Over the last couple of days, I created a list of things that I wanted to discuss on this blog. But, while trying to catch up on E-mails, I came across an article from the UMC 2012 General Conference that I decided to discuss at this time.
There have been many different issues that have divided churches, even denominations, over the centuries. Sometimes, it's been over something so trivial as the color of the hymnal or the color of the carpet. Other times, it's over something a lot more serious. For example, whether Christians should be involved in armed conflict or how to deal with an evil dictator. (This second issues is something that I hope to explore more thoroughly in a doctorate, but more on that later.)
The primary issues for the above article (if you haven't read it already, I encourage you to do so), concerns the issues of homosexuality within the physical church. Specifically, if those who are in a leadership position (example, a teacher, deacon, elder, pastor, etc.). I grew up Presbyterian USA, and like the United Methodist Church, this issue has become a major, major issue.
Except, I do not believe that the issue has to do with human sexuality. At least, not as a primary issue. What I believe is the primary issue is how one is to view and understand Scripture. Please bare with me here as I explain.
Not only have I trained to be a pastor of a church, but I have spent years serving in the military and have worked in corrections. Each of these different jobs have given me very interesting insights into human nature, including the good, the bad, and the down right totally ugly.
While working in corrections, I dealt with a lot of people who made some terrible mistakes and were not suffering the consequences for what they did. I also dealt with people who chose to be anti-social, to purposefully want to hurt others. I also heard a myriad of excuses as to why things weren't 'their fault.' All the way from 'the devil made me do it,' to 'I was born this way,' to 'my parents made me this way.'
I have also talked with a lot of people who were doing self-destructive things to themselves, like being addicted to drugs, alcohol, porn, always angry, etc. But, these people, and not all of them were Christians, realized that there was something wrong in their lives and were purposefully making the changes that they needed in order to function in society as productive citizens. Some struggled more than others. But, they all had emotional, spiritual and/or spiritual issues that they used what ever drug to cover up.
My belief is, because humanity is a fallen and sinful from birth, each of us are often born with certain self-destructive tendencies. For now, I'll call it someone's 'sin-issue.' For some, this 'sin-issue' is expressed in abusive relationships due to a need to feel powerful/in control. For some, it may express itself in habitual lying. For others, it may express itself in having sex with many partners or using sex as a weapon/form of abuse. Whether this 'sin-issue' gets nourished from the person's own selfish desires, because of environmental factors, or because of drug/alcohol abuse, it is still there. For some, they are able to acknowledge their selfish desires and control their actions, others either loose control or want to embrace it.
For me as a Christian, I believe that whether the issue is homosexuality, two people living outside of marriage, someone who is an abuser in a relationship, etc., the real issue at hand has to do with God's Word. That is, is Scripture God's inspired Word to us, or is it merely a collection of 'good stories.'
If it's merely a collection of 'good stories,' then a person can choose what he or she wants to accept. If it makes him or her feel good, then great. If not, forget it!
But, if you believe that the Bible is God's inspired Word, then there is a reason why God inspired it. Think of it this way, when a company makes a product like a blender, TV or car, they include a copy of instructions. Within the instruction booklet one will find what the product was made for, what it can do, what it can't do, and possible consequences for not using it properly. An example that comes to my mind would be: A VW Beetle is a compact car. To try and use it as a drag racer or as an armored vehicle in a combat zone would be extremely dangerous, if not deadly. Just like an armored tank is not made for racing, nor is a Porche made to race on water.
According to Scripture, God created all things for a purpose. And, when He created everything, it was good. (Genesis 1-2) Everything was made for a purpose, and everything fulfilled that purpose that it was created for. Because of this, there was shalom or 'wholeness' between Creation and God. However, in chapter 3 of Genesis, we read that Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God. This decision of rebelling against God caused a broken relationship between man and woman, humanity and the rest of creation, and between humanity and God.
However, Scripture states that God did not abandon us to a fate of being eternally separated from Him. Instead, God continued to reach out to us, instruct us on how we are to live in relationship with Him and with each other. Over the centuries, I believe that these instructions on how to live with each other, and with God, including how God chose to provide perfect reconciliation for us to Him, is in Scripture.
For me, whether my desires agree with what Scripture says or not is immaterial. And, I believe that everyone struggles with different things that Scripture says. But, what it really boils down it, do we take God at His Word about life and what's right, or not? If we trust God at His Word, then though we will struggle, the more we rely on God and seek others to help us, the more likely we will walk in God's Shalom. But, if we choose to ignore what God says about something, then we will suffer the consequences.
For me, it's not about one sinful lifestyle or another. For me, it's a willingness for a person, a local church, or for a whole denomination, to submit their desires and actions to God or to indulge in them. As leaders of a church, not only are we to teach others how to understand what's in the Bible, but we are to live our lives as an example. If we are unwilling to practice what we preach, not just in part but in whole, then why even bother?
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