We saw something both unique and delightful at the wedding of a friend. He is a seminary student and she is a school teacher. They were married this summer just before he must return to his theological studies. Their pastor performed the ceremony. The pastor's meditation stressed the theme that their marriage was to be a picture of the gospel and the love Christ has for the church. He returned to this theme at every point along the way using the text from Ephesians 5:22-33.
Throughout his message there were the funny quips about each of them as they would learn to adjust to one another. But the humorous tone was always referenced to "Christ and his bride, the Church."
When the pastor pronounced them to be "husband and wife," that's when we saw the unique and delightful thing: the bride's reaction to the good news that she was now married to the man of her dreams. She squeeled and jumped up and down like a giddy school girl! The new husband chuckled and drew her closer to himself in warm response. I, for one and my wife for another, had never seen such a thing. As I say, I thought it delightful that she delighted in her husband so much.
But as I reflected on this scene during the bride and groom's beaming recessional, I wondered if the church in our day was as delighted in her Husband as this young bride was in hers. No, I don't think we are to be "as giddy as a school girl," but surely we must be thrilled! How else will the world know that Christ our Groom is worth it. He is our Savior, our Leader, our Protector, our Provider and rich beyond all comparisons in grace and beauty.
Or are we bored with Him? After all, He is our goal in heaven. John Piper rightly asks whether today's American Christians would accept a heaven of eternal life, unending peace, and perfect health without Christ. If our answer is "yes," then I am afraid we would never be able to "see" the bride in my little story through the eyes of Scripture.
Striving to be satisfied only in Christ,
Bob
Monday, August 3, 2009
Disapproval is now "hate speech" for Fox News
On Saturday, at 10:30 am MT, Mike Tobin reported from Tel Aviv about two young people, a lesbian and a homosexual, senselessly murdered in a city night spot. The night spot was clearly targeted by the killer. In the report Mr. Tobin mentioned Tel Aviv's tolerant attitudes toward the homosexual lifestyle. In fact, he said that Tel Aviv prided itself on its toleration. Fair enough and balanced. However, his next statement was anything but fair or balanced. "However(he stressed vocally), ultra-orthodox leaders often incite hatred against gays, describing homosexuality as an abomination against God."
This statement caught my attention because it was an unsubstantiated assertion and reported without qualification. Was this Tobin's opinion of the teaching of ultra-orthodox leaders? Was this a quote from an official representative of the the Gay and Lesbian community? Was this Tobin's own conclusion after hearing ultra-orthodox leaders preach in a synagogue? Was this an admission by an ultra-orthodox leader himself? Worse: was this the official stand of the Fox News Network! What's more, was the use of the participle "describing" employed as the means for "incit[ing] hatred against gays"? If so, (which it implied grammatically) then would all disapproval of someone's behavior incite "hate speech"?
For example, if I were to tell my four year old daughter not to run into traffic on a busy street, but see her do it, rescue her and then tell her that I disapprove of her behavior, have I crossed over into hate speech? Probably not. What if my 16 year old daughter starts smoking cigarettes and I express my disapproval based on the obvious health risks, have I crossed over into hate speech? Probably not. If I tell my 20 year old daughter that partying every night in bars and consuming large amounts of alcohol that issue in being taken home drunk is unhealthy (think of the damage to her liver!) and that I disapprove, have I crossed over into hate speech? No again. If I disapprove of my 25 year old daughter's multiple sexual partners, say about 50 in one year, and I express my disapproval, again due to health as well as emotional, moral and spiritual dangers, do I now hate her? I don't think that any sane parent would say that my disapproval of her behaviors is "hate speech" in any of these cases. Each of these behaviors has some destructive behavior linked to it in either a physical,moral, emotional or spiritual way.
Has it become the case that any sexual activity is off limits for such expressed disapproval? According to Mr. Tobin's unsupported but clear denunciation of ultra-orthodox leaders, disapproval of sexual activity, for any reason would be considered hate speech.
Why stop at denouncing ultra-orthodox Jewish leaders. Why not denounce evangelical pastors (like myself, just so you know), and many evangelical Christians around the world who read the same Bible as ultra-orthodox leaders, albeit with a very different hermeneutic. Yet we have in both Old and New Testaments, God's disapproval of homosexual activity. (See Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1: 26, 27). Has God now crossed over into hate speech, or will we allow him the right to express his disapproval of human behaviors? Fair enough. Which ones? Only the ones with which we agree? That's not fair.
If we are to be "fair and balanced," then I can only conclude from Mr. Tobin's report that disapproval of any behavior has now become "hate speech." But to that assertion, I doubt even he would agree. Perhaps it's only sexual behavior that should be tolerated, while all other forms of destructive behavior (both physical and moral) should be denounced? How will we decide this ethical matter?
Perhaps a word from the wisest man ever to live might be of some insight: "A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight" (Proverbs 11:1). See? Even God is concerned about "fair and balanced" reporting.
Loving the truth in speaking to one another,
Bob
This statement caught my attention because it was an unsubstantiated assertion and reported without qualification. Was this Tobin's opinion of the teaching of ultra-orthodox leaders? Was this a quote from an official representative of the the Gay and Lesbian community? Was this Tobin's own conclusion after hearing ultra-orthodox leaders preach in a synagogue? Was this an admission by an ultra-orthodox leader himself? Worse: was this the official stand of the Fox News Network! What's more, was the use of the participle "describing" employed as the means for "incit[ing] hatred against gays"? If so, (which it implied grammatically) then would all disapproval of someone's behavior incite "hate speech"?
For example, if I were to tell my four year old daughter not to run into traffic on a busy street, but see her do it, rescue her and then tell her that I disapprove of her behavior, have I crossed over into hate speech? Probably not. What if my 16 year old daughter starts smoking cigarettes and I express my disapproval based on the obvious health risks, have I crossed over into hate speech? Probably not. If I tell my 20 year old daughter that partying every night in bars and consuming large amounts of alcohol that issue in being taken home drunk is unhealthy (think of the damage to her liver!) and that I disapprove, have I crossed over into hate speech? No again. If I disapprove of my 25 year old daughter's multiple sexual partners, say about 50 in one year, and I express my disapproval, again due to health as well as emotional, moral and spiritual dangers, do I now hate her? I don't think that any sane parent would say that my disapproval of her behaviors is "hate speech" in any of these cases. Each of these behaviors has some destructive behavior linked to it in either a physical,moral, emotional or spiritual way.
Has it become the case that any sexual activity is off limits for such expressed disapproval? According to Mr. Tobin's unsupported but clear denunciation of ultra-orthodox leaders, disapproval of sexual activity, for any reason would be considered hate speech.
Why stop at denouncing ultra-orthodox Jewish leaders. Why not denounce evangelical pastors (like myself, just so you know), and many evangelical Christians around the world who read the same Bible as ultra-orthodox leaders, albeit with a very different hermeneutic. Yet we have in both Old and New Testaments, God's disapproval of homosexual activity. (See Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1: 26, 27). Has God now crossed over into hate speech, or will we allow him the right to express his disapproval of human behaviors? Fair enough. Which ones? Only the ones with which we agree? That's not fair.
If we are to be "fair and balanced," then I can only conclude from Mr. Tobin's report that disapproval of any behavior has now become "hate speech." But to that assertion, I doubt even he would agree. Perhaps it's only sexual behavior that should be tolerated, while all other forms of destructive behavior (both physical and moral) should be denounced? How will we decide this ethical matter?
Perhaps a word from the wisest man ever to live might be of some insight: "A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight" (Proverbs 11:1). See? Even God is concerned about "fair and balanced" reporting.
Loving the truth in speaking to one another,
Bob
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