Donna Riley, a member of More Light Presbyterians, has
written, “Heteronormativity
and the Book of Order.” Looking toward the coming vote to
replace “a man and a woman’ with ‘two people,” Riley is unhappy, although this
will allow same gender marriage in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The
unhappiness is caused by a strategic move to add the phrase, “traditionally one
man and one woman,” to the words, “between two people.” Riley finds this “deeply
problematic language to enshrine in our constitution.”
Riley, who identifies as bi-sexual, had, in
an earlier posting, written about the need to queer the traditional
understanding of marriage. There seems to be a fear among LGBTQ people of
losing their identity, which they seemingly find in sexuality, and being forced
to conform to the traditional aspects of marriage even when it is redefined as
being between any two persons.
Riley points back to another person’s article, “We
didn’t queer the institution of marriage. It straightened us.” The author
of the article, Hugh Ryan, quotes the original organization that formed from
the Stonewall riot. That is, the Gay Liberation Front:
We
are a revolutionary group of men and women formed with the realization that
complete sexual liberation for all people cannot come about unless existing
social institutions are abolished.
All of these people are missing
a profound truth. And Riley, who writes for an organization whose members call
themselves by a religious name, is above all missing the truth. All Christians
are called by Jesus, through his word, to be conformed, not to the sinful
standards of this world, but to the person of their Lord. The LGBTQ community
and their need for uniqueness are staring at an answer which has nothing at all
to do with sexuality but has to do with the person of Jesus Christ who is the Holy
One of God.
The homosexual community
will find, eventually, the sameness and dullness that plagues those who
constantly set their standards to match the prevailing culture. It doesn’t
really matter whether it is outlandish costumes in a parade or a hamburger
wrapped in rainbow paper, boredom will eventually prevail. The rainbows will
eventually fade into the darkness of an empty soul whose only identity is
wrapped in sexuality.
But life lived under the
Lordship of Jesus Christ, though it is for many of the peoples of the world
harsh and painful, is filled with joy, peace and the knowledge that they are
united with the Glory of God which never fades.
Jesus offers to the sinner,
to all of us, forgiveness, his own righteousness, his presence and
transformation into his likeness.
Sure, walking with Jesus
means dying to self, dying to our own lusts and desires, putting aside our
plans for tomorrow in order to follow the one who came to be crucified. But to be
allowed to walk in the love of the One who created us and died for us is an
amazing gift. And while it does mean for some, Christian marriage between only
a man and a woman and for all others singleness with chastity, it is, either
way, a holy calling. A blessed calling.
Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is
your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will
of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)
10 comments:
Viola,
Thank you for your excellent refutation of that "heteronormativity" idiocy. You are continually doing all of us whose heads are ready to explode over such vacuous "thinking" a very great service with your clear and stalwart defense of the faith.
Thank you Anonymous, my head is doing a little exploding also. I think perhaps all kinds of idiocy is gathering in the void of an empty faith.
Donna Riley needs to recognize she needs help to deal with her bisexuality. She is sexually confused. The homosexual community needs to recognize that it isn't about them. It's about Jesus. For over 20 years all I have heard from this community is me, me, me. It's not about me. It's about Jesus and being obedient to HIm.
Jeff, you saying others claiming its all "me me me" is, ironic, at best. Your so self centered you worked for years to stop those God Himself has called to serve HIm just because your are so comfortable with your own prejudices.
Viola, I hope you can grow as a person and in your faith to a level that you can move past the prejudices you were raised with (common enough in the time you were raised, I realize. many a former bigot I know of your generation has pointed that out to me) and mature enough to see that those who disagree with are not a group with a religious name, as you put it, but, your fellow Presbyterian Christians, and deserve to be treated and referred to as such.
As one of them, Know that personally, I forgive you.
Pray for understanding, for empathy, and humility Viola. I know of no progressive who would even imply you are not a sister in the faith. Your words, as they so often are, are hurtful. Alas, that never seems to bother you.
And Viola, you mention in a later post that you have many Grandchildren and Great grandchildren. The internet is forever Viola. They will, decades from now, read what you write.
It's not a heritage that will make them think "she was a gracious and ladylike person".
Just blunt honesty. And something you should think about.
Gene
Atlanta
Jeff, you saying others claiming its all "me me me" is, ironic, at best. Your so self centered you worked for years to stop those God Himself has called to serve HIm just because your are so comfortable with your own prejudices.
Viola, I hope you can grow as a person and in your faith to a level that you can move past the prejudices you were raised with (common enough in the time you were raised, I realize. many a former bigot I know of your generation has pointed that out to me) and mature enough to see that those who disagree with are not a group with a religious name, as you put it, but, your fellow Presbyterian Christians, and deserve to be treated and referred to as such.
As one of them, Know that personally, I forgive you.
Pray for understanding, for empathy, and humility Viola. I know of no progressive who would even imply you are not a sister in the faith. Your words, as they so often are, are hurtful. Alas, that never seems to bother you.
And Viola, you mention in a later post that you have many Grandchildren and Great grandchildren. The internet is forever Viola. They will, decades from now, read what you write.
It's not a heritage that will make them think "she was a gracious and ladylike person".
Just blunt honesty. And something you should think about.
Gene
Atlanta
Viola -
I am so tired of the same-old, same-old inability to look at self or at Scripture that some of your readers display in their critiques of your work. I know that you rise above it, but let me just say that your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will, along with your children, rise up and call you blessed for your faithfulness to the upward call of Jesus Christ. You are an inspiration and a delight to this often exhausted and jaded pastor, and your honest analyses have given me insight and hope on many occasions. Please keep up the excellent good work. You are giving fresh courage to the weary with your stalwart stand for our Lord, and my congregation and I thank you for helping us to hold fast to the Word of the Lord.
Pastor Patti
Enough Gene, take your trolling somewhere else.
Pastor Patti thank you. All of the faithful and orthodox pastors, including you, in this unfaithful denomination are lights that God keeps burning in the darkness. I think you are God's model of what the whole church must become in the growing darkness of our culture.
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