In reaction to OBL's porn stash I've been listening to CNN and quite frankly I get a little pissed when I hear phrases like, "He's supposed to be religious --- but this disclosure makes it OBVIOUS it's nothing but hypocrisy" BULL!
I don't have a lot of time right now to devote to this, however, I'll comment after I see some of the re-actions to this thread.
I have been a member of my church for 60 years now (baptized as an infant). It took me a hell of a long time to work through the fact that I could be both gay AND a Christian. I WAS a Lutheran Pastor for 27 years so I am very well versed concerning all the scriptural arguments pro and con. When the Conservative fundamentalists took over the air-waves with their gross judgments against anything sexual -- it amused me when time and time again those same conservatives were caught with their pants down in numerous scandals. It was never supposed to be the goal of religion (especially Christianity) to condemn sinners -- but to invite them into the overwhelming grace of God through Christ. Too many today think of Christianity and automatically relate it to the God-awful TV and radio preachers whose objective is to make the faithful feel superior to all those other "sinners" out there by condemning everything and everyone they can mention (except themselves of course). Sex is ALWAYS a favorite target because we Americans have been hung up about sex since the Puritan era! AND we're having a very difficult time crawling out from under that Puritan heritage to the extent that those who want to celebrate their humanity and their sexuality seem to think that THAT celebration must run in direct opposition to their spirituality. BULL!!
Osama Bin Laden may call America immoral ---- simply because of our enormous hypocrisy that we call the rest of the world in judgment for their human rights violations --- while totally ignoring the "beam in our own eyes" in our own nation! We can murder thousands through a "just" war, but raise our hands in horror for the simple lust of an old misguided man who might have liked to look at the female (or male) form in it's most raw state! In America we've forgotten that the Middle Ages listed 7 --- SEVEN deadly sins of which LUST was one. We've elevated THAT deadly sin above all others to the exclusion of GREED, ENVY, ANGER, PRIDE, GLUTTONY & SLOTHFULNESS! It's quite a list isn't it!! But of course the Conservative fundamentalists would have us believe that it's perfectly fine for the GREEDY to succeed, while God blatantly condemns to hell ANYTHING that has to do with sex!! Once again --- BULL!
In the Old Testament alone -- MORALITY was always associated with injustice -- not sex! As I have preached --- "I know of few wars that have been propagated because of sex -- but I can show you a whole ocean of blood propagated by Greed and Pride!"
For those of you who stand outside of the Christian faith --- I want you to understand that what you see on TV concerning the Religious RIGHT is NOT necessarily what the Mainline Christian Denominations believe or preach. I've been very angry at our Mainline folks for allowing the world the impressions that ALL Christians look like Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson! We just don't have the "well oiled machinery" to get OUR message to the masses via the airwaves.
I'm encouraged that the NEWER, YOUNGER versions of Conservative Christians seem to be pushing back against the old "hellfire and brimstone" crowd that has marked the airwaves for the last 40 years or so. The poll numbers showing the more open-mindedness concerning social issues has got to include some religious conservatives who have come to a greater understanding that their faith in action means a lot more than just "condemning" everything that's different.
Well -- I gotta run -- got things to do. I just wanted to vent my spleen concerning an issue that I think it's about time we Americans face head on. "Judge NOT that you yourself may not be judged," has got to have a little more force to it as we try to figure out how we Americans can be accountable to one another in addition to our accountability to God.
What ever happened to the hymn -- "They'll know we are Christians --- BY OUR LOVE!!"?????
I don't have a lot of time right now to devote to this, however, I'll comment after I see some of the re-actions to this thread.
I have been a member of my church for 60 years now (baptized as an infant). It took me a hell of a long time to work through the fact that I could be both gay AND a Christian. I WAS a Lutheran Pastor for 27 years so I am very well versed concerning all the scriptural arguments pro and con. When the Conservative fundamentalists took over the air-waves with their gross judgments against anything sexual -- it amused me when time and time again those same conservatives were caught with their pants down in numerous scandals. It was never supposed to be the goal of religion (especially Christianity) to condemn sinners -- but to invite them into the overwhelming grace of God through Christ. Too many today think of Christianity and automatically relate it to the God-awful TV and radio preachers whose objective is to make the faithful feel superior to all those other "sinners" out there by condemning everything and everyone they can mention (except themselves of course). Sex is ALWAYS a favorite target because we Americans have been hung up about sex since the Puritan era! AND we're having a very difficult time crawling out from under that Puritan heritage to the extent that those who want to celebrate their humanity and their sexuality seem to think that THAT celebration must run in direct opposition to their spirituality. BULL!!
Osama Bin Laden may call America immoral ---- simply because of our enormous hypocrisy that we call the rest of the world in judgment for their human rights violations --- while totally ignoring the "beam in our own eyes" in our own nation! We can murder thousands through a "just" war, but raise our hands in horror for the simple lust of an old misguided man who might have liked to look at the female (or male) form in it's most raw state! In America we've forgotten that the Middle Ages listed 7 --- SEVEN deadly sins of which LUST was one. We've elevated THAT deadly sin above all others to the exclusion of GREED, ENVY, ANGER, PRIDE, GLUTTONY & SLOTHFULNESS! It's quite a list isn't it!! But of course the Conservative fundamentalists would have us believe that it's perfectly fine for the GREEDY to succeed, while God blatantly condemns to hell ANYTHING that has to do with sex!! Once again --- BULL!
In the Old Testament alone -- MORALITY was always associated with injustice -- not sex! As I have preached --- "I know of few wars that have been propagated because of sex -- but I can show you a whole ocean of blood propagated by Greed and Pride!"
For those of you who stand outside of the Christian faith --- I want you to understand that what you see on TV concerning the Religious RIGHT is NOT necessarily what the Mainline Christian Denominations believe or preach. I've been very angry at our Mainline folks for allowing the world the impressions that ALL Christians look like Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson! We just don't have the "well oiled machinery" to get OUR message to the masses via the airwaves.
I'm encouraged that the NEWER, YOUNGER versions of Conservative Christians seem to be pushing back against the old "hellfire and brimstone" crowd that has marked the airwaves for the last 40 years or so. The poll numbers showing the more open-mindedness concerning social issues has got to include some religious conservatives who have come to a greater understanding that their faith in action means a lot more than just "condemning" everything that's different.
Well -- I gotta run -- got things to do. I just wanted to vent my spleen concerning an issue that I think it's about time we Americans face head on. "Judge NOT that you yourself may not be judged," has got to have a little more force to it as we try to figure out how we Americans can be accountable to one another in addition to our accountability to God.
What ever happened to the hymn -- "They'll know we are Christians --- BY OUR LOVE!!"?????
