Is Christianity Christianity's worst enemy?

Once more I watch the television, hear the word "Christian" and bury my head in a cushion!  I don't know I really struggle with all of this... I'm well aware that a large percentage of these protesters have a deeply held principle at heart, and I'm not 100% clear on the factors at play, but this seems to be about the rights of Judeo/Christian/Muslim proprietors to prevent homosexual couples sharing a hotel bed etc.  the rights of Religious people versus the rights of Homosexuals...

John Studley, a Christian from London, said: "This government is placing sexual rights over religious rights.

I'm not going to get into the civil liberties arguments for one side or the other, there are more informed and erudite bloggers than I, I will leave that to them... my problem is two fold...

1) The protest is a question of "rights", my right to protect my own sense of moral outrage, etc.  but I don't get that at all, are we talking about Religious principles or faith here?  I have never known anyone change their lifestyle because someone tells them it is socially or morally unacceptable... but I have known several for whom the opposite has been the case... I don't see any sense of service or compassion in this, no-one has said that they don't want homosexuals to sleep together in a hotel room because they love them and they fear for the spiritual damage they are doing to themselves!  No, it's all about trying to prevent the moral descent of society... putting aside my or anyone else's views on the root issue, it just seems to be a stupid way to go about living one's religious ideals... did Jesus campaign against the Prostitute, the tax collector or the Adulteress?  No, he loved them and in compassion challenged them to listen to God and seek to live God's way... The love of God expressed through the servant messiah, love over demanding obedience to the law.  I find this problematic both in terms of principle and in terms of pragmatism... it doesn't seem a Christlike attitude and it doesn't change people anyway if that is what you are about!  Laws don't change lives Love does!

2) I once had an argument with a representative of Christian Voice about how I believed that aggressively shouting "Christian values" on television actually made mission more difficult, about how it hardened peoples hearts to the Gospel... it is my feeling that if we show such a judgemental and violent lack of compassion we are going to turn people away from God as they turn away from "Christianity"... what pained me was the way scripture was quoted so much and in such a way that after a while whenever the words "the Bible says..." where uttered the audience booed!  Not, as the representative suggested, because they were anti-Christianity per se but because the manner had lost them... so I cringe when I see this kind of Christianity because I know that I will have many more conversations about what Religion has done to God/man than what God has done for me/them.

Technorati Tags: Mission: News: Religion

Comments

[susan]

thankyou

[Existential Punk]

Great post, Mark! Thank you for your insights! Adele

[jem]

Hmmm...the main concern seems to revolve around the idea that Christian B&B owners might be forced to take homosexuals into their home - what a fantastic chance to talk to them and share God's love and truth with them!

But then, why on earth would anyone want to stay in an establishment where the proprietor was so unwelcoming....??

[David]

Amen and amen. Didn't Jesus teach us the one thing we were to do with our rights was to give them up?

[Kester]

Good stuff Mark.

Did you see the Gay Sheep article?

I posted about it here:
http://kester.typepad.com/signs/2007/01/we_like_gay_she.html

I'd love to know how the 'unnatural' arguement goes when 11% of sheep are 'gay' as standard...

[Phil Rankin]

"did Jesus campaign against the Prostitute, the tax collector or the Adulteress?"

No but he did often draw attention to error in a person's life....which is what many who argue for 'Christian Values' believe that they are doing. Problem is that Jesus next sat down and had a meal with this very same person....something a 'Christian Moralist' would never ever be seen to do!!

Thanks for this post Mark. Appreciate your thoughts. And the passion with which they are presented.

[Mark]

Phil, i agree, as I said jesus did "challenge them to listen to God and live God's way" but in a spirit of love and as you so rightly mention sacrificial hospitality.

I have less problem with pointing to the dust in someones eye (as long as you are honest about the log in your own) but here it seems to be about the rights of Christians to discriminate against someone they disagree with... I do understand the views of these people, and I'm not here making any comment about homosexual (or otherwise) sex per se (though it does make me wonder if these Hoteliers demand to see the Marriage ceritificates of all potential guests claiming to be married etc.) but on the way we as Christians conduct ourselves and about the somewhat bizarre (to me) idea of a Christians rights over others.

[Mark]

... oh and let's not forget that the people he had least time for where the Religous legalists.

[richard]

So presumably for those protesting, a "Christian" hotel should insist that the only person a gay man can share his room with is a lesbian woman?!

[Phil Rankin]

I agree with you entirely. So much of the desire to impose so called 'Christian Values' enables discrimination. There is one somewhat difficult area arising though.....it has been suggested that this legislation will impact upon the theology and subsequent action of an individual Church because it will 'force' (possibly through the courts) the Church to include homosexual people centrally in their congregations and leadership, even if they are opposed to this. If this is so, it could make for some very uncomfortable reflection and action in the future.

[Mark]

Richard... ROFLMAO

Phil... interesting, but I suspect this is the usual scaremongering, for example no Church has been forced to have women in leadership though we have had gender equality legislation for years.

[Lindsay Cullen]

On the issue of Jesus drawing attention to errors in people's lives, I do find it fascinating that when he said to the woman caught in adultery, "Go and sin no more", he did not specify any particular sin, but left it up to her to work out what it meant to live God's way. Perhaps we should do the same.

[Libbie]

I've found the whole thing very depressing. I do think there is a small point in the legislation which could be exploited by a more vociferous gay lobby group, but this seemed to get swamped under a swathe of hysteria.
I wish the self-appointed spokesman for righteousness, Michael Reid, would stop. I'm a conservative christian, and I find his quasi-moral-majority schtick embarrassing.

I certainly don't want Christians to be known as people who want to enforce moral standards through legislation. I don't recall Jesus or Paul telling us to spread the gospel by getting everyone to behave themselves. grrr.

[Larry]

I really enjoyed your post. Could you imagine Jesus carrying a protest sign? He pointed out sin and witnessed on a deeply personal level. How many of those protesting today would have stoned the prostitute? It seems there is a better way of getting the message out.

I am involved with the drug addicted everday in fact I am a believer who struggles with addiction myself. It is only by the Grace of God and the fact that people were always there to fling a seed that I came back to Christ. Not because someone got in my face and told me how bad I was.

Now if I am confessing Christ and living an immoral life hey, convict me.

Thanks again

Larry

[Adrian Peirson]

A secret EU deal to establish Islam as Europes Religion.

http://balder.org/avisartikler/Open-Letter-To-Danish-Prime-Minister-Anders-Fogh-Rasmussen.php

http://balder.org/avisartikler/Barcelona-Declaration-Euro-Mediterranean-English.php

Europe Sold out for oil
http://www.westernresistance.com/blog/archives/003027.html

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/2458

The EU Politicians would Surely Deny this.

But who do we Believe, Our Politicians or the evidence all around us.

Pope says 'ATTEMPTS TO ISLAMIFY EUROPE.....CANNOT BE DENIED'.........
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/27/wislam127.xml

Dutch and Swedish Ministers admitting Islam is to be the Dominant Culture.
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1016000

Sharia law spreading in the UK.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/29/nsharia29.xml

three litle pigs
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/03/15/british-school-renames-three-little-pigs-to-avoid-offending-muslims/

Into the fragmented vacuum of our Nations subverted spirituality Sharia Law Is Spreading.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/29/nsharia29.xml

British School Children converted to Islam, making Islamic Affirmations to Allah in school.
http://forum.mpacuk.org/showthread.php?p=398633

Conversion to Islam? Are Muslim children forced to pray to God ( Would Muslims be forced to pray to God )
http://forum.mpacuk.org/showthread.php?p=398633

British Children told in school they Must avert their eyes, ( already telling them they are second class citizens ).
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article1654995.ece

Criminalising British children as young as three yrs of age.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44733

Polygamy
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=449221&in_page_id=1770

Genital Mutilation, up to 60,000 a year in the UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/medical_notes/241221.stm

Goodbye Sweden
http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/2065

GoodBye France, Frances unreported race riots lasted a WHOLE YEAR, on average 112 Cars torched PER DAY.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2004/01/26/do2601.xml

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/989

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1183

http://www.kuna.net.kw/Home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=745580

Dutch and Swedish Ministers admitting Islam is to be the Dominant Culture.
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1016000

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/865

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=466832&in_page_id=1770&ct=5

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/928

http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2007/07/exit-sweden.html

Concerned ?
Blog and Email these links to any Interested Parties.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=410175&in_page_id=1770

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/865
http://thewestminsternews.co.uk/
http://www.brugesgroup.com/
http://www.eutruth.org.uk
http://www.betteroffout.co.uk/sup01.htm
http://www.european-referendum.org.uk/101-reasons.html
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3664960863576873594&hl=en-GB

http://www.stopthenorthamericanunion.com/TwoPeas.html
http://www.betteroffout.co.uk
http://www.bdicampaign.org/
http://www.britsattheirbest.com/freedom/f_your_own_choice.htm

http://www.proreferendumrally.co.uk/