I have seen over and over, within the church especially, focusing on calling homosexuality a sin, and lifting that above all others.
Whether it is a sin or not still remains debateable, but what I don't understand is the ignoring of sins that are listed in the bible.
Take the 10 Commandments.
The first is to have no other gods before God. However, one can be Christian, but very materialistic, and no one says a thing. He is welcomed in the church in his D&G suit, drives home in his BMW, and may stress his priority of business and wealth over his spiritual life, yet, is not once questioned. I don't mean to say that being wealthy is sinful, but rather, thinking that wealth should take priority above living a Christlike life, a "this is business" excuse to cheat someone, to lie to someone, or to oppress another to make a buck.
Christ says that it is more difficult for a rich man to pass through the Kingdom that a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. He warns against the dangers of greed and riches in the Parable of the Seed. But the church is quiet about such things.
One is not to take the name of the Lord in vain. However, saying, om g is quite common to the point of it not being even thought of as a swear, let alone, a breaking of the commandment. In Mexico, "Ay Dios Mio" Means, Oh My God", a prayer to God. In the US, it is said even by children, as "Wow", or "You scared me", or "I can't believe that happened." You can't say it on this board, but does anyone saying it even consider it wrong? Disrespectful? Have you ever heard it in a church by a member? Were they kicked out of membership? Told to repent? Acknowledge it as a sin? Or did no one hear it, having grown so accustomed to it?
One is not to covet your neighbor's wife or anything that is your neighbor's. Does any lay Christian even know that this is a commandment, a sin? Do they even know what "covet" means? If you see someone with a nice house, and said, "I wish I had a house like that," do you think you would even remember that it was a commandment that was just broken?
Christ says that anyone who divorces for any other reason than adultery, and remarries, commits adultery. Are such people allowed in the church? Are they told to repent of their "sinful lifestyle"? Or does no one even think about it for a minute, thinking such thinking archaic?
One can pull NT verses out of historical context, but no one follows them, such as Paul's call for women to be silent in the church. They ignore that Paul wishes that everyone could be single and celibate, like him. Instead, it is pretty common for most single people over 18 or so to be sexually active, whether they are Christian or not. Sometimes, they just hook up with someone they have met. Men often bed as many women as possible to show their prowess. Do we have endless thread after thread calling for men to stop sleeping around, or trying to have sex with anyone willing to say yes? Or do we just ignore it?
I was watching an episode of True Blood, the new vampire series on cable. The brother of the main character is very judgmental about his sister's new love interest with a local Vampire. The brother says that he thinks vampires are immoral, disgusting, and unnatural. In the meantime, the brother sleeps with any girl who is willing, having sex only for sex's sake, and has a bizarre flair for kink.
The parallel being drawn was quite clear.
I am often amused, when I'm not annoyed, at those who can be so cruel with their words, who try to compare my love for my partner with having sex with a goat, with killing another, or molesting an unsuspecting child, because their mind is so full of such twisted thoughts, that they aren't even able to recognize love in their midst.
I am amused, as I was in college, of the guy who bragged about his hook up with two girls at once, condemning the morality of homosexuality in the same breath.
Is it honest to be focusing on what we want to believe is sin, only because it is something that is not our own temptation? Is it honest for me to, say, condemn those who have killed someone when I have never had to experience life in a gang-ridden neighborhood, while ignoring my own sin of greed or deception?
Is it worthy of Christ to focus on, say, the sin of being divorced and married again, when I have never been married myself, while ignoring a drinking problem that is destroying my relationships?
Is it worthy of Christ to gang up on a small minority, take archaic verses from Leviticus, when we don't follow the book ourselves, and call ourselves moral, or worthy of being our neighbor's judge?
And what kind of precedent do we set for our children, our brothers and sisters in Christ, when we ignore blatant breaking of the 10 Commandments, either in not even acknowledging our transgressions and disrespect, or shrugging them off, because we are forgiven?
What message does it send to those outside the church, when Christians are demanding that those outside obey and follow the laws they can't, or won't, follow themselves? I was once told by a Christian, when I identified as Buddhist, that "he was no longer held by the law, but I was." In other words, he no longer had to obey the law, because he wasn't held to it - and so he didn't, but then, expected me to obey it, when I questioned it's authority.
It makes no sense.
Were you God, which would you expect to obey more - the one who called himself Christian, and claimed to love and follow God, or the one who questioned the bible, and the true nature and identify of God?
Whether it is a sin or not still remains debateable, but what I don't understand is the ignoring of sins that are listed in the bible.
Take the 10 Commandments.
The first is to have no other gods before God. However, one can be Christian, but very materialistic, and no one says a thing. He is welcomed in the church in his D&G suit, drives home in his BMW, and may stress his priority of business and wealth over his spiritual life, yet, is not once questioned. I don't mean to say that being wealthy is sinful, but rather, thinking that wealth should take priority above living a Christlike life, a "this is business" excuse to cheat someone, to lie to someone, or to oppress another to make a buck.
Christ says that it is more difficult for a rich man to pass through the Kingdom that a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. He warns against the dangers of greed and riches in the Parable of the Seed. But the church is quiet about such things.
One is not to take the name of the Lord in vain. However, saying, om g is quite common to the point of it not being even thought of as a swear, let alone, a breaking of the commandment. In Mexico, "Ay Dios Mio" Means, Oh My God", a prayer to God. In the US, it is said even by children, as "Wow", or "You scared me", or "I can't believe that happened." You can't say it on this board, but does anyone saying it even consider it wrong? Disrespectful? Have you ever heard it in a church by a member? Were they kicked out of membership? Told to repent? Acknowledge it as a sin? Or did no one hear it, having grown so accustomed to it?
One is not to covet your neighbor's wife or anything that is your neighbor's. Does any lay Christian even know that this is a commandment, a sin? Do they even know what "covet" means? If you see someone with a nice house, and said, "I wish I had a house like that," do you think you would even remember that it was a commandment that was just broken?
Christ says that anyone who divorces for any other reason than adultery, and remarries, commits adultery. Are such people allowed in the church? Are they told to repent of their "sinful lifestyle"? Or does no one even think about it for a minute, thinking such thinking archaic?
One can pull NT verses out of historical context, but no one follows them, such as Paul's call for women to be silent in the church. They ignore that Paul wishes that everyone could be single and celibate, like him. Instead, it is pretty common for most single people over 18 or so to be sexually active, whether they are Christian or not. Sometimes, they just hook up with someone they have met. Men often bed as many women as possible to show their prowess. Do we have endless thread after thread calling for men to stop sleeping around, or trying to have sex with anyone willing to say yes? Or do we just ignore it?
I was watching an episode of True Blood, the new vampire series on cable. The brother of the main character is very judgmental about his sister's new love interest with a local Vampire. The brother says that he thinks vampires are immoral, disgusting, and unnatural. In the meantime, the brother sleeps with any girl who is willing, having sex only for sex's sake, and has a bizarre flair for kink.
The parallel being drawn was quite clear.
I am often amused, when I'm not annoyed, at those who can be so cruel with their words, who try to compare my love for my partner with having sex with a goat, with killing another, or molesting an unsuspecting child, because their mind is so full of such twisted thoughts, that they aren't even able to recognize love in their midst.
I am amused, as I was in college, of the guy who bragged about his hook up with two girls at once, condemning the morality of homosexuality in the same breath.
Is it honest to be focusing on what we want to believe is sin, only because it is something that is not our own temptation? Is it honest for me to, say, condemn those who have killed someone when I have never had to experience life in a gang-ridden neighborhood, while ignoring my own sin of greed or deception?
Is it worthy of Christ to focus on, say, the sin of being divorced and married again, when I have never been married myself, while ignoring a drinking problem that is destroying my relationships?
Is it worthy of Christ to gang up on a small minority, take archaic verses from Leviticus, when we don't follow the book ourselves, and call ourselves moral, or worthy of being our neighbor's judge?
And what kind of precedent do we set for our children, our brothers and sisters in Christ, when we ignore blatant breaking of the 10 Commandments, either in not even acknowledging our transgressions and disrespect, or shrugging them off, because we are forgiven?
What message does it send to those outside the church, when Christians are demanding that those outside obey and follow the laws they can't, or won't, follow themselves? I was once told by a Christian, when I identified as Buddhist, that "he was no longer held by the law, but I was." In other words, he no longer had to obey the law, because he wasn't held to it - and so he didn't, but then, expected me to obey it, when I questioned it's authority.
It makes no sense.
Were you God, which would you expect to obey more - the one who called himself Christian, and claimed to love and follow God, or the one who questioned the bible, and the true nature and identify of God?
