For this week's newspapers, I responded to a question about Christian responses to those whose behavior is not consistent with the Lord's creation regarding gender and sexuality:
Q: How should Christians respond
when they are confronted with demands and behaviors that are in conflict with
their Scripturally-informed convictions on marriage, sexuality, or gender
identity?
It seems that a false dichotomy
exists regarding how Christians should interact with people whose behaviors do
not match up with their standards or who advocate for causes with which they
disagree.
One stereotypical response is
represented by those who surrender the question and modify their articulation
of morality to accommodate the standards of the time and place in which they
live, while the opposite stereotyped response is to be committed to defense of
a historic Christian positions, but do so in a manner that is argumentative and
inflammatory.
Ultimately, neither of these
responses is helpful, because both extremes avoid the question rather than
engaging it with the honest inquiry it deserves. One response merely concedes the question to
the surrounding world while neglecting the possibility that divine commands
could differ, while the other prefers isolation and vocal opposition over
genuine interaction with people who are different and who might be in need of
compassionate support.
Some might respond that the middle
ground is “Hate the sin; love the sinner,” but besides being a quote from
Gandhi rather than a Christian proverb, it is still too simplistic to handle
such deeply-felt and potentially sensitive questions. I am convinced that a genuine Christian
response to these sort of questions is both less polarized and more thoughtful
than any of the above.
The first principle that Christians
must remember when engaging those with whom they differ in these issues is that
they are dealing with people – real humans with whom we share a Creator. Even though there are times when it may be
necessary to act in defense of children or the innocent, and even though
Christians must stop short of becoming accessories to immorality, it can be far
too easy to diminish opponents into rivals with whom we must do battle rather
than real people who face equivalent – although different – spiritual struggles,
and deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion.
Second, it is necessary to
distinguish between fellow Christians in need of correction and people outside
of the Church whose behavior is not within our sphere of concern. When Paul deals with an issue of an illicit
relationship in 1 Corinthians 5, he clearly articulates to the Corinthians that
while they must admonish and correct their erring brother, that they are not to
exercise the same judgment outside of the Church or ostracize sinners in daily,
secular life.
For too long though, American
Christians have expected non-Christian neighbors to clean up their act before
Jesus will receive them, when the reality is precisely the opposite. We may live more righteously because our Lord
forgives us, but we could never be forgiven based on how righteously we might
live.
Third, respectable defense of
Christian morality requires a distinction between Biblical command and
culturally-conditioned customs. Matters
of style, preferences in recreation, and other auxiliary details are not equivalent
to divinely-established callings.
Because a person does not conform to the expectations and appearances that
tradition or local culture dictate does not mean that they are in sin. Instead, a great deal of diversity in such
details is still possible while remaining faithful to Biblical commands
regarding these issues.
Finally, the outcomes of national
politics, the victory or defeat of a particular party, or even how well
national laws reflect Biblical ones is not determinative of Christianity’s health
and vitality. While it might be
expedient for legislation to confirm one’s church’s ideals, the church does not
stand or fall based on acts of congress or the decisions of the judiciary. In fact, Christianity has typically seen its
greatest advances when it is surrounded by a culture and government which are a
contrast to it rather than which confirm it.
So Christians live in the hope that
their Savior has taken their place in life and death and sealed His promises
with resurrected victory, so that regardless of the culture that surrounds His
Church or the behavior of its neighbors, their role while they wait for His
return is not merely to make the world a more moral place, but to both boldly
proclaim and compassionately apply His reconciliation to a world in need.
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