had some pretty open discussions with some of my male friends regarding sex. One of the big things we have in common is how guys find it so hot when they see attractive women doing the lesbian tango. We are all well versed in biblical protocol of what is acceptable human sexual practice yet we all get a rise so to speak when we imagine this sexual practice.
I'll even go a little further. We know from data that many women themselves have fantasies about sex with women, and these are not confined to those who are outside Christian circles, they are "redeemed" church folk who have had their minds renewed and know the goodness and mercies of God. And while many men won't talk about it, and since I put myself on the line with this "Faith Unfiltered" idea, I can get caught up in homoerotic fantasies now and again. Heck there are some studs on the "Men's Fitness" magazine covers, no?
What is my point? Well, more than anything, it's just that sex is a complicated thing. And since God has left us here in a fallen world and since even His own people have not near reached the perfected state of holiness, sex is going to manifest itself in many unique, perverse ways. Certainly we should not encourage or somehow endorse a practice that goes against what God says is clearly wrong, still we have to treat sex (in all fairness) the way we treat so many other of our human frailties and sins.
Sin does exist that is for sure. But people's propensity for particular sins is complex. We need to show care and patience for those in a particular lifestyle that they don't want to hear is bad for them. We do need to speak truth in love but we need to realize that life is so often based on an economic model rather than an ethical one; meaning people do things that work. It may not be helpful long term but many of us (both believer and unbeliever only see the here and now). People who are in need of a love relationship (even if sin has screw them up to the proper understanding of what that means) will enter a relationship whether it is appropriate of not. People see something as certainly better than nothing.
In the arena of pornography (something Christians may identify better than homosexuality) when times get tough in a marriage and for whatever reason the sex becomes dry and predictable, the right thing to do (the ethical model) would be to turn to God and see Him out and pray for wisdom to turn the marriage around. Surely though there are many who maybe turn to the billion dollar porn industry to spice up a marriage and even get a woman to perhaps have an orgasm where she hasn't had one before (an economic fix).
The bible is something that we who believe in it should never fear to use with our friends who know little if any of it's extraordinary riches. But used in the wrong way, with the wrong attitude, and most importantly with little compassion to the complexities that sin and our culture bring to those outside those of the Household of Faith is like a boxer out throwing bombs when he hasn't established a jab.
Perhaps some of this tension is that many in religious circles seem to have a fetish with anything outside the norm of human sexuality and are quick to throw the bombs regarding anything that the bible prohibits regarding sexual behavior. I can't say that it is wrong to mention that the scriptures equate homosexual practice with being an abomination, I just wonder if it is wise to throw George Foreman knockout punches so early in "the cultural war" so to speak. If we are thoughtful people isn't it wise to see how people may get to a particular place in their lives before we go around telling them to do the "turn or burn" thing.
Over the years I've had some pretty open discussions with some of my male friends regarding sex. One of the big things we have in common is how guys find it so hot when they see attractive women doing the lesbian tango. We are all well versed in biblical protocol of what is acceptable human sexual practice yet we all get a rise so to speak when we imagine this sexual practice.
I'll even go a little further. We know from data that many women themselves have fantasies about sex with women, and these are not confined to those who are outside Christian circles, they are "redeemed" church folk who have had their minds renewed and know the goodness and mercies of God. And while many men won't talk about it, and since I put myself on the line with this "Faith Unfiltered" idea, I can get caught up in homoerotic fantasies now and again. Heck there are some studs on the "Men's Fitness" magazine covers, no?
What is my point? Well, more than anything, it's just that sex is a complicated thing. And since God has left us here in a fallen world and since even His own people have not near reached the perfected state of holiness, sex is going to manifest itself in many unique, perverse ways. Certainly we should not encourage or somehow endorse a practice that goes against what God says is clearly wrong, still we have to treat sex (in all fairness) the way we treat so many other of our human frailties and sins.
Sin does exist that is for sure. But people's propensity for particular sins is complex. We need to show care and patience for those in a particular lifestyle that they don't want to hear is bad for them. We do need to speak truth in love but we need to realize that life is so often based on an economic model rather than an ethical one; meaning people do things that work. It may not be helpful long term but many of us (both believer and unbeliever only see the here and now). People who are in need of a love relationship (even if sin has screw them up to the proper understanding of what that means) will enter a relationship whether it is appropriate of not. People see something as certainly better than nothing.
In the arena of pornography (something Christians may identify better than homosexuality) when times get tough in a marriage and for whatever reason the sex becomes dry and predictable, the right thing to do (the ethical model) would be to turn to God and see Him out and pray for wisdom to turn the marriage around. Surely though there are many who maybe turn to the billion dollar porn industry to spice up a marriage and even get a woman to perhaps have an orgasm where she hasn't had one before (an economic fix).
The bible is something that we who believe in it should never fear to use with our friends who know little if any of it's extraordinary riches. But used in the wrong way, with the wrong attitude, and most importantly with little compassion to the complexities that sin and our culture bring to those outside those of the Household of Faith is like a boxer out throwing bombs when he hasn't established a jab.
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