H. Richard Neibuhr posited in Christ and Culture that there are only so many stances the Church takes towards the culture in which it exists. It will somehow seperate, accomodate, dominate or confront. I believe in the later approach.

   it seems that the cultural battleground today is the issue of "gay marriage." Many are in favor of it becasue it seems the kind and reasonable way to proceed. In one way that is rreasonable. Prejudice against people just because they are homosexual is wrong. However, it is also wrong to not acknowledge that the Bible says that homosexual behavior is forbidden. It is clear to many of us that the confusion we have over this in both culture and church is because both are losing the ability to rightly discern just what Scripture is.

    Scripture is from God and we are to receive it, not judge it. When we stand as judge over Scripture, we are in fact acting as judge of God, not because the Bible is a god, but because it is from God for us so that we know about God's loving purposes for humanity. 

    In an article appearing  in Touchstone,  A. J. Conyers,  professor of theology at Baylor, writes, "Paul is not trying to show that homosexuality, acted out, is an especially heinous sin, but that all sin is like homosexuality. Thus, we are called not to examine the sins of others so much as to examine our own. That being the case, it is well to remind ourselves that while all of us sin, each of us is more inclined to sin in one way rather than another. One person is more tempted by greed and theft, another by lust and adultery, and yet another by anger and murder. It should be no surprise, nor should it make any difference, if it is ever proven that genetics burdens some of us with an inclination toward homosexuality, since we are all similarly burdened (whatever the source) with our individual inclinations to lust, anger, greed, envy, sloth, and the whole list, any one of which is capable of bringing us to Hell. For that reason alone, the Christian response to those burdened with the temptation of homosexuality is always one of compassion for the sinner and repentance for our own sins: compassion because we are equally burdened (if in a different way), and repentance because the rise of homosexuality among us is a sign that sin has corrupted the whole of society and each of us with it." (for the full article, go to)

http://www.touchstonemag.com/docs/issues/17.5docs/17-05-016.html 

  When it comes to human sexuality and what the Church teaches and believes, contemporary Christianity finds itself in a quandary. Knowing that we are all sinners, we do not want to fall into the trap of singling out any single sin as greater than the others, and we certainly are uncomfortable being accusers. Often the high value we place on peace neuters any action at all. Hence we are at risk of being incapable of action when a new thing comes upon us. 

   The latest new thing is "gay marriage," and the North American mainline church did not know what to do about that than they did about the previous new thing, "gay bishop." With members and leaders church less than proficient in knowing the whole Bible, not only lacking an answer to the argument that since Leviticus forbids shellfish it is a silly book, many are very confused by claims that "No one would choose to be gay, therefore God makes gays." It is hardly surprising that a well-organized, one issue activist group like Reconciling in Christ can bring panic on the largest protestant denominations in North America.

   However, many of us are chastened and chagrined, but not changed. We know and love our Scriptures, our church community's story. We need to hold out to our brothers and sisters that we learn that in all aspects of our future life we can with confidence and certainty trust God and God's Word. God is faithful. There is no "new thing."

   It is hard to understand how so many people in Europe and North America understand religion, morality and ethics. Good people make statements about what they believe that are not based on any well thought out system. Apparently if we are not living in the "End Times" when hell spews forth a myriad mist of demons of confusion, stupidity and evil, we are living in the logical outcome of what began with Descartes, "Cogito, ergo sum".

   The real issue at stake is who rules, God or self. "New thing" rhetoric is always an appeal to primacy of self, and this is framed as they have a new understanding to teach the Church. They say reason trumps revelation. Soon the day will come here when govenment will debate whether the Church stills have a right to teach what is right if it insists on basing what is right on revelation.

  The theme of the articles posted here may appear to be about the ethics of our current media-driven orgy of same-sex unions, especially how it affects government and church, but its not. If we clear away the brush, what do we see? Is it not the elevation of humanity over God?

   The political commentary articles begin with what is perhaps the scariest one of all, the idea raised by former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, in "Bush's God,"  which is, "The great conflict of the 21st century will not be between the West and terrorism. Terrorism is a tactic, not a belief. The true battle will be between modern civilization and anti-modernists; between those who believe in the primacy of the individual and those who believe that human beings owe their allegiance and identity to a higher authority; between those who give priority to life in this world and those who believe that human life is mere preparation for an existence beyond life; between those who believe in science, reason, and logic and those who believe that truth is revealed through Scripture and religious dogma. Terrorism will disrupt and destroy lives. But terrorism itself is not the greatest danger we face."

  If Reich fully realizes the implications of what he says, he is declaring war on all organized religions, especially Christianity who understand that the battle began in the Garden of Eden. Ted Olson's reply to Reich speaks for itself.

  This is followed by a series of articles that I hope will be helpful for any and all who are trying to get their bearings in a changing landscape, especially pastors, teachers and church leaders. The latter can take refuge in the idea that not only is God faithful, we must remember this is God's World and it is the Lord's Church, and He will sort it out. Our job is to continue to attempt to be faithful.

  Perhaps A.J. Conyers is right, that the Bible speaks about homosexuality as a "sign of the times," that Scripture sees it as an exchange of what God intended as natural and good and leading to the creation and sustaining of more life, and when that is abandoned, it is nothing but "the turn toward self"  that for Luther was metaphor for all sin. Conyers calls for compassion and repentance. We agree.

   After you've read through all the articles, go to  the last page and see if we haven't been here before, and was not this whole situation prophesied? Read the two prophecies there. The first is actually more of a prayer request, a prayer by a name you know, Daniel. He had a vision from God 500 years before Christ about a coming "Anointed One". It came true, and that's a good thing. The second prophet is less well known, and everything in the prophecy of this hermit monk from around the year 400 AD is coming true, which definitely has not been good, but it too ends well. We can be assured that Christ will come and establish his kingdom on earth and rebellion will come to and end.