If I’m ever asked to write an article for The Atlantic I will immediately ask God to forgive me and put me back on the path of righteousness.
If HBO asks for an interview, I’ll repent in sackcloth and ashes.
The secular media isn’t interested in Christianity.
That’s what makes them “secular”.
Are we ever going to figure that out?
Jesus once said:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. – (Mt 5:11–12)
Do you think he was just being dramatic?
Apparently, yes.
Some of us think that if we’re popular enough, people will flock to Jesus.
So we get articles titled: “Lauren Daigle and the Lost Art of Discernment.”
Articles about the importance of discernment…
…that end with the phrase: “In a world that forces an answer on everything, only the mature can utter that holy phrase: I don’t know.”
I’m not even kidding.
You can click the link and read the article…
…but why bother when ignorance is apparently a form of mature holiness?
Lauren Daigle bungled an answer to a question.
That happens.
As she said, she’s not God.
Christianity teaches that she’s under grace and her sins are forgiven.
Done.
So why can’t we move on?
Because we haven’t been sufficiently persecuted yet.
This isn’t about Lauren Daigle.
This is about everyone who identifies as a Christian.
There is still some evil to be spoken against us.
Some of the most gifted persecutors call themselves our brothers!
The author at the Atlantic writes:
…recent scholarship conducted by serious theologians, ethicists, and Bible scholars has called into question the half-dozen or so verses that seem to broadly condemn homosexual practices. The assertions of this growing number of notable thinkers cannot be dismissed out of hand.
I wonder how those “Bible scholars” would apply this to the debate at hand:
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Ti 4:2–5)
We’ve GOT to quit being stupid.
When someone asks a Christian if homosexuality is a sin, they already know the answer.
It’s like asking the Pope if he’s Catholic.
When we respond with a grin and a shrug, we’re not doing the work of an evangelist.
If you’re wanting to avoid the unpopular, truthful answer, I recommend responding with a question.
“Do you think ANYTHING is a sin?”
Then tell them you don’t think “I don’t know,” is the mature thing to say.
24 Responses
Ya I have been Co victed enough over the last post. Not ready to cast stones.
This post is excellent – as a treatment for low blood pressure (awww, snap!).
At face value in most English Bibles, sure, I’d say it’s even clear that having same-sex attractions is sinful and disqualifies someone from inheriting the reign of God.
From what I can gather, there is a very real possibility that the Corinthians and Timothy passages are talking about prostitutional gay sex. In my opinion (what I feel, that is ^_^), I have a stronger feeling that it’s talking about gay sex generally. I can’t really articulate a stronger argument except to appeal to tradition, which is not the best of all appeals (lest we toss out Protestantism and, more recently, Evangelicalism on this appeal).
That being said, it is conceivable to me that Daigle’s answer is legitimate – she very well may not know what she thinks, despite having thoughtful interactions with the subject at hand.
But honestly, I’m cool with your thesis to stop talking about Daigle ^_^
I wonder how Daigle would have answered the question, “Do you feel what Harvey Weinstein did was sin?”
Christians have their bakeries and pizza joints shut down without a moment’s hesitation for suggesting the mildest disapproval of homosexuality. The point I was trying to make is the secular world isn’t interviewing Christian celebrities in order to gain an understanding of Christian theology.
I’m not sure why tradition isn’t a good argument. Don’t you think it’s possible our ancestors were right about this?
Tradition is the best argument I know of against sexual gay relationships – it’s not bad, but “because that’s what we’ve been taught” is not the same as bringing forth other moral arguments that are not only clearly in scripture, but also have foundations in other moral frameworks (ex. Don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t covet).
As I said, if you pinned me into a corner and made me say yes or no to “Do I feel that homosexuality is wrong?” I would say “Yes”…. but I don’t think it’s a very strong case scripture.
“The point I was trying to make is the secular world isn’t interviewing Christian celebrities in order to gain an understanding of Christian theology.”
Eh, hard to disagree with something as vague as this. I really don’t think that generalizing like this is helpful – it definitely has exceptions and, in general, is just obviously true.
The generalization may seem obvious to you but I guarantee there are many people that don’t get it. They honestly think refusing to answer is how we build relationships with lost people.
Hmm… So… I guess I haven’t clearly understood what the exact criticism is in this post then. Are you saying that, since Daigle was asked a trick question, she shouldn’t have directly answered it? Rather she should’ve deflected the question (or at least asked for clarification)?
Not that we should keep talking about her, of course, hehe.
Yes. The question was unfair. There should be an agreement on what the term “sin” means before Christians respond to questions about it. It is likely that the interviewer doesn’t understand the concept about which he was asking.
Okay, “Define your terms.” I’m with you on that – and I can see that in your OP now. You’re just such a poet, I sometimes get lost in your flowery words such that I lose track of your point ^_^. Thanks for talking me through it.
You are the first person to ever accuse me of “flowery words”.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dh41HCgX4AAfTMx.jpg
John, you’re the flowerpoet, and sycophants like Dylan are the manure that help you to bloom.
Doesn’t rhyme.
I thought it was a haiku…
🤔
Sitting here, counting.
Turns out, nope, not a haiku…
Thanks, Sycophant!
😂
Shouldn’t that be “Thank you, Sycophant”?
I am on my phone.
Phones are not good at haikus.
Thanks, Autocorrect.
I didn’t want to be rude earlier to ChrisS because I didn’t know them, but I know you. So I’ll correct you. – I prefer the short hand: Sycco. 😛
Got it. I will keep this in mind.
Great article!
I do agree that more people should say they don’t know if they don’t know. However, even if “I don’t know” is used correctly, I don’t think it pushes us to find out. And since God’s people err in not knowing the scriptures then we are doomed to stay in error if we don’t dig in and find things out. I feel terrible for Lauren! She’s just a kid on a large platform, and was put in a position to represent an entire faith (at least that’s how most view it), and she made a mistake. I recently posted that the mistake wasn’t hers, but rather the lack of training and equipping that is going on in our culture. While that sounds like a slam on the teachers and leaders in our churches, well, I guess it is. I’ve been in that position and it is hard to stand on what you know is true because of the “backlash” you might face. Unfortunately, I think a large reason for this is because leaders and teachers (me included) have focused on only preaching what we “know”, and it’s possible the most important teaching or training we can give is the action of standing strong in what we believe in the face of “persecution”…which isn’t biblical persecution in this country…yet. What will God’s people do if beatings, prison, and death become the reality for Christ followers in this country? Having done all to stand, stand!
Thanks for writing this, John! Thanks for standing!!!
I completely agree the problem is a lack of equipping. We’re so anxious to send Christians into the world we forget to teach them what they’re supposed to say when they get there. Without sound doctrine, Christians “in the culture” are useless.
Well said gentlemen! And I believe the problem of equipping is a misunderstanding/failure of the “Church” regarding the command to make disciples (of the saved), not tally baptisms (of the supposedly saved with no track record of fruit) or money or buildings or books written by the hipster pastor or CD’s released by the worship band. Christians without doctrine are useless at best and dangerous at worst, to themselves and others. There are false teachers/pastors without doctrine proving this all over this country. When it’s hard to find a sound doctrine church within a 25 mile radius of a major city, we have a serious problem.
I will use that…”Do you think ANYTHING is a sin?”
The good thing about Lauren Daigle is that Christians grow from their errors.
That’s kinda how we get better, isn’t it?
I think so.
Some seem to think that maturity means never making mistakes.
Outstanding, John..