As the Semester Ends...

Even though it has been a challenge, this semester I have really enjoyed taking this class, Gender and Identity. It has challenged my beliefs, but most importantly made me turn to scripture to back up my beliefs. Before this class, I would have said I had beliefs just because the Bible said so, but I would not have had scripture to back up my beliefs. This class has made me challenge why I believe what I believe. Then I had to write those beliefs on this blog for other to read who probably did not agree with my beliefs. I had quite a task in front of me. 

Besides blogging, the heart of the class was discussion. This was very challenging for me. I consider myself an outgoing person, but in a classroom setting I am a little less outgoing. I also noticed I became even less outgoing when as I realized I might have been the only Christian with my views in the class. There were a couple students who made comments that may have meant they were Christians, or some people said they went to church a couple times, but our views were still different. I think I was the only one who believed what I believed. This made me doubt myself, a lot. This also made me rely on the Holy Spirit, a lot.

A couple times I was able to talk about Jesus and share the message of his love, and for 5-10 minutes while I worked up the courage to share I would just pray in my head. "God, speak through me." I worried I would say something that was not biblical truth. I wanted to represent God the best I could. I wanted to present the gospel in a powerful and real way. I'm sure there were some times that I said things wrong, but I'm also sure there were some times when God did speak through me. Those times made everything worth it.

Who knows if my comments in class made a difference in anyone's life, but I feel changed. I feel more confident in the truth if the Bible and in how Jesus has changed my life. 

The Open and Affirming Movement

In class we talked about a moment that is transforming churches across the country. It is called the Open and Affirming Movement.

Open and Affirming  is an official designation of congregations and other settings within the United Church of Christ (UCC) denomination affirming the full inclusion of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons (LGBT) in that setting's life and ministry. Meaning any LGBT person can become the pastor, a deacon, an elder, etc.

Here is a website that helps people find churches that are open and affirming. The website also lists 44 denominations that are open and affirming.
-> http://www.gaychurch.org/find_a_church/

There are 3 things I find wrong with this.
1) Jesus specifically says to keep his commands, and he commanded man to be with woman.
  
Matthew 5:17-20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. "

These churches are setting aside one of Jesus's commands:

Matthew 19:4-6: "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,  and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'.  So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Jesus commanded man to marry women, unless one chooses to remain single, thus the churches are breaking a commandment.

2) They are not viewing the Bible as truth. Plain and simple. If they fully believed in the Bible, they would not be open and affirming.

3) The churches identity now becomes that they are open and affirming and not centered on Jesus. I have visited the websites of these churches and most of them will list the title of the church and directly under it will say, "Open and Affirming, all are welcome!" The focus is no longer about Jesus, which is the purpose of the church.

Don't misunderstand me, I believe that any person no matter what should be welcomed and invited into church. That is what church is for! I think churches that have made people leave are not Biblical, but I also think promoting that it is okay to be gay, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender is also not Biblical. The number one thing that a church should stand firm on, in my opinion, is making sure they follow the Bible. I just don't believe open and affirming churches are doing that.

Oh really?

This was posted on the Pinterest board for my class. I don't think Jesus would say that. Let's look at some things Jesus did say to people in the New Testament:

Matthew 9:9-13
“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me.” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 7:1-5
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.


These are the words from Jesus. He calls the sinners, not the people who think they are great people. Jesus wants the people who know they are broken, and because of that, they know they need Jesus. He tells us not to judge others when we too are sinners. I am a broken sinner who is in need of a savior. It is hard to admit that, because in our world that is frowned upon. No one is supposed to admit their flaws, well that is not what Jesus says. We can't judge others when we are just as sinful.

Would your attitude change if your son came out as gay?

What a great video by Tony Campolo. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the video followed by a few of my opinions.

"When you know this person you see beyond gay, you see beyond lesbian, you see a person, and you fall in love with a person. And that is what we need to do."
---> The church has missed this! The countless sad stories we hear about this or that church that kicks out someone because they are gay, or doesn't make a gay couple feel welcome. That is wrong and not the point of a church. A church should welcome everyone.

"We act as though the genitalia of a person determines his or her entire personality. It is an important factor, it is part of my identity, but it isn't my whole identity."
---> I agree. I think the problem is when it does become a persons whole identity. That is when it becomes an issue. For a Christian, Christ has to be their identity, so when their gender goes before Jesus this is a problem.

"It's the real person hurting, and I believe wherever there is someone hurting, there is Jesus."

"I love the sinner, I hate the sin.... That is the opposite of what Jesus says, Jesus says love the sinner, but hate your own sin. And after you get rid of the sin in your own life, then you can begin talking about the sin in your brothers or sisters life.
---> I have said this before, and I apologize. I need to focus more on my own sin before I go pointing out other peoples.

Halloween: The Only Exception

There is one day a year where it is okay to dress up how ever you want, Halloween. This year I decided to test the limits by performing a different gender. I was a male gangster. I actually won first place with my friend Laura! We called ourselves L-Dawgg and J-Dawgg.  I wondered how people would treat me. If they would talk to me differently, but no one looked at me or treated me any differently. They did laugh the first time they saw me, but nothing else changed. They treated me like the Joy they know. I wonder what would happen if I would have done this on a random night, that was not Halloween. I bet people would treat me differently then. Halloween is the only time one is exceptable to dress in any gender and get away with it.