How Did We Miss It?

This week's episode on the need for boldness in the face of the bullying from those who oppose the moral truth of the Word, Stand or Fold, has picked up a life of its own. In the wake of its popularity, I started thinking more about how we got here. How did we get to the point where sexual immorality, especially homosexuality, is more accepted than Biblical truth even by many who claim to be Christians?

One of them I addressed in the program is that we're not teaching the Word as truth. I don't believe this is intentional nor do I believe that those doing the teaching deny the truth of Scripture. It's that we use the language of fiction to teach about real events and real people. Talking about Bible characters and teaching Bible stories makes it seem like morality tales not much different than Aesop's Fables.  They're just stories that didn't really happen. That's what we're conveying without really meaning it. Younger generations raised in the church don't have the grasp of Biblical reality that they needed to go out into a hostile world.

However, I think I understand something as I've looked at the issue from another angle. At the beginning of the heat on water being turned up, we didn't take it seriously. Our cultural frog was cooked because even when we noticed the water getting warm, we never believed it would ever get hot enough to boil. It took decades to get here. Evil is more patient than we are. As a whole, the church isn't very good at seeing how things play out in the long game.

The decline started a long time ago, the 50's to be more exact. It started with that piece of fiction known as the Kinsey Report and the publication of Playboy. These two launched the normalization of sexual immorality into popular culture. Kinsey especially with its almost scientific sounding work and the pushing of homosexuality as just another acceptable part of human sexuality. (The report also pushed pedophilia as normal and children as young as infants as sexual beings). Most of the church ignored these events as the culture of the time didn't as openly embrace either of these, although Playboy did make several ripples in the social fabric.

Starting with these two events, those who embraced these ideas pushed them into the forefront through entertainment. Over time, resistance was worn down. When Ellen Degeneres came out as a lesbian, there was a small furor but not much. Her show only got cancelled because it lost its charm when it became all about her being gay. The humor was stripped from it. Then came shows proclaiming that not only was homosexuality normal, gays were cooler than everybody else. Queer Eye for The Straight Guy was about a group of gay men fixing a clueless straight man. People ate it up.

At the same time, morality standards were dropping in other areas. In the 90's, the Federal Government's standards on obscenity were no longer enforced. At a time when the internet was just beginning to explode, the graphic nature of pornography went wild. Twenty plus years later, it's embedded so deep in our culture that we may never be free of its influence.

And what was the church doing when we could have done something to stem the tide? Ignoring it. Not like today when we're afraid to deal with it because of the hate mail and fear of losing people but because we didn't see the danger. The prevailing attitude of the day was that this was so obviously wrong that we didn't need to say so. Everyone sitting in the pews knew homosexuality was wrong. They knew that sex outside of marriage and porn was wrong. Why insult their intelligence by telling them what they already know?

And that's precisely the problem. Certainly, most of the people in church in those days did know that. Most of us assumed that what wasn't being said in church was being said at home. It obviously wasn't. The later generations never heard it and were more easily swayed from the truth of the Word. People who never really got that the Bible is history and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit were more easily deceived by the messages the world was sending. Add in the absurd idea that loving someone means supporting everything they do, and we have our current problem. So when we ask, "Why are people surprised when we believe what Christianity has taught from the beginning?" we need to consider that they may actually have never heard it before.

We need to always be bold preaching the Word, now more than ever. Fearless preachers and Christians can always make a difference when empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit. The truth of God's Word will not change no matter how much anyone might want it to. Our call to be gentle and bold must be fulfilled. The bullies and the hateful are here. Those who call evil good and good evil are more powerful than ever. We can't change what has already happened, we can only be faithful today.

On Bigotry and Racism

Let me begin by stating one thing without reservation: I hate bigotry and racism with a deep passion. I don't care who the object of the hatred is whether black, white, latino, jew, Italians, Irish, or any other race or ethnicity. To hate an entire group because of their country of origin, skin color, or ethnicity is irrational and evil. I believe in Dr. King's dream that we would be judged by the content of our character and not the color of our skin. I wish that his work had not been undone.

I have the fruit on the tree, if you will. For several years, I served in a number of ministries working towards racial and denominational reconciliation, most of whom lead by black pastors. My lovely bride and I spent fifteen years in inner city ministry. During that time, I served as teaching and administrative pastor in a mixed race congregation and community outreach center. We lived in a mixed race neighborhood for thirteen years that became a predominantly black neighborhood. I'm not saying all this to brag but more as a pedigree so that my credibility might be established.

It's so easy to stand against the obvious hate. The KKK and other white supremacist groups are overt and blatant in their hatred of other races especially blacks and jews. Since many people I care about fall into both of these groups, the idea that anyone would want to hurt them for no reason other than the color of their skin fills me with a rage that only time and prayer can calm. Opposing their filthy ideology is the only rational thing to do but not with violence. As the Scriptures say:

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore 

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; 

If he is thirsty, give him a drink; 

For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Romans 12:14-21

I have seen this type of overt racism on display all my life but not always from whites who hate blacks. I've heard it from blacks who hate whites and jews, blacks and whites who both hate Mexicans, Mexicans who hate everybody. Hatred and bigotry are universal. Anyone can be filled with this vile poison. The reason we left the neighborhood was because my two sons were jumped because they were white. They were kids who dared to walk down the street. Speed was their only salvation. Most of the people living there at the time and, I assume, to this day are decent people who harbor no ill will towards anyone. In all cases, it is the vocal and often violent minority that are the problem.

These are the easy ones to spot. Most of the racism I see today is not quite so obvious. The blatant ones are the people denying jobs or homes to people based on race. The far more devious beliefs are often masked behind seemingly good intentions. They're so deep and hidden that the people who hold them don't believe that they're are racist. Most believe that they're fighting racism.

I'm talking about the soft bigotry of low expectations. This takes the form of beliefs such as the idea that minorities aren't able to get IDs on their own so shouldn't be expected to have them to vote. Perhaps it's seen in demanding lower requirements for admission into colleges or job advancement. Although these seem like the right thing to do, in reality they are, along with anything else in this line of thought, the message is clear that those who believe them are a different form of white supremacist. They feel guilty about their beliefs but act and speak in ways that confirm that they believe that racial and ethnic minorities are inferior and can only succeed with the help of their superiors.

This type of bigotry is the root of the need to keep minorities feeling like victims. Anger and the assumption of racism are the result. Proponents of this racism teach minorities to assume racial motivations behind everything. This, in and of itself, is a form of bigotry and racism.

I dream of the day when we can actually come back together as one American people. Our currency reads the Latin motto, "E Pluribus Unim." This means from many, one. There will always be disagreements and there will always be hatred and bigotry. It's up to us, the Body of Christ, to be instruments of peace and reconciliation. We must reject all forms of racism and see everyone as individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender. The love of God must flow through us to break through and bring unity wherever we can. Hearts and minds are changed one at a time.

Reject hate. Reject violence. Embrace love and mercy.