Question: does Christ need defending?

On the news today was a group of Christians threatening to picket a film festival. Why? Because one of the films shows a "1964 sculpture of Jesus Christ pinned to the wings of a U.S. air force jet, an image [originally] created to protest the Vietnam War. [Also objected to is] a work that shows the Virgin Mary as a voodoo doll, one showing Christ popping out of a toaster, and images that link a former pope with Adolf Hitler."

What Would Jesus Do?

Probably amass a large group of people to form an army, and defeat the Romans posessing the Holy Land. Oh right, Jesus wasn't the expected military general. Jesus would have done absolutely nothing. And beside that, if God actually did want us to defend him from the blasphemies of unbelievers, he wouldn't tell us to "go unto the unbelievers and picketeth their film festival." What we have here is people who aren't Christians, probably doing something that is not meant to provoke Christians at all. Even if it was, we are still strictly forbidden from judging them. Why doesn't the Church understand this simple and solitary dichotomy that we are suppose to have? Don't judge those outside the Church, judge those inside the Church.

In other news, "A top U.S. evangelical pastor embroiled in a sex scandal has agreed to step down from his church after its independent investigative board found against him." Rev. Ted Haggard has been accused paying for gay sex on a regular basis. He denies that claim, but has admitted to "having contacted Jones [the male prostitute] for a massage and to having purchased crystal meth from him out of curiosity." He claims to have discarded the crystal meth and not used it. The appearance of this event days before the US mid-term elections and the vote on a same-sex bill in Haggard's home state are probably not coincidential, yet his admissions are clearly not fabricated. Let the judge decide what really happened.

Here's the real issue. Haggard was the head of the U.S. National Assembly of Evangelicals. He was also a rather vocal opponent of gay marriage, and had weekly meetings with Bush or his advisors. He is the embodiment of the stereotypical Evangelical American pastor, ordering his adherents to vote Republican. If proven guilty, he will also be guilty of supreme hypocrisy, the only thing Jesus really blew up at.

American Christianity is something I could blog for hours on. Of course it's not all bad, but the general sour aftertaste it leaves in one's mouth brings up the question, does Christ need defending? Also, how much of the American Church's meddling in state affairs qualifies as judging those outside the Church?

If you read on, please watch my wording carefully. I do not believe that the Church has any grounds on which to protest the isolated issue of a man legally marrying a man. I believe that the gay marriage issue is important and debatable. However, I believe that the Church's place in this argument is to be entirely secular, aside from where gay marriage pertains to the Church (for example, pastors being forced to perform gay marriages). I also believe that any individual, Christian or not, should take his or her lawful political place in voicing his or her reasons for or against gay marriage, with the exclusion of all religious arguments. The words "God" and "Bible" should never appear in these arguments. We are not to judge those outside the Church, and we cannot expect them to give the slightest care when we argue using these terms. However, if one wishes to argue that gay marriage should not be allowed because of its impact on the family, or to use any other entirely secular argument, it is no less than your democratic duty to defend what you feel passionate about. Go ahead, lobby your MP. Wave your signs. However, do not bring God into situations that he could rain brimstone onto if he so chose. In the New Testament, we have no Biblical grounds to bring our religion into the government process. The greatest example we have is that of Christ, who never spoke a word against the Romans, other than saying to Pilate that he "would have no power over me if it were not given from above." God has things under control. He knows what earthly governments are doing, and allows it. I can say with a fair degree of confidence that he is more concerned with the private life of Rev. Ted Haggard, if indeed there is something to be concerned with. I also think that God is very concerned about the children who grow up with two dads, but if that is a wrong thing than we do not need to use the word "God" to explain that it is wrong, and we must not use God to argue that it is wrong.

I must admit that I am currently split over the issue. While it really doesn't bother me if two males believe they are married to each other, it does bother me when a child is brought into it. If it wasn't for that one element I would not raise a finger to stop the government from passing bills supporting gay marriage. Let the world without Christ do what the world without Christ will do. I also do not think that any clergy should be forced to perform a gay marriage, and as soon as it is written in stone that gay marriage is a right, the repealling of legal choice on the issue for clergy will be inevitably removed. However, if that becomes the case, the Christian answer is simply to not perform the ceremony, and take whatever comes. Follow God, turn the other cheek, and forgive.

While I'm on the topic, this brings to mind the entire issue of Christianity's response to homosexuality in general. I've already ranted about my history teacher's perspective on this issue, but his words are rather pertinant to this blog as well. He said that he wishes we were back to the Victorian days when homosexuals did not "come out of the closet", because it was considered shameful. I would like to say here that any Christian who is offended by the gay pride movement should A) not be offended, and B) realize that the ENTIRE cause of the gay pride movement IS Christianity itself. There is no one else to blame. Pride is the natural reaction to oppression, and homosexuals were and are oppressed by people who label themselves Christian. I will never forget the words of my beloved friend Austin when she said to me "you're the first Christian who has ever shown love to me." Those words stung. What a putrid cult I seem to be part of. The more we oppress homosexuals, the more pride they will have, and the stronger the conflict will grow. Do people actually think that there is an end in sight when we politically move with harshness against homosexuals? The conflict between Evangelicals and homosexuals is only just beginning. The only way to diffuse the gay pride movement and live in peace and morality is to step down. If we believe that gay marriage will hurt children, then that is something we must fight for. However, the move to have homosexuality reinstituted as a moral evil must die. The secular world has no reason to believe homosexuality is wrong. We must go on in the love of Jesus Christ, and not in the oppression of Pompey the Great, desecrator of the Jewish Holy of Holies. When we act in anything other than love, we are cloning his actions. Look them up some time if you're interested in what Christianity is currently doing to itself.

I'm suggesting that Christianity do two things. A) Resign from politics completely, aside from the civic duties of every civilian, and B) Go find yourself a homosexual, get down on your knees, and beg forgiveness for the centuries of anti-Christian actions. Then, take him or her out to the fanciest restaurant you know of, and when you get back, clean the person's house, do their laundy, cook meals for a week, and never say the word Christ until he or she asks the question "why are you doing this?" These words should be the first thing to the lips of any person, anywhere in the world, asked for their opinion of Christianity. If someone can actually give an answer when asked for their opinion of Christianity, it means that they understand us, and no one without the Holy Spirit living through them knows what it's like to be a Christian.

The Church has one more view it desperately needs to change. If in fact Rev. Haggard struggles with homosexuality, the fact that he is 50 and hasn't gotten over it says a lot. Chances are that the reason he hasn't gotten over it is because he's been too ashamed to tell anyone. The reason for this is that most churches are either horrible at judging those in the church, or way too good at it. The clear fact is that the Bible, especially the writings of Paul, tells us to judge each other. Christians in the circles Haggard is probably use to would judge a struggling homosexual by automatic and harmful excommunication. That's not Biblical. Christians in some circles would refuse to judge, on the grounds that you can't love someone and judge them. Other Christians simply don't believe there's anything wrong with homosexuality.

Here's the way I see it. Any individual struggling with homosexuality, should have absolutely no reason to believe that they would be scorned by the Church for it. We are suppose to confess our sins to each other. The extent that Christians should judge each other is to tell the individual that what they are doing is wrong. If they refuse to change, then perhaps there is valid reason to take some sort of disciplinary action. However, as long as they are clearly trying to change and clearly repentant, our course of action once again is love. No more, no less.

From what I've seen and read, the biggest reason people come out of the closet and leave the Church is because of the Church's attitude toward homosexuality. Usually, a Christian will do this late in life. The individual will fight homosexuality all by theirselves for years and years, until eventually it takes over, and they give up. If they could only feel free to tell things to their pastors and their friends. So many pastors have left the ministry and their families because, somewhere in their fourties, they gave up the fight against homosexuality, after struggling without telling anyone. If Christians would only see homosexuality as an honest problem for a lot of Christians, then those who struggle with it would be able to get the help from their Christian brethren that is suppose to exist. I believe homosexuality is always reversible, but much easier to fight when diagnosed early on. The Church would be so much healthier if people struggling with homosexuality had no fear of telling their Christian friends, and Christians treated homosexuality the same way it is gradually (very gradually) learning to treat porn-addicts and alcoholics. Christians must rally behind each other to build each other up in love and encouragement. We have so much power to help each other. The prayers of many are so valuable. Even if they were hitting ceiling, they give so much encouragement. Christians have the ability to share their own testimonies and past and present struggles with each other. Imagine what a powerful force we could be if we learned to love each other. Then we could love others. And the world would wonder what hit it.

Selah.