Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Titusonenine is one of my favorite blogs, the comments, at least, that, and The Questioning Christian. I’m trying hard to understand the controversy going on in the Episcopal church. I really thought they had a majority of progressive thinkers, but it seems the orthodox traditionalists are not giving up without a fight.

It all boils down to whether our Bible should be read literally and accepted as inerrant, or whether we read it as the historical document it is. We cannot justify some of its teachings in the 21st century. We’ve come too far to go back to condoning slavery, second-class citizenship for women, treating disease as demon possession, etc. Would God have enabled us to make the progress we’ve made in science and medicine and expect us to hold on to ancient theology? I don’t think so. The days of stoning homosexuals are over. Thank God for that!

We need to dump these homo-phobic attitudes with the old biases that condemned Galileo and Darwin. We heterosexuals have no right to criticize our homosexual friends or deny them the same rights we enjoy, legally, socially, or any other way. That, to me, is just as wrong as the old denial of rights to women and black people. We’re all God’s children, deserving of life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. Why can’t we all just get along and love one another like Jesus told us to?

Mississippi’s Bishop Gray said in the just-concluded House of Bishops meeting: ‘We have discovered something of brokenness, when all your walls are broken down, grace abounds.’ He was talking about the aftermath of Katrina, but it could also apply to this issue. I hope he realizes that.

1 comment:

Zoilus said...

I've been very disappointed in Duncan's lack of leadership on that very topic. I thought I knew him better than that, and his father certainly gave him a high bar to jump for regardless of the issue.

To me, I say "fine" to the literalists, let's take the bible seriously. Let's take Jesus at his word:

Matthew 19:

16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"

17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

18 "Which ones?" the man inquired.

Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,'[d] and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'[e]"

20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"

21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

What part of "Love your neighbor as yourself" don't y'all understand?

Did you get that package I sent you yet?