Baylor Professor: We're asking the wrong question.
March 2, 2009
Interesting article in today’s Waco Tribune-Herald. Guest columnist Robert Baird wrote about gays, lesbians, and justice. Here’s an excerpt:
There is, however, a prior and deeper debate — the debate over the attitude we as Christians should have toward homosexuality and gays and lesbians, many of whom, by the way, are included in the class of “we as Christians.”
Sexuality is such a fundamental dimension of who we are, and it is a given. I do not remember choosing to be heterosexual. Surely the same applies to homosexuals.
I know that some sexual proclivities are immoral — desires that, if expressed, violate the other; rape, for example.
But the noted Christian philosopher Robert Adams in his work Finite and Infinite Goods expresses his belief that “homosexual practice is not essentially violative of persons.”
The fundamental question we should ask of any human activity is this — does it violate the dignity of the other?
My daughter and her husband are involved in California in the pursuit of justice for gays and lesbians. In that context, I had a conversation with two women who are building a life together. Far from violating one another, they are lovingly committed to one another, helping one another pursue successful professional careers and successful lives.
The Baptist minister and author Will Campbell, in a presentation at Baylor years ago, said that there would come a time when we Baptists would apologize for how we treated homosexuals as we now apologize for how we once treated blacks. Surely that is so.
Robert Baylor is Chair of The Philosophy Department at Baylor University, a historically conservative and private Baptist university, and has edited several volumes of essays on controversial issues, including 2004′s Same-sex Marriage: The Moral And Legal Debate.
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Bravo!
This is essentially what I’ve been saying for years, but couched in somewhat more learned tones – “They ain’t hurting anyone, why y’all can’t just leave ‘em alone?”
(Yes, we say “y’all” in Australia. It’s from watching Dukes Of Hazzard so much as a kid)
Senator Scott Renfroe spoke the truth.
Whatever you think, you will not be able to change God’s Word and will one day have to pay the price for not believing what God has written.
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, V23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
V24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
V25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen.
V26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
V27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
SAY THIS PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am a sinner and am headed to eternal hell because of my sins. I believe you died on the cross to take away my sins and to take me to heaven. Jesus, I ask you now to come into my heart and take away my sins and give me eternal life.
Rev. (sic) Spitz’s opinion on the beliefs or behavior of others should carry no weight whatsoever. He uses his own website to try to make heroes out of murdering terrorists like Paul Hill, Eric Rudolph, John Salvi, and James Kopp. He is so delusional that he thinks that he was ordained by the International Gospel Crusade, a denomination that only exists in his imagination.
Reverend,
I’ve been asking this question of many Christians over the years. You seem like a man who knows his Bible, perhaps you could tell me -
What exactly does Jesus Himself have to say on the subject of homosexuality?
“Reverend,
I’ve been asking this question of many Christians over the years. You seem like a man who knows his Bible, perhaps you could tell me -
What exactly does Jesus Himself have to say on the subject of homosexuality?”
*tumbleweeds*
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
A good piece, Matt. I actually read the article yesterday morning. My cousin, who lives in TX, just south of Dallas sent me the article. I posted it on my blog. Then, I check out the blogs I’m following and see you have a story as well. I found the article quite well tought out, and pretty simple in what he had to say. STEVE st.keepinitreal.blogspot.com