But the thing about books - they are written in a moment of time. The world changes. Life changes. Do you accept everything you read today as the truth? At one point, the world was flat, evolution was ridiculous, and women were inferior. Do you still accept that?
So here's what I don't get: why do people hold so steadfast to a religious belief on marriage when, at best, it's one interpretation of a book written thousands of year ago?
Every single day, we wake up with the option to love our fellow man and allow them to live with the same freedoms we do.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Apparently The Bible says the same thing. If you interpret it differently, that's your choice. No one is saying your interpretation is wrong. We all choose what we want to believe. But if you staunchly believe in the teachings of the Bible, why not agree with everything it says?
It's a great book. But it's still a book written in a moment of time and interpreted 100s of different ways. In the 1600s, one interpretation put people to death because of alleged "witchcraft". Wouldn't you challenge that meaning if it happened today? After all, there are interpreters of the Bible who feel that gay people should be put to death for their "sin".
So I ask you : How far are you willing to take this interpretation without thinking for yourself? Are you willing to let history classify you in the same charge as those who believed in witches? I challenge you to find the passages on charity, love, marriage, sin, and equality and openly talk about them in your next book club meeting and what it all means.
This will be a moment of time in our history. If you accept that people of different sexual preferences are among us and should be allowed to exist as our fellow man as equals - denying their equal rights will one day put you on the wrong side of history. And when that day comes, I promise you the Bible will not be interpreted as if homosexual love was "wrong", but rather that it was meant to be.
You're missing the whole point of the Bible, especially the New Testament. You want to pull on a single thread in the tapestry of the Bible and say "Look here", while you leave the rest behind. Like an news broadcaster pulling out a string of words from a person of opposing political point and saying, "See what they said? Can you believe it?"
ReplyDeleteThe whole point of the Bible is God's grace. If you don't see it, then you're going to do what you did above. You're going to either self-justify or you're going to appear as if you're a good Christian who follows all the rules. Neither of those things are what God says He wants in the Bible.
The Amazing Grace, that John Newton was trying to get through our thick heads was that God loves us...just as we are. Nothing else is required. No rule following, no nothing. He had forgiven us of all our rule-failures (sins) and His love and acceptance of us never, ever, ever required rule-following (sinlessness). He accepts us just as we are. That's the whole point of Jesus. He came to Earth to provide a path for God's grace. Through Jesus' death and our acceptance of that fact, we are loved...unconditionally. I am loved, "Just As I Am". Nothing else added. That's what's so amazing about God's grace. He loves you as you are. He accepts you as you are. Notice I'm not pointing out any particular "sin". He loves you! He accepts you!
If you've ever been married, you have to make a decision as a couple. It's a difficult one to make, but you have to make it. Do you or do you not fart in front of your spouse? The answer to that question will determine how you live with that person for the rest of your life...with honesty and openness, hoping and believing that they will accept you as you are OR in 2-face-ness trying on the one hand to hold in those gaseous bubbles until you can escape the hug of your spouse and, most likely, one day being totally embarrassed about the fact that you farted and that your spouse knows you did and hoping upon hope that this episode does not in anyway detract from your spouse's view of you...that their love for you is not diminished because you've shown that you're human.
You can fart in front of God. It's O.K. He doesn't think anything less of you. Actually He loves you all the more, the more real you are with him.
Grace...it's the horse. Put it before the cart. Otherwise, you'll live a difficult life and whose fault will that be?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfy03PEVUhQ