It’s stunning to me how many Christians express their ethical, moral or political ideas strongly as if they got those ideas straight out of the Bible. Ideas like:
“God hates homosexuals!” “America is a Christian nation.” “You can’t believe in abortion and be a true Christian.”
Later in this blog, I’ll briefly address each of these. And it doesn’t mean you can’t find some teaching in the Bible that seem to support some part of these ideas. But here’s a question I’ve learned to ask people who make statements like these;
On what verses in the Bible have you based that idea?
It surprises me just how often I ask that question and people either just stare at me, or ask, “Well, you believe that, don’t you?”
I’m not trying to embarrass my fellow Christians, but what it means to have a biblical worldview is that we let the Bible inform our decisions, not confirm our decisions. So let’s take the ideas at the beginning of this blog and explore how some Christians get the idea that those ideas are true and where I think they’ve gone wrong.
“God hates homosexuals” While its true, God prohibits same-sex sexual relations (Leviticus 21:22, 1 Corinthians 6:9). But that’s not the same thing as being a homosexual (gay), or hating homosexuals. I know a number of Christian men and women with a same-sex attraction (homosexuals) who desire to be sexually pure, or are married to someone from the opposite sex. I’m confident God does not hate them. Simply having an attraction to someone of the same sex is an unwanted desire and is not a morally culpable sin. However, acting on those desires is a sin.
“I’m Fine with same-sex marriage” I’ve also had people take the opposite position on same-sex, marriage and tell me “I’m fine with same-sex marriage.” The issue in question for Christians has nothing to do with whether “I’m fine,” or “not fine” with a moral or ethical issue. God’s opinion is the only one that matters and therefore trumps whatever our personal feelings are about anything. So again the question should be asked, “On what verses in the Bible have you based that idea?”
Generally, the response to this argument goes something like this, “Well, God is a God of love and those two people love each other.” “So do adulterers and people that have sex before marriage” I reply. “The ‘love’ commands of scripture never trump a clear command of God that prohibits certain behaviors.”
“America is a Christian nation” First of all, the idea that the U.S. is a Christian nation might come as a shock to God. Israel was a God fearing nation, occasionally and God clearly called them his “chosen people.” But, they were a Jewish nation, not a Christian one. However, there has never been a Christian nation because we’re citizens of the kingdom of God. Was America founded primarily by Christians? Yes. Were the moral and ethic teachings of scripture at the heart of most of our laws and education? Yes. But, I can’t find a single verse in the Bible to support the fact that America was ever a Christian nation, or that God ever intended it to be.
“You can’t believe in abortion and be a true Christian” It is true that the Bible says no murderers will enter the kingdom of heaven. (Revelation 21:8) However, if a Christian doesn’t have the abortion themself, or perform the abortion, simply believing abortion is not a sin and therefore is morally acceptable, does not keep a believer from heaven. And even for Christians who have had an abortion, the world’s shortest book is the list of sins beyond God’s ability or willingness to forgive. Do I think abortion is murder? I do. But, even if I didn’t, it wouldn’t disqualify me from heaven.
So, the next time you hear a Christian make a statement that surprises you, or does not sound like God, ask them, “On what verses in the Bible have you based that idea?” Fact checking all our statements and declarations against the Bible’s clear teaching will keep believers from embarrassing themselves and God.
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