Of Killer Whales and Goring Oxen

Avoiding a Repeat of the Worst Mistake in Christian History
Here is a link to a story that illustrates for me that some Christians have still not learned one of the biggest lessons of Church history. For those who don't want to read the article, a theologian is suggesting that Tilly the killer whale should die based on the laws of the goring ox found in Exodus 21. This story about someone trying to apply scripture may seem innocuous at worst, and to some even laudable. To me it betrays both a deep ignorance of scripture and a failure to understand our past blunders.

The Scriptural Problem
This person's 'literal' reading of scripture fails to understand one of the most important features of the law. The law was given to a theocratic state where religion and government were essentially the same. Today we would call this the union of church and state. Unless Sea World, or the US is under theocratic rule, this argument holds no water.

The Failure to Understand Church History
Someone might argue that the union of church and state would be a good thing. I would respond that we already tried that in medieval Europe. The union of church and state was one of the the biggest mistakes in the history of the church. It was the root that gave birth to the two worst happenings in the history of the church: 1) the crusades, and 2) the exportation of culture and imperialism under the guise of missions. Both of these happenings were the fully grown fruit of the union of church and state. In both cases, Christians packaged the gospel with their own culture and government.The separation of church and state is a good thing for both the church and the state.

What do you think? Do you think this theologian has a point? Or do you think he is totally off base?

He Said What?!

In my younger years, I had Sunday School teachers who not only taught against cussing, but even taught against using our Christian cussing alternatives. Anyone who grew up in Church knows the Christian cuss words: freakin', frappin', darn, crap, heck, shoot, dad-gum-it (huh?!), and a whole host of other creative terms. These were our acceptable alternatives where a cruder person would insert a cuss word.

In my later years, where I have had a broader exposure to varied types of Christians, I have encountered both those agree with the teaching of my youth, and those who freely insert cuss words where they are appropriate. Experiences in seminary brought this into stark contrast. On the stricter side, I had a fellow student tell me that one of the first things he tried to achieve in discipleship was cleaning up someone's language. This, he said, was one of the easiest and most tangible ways that a person can experience the transformative power of Christ. On the free side of things, I had a professor who, over the course of a semester used the word $#!t no less than 10 times. The first couple of times there was an audible gasp in the room.

Some issues that I think are pertinent here are balancing Christian freedom with Christian witness, the standard of Ephesians 4.29 (does this verse ban cussing as many claim?), and balancing our culture's expectations of Christians (non-drinking, non-cussing, family-values-oriented conservatives) with Christ's expectations of Christians.

So what do you think? Is it wrong for Christians to use words considered crude by our culture, or is it OK to use them when appropriate?

Drunk Preacher

I hate it when I get lumped into a "we" that I want nothing to do with. Christians are especially bad about this. For whatever reason, believers are under the delusion that true faith in Christ necessarily leads to their position on all sorts of things. It is not uncommon to here things like, "Of course, we're all Republican here..." or "We believe the world was created in 6 days about 10,000 years ago..." or "Of course we all know that miraculous gifts have ceased..."

The "we" that concerns me now is "We as Christians don't drink." I cannot tell you how many times someone has said that and looked at me as if they were stating obvious blatant fact. Many Christians were raised to believe that the Bible flatly condemns the consumption of alcohol. I know I was.

However, as I grew into my faith, and read the scripture for myself, I discovered that the case against alcohol consumption is as flimsy as a wet Kleenex. I don't want to sound dismissive, but I cannot fathom how someone could read the NT and think that there was something innately wrong with drinking alcohol. If so, Jesus is a sinner, and Paul actually suggested that Timothy sin to cure his stomach ache.

Having said that, I understand the need for caution here. I understand why some people scared by the abuse of alcohol, or by the appearance of approving the abuse of alcohol abstain from it altogether.

So where are you on this issue? Those of you who know me know my position (and for those who don't, I am a bit of a beer connoisseur). What issues are important for you as you think about this?

'Pro-Choice Christian' an Oxymoron?

Our current president is a pro-choice Democrat. One day, after President Obama was elected, I was in a prayer meeting. As we were sharing requests, one friend suggested that we "pray for the salvation of our president." I mentioned that our president claims Christianity as his religion. "Why don't you think President Obama is a Christian?" I asked. "He is pro-choice. He is obviously not a believer."

Following the logic here, these things seem to be suggested in that comment: 1) Pro-life-ism is the only legitimate Christian position.  2) Therefore every true Christian must be pro-life. 3) So then, a pro-choice person is not Christian, because being both pro-choice and Christian would be an oxymoron.

Here are my questions: Is it incompatible to be both pro-choice and Christian? Or is it possible to be both? Is a pro-life stance on abortion one of the "essentials" upon which we must have unity?

Preemptive Notice: I do not want to hear about whether you think President Obama is a Christian or not. That is not for us to debate or decide. Second, I do not want to hear your argument for or against either the pro-life or the pro-choice position. Finally, yes, I am pro-life. You don't need to try to persuade me.