Mass Delusions - One more thing
In Eddie's response to the first "Mass Delusions" post he said:
1. The complementary structure of the male and female anatomy is obviously designed for the normal husband-wife relationships. Clearly, design in human biology supports heterosexuality and contradicts homosexuality.
2. The combination of male and female enables man (and the animals) to produce and nurture offspring as commanded in Genesis 1:28�'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth'. This command is repeated to Noah after the Flood (Genesis 8:15-17). But procreation is not the only reason God made humans as sexual beings. The BUWA report affirms 'that sexual intimacy between husband and wife is good, and is intended by God for bonding, pleasure and procreation.'
3. Thirdly, God gave man and woman complementary roles in order to strengthen the family unit. Woman was to be the helper that man needed (Genesis 2:18). However, the woman's role as the helpmate is certainly not an inferior one. The enterprising God-fearing woman in Proverbs 31:10-31 is an inspiring role model.
I'll agree with Eddie's first point that heterosexuals--on the face of it anyway--sure do seem to fit together physically. But in typical fundamentalist style, the premature conclusion is drawn here that this is the only acceptable means of sexual interaction. To be blunt, are we to assume that heterosexuals utilize only the missionary position every time they have sexual relations? I don't have much experience where that is concerned, but it seems to me that most heterosexuals venture outside that comfort zone often, and if the missionary position is the assemblage of two perfect puzzle pieces, then the creativity that most heterosexuals employ would probably lead to something that looks more like a junior high art project gone awry. Please. To narrow the definition of what is an acceptable sexual position simply to exclude those whose comfort zone happens to differ, borders on absurd and speaks not to some type of commandment, but to a sexual fear that cannot stop itself from erring on the side of conservatism.
In response to the second point, the combination of male and female does allow for procreation. But it does not guarantee a proper nurturing relationship. It should not be implied that two members of the same sex could not properly nurture a child. I would argue that the condition of the heart should be considered and a judgment should be made only after things like kindness, character, patience, and other fruits of the spirit have been displayed. Luke 6:45 says: "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Children are nurtured by the overflow of the heart, not by gender.
And in response to the third point, I'm sure God did give men and women complementary roles in order to strengthen the family unit. But again, this only paints a partial picture. More than a gender, God created a heart that is capable of completmenting another heart and thereby strengthening a family unit. We're way too obsessed with physical characteristics, categories, and limits, and with putting everything into a nice tidy little compartment in order to make sense of the world. God is concerned with the heart. Angela is my perfect complement. She is more mechanical-minded than I am and she is not afraid to take on what I might consider to be daunting home improvement projects. I bake a better quiche than she does. She is the voice of reason when I start to worry. I provide a professional drive that encourages her. The point is God does partner us with someone who will become our perfect complement, but this is independent of our gender.
God is good and if we align our hearts with that Spirit, our lives become an expression of that goodness. Others will probably always stamp us with whatever label makes them feel the most at ease--different, odd, perverted, sinful--but their lack of understanding doesn't mean that we have become those things. It doesn't make us wrong. It makes us misunderstood. And I can live with that.
2 Thessalonians 3:5 --May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
Life is a journey and as we continue on together, it's my prayer that we might not narrow our definitions of what goodness is, but instead that we might expand those definitions and become increasingly willing to discover God in new and unconventional ways. To God be the glory. Amen.
1. The complementary structure of the male and female anatomy is obviously designed for the normal husband-wife relationships. Clearly, design in human biology supports heterosexuality and contradicts homosexuality.
2. The combination of male and female enables man (and the animals) to produce and nurture offspring as commanded in Genesis 1:28�'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth'. This command is repeated to Noah after the Flood (Genesis 8:15-17). But procreation is not the only reason God made humans as sexual beings. The BUWA report affirms 'that sexual intimacy between husband and wife is good, and is intended by God for bonding, pleasure and procreation.'
3. Thirdly, God gave man and woman complementary roles in order to strengthen the family unit. Woman was to be the helper that man needed (Genesis 2:18). However, the woman's role as the helpmate is certainly not an inferior one. The enterprising God-fearing woman in Proverbs 31:10-31 is an inspiring role model.
I'll agree with Eddie's first point that heterosexuals--on the face of it anyway--sure do seem to fit together physically. But in typical fundamentalist style, the premature conclusion is drawn here that this is the only acceptable means of sexual interaction. To be blunt, are we to assume that heterosexuals utilize only the missionary position every time they have sexual relations? I don't have much experience where that is concerned, but it seems to me that most heterosexuals venture outside that comfort zone often, and if the missionary position is the assemblage of two perfect puzzle pieces, then the creativity that most heterosexuals employ would probably lead to something that looks more like a junior high art project gone awry. Please. To narrow the definition of what is an acceptable sexual position simply to exclude those whose comfort zone happens to differ, borders on absurd and speaks not to some type of commandment, but to a sexual fear that cannot stop itself from erring on the side of conservatism.
In response to the second point, the combination of male and female does allow for procreation. But it does not guarantee a proper nurturing relationship. It should not be implied that two members of the same sex could not properly nurture a child. I would argue that the condition of the heart should be considered and a judgment should be made only after things like kindness, character, patience, and other fruits of the spirit have been displayed. Luke 6:45 says: "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Children are nurtured by the overflow of the heart, not by gender.
And in response to the third point, I'm sure God did give men and women complementary roles in order to strengthen the family unit. But again, this only paints a partial picture. More than a gender, God created a heart that is capable of completmenting another heart and thereby strengthening a family unit. We're way too obsessed with physical characteristics, categories, and limits, and with putting everything into a nice tidy little compartment in order to make sense of the world. God is concerned with the heart. Angela is my perfect complement. She is more mechanical-minded than I am and she is not afraid to take on what I might consider to be daunting home improvement projects. I bake a better quiche than she does. She is the voice of reason when I start to worry. I provide a professional drive that encourages her. The point is God does partner us with someone who will become our perfect complement, but this is independent of our gender.
God is good and if we align our hearts with that Spirit, our lives become an expression of that goodness. Others will probably always stamp us with whatever label makes them feel the most at ease--different, odd, perverted, sinful--but their lack of understanding doesn't mean that we have become those things. It doesn't make us wrong. It makes us misunderstood. And I can live with that.
2 Thessalonians 3:5 --May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
Life is a journey and as we continue on together, it's my prayer that we might not narrow our definitions of what goodness is, but instead that we might expand those definitions and become increasingly willing to discover God in new and unconventional ways. To God be the glory. Amen.
posted by Jen Austin at 2:41 PM
1 Comments:
Well said Jen. I really think the road we go down when trying to use scripture to prove heterosexual union as the only true and perfect adult committed relationship, takes us to a pretty swampy place.
The longer I read scripture the more I am convicted that I must test the assumptions of my interpretations on how they represent love and grace.
1 John 4:18: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
Only when we can move away from fear and embrace love can we begin to understand where scripture would speak to morality.
Consider the amount of love and lack of fear it takes for two women or two men to go against the culture and make a committed union to each other. Then consider how nearly impossible it seems for most men and women to truly do the same. Consider this nation's divorce rate and then add to it the number of extra-marital affairs that don't end in divorce and the numbers get pretty large.
In Matthew 22 (36-40) Jesus is asked:
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Start with love. There is plenty of fear and judgment already out there.
peace,
will
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