Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Book 9: Homosexuality and Christian Faith: Questions of Conscience for the Churches
Well, here it is. Grasping the spirit of this book group we now turn to one of the most controversial issues of today. Whether you are sympathetic to the Christian faith or not, this is certainly an issue that has dominated politics, religion, and relationships, and is one that demands further investigation and discussion. Whatever one's perspective, this book promises to inform and to challenge, and to inspire as many questions as it answers.
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Hi gang, I’m very happy to be back in the swing of book clubbin’. I hope everyone is well and enjoying the read. I thought I would kick things off with some thoughts on the opening chapters.
ReplyDeleteThe discourse fittingly begins with personal accounts on the topic. After all, this isn’t a scholarly argument over text and exegesis, though some try to make it this. It is rather, at the very heart of the matter, a person, and people have names and families and stories. I’ll admit that I was excited to better understand the context of biblical passages about “abominations” and the like, but to consider only the text would be an injustice to the people we are eager to know and love. It would be putting the text above the reason for having the text. As Christians we presume to know this reason for the text as it is revealed in the entirety of the narrative. Therefore, I cautiously and timidly venture to suggest that this knowing sets us free from the legalistic ramifications of specific passages that, standing alone and apart from the narrative, seem to undermine its message. I read in the Bible a pervasive theme of creation’s redemption through Christ, and if one or two of the verses, when read on their own, don’t jive with this prevailing message, I don’t loose any sleep when they are not strictly observed. In other words, I don’t have any problem with wearing polyester. So I’ll sit wearing my synthetic fabrics and listen to people’s stories before drawing any lines in the sand. Besides stories are a lot more interesting anyways.
Can’t wait to hear other thoughts and ideas.