Kyrie Eleison
I recently heard two different sermons from two very different churches, and I was appalled at both of them. In one of the sermons, the pastor nonchalantly told a story of his lesbian sister and the trials and doubts she faced while trying to adopt a child with her partner. Need I say more? In the other sermon, the pastor mentioned that abortion is not mentioned in the Bible and is therefore a matter of opinion, over which Christian brothers and sisters can reasonably disagree. Again, need I say more?Here's the deal: The first sermon I mentioned was at a mainline church, and the second was at an evangelical church. I happened to be with friends at both of these services, and I was amazed at the disparate responses of my friends to each sermon. Let me explain. When the priest mentioned his lesbian sister, my friends were so upset that they wanted God to exact His wrath upon the man right then and there, but when the evangelical pastor asserted that the genocide of millions of precious unborn human persons (my exact words, not his) is a matter of opinion, these same friends didn't even bat an eyelash!
Why was I one of the only guys in that evangelical service who wanted to tear my clothes and heap ashes upon myself? Why does it seem so clear to me that the abortion statement is just as, if not more, heinous than the lesbian statement?
Please hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that since abortion isn't that big a deal, therefore homosexuality shouldn't be a big deal. Nor am I letting the episcopal priest off the hook for making his statement. Rather, I think the fact that both of these ideas are present in the Church (no matter what type of church utters them) should be a cause for serious lament among all Christians.
Kyrie Eleison.
Any thoughts?
posted by DrewDog | 2:54 PM
4 Comments:
Most people would agree that taking the life of an innocent human being is wrong. However, in the case of abortion, ignorant people don't clearly understand that the unborn child is a human being. I do have a little sympathy for the uninformed: It does take some thought (very little actually) and reflection to see that a baby 1 week after conception is just as human as a baby 1 week after birth.
So, I can understand someone being apathetic about abortion if they are not properly informed, and that seems to be the case here. For the pastor to say "abortion is not in the Bible" means he doesn't equate abortion with murder, because murder is in the Bible.
However, if someone knows all the facts about the human status of unborn children and still says it is a matter of choice, then they are unintelligent (not uninformed).
At that point, I wouldn't know what else to say.
Thanks, Vijay. I wonder if unintelligence is the only possibility.
However you look at it, it makes me very sad.
It just shows the inability or unwillingness on the part of some people to extrapolate specific application from general principles. Heroine isnt mentioned in the bible, so I guess I can....
We bash the pharisees, but they addressed this perennial human tendency by filling in all the gaps.
Rule 415a subsection ii(b):
It shall constitute a sin if a person shall be caught by two or more witnesses dancing naked in the snow facing east and throwing goldfish over his shoulders while singing the national anthem of a country he is not a citzen of.
See, its right there black and white. You are SOOOO busted.
I think part of the problem is also Christians who are sincere but not saturated with a biblical worldview. E.g., when most Christians think of Sodom they think of homosexuality and God's judgement. But what did the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah say was the sin of Sodom? Homosexuality? No. There clearly state that Sodom's sin was subversion of justice and oppression of the poor (including the murder of innocents). We should have a viceral reaction toward Sodomites (as your friends did). But let me suggest that the group truly deserving of this epithet is not the homos; rather it is those who subvert justice and oppress the poor (and kill the innocent unborn).
Plus, I've found that calling people who support abortion "Sodomites" usually gives way to a, um, lively discussion.
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