This BLOG has hosted a couple of lively discussions on the topic of same sex marriage, the most recent of which led me to express some concerns about the use of anonymous comments that contain pretty strong attacks, often bordering on the personal.
So, it's not my intent to stir up a hornet's nest as we draw near to this celebration of the birth of Jesus. However,since I strongly believe that this faith we celebrate is a faith that touches on the REAL ISSUES we confront, I think it is important to commend to you Newsweek's 12/15 cover story on the subject of gay marriage. Here is the link for this story:
www.newsweek.com/id/172653
NOTE: The argumentation contained within this article should be familiar to those who were present at the BACK TO THE BIBLE sermon series I preached in 2007.
ANOTHER NOTE: The author has written a piece that should succeed in helping us engage in a serious reflection about this topic. Lisa Miller is to be commended for the way in which she puts the issues front and center for us to consider!
With prayer that we shall seek to be faithful to Jesus...let the conversation begin...
PB
4 comments:
You may commend whomever you wish;
I would not commend Lisa Miller or anyone else for misrepresenting the Bible. Her article is simply another attempt by the radical left to rewrite God's word; and it is a poor attempt at that.
Lisa Miller is not a theologian or Bible scholar; she is an editor employed by a liberal news agency. She gets paid to support liberal causes. Her article is deceptive and bias.
Some of what she states about the Bible is true, but she carefully mixes it in with some egregious falsehoods and does it in such a way that if don't read carefully, you may be fooled. For example, she wrote that there is no biblical reference to sex between women. Perhaps she never read Romans because it is there in the first chapter.
Ms Miller was invited by Baptist theologian Albert Mohler to debate her article and she refused. Mr Mohler, a Bible scholar, has rebutted Miller's article and exposed her deceptions. You can find his article at www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2881. In addition, biblical scholar Robert Gagnon from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has taken the time to identify Miller's biblical inaccuracies.
Is Newsweek now setting the standard for Christian living? Instead of focusing the discussion on an unqualified and inaccurate interpretation of our standard (the Bible), as set forth by Ms Miller, why not go directly to the source and discuss what the Bible clearly states?
I have to say that I agree with anonymous on this one. You cannot base a serious, meaningful discussion on something as erroneous and biased as Lisa Miller's disingenuous creation. Using her opinion article as a reference point is truly strange and it is indicative of an agenda.
Matthew
Lisa Miller cites work by Neil Elliott in support of her argument, but she doe not offer a counter to Elliott.
Theologian, Robert Gagnon, published a thorough and compelling rebuttal to Elliott; Gagnon's rebuttal is at: http://www.robgagnon.net/RespNeilElliott.htm.
John
John-
THANKS for the link......I will read it carefully! I also appreciate the link sent by our anonymous writer as well and will check that out...
To both writers who signed your names...thank you for that as well!
Point of clarification......
Lisa Miller's not a Bible scholar or theologian, but what I think she does well as a reporter is highlight some of the research and thinking that is part of the discussion among scholars and theologians.
I'd like to comment on the phrase 'an agenda' ~~ If by it you mean that I have a point of view on this subject, I confess!
The strength of this article BY A REPORTER is that it shows that WITHIN the Christian religious community serious people are making a serious case for marriage equality.
Oftentimes, Christians as a group are portrayed as being in opposition and this article REPORTS the real conversation well.
Lisa Miller does not purport to being a Biblical scholar....
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