Evangelical (what does that even really mean anymore?) leaders recently released a declaration regarding sexuality. The Nashville Statement (hereafter NS) is simultaneously concise, thorough, and Biblical. As would be expected, it is causing a bit of a stir in the media and across the Internet, where it is generally being portrayed as the hateful vitriol of outdated homophobes. Here are my initial thoughts on the statement and its subsequent reception.
1) It is sad that it is necessary. You know how pathetic it is that your cup of hot coffee has to have a warning that says that the contents are hot? Yeah, the fact that the NS is necessary is sort of like that. Christians believe that homosexuality is wrong? What?! Christians believe that gender and sex are related? What?! Christians believe sex outside of marriage is wrong? Again, what?! This is all so shocking! Be still, my beating heart! All the principles of the NS, though given contemporary expressions therein, have been consistently held and proclaimed by Christians for 2000 years, so, while you might disagree with them, you should not be surprised by them. This is what Christians have always believed. We are staying the same, while everyone else is changing. Progressives may consider us backwards, but, when it comes to morality, change is not necessarily a good thing. In fact, it's usually not.
2) It is absolutely necessary. The fact that it's sad that the NS is necessary doesn't make it any less necessary. To say that the liberal Church has imbibed progressive views on sexuality is a drastic understatement. It now proudly proclaims them, eager to seem progressive and seeker-friendly. The NS is necessary both to a) draw a dividing line between faithful, Bible-believing Christianity and liberal Christianity; and b) to act as a witness to Christians who might be living in sin within those denominations. There are many Christians who have simply never heard a Biblical view of sexuality. In that way, the more the media blows this up, the better. The NS is absolutely necessary and beneficial.
3) The reaction should not be surprising. Make no mistake about it, battle lines are being drawn. The gray area is disappearing and soon we will all have to decide which which side we will occupy. This, however, should not come as a surprise to Christians. Our Savior made it clear that His servants should expect to be treated just as He was, and He was killed. Taking the name of Christ is signing up for spiritual warfare, so we must be ready and willing to deal with the opposition. The pervasive worldview of our country, despite claims of religiosity, is antagonistic towards any religion that makes concrete claims about morality. Secular humanism is diametrically and ideologically opposed to Biblical Christianity. We need to stop being naive and deal with that fact. Only when we confront the issue from this foundational perspective will we be able to have productive conversations about the peripheral issues.
I'm sure much more will be said about the NS. In fact, it could prove to be one of the defining religious documents of our era. One can even imagine there could be legal ramifications someday for signing it (loss of 501c3 status, etc.). I encourage you to follow the link I have provided above and read the document thoroughly. You can even sign it, if you feel like it is something you want to support. It think it would also make a great tool for a Bible study or Sunday School. Whatever your opinion, the NS, along with the issues it discusses, is something with which all Christians should be familiar.
1) It is sad that it is necessary. You know how pathetic it is that your cup of hot coffee has to have a warning that says that the contents are hot? Yeah, the fact that the NS is necessary is sort of like that. Christians believe that homosexuality is wrong? What?! Christians believe that gender and sex are related? What?! Christians believe sex outside of marriage is wrong? Again, what?! This is all so shocking! Be still, my beating heart! All the principles of the NS, though given contemporary expressions therein, have been consistently held and proclaimed by Christians for 2000 years, so, while you might disagree with them, you should not be surprised by them. This is what Christians have always believed. We are staying the same, while everyone else is changing. Progressives may consider us backwards, but, when it comes to morality, change is not necessarily a good thing. In fact, it's usually not.
2) It is absolutely necessary. The fact that it's sad that the NS is necessary doesn't make it any less necessary. To say that the liberal Church has imbibed progressive views on sexuality is a drastic understatement. It now proudly proclaims them, eager to seem progressive and seeker-friendly. The NS is necessary both to a) draw a dividing line between faithful, Bible-believing Christianity and liberal Christianity; and b) to act as a witness to Christians who might be living in sin within those denominations. There are many Christians who have simply never heard a Biblical view of sexuality. In that way, the more the media blows this up, the better. The NS is absolutely necessary and beneficial.
3) The reaction should not be surprising. Make no mistake about it, battle lines are being drawn. The gray area is disappearing and soon we will all have to decide which which side we will occupy. This, however, should not come as a surprise to Christians. Our Savior made it clear that His servants should expect to be treated just as He was, and He was killed. Taking the name of Christ is signing up for spiritual warfare, so we must be ready and willing to deal with the opposition. The pervasive worldview of our country, despite claims of religiosity, is antagonistic towards any religion that makes concrete claims about morality. Secular humanism is diametrically and ideologically opposed to Biblical Christianity. We need to stop being naive and deal with that fact. Only when we confront the issue from this foundational perspective will we be able to have productive conversations about the peripheral issues.
I'm sure much more will be said about the NS. In fact, it could prove to be one of the defining religious documents of our era. One can even imagine there could be legal ramifications someday for signing it (loss of 501c3 status, etc.). I encourage you to follow the link I have provided above and read the document thoroughly. You can even sign it, if you feel like it is something you want to support. It think it would also make a great tool for a Bible study or Sunday School. Whatever your opinion, the NS, along with the issues it discusses, is something with which all Christians should be familiar.
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