An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right

« The Ineffable Likability of Bush

Iraq Invents Weapon for Rulers that Lie: ‘The Nuclear Shoe!’: El Khabar, Algeria »

Putting Aside the Bible for a While

Posted by DENNIS SANDERS in Religion, Society.
Dec 17th, 2008 | Comments

In my last year of seminary, I took a class where one of our assignments one evening was to debate the issue of slavery. Both sides used the Bible to justify their arguments. When the exercise was done, the professor told the side that was against slavery (the side I was on) that it was a losing battle to use the Bible in your argument since the other side could back up their argument with Scripture that indicated that slavery was “okay.”

With that in mind, I thought this post by Adam Walker Cleaveland was instructive. He argues that maybe those who back up their opposition to homosexuality put their Bibles aside for a while and actually met a real live gay person. I’m familiar with Adam and have met him. What makes this argument so interesting is that Adam is himself a recent graduate of seminary, works at a church as a youth minister and is readying to become a minister. Here’s a snippet of his post:

…presenting a coherent biblical argument for why homosexuality is not a sin and why our gay brothers and sisters should be fully welcomed into all areas of the church and ministry is not my point here. I think many people have done just that (Jack Rogers and Stacy Johnson come to mind), but they are easily dismissed by many because they apparently don’t have a “high enough view of scripture.”

Well - if that’s the problem - then I say, “Enough with the Bible already!”

Intrigued? Enraged? Delighted? Read more.

Cross-posted at NeoMugwump.

mikeyes

Of course there is always the issue of with whom did Cain and Abel have their children?

Manchester2

There is too much too-easy banter around these days, like "that's so gay," etc. I hear this regularly in the work-place, and try to put a damper on it. The recent public service commercial hits it right on the head. Gay-bashing is never appropriate.

Adam Cleaveland's post, while well-intentioned, misses the mark. It's not because the average traditionalist doesn't know someone gay that we are traditional in our view point. It's because we do that we remain compassionately traditionalist, understanding that in our rapidly changing culture, people look to the Church to "stay the course" on some basic things.

Yes, the Bible condemns homosexuality, but its main message is transformation, or "regeneration," as theologians call it. If Jesus were here today, he would stretch out his hand to the gay man or woman, no question about it. So should the Church, though so far, we've done too little. As the Gospels portray it, when people follow Jesus, he has a way of transforming their lives, meeting them where they are, but never leaving them there. There is freedom in Christ, for those who seek it. That is a message of love, not hate, no matter how others try to spin it.

Pete Abel

Dennis -- thanks for highlighting that post. The money line from it, in my opinion was this one: "For some, I believe the Bible has become an idol." Students of the bible and Judeo-Christian history should appreciate just how much of a wallop that line delivers.

blog comments powered by Disqus