Touchy Touchy...

Ok. I am at an evangelical seminary that I normally love. No, I do love the school, the professors, the programs, etc. But the STUDENTS!!! Sometimes the students (probably including myself) act like they know everything and have it all figured out. They know the best way to treat people and how to deal with difficult passages like Romans 1.

We were studying Romans 1 today which is the most blatant approach against homosexuality in Paul's letters. However, we acknowledged that homosexuality isn't the only sin mentioned in that chapter. Also included are "greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip... backstabbing, hating God, insolent, proud, boastful, refusing to understand, breaking promises, heartless, and unforgiving." (NLT) These all turn us away from God.

One student stated that homosexuality is worse than heterosexual sin. Dr. Blomberg asked, "Do we agree with him?" And I too quickly stated "No" which meant I had to talk in class. I explained that heterosexual sin is just as destructive to relationships (in my opinion, sometimes more) than homosexual sin, because things like adultery and pornography tear apart relationships. I do not believe that it is judged harsher than the other sins mentioned in this passage.

Another student stated that homosexuallity has been thrown in Christianity's face so harshly, that it is ok to shout back: You're sinning! Well, that's a paraphrase of what he said.

I disagree. I think that homosexuallity is a sin that everyone is uncomfortable with and other sins are not talked about. Pornography, is hidden in the church, but widely accepted in the wider culture. Shouldn't we also be drawing attention to that? Personally, I feel that pornography slaps me in the face every day. Billboards with women scantily clad. TV commercials of Victoria's Secret Angels. TV shows like Desperate Housewives, where at least one woman a week gets stripped to her underwear (from what I've seen in the ads), etc. are all blatant attacks on a righteous way of life and the church is not shouting that it is harmful as much as it is about homosexuality. How do you help someone get over pornography? Tell them that they're sinning and to stop? NO! It's an addiction. It's a lifestyle. And just as destructive as homosexuality. For both sins, we need to come alongside our brothers and sisters and help them leave this life of sin, not condemn them for being in it.

Sorry... now that that's off my chest, how was your day?