Concentration camps. Their utterance brings to mind images most of us will never have to visualize, never have tattooed on our arms for life, never have to be haunted by for the rest of our lives. If you’ve ever read Elie Wiesel’s novel, Night, the travesty of Nazi concentration camps is so indiscriminately revealed, one could, or should never wish it upon anyone. The farthest extreme of human incivility was witnessed in those Nazi camps, but even in America, we built our own internment camps for Japanese-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Although, the American government, to my knowledge, never utilized gas chambers and cremation ovens to kills 6 million Japanese-Americans, I’m sure the conditions in those internment camps were nothing to feature on Home and Garden Television. History poised to happened poisoned again.
To one North Carolina pastor, a hybrid concentration-interment camp would do America good. It would be one thing for him to say internment camps, but to specifically say concentration camps speaks volumes of comparison. To the modern psyche, concentration camps bring to mind the travesties of WWII Nazi Germany. Semantics out the question, the meaning and practice of concentration camps is devastating to any progress from discrimination against a people group, whether based on gender, religion, race or otherwise. I regret that I don’t have access to the entire sermon or video, because I never feel that two minutes of anything does justice to the whole. This is a modern case of a church leader, literally preaching to people who will not question him or challenge him–like the Catholic priests of old reciting Latin scriptures to their illiterate church-goers–he recites what those sitting in the pews will not question or care to disagree. Like the lyrics of one of my favorite songs, Depraved, “Or you depraved or are you deceived?”
However, every story has another angle. From this sound-byte (what I could call it at best), calls for the pastors resignation will occur, death threats will occur, a protest against the church is already scheduled. Can’t we see what we’re doing to ourselves? Like war, hatred just drives and pushes never ending patterns. I don’t condone the pastors words, nor do I condone the raw, emotional reaction against the church. In many cases the reactions against such statements are the same or worse than the original statements. We have to see where this will go, but let’s take a breather, think about this and work from both sides to prevent history that is poised and poisoned to happen again. History is full of deception and depravity, evidenced in so many aspects from politics to religion. Patterns are repeated because of the depravity that comes from the deception, but seeking transparency and truth, practicing patience and restraint and thoughtfully living, we won’t have to bear witness to such ridiculous comments.
One of the elements that most disturbs me about the opposition to same sex marriage is how often within Christian circles, the appeal to legislate their own sense of morality reigns supreme. The reason this bothers me so is because it presupposes to those individuals and organizations that this land and country was divinely placed into their hands to be used and legislated to their liking, but only to their liking, no ones else’s. Many well-meaning, and some not so well-meaning politicians, assuming and acting on the part of their constituents, enacts a law that removes the rights of one individual in order to secure the religious security and free flowing dissemination of another group even though both constituents pay taxes and are otherwise guaranteed equal participation in the political process. Churches praise the decision and the politician rides through another election storm unscathed; however, for the group still without rights and still very much in the minority, they have to start back at square one.
In Romans 13, it reads: Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval.4 For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience. 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s public servants, continually attending to these tasks. 7 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor.
The very next week, the President of the United States comes forth and endorses same sex marriage. What happens when Christians can create the laws they are suppose to abide by? Many parts of the Bible have been used over the years to exclude people from certain rights–slavery, for example or women’s rights. Many parts of the Bible are practiced and enforced while others are ignored. I truly believe same sex couples should be given the same rights as everyone else. Last July, New York legalized same sex marriage. Gabe Lyons argues that the legalization of same sex marriage could benefit traditional marriage. If from my last posts, Christians are called not to judge, but to show restraint, kindness and patience, the furthest they can be from those precepts is to discriminate against another people group. If they truly believe God is the ultimate judge, then let God do the judging and legislating; they shouldn’t be putting that much power in their own hands. Wars and mass struggles have occurred simply because Christians fought tooth and nail to protect their own, limited way of living and existing at the expense of many others. I have no problem with standing up for what one believes in; in fact I respect standing for ones beliefs, but when one uses the political system to undermine the rights of another human being, that is not standing up for ones own beliefs, it is judging and presupposing that person is inferior to oneself and that is ultimately the harshest criticism and judgement.
When all is said and done, the scriptures I think speak clearly for themselves in that patience, restraint and kindness are a necessity when dealing with the homosexual movement from the Christian circle. There will be more posts to come because Romans is only one of three references that deal with homosexuals in the New Testament. There is a lot to be said about the subject and new parts on a societal level are introduced everyday from ACLU courtroom fights, crimes against gay persons, and more funerals to picket. In this circumstance, I am not singling out Westboro–I am using them as an example. Westboro goes after much more than just gays and I will have more to write about them later.
Many Christian circles champion and defend the gay rights movement from a human rights standpoint, which is admirable. Some have passed rules within their denominations to allow homosexuals to become clergy and perform other active roles in the church; yet some still adamantly stifle any all progress and words that come from the gay rights movement. On the flip side, as a society, we should not condemn nor judge those who express the hatred we hate to see otherwise we are practicing the very same thing we preach against. Instead we should practice patience, restraint and kindness.
Let’s start with the second chapter of Romans to add to the previous post.
Therefore, any one of you who judges is without excuse.For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2 We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3 Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment?4 Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. 6 He will repay each one according to his works: 7 eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness; 9 affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;10 but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 11 There is no favoritism with God. 12 All those who sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all those who sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous. 14 So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts.Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts will either accuse or excuse them 16 on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.17 Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rest in the law, boast in God, 18 know His will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law, 19 and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, 20 an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the full expression of knowledge and truth in the law— 21 you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal?22 You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. 25 For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore if an uncircumcised man keeps the law’s requirements, will his uncircumcision not be counted as circumcision? 27 A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God.
I think Paul would laugh in the face of those who protest and criticize the gay rights movement today. He starts off un-apologetically writing, if you’re judging them, you’re just stupid because you’re doing the same thing even if not explicitly. I especially think verse four is essential to focus on: “Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.” Forget those people for a second and look at yourselves, he could destroy them just as quickly as he could destroy you, but he doesn’t; the reason for it exceeds your paltry minds, but in your hatred, you want them dead yesterday; allowing their free will highlights the kindness, restraint and kindness. Westboro Baptist Churchhas made it their career you might say to express and highlight this wrath and judgment while ignoring the second part. Paul in this part, verse 6, references an Old Testament passage Psalms 62:12 that reads “and faithful love belongs to You, Lord. For you repay each according to his works.” In the end, if you spend your entire life judging, one can only assume judgment is what you will receive at life’s end. Anyone who judges without showcasing patience, kindness and restraint can be described as the “hearers of the word” but not a doer of the words they claim to believe. The last two parts of the chapter are Paul talking to the Jews, using the practice of circumcision as a metaphor for how hearts should be circumcised in the beliefs to the fullest extent. The practice of circumcision was no longer necessary to claim to be one of God’s chosen people after Jesus came and opened up opportunities to Jews and Gentiles alike.
I feel a key part of the passage is what Paul says after referencing Psalms, “eternal life to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth, but are obeying unrighteousness; affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. There is no favoritism with God.” A gut reaction for me when I see groups like Westboro and others who proactively showcase their hatred for others is to hate back; but in this case, perhaps it would do me to good to be patient, kind and restraint.
A severely diluted form of religion and an unbridled hatred for Western ideologies brought down the World Trade Towers in September 2001. Unlike the election of a new president, where everyone seeks to find some way of pointing out how the new official is on their side, after 9/11 many sought avenues of blame and conclude how such groups were involved in the attacks. Two of those men were Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Sometimes the words Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell said after 9/11 are disproportionately taken out of context. Instead of specifically blaming gays and the homosexuals for single-handedly helping take down the towers, Robertson and Falwell both claim that the secularization of America is what helped drive the hatred that ultimately brought the towers down. In some regards, I consider that a pivotal point for the gay rights movement. For the first time in history, due in part because of hyperbole and lack of truth, the homosexual movement was unfairly indicted for a crime that clearly had nothing to do with them that spurred them to become more active and involved in their cause. September 11 pulled us into war, society at large was still seeking a scapegoat and trying to figure out what to do next and Westboro Baptist Church, at the time already know for protesting at inopportune times, seemed revived in their antagonistical confrontations of undeserving mourning families of soldiers after war commenced.
I start with 9/11 because the gay rights movement although it had already been under-way for years seemed to have reached a stronghold at the beginning of the decade. In the early 90s, America was dealing the race riots and subsequent after-effects, toward the end of the decade we weren’t sure whether we should impeach President Clinton. Matthew Shepard, fodder for the gay rights fire, was a hiccup to society; small steps occurred in the law-books for the gay rights movement, but society was widely ignorant of the steps and progress the gay rights movement was making. Twenty-four hour news coverage exploded after 9/11 as did awareness of every issue on the books, including the gay rights movement–for most issues this is both a blessing and a curse.
Out of necessity but not really a desire to, this will be the first time I have picked up my Bible in a few years with intentionality. I want to jump right in the middle of the mire of controversy and start with gay marriage and the homosexual culture and the relations with the modern church. What does the Bible say about homosexuality? Throughout this endeavor, I am not going to mince words, splice verse or pick and choose what may or may be written. You’re getting the full monty (but not in the play kind of way). 😉
1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and singled out for God’s good news — 2 which He promised long ago through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures— 3 concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh 4 and who has been declared to be the powerful Son of God by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness. 5 We have received grace and apostleship through Him to bring about the obedience of faith among all the nations, on behalf of His name,6 including yourselves who also belong to Jesus Christ by calling: 7 To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints.Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world. 9 For God, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness that I constantly mention you, 10 always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I want very much to see you, so I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 12 that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 Now I want you to know, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now ) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the good news to you also who are in Rome.16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew,and also to the Greek. 17 For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith. 18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. 24 Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.26 This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions.For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 The males in the same way also left natural relations with females and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error. 28 And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. 29 They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. 32 Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud[v]others who practice them.
This whole diatribe is where Paul introduces us to the history of the unbelief and lifestyles that God allowed to happen because people abandoned God. Just as God allowed Phaeroh no return or hope from his choices in the Old Testament, it seems God allowed people to continue in their acts; some will argue that he did not allow it, rather that he condemned it, but allowed for the will of humans to do as they choose, which I would agree. In consequence, he allowed it to happen because God was not going to destroy the creation again–he was going to allow free will to condemn itself in that context. Homosexuality has existed for thousands of years, which has allowed more than enough time to be filtered into the genetic codes of some people and families. When some Christians say that homosexuality is not genetic, I disagree because this scripture clearly states that God allowed humans to make decisions for themselves and adaptation as it is know to do, compounds proteins, molecules and cells and if a lifestyle has existed and been openly practiced for thousands of years, the genetic codes of some people are not going to female or male one way or the other. This God I can respect. He said, you want to do what you want, I don’t care do it, I won’t take away your free will, but know I don’t like it. So what? Continue to Part 2…
That title reminds me of a song–song break while I take a few sips of cheap beer: The Black Eyed Peas don’t really have anything to do with this post, except the random brain synapse that went off after that title. While I try and figure out what I want my blog to look like, I will write what I hope to accomplish and share through this blog. Writing for me has always been a way of writing down the string of cobweb thoughts in my mind and articulating how I feel about certain things to help myself understand elements of my life. It is not always recreating history or molding the past memories to my way of wanting them to exist–many times it is just my way of understanding life.
This might be called a religious blog but in no way is that my intent. What the Unorthodox Outsider is about is me trying to break down the bridge between the people within modern Christianity and the religion itself (it’s precepts, rules, practices, etc). Over time I want to branch out and work within the context of other religions, but for now this is what I am most familiar with and know more about. I’ll tell more about myself later, but I want to explain why this interests me. I will do my best to avoid generic stereotypes and vague and ambiguous generalizations.
Why religion(s)? Countless songs, stories, books, movies have all been based on some precepts of religion. Yet, I can’t remember who said it, but they said those who are first to leave religion are sometimes those who are most religious. Religion interests us, challenges us, interferes in our lives, points out our problems, helps reconcile our problems sometimes and has always affected society both good and bad.
Many people, when you ask them about what they think about Christianity and more importantly Christians, they will respond with words like judgmental or hypocritical. This has always amused me because one has to be judgmental to make such a statement. Christians are sometimes put on a pedestal and expected to be perfect examples of moral superiority; this creates a problem when a outsider society, first places them on the pedestal and then points the finger and laughs when they fall off the pedestal. For Christians and other religious practicing people this is somewhat unfair. I want to give Christians the benefit of the doubt until I have reason not to. I am not defending anything or anyone, but I do want to focus on that point–provide a listening, thoughtful ear. Why should we care? Why should we not care? Why should the churches in America be like the churches in Europe–empty skeletons of what once was? I don’t currently consider myself a Christian, and I have many questions and challenges I need to address and try to figure out. Welcome to the journey.
This blog is a first for me–it is the first white background blog I have. Why white? Who cares–the color is irrelevant. This blog is some sense may be called a religious blog, but in the same sense this is not close. This blog is me looking at society and pulling apart the Christians from the religion. I will start with Christianity because that is what I am most familiar with and I will proceed to other religions eventually. I have no intention of making fun, but simply pointing out the good, bad and ugly of what Christians say and do from what their precepts claim, all based on un-blinding honesty and truth (I hope), and as Mark Twain puts it, “a discriminating irreverence.” So, without further ado, let the experiment begin.
The Unorthodox Outsider 