Mirror or Window? You Decide.....

This morning I followed a link on FB that led to an article on the Charisma website about Perry Noble, a prominent pastor of a Baptist megachurch, and his recent downfall/firing. He was fired for alcohol abuse and his posture toward his marriage…..whatever that means.

The parishioners of the megachurch heard the news on Sunday via Executive Pastor Shane Duffey. He also read Noble’s written statement explaining, among other things, that there was no sexual sin in his marriage, no porn, no cheating and no domestic abuse. The details of the marriage posture allegation is left to the imagination.  

So...the post on FB included a quote attributed to Noble stating that homosexuality was the sin that hung Jesus on a cross. That immediately pissed me off. What a pompous jerk. I went looking for the source of that quote to include in this blog post. Except that I can’t find it anywhere online. Oh to be sure, he thought homosexuality was a sin...a sexual sin...but that the church's preoccupation with homosexuality was out of proportion and unkind.  On his blog, I came across what I think is a particularly ballsy post where he compares the sin of homosexuality to a sin the church is reluctant to talk about….obesity aka gluttony.

Bring that up to an overweight brother or sister in Christ at the next covered dish pot luck and see how graciously your "truth in love" concern is received.

I was not familiar with Perry Noble until this morning. I've never heard his name. What I know now is the result of about an hour of clicking and reading here and there on the internet. I really have no idea what kind of a person he is, his opinions on total reconciliation, divorce, complementarianism, free will, women in leadership roles, etc. I can assume things from what I’ve read but I am not familiar with his preaching or writing. He doesn’t really come off as a pompous jerk in anything I’ve read this morning.

And anyway, similar to a stopped clock that is actually right twice a day, even a pompous jerk can say things that are profound, wise and true now and then. The old eat the meat/hay, spit out the bones/sticks theory works well for me. Like the proverbial diamond in a dung heap, I am on the lookout for truth no matter where I find it. Even if I have to distance it somewhat from the character and behavior of the source.  Today the following quote by Noble struck me as profound, wise and true….

“And it is way easier to use the Bible as a window in order to judge the lives of others rather than a mirror to examine ourselves.” Perry Noble   

Perceived Oppression

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but never underestimate the power of a short story to convey a deep truth. Jesus knew this, of course, which is why he told so many “stories.” Sure, some folks didn’t get the gist of what he was saying, however for those who had ears to hear, the meaning came through loud and clear.

A story is not nearly as threatening as….say….a persuasive essay. The meaning and lesson in a story kind of sneaks in under the radar. Sometimes when we say things flat out in plain English, we ignite that fight or flight reaction in the brain and the message we try to get across falls on deaf ears. Not so much with a story. The meaning slides in under the radar without too much protest because…..it’s just a story.

And that is the way the author of the blog post “When You’re Accustomed To Privilege, Equality Feels Like Oppression” gets his message across in an Aesop’s Fables kind of way.

He pokes a finger at a group of folks who feel that society’s slippery slope move toward equality is oppression. Here is a quote from the blog post…..

All this anger we see from people screaming “All Lives Matter” in response to black protesters at rallies… All this anger we see from people insisting that THEIR “religious freedom” is being infringed because a gay couple wants to get married… All these people angry about immigrants, angry about Muslims, angry about “Happy Holidays,” angry about not being able to say bigoted things without being called a bigot… They all basically boil down to people who have grown accustomed to walking straight at other folks, and expecting THEM to move. So when “those people” in their path DON’T move… When those people start wondering, “Why am I always moving out of this guy’s way?” When those people start asking themselves, “What if I didn’t move? What if I just kept walking too?” When those people start believing that they have every bit as much right to that aisle as anyone else… It can seem like THEIR rights are being taken away.

You will have to read the blog post to understand the “moving out of this guy’s way” part of the above quote...and I urge you to follow THIS LINK and read the post.

I don’t usually post my more controversial thoughts and links on FB...although I know that is the quickest way to get something in front of a lot eyeballs. I have friends on FB that are far right….some so far right that I actually changed the settings so I don’t see their stuff show up on my FB feed. It just got too depressing and antagonizing. And while I have a lot of left leaning FB friends, posting things on my wall is just too “in your face” for me. Posting here on this blog seems to be the best middle ground.

Cheering, Jeering and Everything In Between

Lots of stuff going on at FB the past few days. All the way from cheers to jeers and everything in between about the Supreme Court ruling on marriage. Yep...gay marriage is legal. In all fifty states. Boys can marry boys and girls can marry girls.

Perhaps I should reword that because that is exactly one of the “look at what you did” complaints I’ve seen several times on my Facebook feed. Claims that the push is now on to have pedophilia legalized. Yep, it’s that slippery slope thing the American Family Association, Focus on the Family and Mike Huckabee etc have warned us about. I mean, it makes perfect sense that comes next. Homosexual love, pedophile love and the list goes on and on. “Love is love, no?”

Ahhhhhhh….no. There is the issue of CONSENT. Under the law, kids cannot give their consent to marry the dirty old man who lives next door. They cannot even give their consent to have sex with the dirty old man who lives next door. They aren’t old enough. Just like they are not old enough to drive a car, buy alcohol or get a tattoo. They are MINORS. And the bestiality worry. Different species but the same arguments apply. A dog, horse, cow, cat, monkey, goat etc cannot consent to marriage. They cannot consent to sexual relations. That argument is just ridiculous.

Why this became the evangelical Christian’s battle cry, pet issue, most horrendous “sin,” I can’t say. But they just need to let it go. Fairness and civil rights won. And really, aren’t Christians….followers of Jesus….citizens of another kingdom. The Supreme Court has no say in the Kingdom of Jesus.

Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world John 18:36

What would Jesus do in the wake of this ruling? Would he be posting on FB about how God will judge America? Would he be worried about hypothetical slippery slope outcomes? Would he be fretting that Christians will be persecuted? News flash...He told us we would be persecuted. Christians will be persecuted. That theme (that I don’t like any more than the next guy) is ALL THROUGH the New Testament.

I think Jesus would be doing what Jesus did….proclaiming the light of a higher kingdom, a light that shines in every man, ministering to the sick, the poor, the outcasts. Proclaiming the Father to a world desperately in need of a revelation of God’s love.

Tony Campolo Changes His Mind.....

I’ve written about or quoted Tony Campolo in a half dozen blog posts….HERE.

I love Tony Campolo and have followed his ministry...and his wife's ministry....for years. She has always been for the full inclusion of LGBT folks in the church. Tony, well, not so much, although his heart was always kind and tender.

It looks like Tony finally came around. There has been considerable backlash about his statement published on June 8th but he is no stranger to backlash. He has been riling up fellow evangelicals for years. He was even “tried” on heresy charges. In fact, he is the only living evangelical to have endured such a thing. And at the hands of his fellow believers. From Wikipedia:

Campolo was the subject of an informal heresy hearing in 1985 brought about by several assertions in his 1983 book A Reasonable Faith, particularly his claim that, "Jesus is actually present in each other person". The book became a hot button issue, and the controversy caused Campus Crusade for Christ and Youth for Christ to block a planned speaking engagement by Campolo. The Christian Legal Society empowered a "reconciliation panel", led by noted theologian J. I. Packer, to examine the issue and resolve the controversy. The panel examined the book and questioned Campolo. The panel issued a statement saying that although it found Campolo's statements "methodologically naïve and verbally incautious", it did not find them to be heretical.

What pompous asses Christians can be. It seems to me two of the beliefs that mainstream Christians hold nearest and dearest are their beliefs in hell and the depravity of homosexuality. They are also unwilling to take a closer look-see beneath the surface meaning of words in their modern bible translations to see if perhaps they could be mistaken....if the traditional church could be mistaken. That’s how Tony came to a different conclusion.

I was deeply uncertain about what was right.  It has taken countless hours of prayer, study, conversation and emotional turmoil to bring me to the place where I am finally ready to call for the full acceptance of Christian gay couples into the Church.

Another quote from Tony….

However, I am old enough to remember when we in the Church made strong biblical cases for keeping women out of teaching roles in the Church, and when divorced and remarried people often were excluded from fellowship altogether on the basis of scripture. Not long before that, some Christians even made biblical cases supporting slavery. Many of those people were sincere believers, but most of us now agree that they were wrong. I am afraid we are making the same kind of mistake again, which is why I am speaking out.  

Good for you, Tony….

You can read his statement HERE.

And another article that talks about his change of heart and whether this might be the tipping point for evangelicals is HERE.

Love is a tenet of the Christian Faith

The other day, I listened to a sermon by Adam Hamilton entitled, Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin. He used an illustration about an encounter between Billy Graham and the Clinton’s that took place at a public event during the firestorm of the Monica Lewinsky/”I did not have sex with that woman” debacle….

My father is so accepting, so nonjudgmental," says eldest daughter, Gigi Graham Tchividjian. During the height of the Clinton scandal, she was her father's date at the 75th anniversary celebration for Time magazine. The Clintons were also in attendance.

"Daddy sat with the Clintons and was so warm and gracious," Tchividjian told Charisma. "In the limousine going back to the hotel, Daddy and I were talking about how difficult it must be for the Clintons with so many people gossiping and judging them. His comment was: "It's the Holy Spirit's job to convict; it's God's job to judge; and it's our job to love."

The excerpt above is from a Charisma article

I love that exchange…

I never really paid that much attention to Billy Graham in my BC - before Christ life. Oh sure, my grandmother used to watch his crusades on her little black and white TV when I spent my summers with her. She would cry during his altar calls when folks came forward in droves. I didn't pay much attention to him after I became a Christian. He was getting old. His crusades were fewer and farther between.

A few years ago, I came upon an article on one of those cult watcher blogs about a conversation between Billy Graham and Robert Schuller that smacks of universalism. It resonated so I wrote about it in a post called A Vortex with a Different Name.

I remember other here and there reading about Billy Graham; his reaction to a close call on an airplane (he was very afraid but trusted God with the outcome). And I’ve been reading snippets this morning, my curiosity piqued by this story of his encounter with the Clintons. He had/has his critics. Many criticized his seemingly lukewarm commitment to integration. Others point out that he was either too involved or too UNinvolved with politics. I’ve read some quotes, perhaps taken out of context, that are questionable. Sometimes he seemed to waffle back and forth on some issues.

But the encounter above illustrates a key component of Christianity. As Billy Graham points out, a Christian’s job is to love. You know, the greatest commandment...the command that sums up all the law….love God, love your neighbor as yourself.

Greg Boyd repeats this same sentiment in a video from 2012 during the time a vote on a gay marriage amendment was taking place in Minnesota. Greg Boyd is not one to back away from controversial issues (as he is accused of in the comments) and has taken infinite slack about his opinions and beliefs.

(Probably) More of this rambling, somewhat disjointed discourse to come…..

“CYA” is not a tenet of the Christian faith

“The only thing that one really knows about human nature is that it changes. Change is the one quality we can predicate of it.” – Oscar Wilde

Well, yes and no….

In the recent and ongoing battle taking place in Indiana, we see a spectrum of human nature on display. Unfortunately a lot of it is just ssdd….same shit, different day. Different decade...different bias, but at the heart of it is the human tendency to sort people into categories….us and them.

Are Christians being treated unfairly in this country….even persecuted? One big issue I have with this persecution thing is that it seems many Christians are crying wolf. For so many years, Christians were the king of the hill. Now, when the law requires them to extend the same rights they enjoy to others, some cry persecution. Not being able to force our views and beliefs on others is not persecution. Having to give equal rights to religions and lifestyles we disagree with is not persecution.

But let’s just say, for the sake of argument, that Christians are losing their rights these days and they are being persecuted. Why does this comes as such a surprise…..an outrage to Christians. It’s not like Jesus did not address this when he said, “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you”(Jn. 15:20).

The recent law in Indiana is meant to protect religious folks from being sued for refusing service that goes against their sincerely held religious beliefs.  When it is factored down to its lowest common denominator, it seems earmarked to protect Christians who refuse to provide their services to gays….specifically at a gay wedding. The law is vague and there are tons of loopholes that seemed to allow businesses to refuse service almost on a whim. There is an amendment in the works that is a bit more specific but it still seems to be motivated mainly by prejudice and a “cover your ass” mentality.

As far as I can tell, Jesus never taught this. “CYA” is not a tenet of the Christian faith.

I’ve wrangled with this since the day it was announced and Facebook and the internet lit up with indignation. I’ve read articles and blog posts both pro and con. This is a big topic that goes beyond the situation in Indiana. It deals with what it means to be a follower of Jesus. I plan to share some of the stuff I’ve been reading, with my two cents worth thrown in at no additional charge.

More to come…...

Not All Like That....

I came upon the N.A.L.T website today, via Facebook. N.A.L.T is the acronym for Not All Like That. It is a joint venture of Truth Wins Out  and John Shore, progressive author/blogger. It is inspired by the  It Gets Better Project.  In videos, gay affirming Christians tell why they believe the way they do. They don't want to be lumped in with the loud evangelical voices going on and on about the erosion of the family, the gay agenda, and the slippery slope that will lead to laws ensuring all kinds of perversions, including the right to marry your dog if you have a mind to. 

There are too many Christians who feel it is their right...even their duty...to defend themselves against what they perceive as Christian persecution. The gay marriage issue is one of the venues this view is heard loud and clear. The annual war against Christmas is another great example. Every year countless Christians get all worked up about trees and parades and greetings that don't specifically use the word C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S.

 As if Christmas was a Christian holiday to begin with...! I've written about the Christmas wars here on this blog several times.

 I commend the  folks (54 or so and counting) who've put their beliefs out there for the world to see. I communicate best in written form. I trip over my own tongue when I try to talk..out loud..about sensitive issues. I haven't been shy about proclaiming  I've got a problem with street preachers who show up at pride events to shout about hell fire and damnation or those who espouse the dog-eared cliche "love the sinner, hate the sin." I've got a problem with the "put Christ back in Christmas warriors" and with every Christian who thinks it is their right to force their beliefs and interpretation of scripture on others. I've seen it said on Facebook (so I know it has to be true) "Disagreeing with your beliefs is not persecution." 

And to those who have been hurt or bullied by mean-spirited, self righteous Christians, I can only affirm that we are "not all like that."

Jesus Wept….

And one of the things I read recently  that “fills me with words” is Mike Huckabee's Twitter comment on the gay marriage rulings. The Internet is abuzz about it. Google it and you will come up with pages and pages of results. Some in support.  Some that thoughtfully disagree.  Some that poke fun.  I am no doubt one of the last bloggers to post about it..but post, I must, because it is just so....annoying.  Huckabee said:

Gov. Mike Huckabee ✔ @GovMikeHuckabee

My thoughts on the SCOTUS ruling that determined that same sex marriage is okay: "Jesus wept."

Really? You really think that?

I'm more inclined to believe that Jesus weeps over things like the torture and murder of Matthew Shepard. Or Mark Carson, the man who was shot point blank in the face in Greenwich Village this May; harassed and killed by a  stranger because he was gay. Or what about the countless lives that are wasted through suicide or years of reparative therapy....

Jesus wept about the SCOTUS ruling? Nuh-uh.

Next post….more about Jesus wept. 

The Blessing of Growth

I happened upon an article this morning on Huffington Post…written by Shane L. Windmeyer, the founder and executive director of Campus Pride. His organization advanced the national campaign against Chick-fil-A.  The article is entitled Dan and Me: My Coming Out as a Friend of Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A

I haven’t cared much for Dan Cathy since the firestorm a few months ago…..when Chick-fil-A became the unwitting symbol for the fight to save traditional marriage….I mean the right of free speech.  Uh-huh…... 

I was more than a bit put off by all the Christians, who stood in line for hours, called to action by Sean Hannity, to demonstrate their support for free speech by buying a Chick-Fil-A sandwich. Let’s just say, I strongly suspect that the motive of most of the people who stood in those long lines was to make an anti gay rights statement. I don’t think it was about free speech.  

So I didn’t care much for him….or his views….or his values….or his monetary contributions to what some would consider hate groups. 

So I was surprised….convicted….and then encouraged by the article this morning on Huffington Post.  It’s an example of how folks who hold almost polar opposite world views can sit down and have a civil conversation, showing each other mutual respect.  And in doing so they can actually find common ground and opportunities to grow and make the world a better place. 

Dan Cathy called it the “blessing of growth.”

There were numerous cynical, sarcastic comments in response to the article, coming from both sides of the gay rights divide. There was still mud slinging and hate; the “gay guys” didn’t want to give an inch to the “religious bigots” and visa versa.  There were charges of selling out, settling, hypocrisy. From both sides.   

Some people only want to hang on to their world view and beliefs….demonizing the other guy. As long as we are demonizing the other guy, real change and the blessing of growth is very elusive. 

I have to point out that this type of conversation only seems to work when both sides want it to work.  If the agenda is to BE understood rather than to UNDERSTAND….if the agenda is to convince, talk over, debate…..this type of conversation cannot accomplish much.

Some people do not want to understand or extend a hand in friendship. Some people simply want to be right. 

Evangelical Christians are multi dimensional creatures…..and like gay people cannot be defined through an isolated lens.

The world does not need more enemies….it needs more unlikely friendships like these two guys, more open dialogue, more understanding, less hate and intolerance.

I am reminded of the quote by Abraham Lincoln

The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.

And a bonus quote from Martin Luther King

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.

Weekly Quotes….on (non) violence

Just went back to work yesterday after being off for 9 days.  Keith and I were on vacation…sort of….very busy.  His dad was here for the week…his annual late summer visit during the Little League World Series here in Williamsport (the town’s claim to fame) That involved some day trips here and there…and we took Emily off to college…..a bittersweet day. 

I thought I would get all kinds of posts written.  Not.  I have pondered starting a weekly series kind of thing…one a round up of interesting websites….another a round up of interesting quotes that I’ve come across in my web journeys.  I take a lot of web journeys and find all kinds of really interesting stuff buried in cyber space.  So…today, perhaps marks the beginning of the quotes of the week round up.   Notable Quotables?  Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes (stole that title idea from Keith)  Whatever.  Following are a few quotes I came across. Since I’ve been frequenting peacekeeping websites these past few weeks, the quotes have a nonviolent peacekeeping tone…..

The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations. ~David Friedman

All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.
-Voltaire

"Only in America can you be pro-death penalty, pro-war, pro-unmanned drone bombs, pro-nuclear weapons, pro-guns, pro-torture, pro-land mines, and still call yourself 'pro-life.'” ~ John Fugelsang

 

If you're a Christian who supports killing your enemies and torture, you have to come up with a new name for yourself.
...Christians have been lawyering the bible to try to figure out how "love thy neighbor" can mean "hate thy neighbor" and how "turn the other cheek" can mean "s***w you, I'm buying space lasers". Martin Luther King gets to call himself a Christian because he actually practiced loving his enemies.
...Jesus lays on that hippy stuff pretty thick. He has lines like "Do not repay evil with evil" and "Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you." Really. It's in that book you hold up when you scream at gay people. And not to put too fine a point on it, but "non-violence" was kinda Jesus' trademark. Kinda his big thing. To not follow that part of it is like joining Greenpeace and hating whales. Bill Maher

Can You Pray Away the Gay….?

This morning, via someone’s facebook link, I watched a 10 minute video of a “pray away the gay” altar call by Damon Thompson, an Alabama preacher who heads up a youth ministry called The Ramp. 

His style of preaching is similar to many preachers I’ve heard….and the southern accent is sort of disarming.  He seems likeable.  He seems sincere. 

He dubbed it the hardest altar call anywhere…any time.  And yet they came.  Crying, shaking, kneeling face down on the floor, pounding on the altar with clenched fists, hands raised in pseudo victory.  

My heart hurt for those teenagers…and the message he drummed into their heads….just a carbon copy message of so many other preachers in so many other churches.  Homosexuality is an abomination.  You are second rate…detestable.  God wants nothing to do with you the way you are.  The Holy Spirit?  Well he’s not about to share your house with a homosexual devil.” 

“God has not nor will he ever coexisted [sic] with the devil,” Damon began. “And God’s not gonna come live in there with you and your homosexual devil.”

Sorry Damon…there is no “gonna come live in there” about it.  He is already there in all those sobbing, quivering kids.  

The seed of God is in ALL humanity. Gospel of John?  He is the light that lights every man that comes into the world?  Sound familiar?  He is our life force, our spark…our very breath. Without him sustaining us…it’s curtains…all over but the crying….the fat lady sang.  Ever hear of laminin? You can read a little about it HERE and check out this video.  What about Acts 17?  In Him we live and move and have our being?

Psalm 139?  Where can I run from your spirit?  Even if I make my bed in hell….behold THOU. ART. THERE.   

I truly believe that the verses “about homosexuality” in the Bible, understood in their proper context and not just taken at face value (a concept anyone who has embraced universal reconciliation should be familiar with) are not talking about modern day committed homosexual relationships.  

And just a side trip/rabbit trail here for anyone who takes issue with the idea that there is such a thing as a committed homosexual relationship…clinging instead to the stereotypical belief that gay equals promiscuous….just a couple of thoughts to consider.

A lot of gay folks are hiding their true sexual orientation…and really…who can blame them?  Living in a society where many frown on gay marriage, it isn’t as viable an option as it is for those of us born on the hetero side of the human sexuality spectrum.  For many, their careers, their standing in the community….in the church would be destroyed if they came out in such a blatant (courageous) way.  So they settle for encounters…rendezvous…..without outward commitment. 

And as for those who are truly promiscuous….who engage in risky behavior with many sex partners? If someone has been brainwashed into believing that they are a worthless piece of shit…less than….not good enough…vile, even….then they are apt to act the part…..just like their heterosexual counterparts who have internalized a sense of unworthiness.

Sermons and altar calls like the one depicted in this video, go a long way toward promoting that sense of unworthiness.  Watch the faces of these kids….contorted with pain….wanting to be anyone but who they were created to be.

Who are your untouchables/unspeakables?

This is the fourth…or fifth….post in a (long drawn out) series that has touched on all kinds of stuff. Gays, gay marriage, gay agendas, what Jesus did, what we should do based on what Jesus did. And particular people as opposed to hypothetical people who are easier to hate and the paradoxical fact that sometimes hypothetical people are easier to love. Easier, that is, than the individuals we get down and dirty with in our every day face to face lives.

After proclaiming that the law could be summed up as Love the Lord thy God with all you heart, soul, strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself, Jesus was asked… okay then….just who exactly is my neighbor?

Ah...loaded question. And as usual, Jesus provided a loaded answer. Rather than just flat out tell them, Jesus used an analogy, a story....a parable. He told them the story of the Good Samaritan. In my web wanderings, I came across an article, "Touch The Untouchable - Speak the Unspeakable" that talked about this particular parable and had some really interesting insights into what Jesus was trying to get across.

In the article, Dr. Edwina Hunter,the Joe R. Engle Professor of Preaching at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, talks about how scandalous this story would have been to the Jews he was addressing. The Jews loathed the Samaritans.

So the gist of the story, a Levite and a Priest happened upon a man...robbed, beaten and dumped on the side of the road….and neither of them stopped to help. But the Samaritan did. So then Jesus asked another trick question, “who was a neighbor to this man?” Nobody could/would utter it out loud. They so vehemently hated Samaritans, they wouldn’t even speak the word!!

So without actually saying Samaritan, the asker answered "The one who showed him kindness." Yep….right answer.

A quote from the article:

Jesus' original audience was shocked because they and the Samaritans hated and despised each other. So? So, what does this parable have to say to us? We can hear that only if we translate it very personally. Whom do I, whom do you despise, fear, hate so much that you hate even to speak the name? Or take it further. Jesus said that the Samaritan actually touched the man who had been left for dead. Touched? He touched one who, for him and his, was untouchable. What is Jesus saying? He is saying that we will never understand who our neighbor is -- who the one is that we are to love as ourselves -- until we are able to touch the untouchable one and speak the unspeakable name. Biblical scholar, Robert Funk, says that we have to ask, "Whom would I least like to be touched by?" By whom would I least like to be helped, indebted to? Only then can we understand, hear what Jesus was saying.

There you have it….it turns out that even the folks we cannot stand…the ones we loathe….are our neighbors. The untouchables….the unspeakables. We are supposed to even love them as we love ourselves. For some of us our untouchables are gay. For some of us, our unspeakables are Democrats….or Republicans….or Catholics….or Muslims. How about fundamentalist, evangelical Christians? Yep, even those folks.

Check out the article……and think about the questions. Who is your neighbor? Turns out it is every one. Jesus did not let us off the hook about loving our neighbors….not the ones on the other side of the globe….not the ones on the other side of the street.

Christians “dissing” Christians…and other perplexing questions….

This weekend I came across some writings on a blog by Peter Kirk called Gentle Wisdom.  He's written several posts lately on the Rob Bell thing...specifically about the way another blogger named Adrian Warnock handled the whole "Love Wins" concept.  (More on that...and the universalism issue in an upcoming post)  I was not familiar with Adrian...or his website.  I took a look around and he seems to be a Calvinist....and he definitely does not agree with Rob Bell's theology. 

But that is not the point of this post.  It seems the blogger at Gentle Wisdom was having some second thoughts about some of his comments.  And he cites a post by Martin Trench, another UK pastor (all three of these guys are in the UK) called "Do You Ever Feel Like a Hypocrite?"

It is a thought provoking post.  And it grapples with questions I've asked myself many times.  Oh….like perhaps…..

"And just who do you think you are, missy, writing some of the bitchy things you post on your blog?"  "Pretty full of yourself, aren't you?" 

I will admit my posts sometimes take on a somewhat…ahh….sarcastic tone. 

Following are a few quotes from the Hypocrite post...

I hate to hear Christian’s judging other people. It seems clear to me that Jesus taught “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2). Why is it then, that so many Christians love to pass judgment on other people? Even on other Christians? The vitriolic, hate-filled, Tweets and blog posts that many Christians (including some well known pastors) put out, is, (in my humble opinion), a disgrace to the name “Christian” and an embarrassment to the gospel.

I would not disagree. 

If you don’t like another preacher or author – don’t listen to them or read their books. It’s simple. You don’t have to preach hate and accuse them of all kinds of crimes against God or hurl names like “heretic” about.

Again...no arguments here. 

So I do not like to see people judging other people, and I tend to be pretty free from judgmental attitudes myself …….. with one exception. I tend to judge judgmental people. I know it sounds ludicrous, but I tend to judge their level of Christianity by the fact that they go about judging other people’s Christianity.

Yes, indeed....

And there's more.  He also discusses those mean spirited theological debates that often turn very ugly and hateful.  Like a dog chasing it's tail...they go round and round and round but don't get anywhere or accomplish anything. Participants tend to stick their fingers in their ears while silently reciting the “close minded mantra.”

(la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la....I can't hear you)  

But then..the purpose is not to hear .....the purpose is not discussion.  The purpose is to defend and prove one's pet theology.  Two topics that often spawn this kind of debate....

• free will vs. sovereignty
• universalism vs. hell

These two topics have been debated down through the ages and only rarely do minds or hearts change. 

So he doesn't like these kinds of discussions.  I don't either.  And I usually bow out of them on e-groups and message boards....because they are fruitless time wasters. 

And there is something else that bugs him....

I know that it sounds self-righteous of me, but I can’t stand seeing or hearing people being self-righteous.
If I see you going after another person, I am going to go after you!

And here is where my views differ somewhat (and where it gets hazy and blurred) He thinks that's a bad thing.  And perhaps, it is a bad thing if you journey around the internet searching for heresies and threats to the faith and differing theologies.  If you are searching simply to find and set right those who have a different world view...or scriptural view....or moral view...perhaps that is self righteous. 

And really....are those who espouse different world/scriptural/moral views a danger?  Perhaps Adrian Warnock and others who have spoken out against Rob Bell feel it is their Christian duty to call out a perceived universalist. But is it really?  Where do you draw the line?

Perhaps I feel it is my Christian duty to call out those who take their theology to such an extreme that it hurts others.  Seriously, irrevocably hurts others. 

I am thinking of the "Christian" backed initiative in Uganda that makes homosexuality a crime punishable by DEATH.  Talk about an Old Testament mentality.  Sharia Law anyone?

And I am thinking of Fred Phelps and his gang.  Who doesn't want to speak out against idiots like Fred Phelps?

And looking back….didn't Christians and their unwillingness to oppose Hitler play a part in his regime?  And even Hitler declared he was just doing the will of God.

I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator.

- Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, Vol. 1 Chapter 2

So exactly where does self righteousness end and "I'm my brother's keeper" kick in?

Good questions.  I hope you didn't expect to find definitive answers in this blog post. 

I do, of course, have an opinion.  For me, a good rule of thumb is to determine if there is a real live, actual victim in the situation.  To quote Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, author and activist...

"We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe."

and

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest."

Grey’s Anatomy on Gay Marriage….

Grey's Anatomy is the only TV show I watch.  For those of you who have not been following the story line...two of the doctors...Callie and Arizona (interesting name, no?) are lesbians.  The show has tastefully chronicled their love affair through ups and downs which include (but are not limited to)

Callie's dream of having children.  Arizona's refusal (in spite of the fact that she likes kids...being a pediatrician and all)  Several break ups.  Several make ups. 

Arizona left Callie standing at the airport as they were waiting to board a flight bound for Africa where Arizona had taken a new job in a back woods, jungle pediatric clinic.  Callie quit her job to go along.  Last minute change of plans.  Ooops.  See ya' later. 

So Callie (who technically seems to be bisexual) found refuge in the arms of her bud, Dr. Mark Sloan.  The refuge produced a baby. 

Arizona came back....couldn't live without Callie.  Yes, but....you ditched me.  And.  Big AND.  I'm pregnant with Mark's baby.

More turmoil surrounded the dropping of that little bombshell.

So there have been ups and downs and disputes between Mark and Arizona (she didn't care much for him before he impregnated Callie...and now...well, not even that much)

And then....soap opera drama....a major car crash.  Callie almost died.  Some cliffhanger moments.  Baby almost died.  More cliffhanger moments. 

And then....all was well....they were on the mend, they were planning a wedding.  A wedding that fell apart.  Callie's mom is a diehard catholic.  Wouldn't touch the baby.  Finally admitted she couldn't even stay for the wedding.  And then....the minister who was slated to marry them (and there were many who would not) was in a car crash and couldn't perform the ceremony. 

“Forget this nonsense,” Callie said, “It’s all just a sham anyway.”....and called off the wedding.  It was Dr. Bailey...surly, sarcastic chief resident who delivered the following poignant speech to a teary eyed Callie who was moping on the couch….kleenex in hand. 

I just love this speech.....

"Okay, first of all, you do not need the law, or a priest, or your mother to make your wedding real. And the church can be anywhere you want it to be: in a field, on a fountain, right here in this room, anywhere. Because where do you think God is? C'mon now! He's in you, he's in me, he's right here between us.

Wow...profound....he's in you.  He's in me.  He's right here between us.  That omnipresent thing. Or as David coined it in in the Psalms, where I can go from your presence? Wherever I go, behold thou art there!!!

Now your church hasn't caught up to God yet. Your mother, she hasn't caught up to God yet. And, by the way, she may not ever catch up, but it's okay. It's okay.

It seems that many, many Christians who profess to know him have not caught up to God yet. 

If you are willing to stand up in front of your friends and family and God and commit yourself to another human being, to give of yourself in that kind of partnership, for better or worse, in sickness and health — honey, that is a marriage, that is real, and that's all that matters.

Which is a great explanation for the reason gays want to marry in the first place…for the same reasons heterosexuals want to marry.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t always turn out as planned. Bailey, who is newly divorced continues…  

Besides, girl, I got legally married to a man in a church. Look how good that turned out."

Yep....as others have pointed out....

Heterosexuals have been doing a fine job of ruining the 'institution' of marriage for decades.

Coming out of a gay agenda fixation….

And so....the fear of a homosexual agenda....which was based, at best, on ignorance and hearsay and, at worst, downright deceit and bigotry, delegates gays to a nameless, faceless "them." As in "them vs us." It is oh so easy to demonize nameless, faceless people. They go from strangers to enemies in no time flat.

In this post, I'm going to write about two guys who, at one time, saw gays as nameless faceless thems....enemies. But their perspectives changed when circumstances forced them to take a closer look and they actually saw gays....as in, really saw them....for exactly what they are. People just like them. People just like you. People just like me.....in all of our eclectic splendor. Not carbon copies. Not exactly the same....with diversity and variation and eccentricities to rejoice in and celebrate.

The first guy was on a mission to protect heterosexual marriage. His name was Louis J. Marinelli, a conservative-Republican. The guy behind the 2010 Summer for Marriage Tour that took place in July and August 2010....sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage. In March of 2010, he hooked up with Brian Brown, director of the National Organization for Marriage about sponsoring and participating in a series of traditional marriage rallies here and there across the country. It was at one of these very rallies, in Atlanta, that the counter protestors...the folks he had "made a profession out of opposing" "became real people" almost instantly. He said

For the first time I had empathy for them and remember asking myself what I was doing.

But....it didn't stop him. He toned it down a bit....made his campaign a bit fairer and more balanced although he admits he used strong and unnecessary rhetoric. Especially the You Tube videos he produced.

And then:

One article I wrote, towards the end of October, 2010 caught the attention of a blogger by the name of RJ, who writes on the blog AmIWorking. He responded to my article about the homosexual agenda with an article addressed personally to me regarding marriage equality. In short, his article had the miraculous effect of instantly putting things into perspective for me.

At that point, between what I had witnessed on the marriage tour and RJ’s post about marriage equality, I really came to understand that gays and lesbians were just real people who wanted to live real lives and be treated equally as opposed to, for example, wanting to destroy American culture. No, they didn’t want to destroy American culture, they wanted to openly particulate in it. I was well on my way to becoming a supporter of civil marriage equality. You can read my statement retracting the statements I made about gays and lesbians here.

I read about him in an article entitled I Now Support Full Marriage Equality"

And te other guy....a former Presbyterian minister....who preached against homosexuality from the pulpit. His turning point....points....getting to know "particular people"

In the article  I preached against homosexuality, but I was wrong Murray Richmond talks about what changed his views

1. An online (platonic) friendship with a gay Christian man who had struggled with his sexuality for a long time...until he finally accepted it and himself.

2. One of his gay parishioners who had tried for years to rid himself of an attraction for men....using alcohol, therapy, marriage, support groups etc. wanted to try...in desperation...an exorcism.

3. A woman, former wife of a minister who left her for another man. She refused to dis him, saying instead that he was the best pastor she had ever known but he came to the point he could no longer live with the lie.

Richmond questions why homosexuality has been singled out as a litmus test for True Christianity in the first place, a lightning rod for self-righteousness? (A good question to ponder)

His conclusion?

.......it's easy to condemn homosexuality if you are not gay. It is much harder

than condemning pride, or lust or greed, things that most practicing Christians have struggled with. It is all too easy to make homosexuality about "those people," and not me.

Ah-ha... back to the us vs them theme

We all have our "thems." We all have our "those people." Folks we see as so different from us, there is little hope of embracing their differences. For me, it is far right wing, totally conservative folks...who are, in my view, bigoted and hypocritical, who live by the letter of the law and not by the spirit of the law.

Modern day Pharisees.

Okay....let's try to wrap up this rambling post.

A belief in a covert homosexual agenda turns individuals into clumps of nameless, faceless, dehumanized "thems" who are easy to fear/hate/mistrust.

I'm going to close with a comment from a post on a blog called "The Faulking Truth" Very interesting play on words going on there in that title. His opinion concerning a homosexual agenda. Is there one?

In reality, the gay agenda is not unlike the agendas of the civil rights or womens suffrage movements before it. It is an agenda based on acceptance and equal rights under the law and in the eyes of the general public. And unlike the extremist Christian agenda, it doesnt seek to overthrow governments or indoctrinate everyone to a homosexual or lesbian way of life.

Can fundamentalist, evangelical Christians say the same?

The Homosexual Agenda? Is there really such a thing?

Well, I'll be.....it seems I learn new stuff every single time I fire up my computer and venture out into the world wide web...where I continue my ongoing, informal....somewhat haphazard, education....a student at Cyberspace "U."  I love the internet.

And today...at Wikipedia...I learned a new word.  "Homosexualist."  I didn't even know such a word existed.  It was coined by Scott Lively and Kevin Avery.  The following from wiki....

The use of homosexualist in this way first appeared in 1995 in Scott Lively and Kevin Abrams' book The Pink Swastika, "to refer to any person, homosexual or not, who actively promotes homosexuality as morally and socially equivalent to heterosexuality as a basis for social policy."  

These guys even went so far as to blame the horrifics of the Nazi regime on pervasive homosexuality within its ranks. 

Lively and Abrahams in The Pink Swastika argue that alleged homosexuality found in the Nazi Party, specifically within Ernst Rohm's SA, contributed to the extreme militarism of Nazi Germany, and write about the gay agenda in this context.

Oh for goodness sakes.....

How about the total depravity of the egoic mind/carnal nature/adamic man contributing to the extreme militarism of Nazi Germany?  Greed, envy, selfishness, fear, scapegoating, a sacrificial mindset (the sacrifice of others that is), power lust.  

So now homosexuals share at least some of the blame for the Holocaust?  Seriously?

But these guys are but one link in the chain that eventually led to the “outing” of the much feared…much touted homosexual agenda. 

Pretty much the entire populace of right wing America knows about the existence of a gay agenda, but most gays don't have a clue about it.  The vast majority of gay folks are doing what you and I are doing.....leading ordinary, everyday lives.  They are not covertly promoting an agenda.  They are not militant, violent or unruly.  They are more likely to spend a Saturday afternoon at the nearest Borders sipping coffee and leafing through a magazine than dressing up in an outlandish costume and marching in a gay pride parade. 

From a blog post I happened upon in my “studies"

As Oklahoma City teacher Kelly Forbes put it, “We have a gay agenda? I must have missed that meeting.”

So where did the idea come from? 

Well....stir together a little conjecture, mix in a few "scientific studies" with biased and misrepresented outcomes, make propaganda movies to "educate" and warn the unwary in schools and churches.  Take an article written purely as satire and proclaim it to be truth.  Every time the manifesto is read, omit the disclaimer at the beginning clearly identifying it as satire....and repeat it and repeat it and repeat it.....

The history of events that led up to the belief in a homosexual agenda can be found HERE and HERE and HERE if you are interested. 

And the saddest part of this whole thing is that many of these underhanded methods were wrought by Christians.  Followers of Jesus. 

Believing that there is such a thing as a homosexual agenda makes the GLBT community into nameless, faceless enemies.  It is easy to hate folks you don’t see as individuals. (and on a related note, it’s easier to love vast chunks of humanity than it is to love the annoying guy who lives next door.  More on that in an upcoming post)

And in my next post, I’m going to “introduce” you to a couple of guys I “met” on the internet who bought into the gay agenda thing…and spoke out strongly against gay marriage.  One from the pulpit….the other by organizing public rallies backed by a national organization.  But something changed them both.  They started to see gays as individuals….real people. Just like Kathy Baldeck from Canyon Walker Connections…..who I talked about in my post the other day. 

More to follow:

WWJD about GLBT Christians? Figuring it out based on What Jesus Did Do…

I usually try to read when I go to the gym....while hoofing it on the treadmill or pedaling the incumbent bike. I (finally) went to the gym again yesterday.  Emily and I have both been on a several month long hiatus from the gym.  On me, it shows.  On Em...not at all.  We both went back this week...Emily twice...me, well...I made it there once.  I figure her workouts cost me about 25$ each...and mine... 50 bucks.  I have the fees automatically deducted from my checking account...so whether our Nikes hit the treadmill or not, the money still comes out.  But I digress....imagine that!!!

When I went to the gym after work the other day, I took an article I had earmarked to read "when I have more time."  It is one of, literally, thousands of earmarked articles.  A plenitude of articles...not nearly enough time. 

This particular article came from a website I happened upon during our week in Tennessee, while taking a break from church in our motel room…doing what I do best….cruising the internet.  I've earmarked it to explore in more depth...but...a plenitude of websites...not nearly enough time.

It is called "Peace Theology."  The website is authored by Ted Grimsrud, a Mennonite...a denomination known for their anti-violence/peace theology beliefs.  Thus the name.  Peace Theology.  It has a lot of stuff....all written/collected from a non violence perspective.  Very cool. 

The article that caught my eye was under the section about the church and homosexuality.  My own personal view....the church has a sorry ass record when it comes to its treatment of homosexuals.  And this guy thinks so too.  The article is entitled "What Did Jesus Do?" and seeks to outline a christlike pattern of relating to homosexuals based on a variation of the once very popular catch phrase, WWJD...What Would Jesus Do? 

Can we know for sure what Jesus would do (or more importantly what Jesus would have me do) in any given situation? Perhaps not...although this article points out that we can come pretty darn close by taking a look at what Jesus DID DO. 

Jesus was radical.  I'm not so sure we realize how radical he was. On so many occasions, Jesus defied the rules of his "denomination" by healing, interacting with...actually fellowshipping with the untouchables of his day.  And there were a lot of untouchables. 

In our modern day world, we don't have to worry about ceremonial cleansing if we brush up against someone with eczema. Menstruating women are not banished to the garage or the shed out back until they are no longer "unclean."  Thank goodness.  Tax collectors, Roman soldiers, Samaritans.  Oh my God, especially Samaritans.  And Gentiles.  And dead people. But Jesus was not all that concerned with the rules and regulations of his day.  He touched the untouchables. 

Just like the Jews, Christianity also has a long list of untouchables.  The list varies from denomination to denomination...from liberal to conservative....emergent to evangelical...but there is, indeed, a list, sometimes unspoken...but often not.  Sometimes the list of untouchables is a top...top priority to the group.  And for far too many Christians, homosexuality is at the top of that list.  Even liberal, emergent Christians, with a "love the sinner/ hate the sin" mindset, speak out against homosexuality. 

Jesus did not take much time out of his busy schedule to preach about sexual sins.  Homosexual or heterosexual.  He did spare the woman caught in the act of adultery...entrusted the telling of the gospel to the Samaritan woman by the well....let a woman of rumored ill repute wash his feet with her hair.  These things speak volumes and cast the light of understanding on how he might have interacted with homosexuals.  Perhaps we should take our cue from him there too. 

And perhaps we should seriously consider that annoying beam/speck thing he just had to go and say. 

During my "research" of this topic, I came across several very interesting websites. (My research usually amounts to questions that pop into my head while reading/writing about a particular article/book/topic that I then submit to the magic google search engine)  I found several web sites for “coalitions” of gays and straights.  One in particular that intrigued me was a website called Canyon Walker Connections, the website of Kathy Baldeck, who (quoting this from memory) as recently as 2004, did not think she would see any gay folks in heaven.  Although now an impassioned advocate for gays, at one time she was on the other side of the issue…for 20 or so years....until God used (quoting from Kathy's blog)

......a Native American, lesbian, then-agnostic woman to draw me out from my white girl, straight girl, Christian enclave to understand the inequality, the injustice and the church wounding meted out by Jesus followers. Hey, I recognized it;  I was one of them.  It took five more years for me to push open the door fully wide and start to shout to the church. I went to the Gay Christian Network Conference in January 2007 as the first straight supporter, knowing absolutely no one prior to my arrival.  Two months before,  I was  not even sure GLBT believers existed.  Then, to discover that they were organized?!

In a room of 300 GLBT Christians that  first night in worship, I was overwhelmed.  It was then that I put two feet in.  I crossed the line and threw the door to my soul and spirit open wide .  The Holy Spirit was indeed in the midst of His people.  Don’t bother discounting this as an “emotional” experience thus allowing you to justify ignoring my message.  I’ve done this now for five years and the conviction only deepens. Attending the conference immediately brought the end of a five year relationship with a quite homophobic man that I actually wanted to marry.  Purpose or person?  I’ll take purpose for three months of unbearable agony, please.

What a brave woman!!

More tomorrow on some of the other links I ran across...more from the article on Peace Theology....and more on what we can ascertain about what we should DO based on what Jesus DID DO....

Same Theory at Work -2

I came across a commentary on the Huffington Post article, The Great Gay Awakening, on a blog I follow called "Losing My Religion." The Huffington article is written by Cathleen Falsani. She starts the article by saying:'

Some of my dearest friends are gay.

Most of my dearest friends are Christians.

And more than a few of my dearest friends are gay Christians

She goes on to say:

As an evangelical, that last part is not something that, traditionally and culturally, I'm supposed to say out loud. For most of my life, I've been taught that it's impossible to be both openly gay and authentically Christian.

And that is the big question...can you be openly gay and authentically Christian?

Even assuming that committed gay relationships are a sin (and I don't believe they are) isn't that akin to asking the question "Can you be openly overweight and authentically Christian?"

The Bible does condemn gluttony after all.

And can you be divorced and remarried for other than purely biblical reasons and authentically Christian? 

You get my point, no?

And that was pretty much the road the author took "back in the early 90's"  Even if it was a sin she felt called to love rather than judge. And she says that loving them was easy…but

 Finding clear theological answers to questions about homosexuality has been decidedly not so.

She quotes Jay Baker (Tammy Faye’s son) a well known evangelical Christian as saying:

Examining the original Greek words translated as "homosexual" and "homosexuality" in three New Testament passages, Bakker (and others) conclude that the original words have been translated inaccurately in modern English.

And how about this little tidbit...which I haven't run across in any of my reading....

The word "homosexual" first appeared in an English-language Bible in 1958.

So since homosexual is not an a word in the original language of the New Testament...but rather a word coined by the translators....what does the original word actually mean?  According to Baker, it refers to

male prostitutes and the men who hire them. The passages address prostitution -- sex as a commodity -- and not same-sex, consensual relationships, he says.

So was it a new revelation in 1958 that caused the Bible guys to coin a new phrase that plummets a whole lot of people to the "abomination" category.   Making up words as we go caused a whole lot of trouble with other concepts like...oh....hell for instance.  

And we all know that the Bible has been used to support all kinds of heinous, bigoted, unfair, ridiculous practices.  And the church...the mainstream evangelical church...has bought it....promoted it,  and enforced it all in the name of “for the Bible tells me so” when in actually the Bible says no such thing....

The church has, at best, lagged behind...and at it's worst, it has actually been the oppressor many times throughout history.  Can anyone really trust the evangelical church to  be their moral beacon?  

Baker says we must "weigh all the evidence." 

And everyone should...prayerfully and with an open mind take another look at the scriptures. And, guys especially, should try to get past what I’ve heard referred to as the "ick factor." The "ick factor" is the emotion that is evoked by a mental image of two guys having sex. Truly, it should not be part of the equation...not is it any of our business. 

One of the commenters at Losing My Religion took issue with the statement about the church always being behind saying that

….there have been some denominations where this isn’t anything new. the UCC ordained a openly gay pastor in 1974. and before the the Unitarians were way out in front. so the church means the Evangelical one.

He also provides a link to a list of other progressive "firsts" for his denomination...

Will there come a day when we look back in a "remember when" kind of way...and think of the time when homosexuals were marginalized and held in disdain?  I think it will happen, but just like there are those who have not caught up to the civil rights movement and still think the white race has a leg up on every other ethnic group, there will be some who will drag their feet. And, like with the civil rights movement it won’t be right….

The Same Theory At Work…?

French political theorist Montesquieu observed wryly in 1748: "It is impossible for us to suppose these creatures [enslaved Africans] to be men; because allowing them to be men, a suspicion would follow that we ourselves are not Christians."

The above snippet was buried in an article originally posted in the Washington Post and then reposted and commented on here and there all around the web yesterday.  The article was called, Five Myths About Why the South Seceded.

But the quote took me far, far away from the original purpose of the article which was to debunk certain myths about the causes of the civil war.  It made me think more about the psychology behind the quote rather than the historical events it referenced.  Namely...Denial. 

If, back in Motesquieu’s day the status quo was discarded...and enslaved Africans were seen as they truly were....men....then a + b would have to = c.  If they were indeed men...and if they continued to be enslaved, mistreated... as if they were somehow lower or less, then what would that do to the whole, "We are Christians" concept?  Pretty much shoot it all to hell. 

And so...flash forward to the present and homosexuals.  Can you see any connection?  The Christian right is anti gay. You've heard the drill. It's not normal.  It's an abomination.  They are lower....less.  And if Christians ever stop seeing it....seeing them...that way well....what parallels can be drawn with Montesquieu's quote?

I am a Christian.  I am not anti gay.  I think the verses in the Old Testament used to condemn committed homosexual relationships are as outdated as the requirement to stone adulterers, the ban on garments of mixed fabric....banishing my daughters to the back shed when they are having their period....or not ordering shrimp the next time we hit Red Lobster for lunch (which is pretty much never since I am not much of a seafood fan)

And....I think the verses in the New Testament that appear to condemn homosexuality only do so if taken at a King James surface glance. If the customs and taboos of the time are taken into account....along with the word meanings in the original language, I think the infamous verses penned by the Apostle Paul are condemning the depraved temple worship popular at the time. Not committed homosexual relationships. 

But there are risks in considering that the gay couple down the street might have relationship as legitimate as their own....that homosexuals are not lower or lesser.  Any inklings along those lines might be best avoided.  Otherwise, what suspicion might follow?  What kind of a shadow might that cast on their Christianity?  Perhaps better to ignore the truth...and go on believing what they've always believed. But….

When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken, or cease to be honest.

Just something to consider…perhaps something to peer into a bit more closely….to ponder….