(20 votes, average: 4.85 out of 5)
Loading...I need to apologize to blog members. Yesterday I posted a link to the Christian ministry that deals with people with disabilities, and I have received a complaint that the link includes a statement of faith that forcefully condemns gay sex and gay marriage. By posting the link it may appear that I and/or the blog, concur, support, or even accept any such view. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I’m afraid I did not do due diligence by reading through the doctrinal statement before posting the link. That’s not a good excuse. Mea culpa. Apologies to all those who were offended.
It’s rather sneakily added. When you load the “What we believe” page you are given a fairly standard list of Christian doctrines. Only if you scroll all the way down do the additional beliefs then *appear* on the screen. They aren’t even rendered if you don’t scroll down!
It seems the post, really dealt with people with disabilities.
Sorry, I did not read their statement of faith either. I rescind my request for the blog to support that ministry.
The charity’s use of uncompensated prison labor is also highly problematic from a human rights point of view.
“Mea Culpa” is not enough: Three Our Fathers, Three Hail Marys, and an Act of Contrition. And sin no more.
Thanks for your sensitivity Bart. You’re a good man!
This would make for a really good blog topic(s). E.g.:
“What does the Bible teach about homosexual acts?” (or the NT if you wanted to remain in your primary field).
“Does the Bible condemn (if it does) homosexual acts because they are ritualistically unclean?; inherently immoral?; a detriment to human flourishing?, only a temporary injunction due to the need for children in agrarian cultures?, etc.?”
“How should the Bible be applied to the topic of homosexual acts?”
As you’ve done with guest blog hosts (e.g. Licona), I’m sure many would be quite interested in a guest blog-host by someone like leading scholar Robert Gagnon (but if he’s too strident, how about the very polite Sam Allberry, Kevin DeYoung or Alan Shlemon?).
Yup, I’ve posted on all that. Look up “homosexuality” in a word search on the blog. And yes, Robert Gagnon is far too strident a homophobe for my tastes.
What makes you think he’s scared of homosexuals? A phobia in the medical dictionary relates to a fear of something. Just because someone doesn’t support a sinful behavior doesn’t make them fearful of the person.
It’s usually thought that in this case there is an unconscious fear driving the vitriole, fear of the “other.”
Quite the baseless assertion. Completely subjective.
Most thoughts are subjective. Doesn’t mean they’re not “usually thought” (which is what I said about this) or that they’re wrong. Rejection of subjective thoughts are also subjective, so one has to look for reasons for thinking one thing or another.
I think everyone appreciates your attempt to be magnanimous and highlight the good works being done by evangelicals. But this is their great tragedy. Good people advocating terrible things because of a deeply flawed ideology.
Doesn’t seem like something that needs an apology. Go read Romans 1 again and repent
Well, I’m not asking *you* to apologize. 🙂
I don’t see that as anything but innocence on your part. Christianity revealed it’s darkside once again, in a context where you might reasonably have hoped to not find that darkside. The more I learn about Christianity the less I want anything to do with it.
We have far more confidence in you than to assume such a thing, Professor.
This is so unfortunate, and exactly the point I feel you were trying to make in your original comments about how so many Christians have lost their way. To express love and compassion for one group of people while, at the same time, spreading hateful messages about another negates the whole idea of universal love and compassion. Would they refuse a wheelchair (refurbished by government-supplied labor) to someone who did not conform to the narrowly-defined (and decidedly ahistorical) heterosexual norm that so many of today’s evangelicals feel is as important (if not more so) than the message of compassion for all? If not, then why spread a message that Jesus himself never did?
I know this comment will probably not be posted, but I could not remain silent on this issue. This is the terrible tragedy of deciding your own prejudices are more important than your founder’s message, and why so many people are leaving that brand of faith. That kind of prejudice has no place, certainly not in Christianity, and it deserves to die out if Christianity is to have any part in the future of this world.
Oh, and that page joniandfriends is still linked on Robin’s response to a request for info on the original article. In case that matters to this blog.
My beloved gay daughter and my two beloved gay friends would be happy for such a statement/confirmation if they were readers of your blog.
Someone once wrote: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Why do we stumble and ruin this all the time, and not least those who are believers.
Thanks for this post! Highly appreciated.
You are a good man. How many apologize for mistakes these days?
Not any politicians I know of, anyway. But thanks! I think it’s best just to be honest….
It is yet another sad sign of the “snowflake” culture when you, Bart, feel compelled to apologize for posting a link to a Christian organization that espouses long-held beliefs about the family, sexuality and marriage. How did we arrive at a point at which we cannot read about others’ deeply held beliefs – even when those beliefs differ from ours and are impliedly critical of our lifestyle – without becoming offended? No apology is warranted – nor is one appropriate – for posting a link to Joni Eareckson Tada’s website. Regardless of whether someone agrees with her Christian beliefs, she is an inspiring woman who has blessed thousands of people with her life and ministry. There is nothing even mildly offensive about Joni, her website or her ministry.
Agree, 100, with eminentlaw on this one. I had to search through the linked site to try to find what you were apologizing for.
I do not see the particular statement of faith “forcefully” condemning, but rather stating a theological belief, one many may not like but certainly not a radical or hateful one, at least as written. In factm this statment should have outraged just as many people:
“We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.”
To suggest that any will be damned is “hateful”, is it not?
I would suggest those finding their pieties outraged by somebody else’s faith belief, remember the right-thinking Pharisee and the chosen High Priest…and then the “wrong” Samaritan. Then consider the good her ministry does, regardless of what she believes.
No need to apologize.
I’m guessing your recommendation was intended to be ecumenical rather than an endorsement of everything the site owners believe.