Ok, Well this one is going to be a good one, I hope.
My husband taped the giant 6 hour event on CNN about God's warriors. Two hour about Jews, two about Muslins, and two about christians. Well we decided to watch the Christian one first, cause I was most interest to see what it was about. Now I am not at all a theological person, and most of what I believe I have been taught by my dad. I know that sounds lame, i didn't go out and study all the super deep theological stuff by myself, but i just don't have the capacity to understand all that stuff. (sorry tim) I have nothing against people, pastors whatever who love to study it and understand it, but i will just stick with what i know, like God sent his only son to die for my sins so I can be saved.
So Anyway, this CNN thing. It was very interesting, they had a lot of (apparently) well know people in the religious world. So we were watching these people, and they were all presently slight different views. Some I agreed with and some I wasn't so sure about. Ok for example, this one guy was shall we say lead to "emobilize christian voters". Which he was preaching saying that not voting is a sin. And that we need to vote the morals we follow..... I don't remember, thou shall always vote being a ten commandment?! Did I miss that one... heehee. I think he seemed a little extreame, but the real question is what is God going to say when he goes to heaven, good job? what were you doing? I don't know.
Here is another one, there was this guy who went to a scientic convention, and learned about how the earth is dieing from global warming. So because it says in Geneisis that we should take care of all Gods thing for God, this guy is saying that we are dishonoring God, by creating global warming. And that God was an environmentalist. WHAT? I don't know how i feel about that one.
How can people read the bible and see only what they want? Why do they interpret it in such different ways? Is it really that hard to interprete the words of God? Aren't they there in black and white?
Anyway, here is the one that really got to me. I hope this doesn't offend anyway, and I am open to hearing what everyone thinks, please. Jimmy Carter was being interviewed talking about how he sorta lost the second election because of this Christian movement or whatever. Well since then he has been a big guy in his church or whatever. Well in his baptist church they created and passed some kind of edict (i think). It goes something like this. The Bible teaches that wifes must be submissive to there husbands, therefore they are not allowed to be a pastor/leader of a church. That makes sense to me, because when i was little and i asked my dad why girls couldn't be pastors it was explained to me that, wives are supposed to be subbmissive to there husbands, and that Men are supposed to be leaders. Now I don't think that means a lady cannot go to seminary and get a pastoral degree and be a leader, but not of the entire church. Woman certainly can be leaders, and can be teachers, but not pastors. (i think) Mind you that Jimmy Carter thought this was wrong and woman could be pastors, so he started his own bapitist religion or whatever. But what I want to know is what is right? is there a right and a wrong? If a woman becomes a pastor and has all the correct theology and saves people in Jesus name, is God going to say to her when she get to heaven, good job, but you weren't supposed to be a pastor? Or is he going to be like oh well, its ok, cause you did such a good job furthering my kingdom. Is there really a right and a wrong answer about this one, or is it open to interpretation? How do we know God's interpretation?
My hubby didn't think it was a big deal, but to me it is cause i have always believed one thing, and if that is wrong i want to know. It kinda makes me think what else have i just assumed is right because i was told that when i was a child. Ok, ok I am not going to question everything and be paranoid, but it does make you wonder a little.
Well before this gets way to long, i am going to stop. Hopefully me next blog will be more light at heart.
(sorry for any spelling errors)
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Me & Hubby
About Me
- Marie
- This is a blog about whatever i am feeling or need to share, so i hope you enjoy! Middle child of a family of three. Two brothers, both awesome! (I can say that now that we are all older they won't beat me up) heehee. Been married two years now, and still love it. My husband is the greatest, especially cause he can put up with me, and still love me! :) what can i say i have quite a stubborn streak sometimes. No kids yet, but someday in the (hopefully) near future I want four! or and even number so there is no middle child. If you need to know more, just ask Enjoy!
4 comments:
WOW - heavy weekend :) I love that you think about this stuff and question it. And I'm proud of you for being willing to look at it and hear from others.
Ultimately, most of those differences are what I would call "non-essentials." And to me, when I'm confronted with those, I remember that what really matters is that I keep my heart and mind open to the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and remain teachable to the Spirit's leadings through the Word, my local church and to the coverings that that local body provides. And I know you agree that we have an awesome structure of that set up for us at CLC!
In my honest opinion, a lot of Christians get side-tracked and become less effective when they start making up doctrine and making up the rules as they go. Satan doesn't even have to do anything - just sit back and let them all confuse themselves and each other!
But again, it is good to think and pray over this stuff and reason it out together with our spouses. It's good to THINK about it, but not get consumed by it :)
Praying for you tomorrow. 11 a.m. :) Call me when you know something!
Marie, I did see bits a parts of this. AJ and I don't have cable, but Nana had the girls and we stayed in a hotel and after AJ went to bed, I was watching some of this. I did see some of the Jewish stuff while flipping channels. I also saw some of the stuff on voting such.
I do think voting is a responsibility that we have. I don't know if I would call failing to vote in an election a "sin". We do have a responsibility and a privelege.
There is a limit to the way we can influence public politics as Christians. We shouldn't want to see Christian morals behind government just because of a "majority" holds to them. Legislating morality only goes so far. It can (1) produce Pharisaicalism and (2) what matters most is the heart. [That being said, we shouldn't just throw morals out the window or let liberalism "have the day"}.
With respect to woman issues: this is tough and there are good theologians on both sides. I do think that things are pretty black and white.
(1) The qualifications of elders [pastors] are for men. See 1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 2:5-8.
(2) Paul is explicit that he does not permit women to teach over men, 1 Timothy 2:11-15. He grounds this in the created order of Adam and Eve.
If the Spirit is going to work, the Spirit works through the Word of God. The Spirit leads through the authority of the Word of God, so I'm glad your thinking about this stuff because it is important. The issue is one of obedience to God's Word.
Hermeneutics comes into play here. Also people have their own ideas and they try to justify them from the Word of God first rather than starting by saying "What does God teach." A good book that answers all the basic questions is Wayne Grudem's Evangelical Feminism & Biblical Truth .
Another tactic of Satan is to say "Has God reeeaaaaalllllyyy said," getting us to doubt the Word of God. Christian doctrine is that which comes out of God's Word. It's good to ask questions like you are doing. It is precisely right to ask: "What does the Bible say" and then "Is my view right or wrong according to the Bible." But when we take the plan view of Scripture and "twist" it, we are back to Genesis 3.
BTW, Jimmy Carter also said the Baptists are historically against forms (i.e. creeds) and doctrinal statements. That is not true. Carter argued this is "restrictive". (I'll document it sometime.) There is a value to creeds and confessions (I'll get you a copy of the sermon I'm just preached.)
I hope to blog on the value of Creeds in the future.
Keep persevering.
PS. Do you like this picture better for the profile or should I go back to Calvin and Hobbes?
Marie said "But what I want to know is what is right? is there a right and a wrong? If a woman becomes a pastor and has all the correct theology and saves people in Jesus name, is God going to say to her when she get to heaven, good job, but you weren't supposed to be a pastor? Or is he going to be like oh well, its ok, cause you did such a good job furthering my kingdom. Is there really a right and a wrong answer about this one, or is it open to interpretation? How do we know God's interpretation?"
(1) yes I think there is a right and a wrong one.
(2) We learn God's interpretation by seeking to pay attention to the clear words of the Bible. We make mistakes from time to time but we need to strive to do our best. Things are sufficiently clear.
(3) I'm not sure what God will say when we get to heaven. Some women pastors do believe in Jesus but in some denominations, opening the door to women pastors has been symptomatic of a larger problem: failure to listen to God's Word and obey. [Some of these denominations tolerate all kinds of wacky beliefs about Jesus, it become of a 'hodge-podge'.]
(4) There may be a woman pastor who is right down the line theologically. [I know a guy who knows one]. However, while that may be all good and people might get saved from her, that doesn't mean she is called to be the Pastor according to the Bible.
(5) Women can be involved in ministry and lead people to the Lord. Look at Priscilla and Aquila, husband and wife (Acts 18, Romans 16:3). It also seems that Phoebe was a 'servant of the church', the word for servant is the same word we get our word for deacons, Romans 16:1-2. Deacons "minister" to physical needs but do not teach God's Word or rule in the church as "elders/pastors".
Oh, about the environmentalist thing: There is Genesis 1:26-28 where ruling over creation is the idea of taking responsibility for it not abusing it.
There is something of a truth to the fact that environmentalism is a moral issue.
BUT Scripture also tells us the creation eagerly awaits the final redemption and that creation is set in slavery because of the effects of Adam's sin. Creation groans and suffers in pain like childbirth (Romans 8:18-22) so all the problems in the environment are not the immediate result of our misuse of creation but are the effects of the fall.
Some environmentalists look for a hope of us fixing everything in creation. However, the ultimate hope is Christ's return. Creation longs for the day we get resurrection bodies because then it gets fixed too.
Jesus talks about increased natural disasters in the end times before he returns. It may be soon or a long way off. BUT all to say, many environmentalist believe we can fix things apart from the BIblical worldview that says only Christ will fix it.
We should however seek to be responsible for our use of creation. It is a moral issue. I wouldn't place it as more important than a moral issue like abortion and the sanctity of human life. BUT it is important.
I don't think I'd say "Jesus is an environmentalist" however, God does value His creation. The problem is the effects of the fall.
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