A Call To Evolve Contrary To Scripture?

Sometime ago I happened upon an atheist’s blog entitled ‘Atheist Revolution’, and although I no longer visit to comment, I do often read what the author has to say. Even though I seldom, if ever, agree with what is written, I read the articles more to try and understand the mindset of atheists (or at least one) than to simply argue with them at this point.

Today, I happened upon the author’s post, ‘Church of Sweden Votes to Allow Gay Marriage’, and the part that really caught my eye was the comment ‘I admire the progress the gay community has made in forcing some churches to evolve when it comes to human rights’. The writer acknowledges ‘The Christian bible is undoubtedly anti-gay’, and appears to suggest that churches need to evolve away from such.

My dispute is not really with the author of the article, for I would expect a non Christian to vary in their opinion regarding Scripture and homosexuality. It is rather directed more so to those who profess Christ and proclaim to trust in the Word of God; for, as the author declares, it is impossible to claim that the Scriptures are silent or pro homosexual.

The Bible clearly defines marriage was one man and one woman, and although one can find mankind living various lifestyles, the fact remains ‘from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.’ And likewise, Scripture declares, ‘If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination’, along with being against nature, unseemly, in error, reprobate, etc.

For any person or church to profess Christ, claiming to trust in such through the Scriptures whereby the gospel is declared, yet holds not to the foundational teachings of marriage and homosexuality, it is not an evolving to a higher plain in spiritual understanding but is rather as one of the commenters said: the church ‘"softening up" a bit.’ Clearly, the embrace of homosexuality, whether of clergy or by marriage, is a declaration of the person’s or church’s degeneration from the truth, and from God. One cannot claim to uphold the oracles of God found in Scripture, yet deny sin as sin.

If one must repent, by confessing and turning away from sin to Christ, to be forgiven and saved by the work of Christ upon Calvary, according as it is written in Scripture, then to embrace homosexuality and the marriage thereof is in clear violation of Scripture and of God, and will send the sinner ignorantly on their way to hell, having only a corrupt blessing from a church, being in sin themselves, which has no merit with the Almighty. Not only does the homosexual need to repent and trust in Christ, but the church who embraces such sin must also.

When You Think No One Is Looking

Okay, so it has been a while since I have posted a thought here, but I was recently sent an email entitled ‘When you thought I wasn't looking.....’ It is one of those generic emails which get sent around from person to person, most often mass mailed to everyone in a person’s contact list. Displaying a cute picture of a little child with their arms crossed, it declares, ‘A message every adult should read because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say,’ as it shares a list of positive things children may see us do in our daily lives. And, as always, the email ends with ‘send this’ on to others.

Well, call me a pessimist if you must, but I cannot help but consider also the negative aspects we must share with our children, or any person for that matter, when we think they aren’t looking. This goes especially for the Christian, being this is a Christian blog, but also for the non Christian as well; given we are not only often judged by what/how people think we should act, but also by how our actions line up with our ideals we share aloud.

When I was in the US Army, a sergeant, one I invited to church a few times but never did he come, shared a story with me. He said one evening as they set down for supper, he bowed his head to pray over their food. After the prayer, his son asked his him why they were praying over the food since he had just cursed moments before.

Even a child can see hypocrisy, and quite frankly they don’t understand it until we teach them (by our actions) so very well how to do it. So, how much more can those who spend the majority of their time looking around the beam in their own eye spot our inconsistencies of voice and action?

We are teaching our children and most often others, while displaying what we really think about our voiced ideals, many times silently by our actions. Even as we endow positive ideals into the minds and hearts of persons by our good deeds, we also provide them opportunity to evolve into our own hypocrisy and/or find reason to ridicule us and our ideals by our contradictory actions.

However true, our own failures to stand firm in our actions toward our voiced Christian values – or any positive values for that matter – should not invalidate them, the reality is it most often does in the hearts and minds of those wishing to find a way to dismiss them already.

Let us not give one a reason to blaspheme or deny that which is right.