"Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, overindulgence in food, and over-idleness was found in her and in her progeny, neither did she support the poor and needy. And they were arrogant and committed abomination before me: therefore I removed them as suited me." ~ Ezekiel 16:49-50
Much is made by my more fundamentalist Christian brethren in regards to homosexuality and its evils. It is a sin they like to make much ado about because it is a sin they are not in unlike pride and judging and hypocrisy. Yes, God does frown on men having sex with men and women having sex with women. However, based upon the relative amounts of mention God makes in Scripture between homosexuality and good old-fashioned pride it is clear which one is higher on His shit-list. Indeed, given the power of the name Sodom to bring to mind homosexuality with all it's attendant cultural baggage it is worth noting that in the above list of sins God attributes to ancient Sodom nowhere is homosexuality mentioned directly. It is possible that the last item on the list refers to homosexuality but that could also be referring to idolatry which is a much more serious sin in God's eyes. In any case even if abomination in this passage refers to homosexuality God is clearly placing pride and arrogance and excess of idleness and gluttony and indifference to the plight of the poor ahead of homosexuality and that is something to which the paleo-fundamentalists need note.
It isn't necessary to try to decide which sins are worse than others. You see people "judging" homosexuality more because it is being thrust in people's faces these days, with an attached demand that they accept it or else, including accepting homosexual marriage. It isn't as though there is a polite debate going on in society regarding the issue. No, there is massive hostility being poured upon Christians who do not accept homosexuality. The recent thing regarding Chik-Fil-A is an example. That man did not demand that the media give him a podium from which to proclaim his disapproval of homosexuality. No, he was being interviewed; and during the course of the interview, he was asked about his views. So he answered the question honestly. And for that he has been publicly skewered. So, no, we should not be hostile and arrogant toward others regarding the sin of homosexuality; but that is not what is occurring. What is occurring is that if anyone even humbly and meekly states what the Bible teaches on the issue, they are attacked with hostility.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThe judging of homosexuality by fundamentalist Christians to which I refer is NOT something new. It is NOT a reaction to homosexuality being thrust down Christian's throats (sorry for the mental image that expression invoked) by the more activist elements of the gay community (I refuse to use the PC-expression "LGBT Community"). Anywho, Homosexuals have long had a rough time of it but in the modern era in particular Fundamentalist Christians have taken to over-emphasizing the topicality of attacking homosexuality and abortion for example which are not threats to God's Church while almost entirely ignoring the sins that truly undermine God's Church like pride and judging and gossip and tongues that murder people with words and adultery and greed and covetousness and racism and classism, etc. It has been said that Sunday is the most segregated day of the week. These sorts of concerns are far more germane to the church than unbelievers out in the world who are gay. I agree with you that the "gay agenda" at times is over-the-top and rude and abusive and undemocratic and reactionary. However, they are reacting to a lot of truly horrible mistreatment in general by society in the past and in particular by a very specific and concerted effort by Fundamentalist Christians to demonize gays and the gays are striking back now that they have the political clout and cultural acceptance. As in any reactionary movement there are at times excesses but in large measure dick-head Fundamentalist Christians cultural traditionalists helped create this monster and now the chickens are coming home to roost. Reaping what was sown sucks when the seeds were toxic.