Merry Christmas to all.  I really do still love this holiday.

Merry Christmas to you and yours from someone who had to work retail this month.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, that Spirit will guide you into all the truth.  For the Spirit will not speak independently but will speak whatever the Spirit hears and will declare to you the things that are to come.  This Spirit will glorify me by taking what is mine and declaring it to you.  All that God has is mine.  For this reason I said that the Spirit will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

- John 16:12-15

Anyone who has been around here for a while will know that I have become a rather outspoken advocate for the civil rights of homosexuals.  It is something I have become increasingly passionate about over the years but until recently I have remained undecided on the actual morality of homosexuality.

Unsatisfied with this indecision I plunged myself into digging up the truth of the matter and this is the conclusion I have come to:  Homosexuality is neither wrong nor immoral.  Instead it is natural and should not only be accepted within the Christian community but even celebrated.  Let me elaborate how I came to this conclusion.

The biggest issue that had to be tackled was finding out exactly what the Bible had to say about homosexuality.  I found that it actually said surprisingly little.  Throughout the Bible there are seven references to homosexual behavior, four in the Old Testament and Three in the New Testament.

The most common references come in Genesis 19 in the story of the destruction of Sodom.  In this story the men of Sodom demand that Lot bring out the two messengers that had come to him so that they could have their way with them.  In the ancient world it was common practice for male rape to occur as a way of humiliating the victim and demonstrating the power of conquering men.  Rape then, just as it does today, has little to do with sexuality and everything to do with exerting power.

Furthermore, the Bible never gives homosexual behavior as a reason for Sodom’s destruction.  Instead we are told that their sin was of pride, gluttony, oppression and complacency.  This is what the prophet Ezekiel said: “This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did abominable things before me” (16:49-50).  Why, if the Bible takes so little note of Sodom’s supposed homosexual practices, do we obsess over it so much?

The second set of texts in the Old Testament mentioning homosexual behavior is found in Lev. 18:22 and 20:13.  These are where the term ‘abomination’ is used in conjunction with homosexual behavior.  It is important to note, though, that the word ‘abomination’ here is not a moral or ethical term.  Instead it is a term that is used to describe a breach of purity law.  Likewise, other ‘abominations’ in Leviticus were eating pork, misusing incense, and sex during menstruation.  In other words, this is among the purity code that not even the most fundamental of Christians recognize as applicable today and was effectively discontinued with the coming of Christ (see Paul’s letter to the Galatians).  If we are to use this to condemn homosexuality then we become either become ‘selective literalist’ or we wish to bind ourselves once again to the whole of Old Testament law.

What we are left with, then, are the three references in the New Testament which all occur in the Pauline letters (the Gospels are utterly silent on the issue).  Two of these passages (1 Cor. 6:9-10 and 1 Tim. 1:9-10) mention “Sodomites” and “the lawless and disobedient”.  However, strong evidence suggests that these are a reference to pederasty—the sexual or economic exploitation of children—and not to homosexuality.  That leaves us with Romans 1:26-27 as the main point of discussion.  The passage reads as follows:

“For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions.  Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another.  Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.”

The main thrust of Paul’s argument here is that these people were acting in an unnatural manner.  In other words, Paul believed these people to be heterosexuals who were “giving up” their natural sexuality for unnatural.  Paul would have believed every person to be inherently straight and would have had no concept of homosexual orientation.  For Paul these people were rebelling against there own natures.

Over the last several decades much time has been devoted to discovering why homosexuals are homosexuals.  By and large evidence has shown that homosexuality is a predetermined trait that has little to nothing to do with upbringing or environment.  Homosexual traits have been found to occur more commonly in close relations of homosexuals (suggesting a genetic cause), the percentage of the population with homosexual traits has stayed consistent over the years (debunking the notion of gay recruiting), and the traits can’t be unlearned (as many failed ‘ex-gay’ programs can attest).  As we grow to understand more about sexual orientation we are finding that heterosexuality is not the only orientation that nature provides us with.  While the majority is naturally heterosexual there is a minority who are just as naturally homosexual.

While the Bible says precious little about sexual orientation there is one thing that is repeated continually throughout the whole of Scripture and is beyond any dispute of interpretation.  I speak of the Biblical mandate that every Christian has to care for and defend the poor, the oppressed, and the ‘least of these’.  In our world today there are few groups more oppressed than the homosexual community.  What is worse is that for years the church has not only allowed this oppression but led it.  Our sin is the same as Sodom’s.

I have come to realize that this is not simply an issue of morality.  It is an issue of life and death importance.  In our society we see that homosexuals are not only ostracized, segregated, mocked, and despised but sometimes even murdered or driven to depression and suicide simply because of the way they were made.  Much like with slavery and the civil rights movement the Church is late in fulfilling her duty but late is better than never.  As Eugene Carson Blake once said, “We come late; late, we come.”

As with many issues, I can’t claim to have all the answers but the stakes are too high to sit on the sidelines anymore.  For when I am wrong, may the Lord forgive me but for now I will echo the words of Bishop Paul Egertson: “Each of us will place our own bet and take responsibility for the outcome. . . We would rather err on the side of helping hurting people than on the side of hurting helpless people.  Lord, have mercy upon us!”

I came across this today on Jesus Needs New PR.

While I might quibble about differing theological views (I’ll probably write about that later) I really appreciate Warren doing this.  I believe if more Christian leaders behaved like this we could solve these ugly political debates peacefully.

Kudos to you Pastor Warren.

All you need is love.

These days the more cynical of use tend to write off such a statement as foolishly romantic and overly sentimental and it probably was when it was first written.  Nowadays it only seems like hormonal teenagers think that love can actually solve any problem.  The rest of us are far too realistic.

However, I think there is still some truth in the old cliché.  The problem isn’t that love is insufficient but that we don’t actually understand what love is.  Love isn’t simply that mushy feeling you get when you’re with that guy or girl you fancy.  That is just Eros, one of the lesser forms of love.  There is a higher form of love, still, called Agape which can mean pure love, holy love, or Godly love.

This is also the most proactive of the loves.  When we embrace this kind of love it drives us to change all that is wrong with the world.  This is the love that God intended for our neighbors and when we actually love our neighbors in this way it drives us to heal the broken, free the oppressed, and raise those that are seen as the least in the world to the place of highest honor.

It is not lightly that we Christians declare that ‘God is Love’ for it is this kind of holy love that is the very nature of His being and it is because of this love that comes from Him that the whole world can be saved.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

–John 3:16-17

So as we get ever so close to this Christmas holiday keep in mind that maybe, just maybe all you need is love.

I have had many blog posts floating around in my head but none of them have really come to fruition.  At the same time, though, I have been  coming across many great films that I always want to recommend.  That’s what I’m doing now.  All of these can be found on Netflix (which is also where the descriptions come from) so check them out.  My own comments are below in blue.

Persepolis

Marjane (voiced by Chiara Mastroianni) just wants to be an ordinary kid, but that isn’t easy in 1978 Iran. This profound animated film follows Marjane’s childhood in a repressive society, her adolescence in France and her return to Tehran as an adult. Based on Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel, this Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature Film also features the vocal talents of Catherine Deneuve and Simon Abkarian.

I just saw this the other night.  It’s not only a very interesting story of this one woman’s life but also will help to explain just how Iran got the way it is today.

God Grew Tired of Us

After raising themselves in the desert along with thousands of other “lost boys,” Sudanese refugees John, Daniel and Panther have found their way to America, where they experience electricity, running water and supermarkets for the first time. Capturing their wonder at things Westerners take for granted, this documentary, an award winner at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, paints an intimate portrait of strangers in a strange land.

A fascinating documentary that tells about the experiences of these refugees in America.  I like how it didn’t simply parade a cause before the audience but instead simply looked into a few peoples’ lives on a personal and honest level.

Kill!

Director Kihachi Okamoto’s inky action-comedy (based on the same novel as Akira Kurosawa’s Sanjuro, Kill!) pokes fun at samurai flicks and Italian giallos. When two swordsmen roll into a new town — one a former farmer and the other a retired samurai warrior — they intend to lead normal lives. But the troubles of a band of rebels fighting the vile local clan leader convince the pair to pick up their weapons again.

Sadly, I couldn’t track down a trailer for this one.  This film wears all the vestments of an old samurai flick while also displaying a cheeky and subtle sense of humor.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Inspired by author Yasutaka Tsutsui’s novel, this anime follows the adventures of Makoto Konno, a seemingly ordinary high school student who makes a startling revelation when she learns that she’s been endowed with the ability to travel back in time. Following a series of frivolous “time leaps,” Makoto learns that her powers have a negative impact on the people around her and sets out to correct the effects of her actions.

It’s an old premise that’s been done many times over but this film manages to keep it fresh with beautiful animation, believable and likable characters, and a surprisingly down-to-earth message.

Death Note and Death Note II

When he discovers a mystical notebook that grants him the power to kill anyone he wants by merely writing their name, a brilliant student named Light (Tatsuya Fujiwara) develops a god complex and attempts to create utopia. Now, it’s up to ingenious detective “L” (Ken’ichi Matsuyama) to stop the supernatural vigilante. Directed by Shusuke Kaneko, this eerie thriller also stars Asaka Seto, Erika Toda and Shigeki Hosokawa.

Like Kill Bill, this is a story split between two films.  Even with it’s supernatural premise, this is a detective thriller at it’s core.  The dynamic battle of wits between the genius detective and the genius vigilante is both fantastic and believable.

Linda Linda Linda

It’s three days before the big school talent show and Kyoto, Kei and Nozumi are in a fix when their lead singer quits over artistic differences. Their only candidate to fill the spot is a Korean foreign exchange student who can barely speak any Japanese. Time for some all-night rehearsals! Directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita and featuring a score by former Smashing Pumpkins member James Iha, this lighthearted comedy stars Du-na Bae and Yu Kashii.

This is one of my old standby favorites.  A quirky slice-of-life comedy of the kind that always relaxes me and makes me smile.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

When he’s not busy breaking the law or trying to get close to his secret crush, Penny (Felicia Day), supervillain wannabe Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) boasts about his exploits via his Internet video blog and dreams of defeating his nemesis, Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion). Conceived during the 2008 Hollywood writers’ strike, Joss Whedon’s quirky musical comedy originally debuted as an online miniseries.

A hilarious musical send up of all the superhero/super-villain tropes.  I still get songs from this stuck in my head on a regular basis.

The Taste of Tea

Director Katsuhito Ishii’s whimsical episodic tale chronicles a summer in the lives of the quirky Haruno clan, who passes the unhurried days trying to realize their ambitions. As Mom (Satomi Tezuka) attempts to revive her career, her hypnotherapist hubby (Tomokazu Miura) practices on the family. Meanwhile, their pubescent son (Takahiro Sato) feels the pangs of love, and their 6-year-old daughter (Maya Banno) grapples with a pesky dopplegänger.

Weird, quirky, and oddly relaxing.  This is another slow-moving slice-of-life comedy that I leaves me with a relaxed smile on my face.

That’s enough for now.  Let me know your own recommendations in the comments.

My vacuum cleaner tells a tale. This little studio apartment doesn’t get cleaned often. Only when the whim strikes me or the impending threat of visitors motivates me does the evidence of existence get cleared away. But when that catalyst comes my vacuum tells a tale.

The voice of my vacuum speaks of my foot traffic. A steady hum that raises into a knocking of whiling dirt where many a sole has tread. The threshold is raucous, of course, but there are other patches that accuse me. Underneath the computer desk sends mixed messages speaking of both work and play, creation and folly. Others, however, do not speak so kindly. The place in front of the television asks me the purpose of spending hours watching the adventures of Hiro and Ando and seeing Frodo go up that mountain one more time. The dirt before the fridge asks me why I feel the need to examine its contents repeatedly when I know there is nothing of substance to be found save a half empty jug of milk and the long neglected veggies bought with the best of intentions.

Yes, my vacuum cleaner mocks the habits of this solitary bachelor yet reminds me of the life lived elsewhere. That loudest of noise raised at the threshold reminds me of where all those rocks and dirt came from. It tells of miles walked outside these confines and the steady accumulation of time to be carried back through the door at days end. The wilderness leaves its mark on the sanctuary and both speak clearly of the passing of time.

I don’t really play MMO type game.  That is partly because I don’t want to commit the level of time required for most of them and partly because I don’t have Internet in my home currently.  I did have a thought about them tonigt, though.

A few years back a new virtual world was launched called Second Life.  This online game made a lot of us gamers scratch their heads because, really, it’s not a game at all.  It was simply a virtual space where participants can do just about anything they want.  They can interact, build, and create but there are no objectives, no rules, and no opposition.  In other words, the participants in this world had now purpose for being there other than the purpose they assigned themselves.

While a lot of groups like embassies and educational institutions have taken shots at using this world in good ways for the most part the world has lead to the logical conclusion of a world without restrictions and with complete anonymity.  In a way, it brought out the worst in people.

I would argue that the degeneration of this world is mainly a result of its lack of an overarching purpose.  Furthermore, I would argue that this happens much the same way reality.  Both games and life need to have a greater purpose (even if it is an abstract one).  Without a greater purpose we have no motivation beyond self-gratification.  We drift aimlessly from one experience to the next.  Even the most grind-heavy, repetitive MMO works towards an objective and even the most boring of tasks in life can be bearable if they are done for a purpose.

Recently I have been re-listening to a lot of old episodes of the This American Life podcast. One of those episodes was one with stories themed around the Ten Commandments. In the story based on the commandment “thou shall not commit adultery” I was presented with this idea: it may be possible to obey too much. In other words, often we can lead ourselves astray by adhering to the straight and narrow too strictly. In this story author David Dickerson talks about his experience during college trying to control his lustful thoughts. It became an obsession for him and the more he struggled to repress his thoughts the stronger they became. His efforts to rid himself of sexual thoughts he ended up becoming obsessed with sex and he felt like a monster because of it. Eventually he realized that his agonizing over maintaining a righteous mind served to do nothing but distract him from every other aspect of his spiritual journey. The result of this obsession is that we do not bend to temptation but instead strain ourselves until we crack completely.

This idea, I believe, applies to much more than sexual temptation. It can apply to any kind of moral transgression we could be tempted with. Of course we shouldn’t give into temptation whenever it comes (that would be ridiculous) along but the moment we begin to obsess over the temptation we have lost to it. Bending will become cracking and we will find ourselves worse off than ever before.

We are all wretched sinners but we are saved by the grace of God nonetheless.

Thoughts?

“Hence, in all true Christian asceticism, that respects for the thing rejected which, I think, we never find in pagan asceticism. Marriage is good, though not for me; wine is good, though I must not drink; feasts are good, though today we fast.”

- C.S. Lewis in “Some Thoughts”

I think that I would like to throw out one more post and then put a lid on this whole discussion of the use of Christian profanity. I am finding that the general consensus has been that its use, indeed, has its place. Used properly it can be an effective and powerful language tool and can even be considered good. At the same time, though, its usage must be carefully measured out lest it lose its force or be used for ill.

When you think about it, this is really the way that Christianity looks at much of what we find in creation. Many things are naturally good when treated properly (sex, alcohol, food, etc.) but can be turned to evil when abused. This is what separates Christian asceticism from the asceticism of other beliefs as well as from the puritanical abolition that is often are mistaken for Christian asceticism. Self control is a fruit of the spirit and is key, not only to the Christian life, but to a healthy life in general. Lewis said it well in the aforementioned essay:

“Because we love something else more than this world we love even this world better than those who know no other.”

Previous posts on this subject here.