Culture and Homosexuality

Western culture as a whole, and the United States in particular, has had a tremendous amount of light from God, and experienced many blessings from His hand. Yet, this culture seems intent upon continuing on its path to self-destruction. [1]

President Obama’s support for same-sex marriage is making headlines but not news. That’s probably because he was in favor of same-sex marriage before he was against it and now in favor of it again. [2]

Christians defending biblical teaching rarely match the passion and political will of homosexuals who see same-sex marriage as today’s great civil rights struggle and key to validating their very identity.

These contributing factors tempt Christians to help all the blame on crafty, malicious “others” for redefining the divine institution of marriage. But political strategy and tactics along don’t explain such a pronounced shift in public sentiment, especially among younger generations of Americans. Indeed, regaining the ground Christians have lost on homosexuality will require widespread repentance, painful self-examination, and new resolve to pursue self-denying holiness. Most of all, we need the life-giving power that comes from Jesus alone.

The reason gay marriage is so widely accepted by young Americans is not because the media have propagandized them (though it is certainly the case that the media have played a significant role in normalizing it), but because same-sex marriage follows naturally from what young Americans already believe about sex, intimacy, love, liberty, and the nature of the human person. [3]

Look no further for our culture’s confessional statement in three points:

1. God made me this way.
2. He wouldn’t deny my natural desires.
3. And I don’t have to explain myself to you or anyone else.

Problem is, gays don’t see us as agonizing over our acceptable sins. The pursuit of self-fulfillment covers a multitude of adultery, divorce, and pornography in our churches. Why shouldn’t it also cover homosexuality?

It’s so easy for us to look up Romans 1 and observe the obvious gap between biblical teaching and homosexuality. We think if they only recognized biblical authority, the gap would shrink and possibly even disappear. But rebellion against biblical authority may not sufficiently explain the problem in our day.

We’re fighting today over authority, yes, but it’s not straightforwardly biblical. Many gay-rights advocates have excused themselves behind a professed love of God’s Word. You won’t likely win a debate with them by citing Bible verses they’ve been trained to explain away. Rather, we’re losing a more fundamental struggle over the very definition of God. Straight or gay, we’re not satisfied with a God who calls us sinners. Who calls on us to deny ourselves. Who calls our gaze heavenward to receive his blessing: “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

Romans 1 reveals the horrifying outcome of this idolatry, when we deny God his divine right as Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Judge. God can do nothing worse to sinners than grant their desires.

For presidents and paupers, gays and straights, there is no other way to true happiness than the one Jesus traveled, the way that ended in the agony of the Cross and the ecstasy of the Resurrection.

Mega Di$a$ter

A ticket has been chosen worth over half a billion dollars. Lottery agents in New York sold 1.3 million Mega Millions tickets per hour the Thursday before. Over a billion tickets were sold. “Americans spend about $60 billion on the lottery every year,” says Stephen Dubner, co-author of “Freakonomics.” “More than $500 per American household goes to playing the lottery.” There are at least seven reasons you should not gamble with your money in this way — and should tell your congressmen not to support it.

It is spiritually suicidal.

“Those who desire to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. . . They have pierced themselves with many a pang” (1 Timothy 6:7–10).

It is a kind of embezzlement.

Managers don’t gamble with their Master’s money. All you have belongs to God. All of it. Faithful trustees may not gamble with a trust fund. They have no right. The parable of the talents says Jesus will take account of how we handled his money. “They went and worked” (Matthew 25:16). That is how we seek to provide for ourselves (1 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; Ephesians 4:28)

It’s a fool’s errand.

The odds of winning are nearly 176 million-to-one. You take real money and buy with it a chance. That chance is so infinitesimally small that the dollar is virtually lost. 175,999,999 times. The smaller amounts paid out more often are like a fog to keep you from seeing what is happening.

The system is built on the necessity of most people losing.

The Lottery is just another form of gambling (without any of the glamour and glitz of Las Vegas, of course). The “house” controls the action, the players will all eventually lose. (See International Business Times)

It preys on the poor.

It supports and encourages “yet another corrosive addiction that preys upon the greed and hopeless dreams of those trapped in poverty. . . The Consumerist suggested that poor people in the U.S. — those earning $13,000 or less — spend an astounding 9 percent of their income on lottery tickets. . . making this ‘harmless’ game a ‘deeply regressive tax.’” (International Business Times)

There is a better alternative.

A survey by Opinion Research Corporation for the Consumer Federation of America and the Financial Planning Association revealed that one-fifth (21 percent) of people surveyed thought the lottery was a practical way to accumulate wealth. We are teaching people to be fools.

If the $500 a year that on average all American households throw away on the lottery (see above) were invested in an index fund each year for 20 years, each family would have $24,000. Not maybe. Really. And the taxes on these earnings would not only support government services, but would be built on sound and sustainable habits of economic life.

For the sake of quick money, government is undermining the virtue without which it cannot survive.

A government that raises money by encouraging and exploiting the weaknesses of its citizens escapes that democratic mechanism of accountability. As important, state-sponsored gambling undercuts the civic virtue upon which democratic governance depends. (First Things, Sept., 1991, 12)

So, if you win, don’t tithe your lottery winnings to our church. Christ does not build his church on the backs of the poor. Pray that Christ’s people will be so satisfied in him that they will be freed from the greed that makes us crave to get rich.

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Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

That a church “teaches the Bible” does not necessarily mean it teaches the gospel. Many mistake the gospel with moralism—being a good person, reading your Bible, or opening the door for the elderly in order to earn God’s favor. But the gospel is altogether different.

This is a problem across the church landscape. It’s not because we misunderstood the church’s teaching of historical-confessional, gospel-infused Christianity. It’s a problem in church wherever the American church has not preached Christ crucified and has instead catered to a pragmatic, entertainment-driven, and numbers-oriented model of church growth.

According to sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton, most American teenagers believe in something dubbed “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” (MTD). Within this MTD “religion,” God is a cosmic therapist and divine butler, ready to help out when needed. He exists but really isn’t a part of our lives. We are supposed to be “good people,” but each person must find what’s right for him or her. Good people will go to heaven, and we shouldn’t be stifled by organized religion where somebody tells us what we should do or what we should believe.

MTD isn’t a religion like Islam or Buddhism, but rather a melting-pot belief among American teenagers. Historic distinctions between denominations like Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodists are not as important to teens because they see their Christian faith as just one aspect of their lives like anything else—be it sports, friends, school, or family. Its preacher is American entitlement and its sermon is a me-centered message about a distant, therapeutic god who wants teens to be good and happy.

Alternative to Entertainment

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism has little to do with God or a sense of divine mission in the world. It offers comfort, bolsters self-esteem, helps solve problems, and lubricates interpersonal relationships by encouraging people to do good, feel good, and keep God at arm’s length.

When this self-help theology is combined with a sola-boot-strapia sermon from TBN, we start having teens singing, “God Is Watching Us from a Distance” while – at the same time – wondering why Jesus isn’t fixing their parents’ marriage or their problems with cutting.

MTD isn’t just the problem of youth ministry; it’s the problem of the church. And American Christianity has become a “generous host” to this low-commitment, entertainment-driven model of ministry.

Counter to the Gospel

Think about those three words, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. They run counter to the gospel of Jesus Christ in every way. We are not saved by earning our way up the good-works ladder, nor is God the divine genie dispensing wishes at command. He’s not a distant “clock-maker,” sitting back to watch it all play out.

This is where the importance of method comes to the forefront, which (unfortunately) is often disassociated with theology. “How do we get bored [Americans] into the church?” The question should be, “How are we to faithfully plant and water the gospel of Jesus Christ for his glory and our joy in him?”

Many ministries have engaged in direct competition with the world to woo and attract people.

There Is Hope

There is hope, however, because Jesus will build his church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. There is hope because God is in the business of saving and sanctifying us through the ministry of Word, prayer, and sacrament. God has given us means of grace – not just to reap the benefits of their content and application – but as the way in which we plant and water the gospel, looking to God to provide the growth. These means of grace should inform how young men and women are drawn into the church – we who are disillusioned by the gimmicks and fog of an entertainment-driven world of empty pleasure.

Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias has said, “The loneliest moment in life is when you have just experienced the ultimate, and it has let you down.” Like a political pendulum, the experienced “high” from self-centered experience and rampant consumerism fails to provide rest for the restless soul. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can call the prodigal out of the trough and satisfy his longing heart.

MTD remains a problem in youth ministry because it remains a problem in the American church. It channels the method of ministry from gospel to gimmick. But the later English Puritan John Flavel points to God’s far better plan: “The intent of the Redeemer’s undertaking was not to purchase for his people riches, ease, and pleasures on earth; but to mortify their lusts, heal their natures, and spiritualize their affections; and thereby to fit them for the eternal fruition of God.”

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Ron Brown

You may recall Brown as the eye of the hurricane in the aftermath of the horrific Penn State sex scandal last fall. Nebraska played Penn State the weekend after the story broke. Surrounded by clouds of despair, Brown, an outspoken evangelical, led a prayer meeting of players, coaches, and officials at midfield. He also provided clarity and biblical perspective during the week. Brown’s Christian worldview and witness were, as many said, the highlight of the day.

Six months later Brown finds himself in the headlines again. Only this time he is not being applauded but assailed for these same evangelical convictions.

In late March the Omaha City Council held a public hearing concerning an amendment to their anti-discrimination ordinance to add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. The law already provides protection from discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, and disability. Brown attended the hearing and voiced his opposition to the amendment.

Ron Brown is fearless. At least he seems so. He lives his Christian life like he played as a college and NFL defensive back. Like a roving safety, Brown defends his ground, looks for breakdowns, and tackles the opposition. His love of Christ trumps all. It is amazing to read stories in an Omaha newspaper about how he has won over a Muslim running back by his daily faithfulness. I also hear many more stories through friends close to him of steady, intentional Christian living. Therefore, before we observe or say anything else we can be challenged and encouraged. This guy is a rare jewel in contemporary evangelicalism. And he is living it out in a media fishbowl.

When Brown was asked why he is so bold, so outspoken. He responded,

Jesus said, “Whoever desires to save his life shall lose it. If you deny me before me then I will deny you before my Father.” My greatest burden is not losing my job or what people might say about me. My greatest burden is faithfulness. I want to be faithful. I want to see the body of Christ be faithful. I want to see unbelievers come to Christ.

Brown is arguably the most influential evangelical in Nebraska. He is routinely asked to speak at churches because people look up to him and love him. This is true inside and outside the church. As a veteran local sage at the Omaha World-Herald noted, Brown has a track record of public engagement on moral issues.

Brown has been consistent in his convictions and beliefs for the 20-some years I’ve covered him, and gotten to know him. He’s been speaking out and attending so many meetings, for so many years, quoting the good book and suggesting how folks should live their lives, that he’s become a bit of a caricature of himself.

Why is this important? Because many hear a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” in his soundbites and statements. This is where we all should be listening to those who listen to us. Are they hearing gospel or moralism? Are we preaching the gospel of what Jesus did or what we need to do/not do?

D. A. Carson has helpfully said, “It is easy to sound prophetic from the margins, what we need is to be prophetic from the center.” That is, preaching against issues that flow out of a rejection of the gospel (sexual sin, abortion, etc) are peripheral and must be addressed by means of the core gospel, that which is of first importance (1 Cor. 15:3-5).

Brown was asked about the danger of his message being reduced merely to moralism. Brown pounced on this like an open-field tackle:

I do not want to see a moral Nebraska. I want to see a Nebraska and a country transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why I do all of this. Everything is about getting the truth of Jesus Christ out.

Brown’s view of homosexuals does not emerge clearly in this media dust-up. Many have argued that he is hateful towards gays. He said:

That’s not true. It is not all about seeing homosexuals become hetereosexuals. This is not the message of the gospel. The gospel is about all types of sinners (like me) who are unbelievers becoming believers. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not discriminatory, it is all inclusive: we are all sinners. I am pretty consistent in talking to all types of people about Christ. This is the thing that encourages me in this whole thing: the gospel of Christ is being presented. God will forgive people. He will give a clean-slate to all who turn from sin and trust in Jesus.

As you listen to Brown talk about his burden for the gospel to take root, and then you re-read the soundbites, you feel the burden of Carson’s words all the more: we must be prophetic from the center. They will hear what we are passionate about. We have to keep hitting those gospel notes, because it is a strange sound to people who do not yet recognize the tune.

There is much we could conclude from this situation, but I’ll highlight just two observations.

First, if Brown had spoken in favor of the amendment, media would not have protested. Brown boldly proclaimed, “This offends God.” Consequently, many people were offended (including the university chancellor). People really are interested in gagging God. They don’t want to recognize authority outside themselves. This response illustrates Romans 1:18-25. There is no consideration about offending the Creator, only consideration about the possibility of offending creatures. God help us. Brown was pretty fired up about this point.

In the famous battle between David and Goliath there was Goliath, the enemy to God and his people; David, the young under-sized boy; and the cowardly Jewish army. Too often American evangelicals look like a cowering army instead of a zealous David. There is opposition to God and his Word. How can we just hang our heads and give up?!

Second, there is back story to Brown’s public appearance. The coach has received some pretty intense public chin-music from Harvey Perlman, chancellor of the University of Nebraska. Many local experts are opining that Perlman is fed up with the coach’s exploits. In other words, Brown might get fired over this incident. The university may regard Brown as a liability. In other words, the University of Nebraska, in the name of tolerance, would be intolerant of his so-called intolerance. If that sounds like an postmodern end-around, you heard correctly. The modern understanding of tolerance pivots on the fact that you must tolerate everyone’s views except those who disagree with this premise. This is not only intellectually but also morally problematic.

To make matters more complicated, in a few days the Lincoln City Council will consider the same ordinance. Everyone wonders if Coach Brown will speak out against the amendment, as he did in Omaha. “I’m praying about that,” Brown told me. “I want to draw as much attention to Christ as I can. I also want to think about the best ways to do that.” If for whatever reason Brown doesn’t go, he should not worry about being called a coward. If he does go, may the gospel be made clear in all of its grace-saturated glory.

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What Jesus (Really) Looked Like

From the first time Christian children settle into Sunday school classrooms, an image of Jesus Christ is etched into their minds. In North America he is most often depicted as being taller than his disciples, lean, with long, flowing, light brown hair, fair skin and light-colored eyes. Familiar though this image may be, it is inherently flawed. A person with these features and physical bearing would have looked very different from everyone else in the region where Jesus lived and ministered. Surely the authors of the Bible would have mentioned so stark a contrast. On the contrary, according to the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane before the Crucifixion, Judas Iscariot had to indicate to the soldiers whom Jesus was because they could not tell him apart from his disciples. Further clouding the question of what Jesus looked like is the simple fact that nowhere in the New Testament is Jesus described, nor have any drawings of him ever been uncovered. There is the additional problem of having neither a skeleton nor other bodily remains to probe for DNA.

To see some pretty hilarious renditions (most of them stemming from Western imagery), see the gallery below. Does all this really matter in the end? No. But it is interesting.

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