BRIAN:...I think homosexualilty is wrong. That's not an issue for me. The issue for me is that if the church would embrace [the elimination of] poverty omong children with the same vigor they use to embrace the anti-homosexual marriage amendment, then we could do a lot of good for being salt and light in the world. But we don't embrace other issues because gay marriage is an issue we can be against without having to change anything in our lives. We can use it as an issue and be against it and fight it because we never have to make a change -- versus child poverty; we'd have to do something about that.
I think the second half of Brian's statment is powerful -- I think it easier for many of us to get jazzed up and even quite adamant about issues that don't require us to change in any way.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Christians, Gay Marriage and Poverty
I'm reading a spectacular book called Faith of My Fathers, which is a transcript of a dialogue between 3 sons, their father and their grandfather about what it means to be a pastor. In the book they talk about all kinds of issues, but I'm in a section where they're talking about gay marriage, and I found this quote comparing the issue of gay marriage to the issue of poverty to be particularly cogent.
BRIAN:...I think homosexualilty is wrong. That's not an issue for me. The issue for me is that if the church would embrace [the elimination of] poverty omong children with the same vigor they use to embrace the anti-homosexual marriage amendment, then we could do a lot of good for being salt and light in the world. But we don't embrace other issues because gay marriage is an issue we can be against without having to change anything in our lives. We can use it as an issue and be against it and fight it because we never have to make a change -- versus child poverty; we'd have to do something about that.
I think the second half of Brian's statment is powerful -- I think it easier for many of us to get jazzed up and even quite adamant about issues that don't require us to change in any way.
BRIAN:...I think homosexualilty is wrong. That's not an issue for me. The issue for me is that if the church would embrace [the elimination of] poverty omong children with the same vigor they use to embrace the anti-homosexual marriage amendment, then we could do a lot of good for being salt and light in the world. But we don't embrace other issues because gay marriage is an issue we can be against without having to change anything in our lives. We can use it as an issue and be against it and fight it because we never have to make a change -- versus child poverty; we'd have to do something about that.
I think the second half of Brian's statment is powerful -- I think it easier for many of us to get jazzed up and even quite adamant about issues that don't require us to change in any way.
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3 comments:
I agree 100%
The world is supposed to recognize us by our love. We should selflessly love those in need.
If we save a an unsaved sinner from their sin, through legislation, education, litigation, or intimidation, their change in behavior does not provide salvation.
If we show them Christ's love, The Holy Spirit can transform their heart.
All of our fixation on worldly affairs delutes our testamony. We should live as forigners here.
ckd....
What is sad for me in ministry is this is the model being upheld within the typical evangelical family. Take a position with our mouths instead of with our hands and feet. Day after day I dream about whether or not I will be doing the same thing with my sons when I am older. May God have mercy on our souls for modeling an ethic of flattering speech and opinions rather than modeling an ethic of incarnational ministry.
That is a sad condemnation of us. I don't agree that we should abandon an opposition to homosexuality if we think it is Biblically condemned, but I am certainly in agreement that we are spending way too much effort on it in place of efforts that could be directed toward ending poverty.
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