Thursday, January 19, 2006

What . . .

Posted by Ben at 3:13 PM

I've been thinking lately about the public image of the church in America. My guess is that the church is known more for what it is against than what it is for. The primary issues on the landscape are things like Human Genome research, prayer in schools or other public places, the everlasting evolution/creation debate, gay marriage, and of course abortion.

So, I'm curious about something. Gay marriage has been such a big deal in our society as of late. The church has come about pretty strong in the corner of marriage being a union between a man and a woman.

If it were up to you, what public position would the church take on this issue?

I have some thoughts, but I want to hear your's first.

 

2 Comments:

  1. Anonymous said...
    10:30 PM  
    Ok, so I'm going to be honest here. I mean, I don't see any point of taking time out of my homework time, that is currently be wisely used in the Student Center checking xanga and facebook...alas, I digress. I've thought about this a lot. Not just since I've been in college, but since the elections last year, which I have to admit I was a little relieved I wasn't able to vote in. See, it's hard for me to be ok with the church taking such an abrasive stand on these things. Because, we aren't suppose to be about rules and formulas, about the law. Not that those things don't have some purpose, but that they are by all means the end all be all. They are empty without God in them. But, at the same time I'm not ok with the church being a pansy. I'm not ok with it sitting pretty while the world goes to hell. I'm not ok with it allowing the selling of offerings in the temple. So, to quote a little Hamlet in hopes of adding to my sorry credibility, Ay, therein lies the rub. How do we find that balance? Would Jesus have really told people it was illegal to marry someone gay? Would have really done nothing about it? Somehow I don't really see Jesus in the people who are telling me that Fabio marrying Fablousio is somehow threatening my future marriage. What about 50% of the Janes and Johns who get divorce? Why aren't they destroying the sanctity of marriage? Dang it, I'm asking more questions than answering, and I don't even know if they are rheotorical for the purpose of enhancing my argument, because I'm not 100% sure of my stance. Here's what it comes down to for me. Love. It's what the church is supposed to be about. It's the fact that we are all broken, yes, even me, who is at some fancy Christian college, studying to be some sort of something "really special," (Ha, please note sarcasm, or I'll just feel sheepish) is broken. We live in a broken world. I just think we are focused on the wrong things, but I don't know what to do or where to go, but I am praying God let's me be a part of something. Some revolution. Some love revolution. But, not free love like the hippies. But, free in the sense that it's just because we're alive, but love in the more emotional sense and less the physical sense, and preferably less drugs involoved, although I am up for a Christian commune of sorts.
    Woah.
    I think we all need a deep breath. I might add more later.
    Love you all,
    Whitney
    P.S. Thanks for always challenging me even though I don't ever get to see you anymore.
    Anonymous said...
    11:56 AM  
    This is an area where I have no idea where I stand. I mean, I don't really believe in being homosexual myself but I don't want to be the person who is seen "I'm a Christian therefore you are doing wrong because the bible says so and we are going to make your way of life illegal because it doesn't agree with mine."
    I had the privledge to see President Bush at KSTATE on Monday and although he is very obvious about his faith, one thing I respect in his leadership is the fact that he wants everyone to be free, not to have to control everybodies every move. I think the beauty of our country is the fact that there can be freedom in life, and although it doesn't agree with what Christians believe, I don't think we can help people see if we are blind ourselves and can only see what we think is best. Gosh, this just goes around in a big circle.
    I didn't vote on the subject, I'm not strongly oppinionated either way, but I think I have a problem with Christians who don't accept people the way they are. There is a hope that introducing God in their life will affect them and change them, but they won't be up for listening if we can't stop scolding them.
    Ya, I'm just glad I don't have to be the church, sometimes they get in pickles that they just can't get out of.
    On another note, I wonder if anyone is aware of how the name of Christian affects those who don't believe. In my Perspectives class, we talk alot about missions and meeting people where they are at. An example from Bangladesh is of two men who became believers and wanted to start Christian churches and all but got ran out of the country because the majority were Muslims. So they tried a different approach. They lead people to Christ through the Koran, starting from where the people were and dropping their own statis as "christians" and they reached people. They became more interested in the beauty of God and his son and not just hating the idea of Christianity...it is a word that poisons us sometimes.
    It all connects in my mind, but I guess what that adds to the discussion is the fact that meeting people where they are at and not just trying to mold them to our standards of Christian and what we are comfortable with is more successful. But I have no idea what the Church should do. I'm having a hard enough time as one person figuring out how to portray my beliefs...oh the complexity of life.
    I want to quote Whitney..."thanks for always challenging me even though I don't ever get to see you anymore."
    I am also going to finally email those picutures from the Christmas party because I remembered yesterday that you asked me if I could when I was taking them...so I'm going to.
    alee

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