Every major religion has a fundamental set of laws, most often through the written word (like the Christian Bible or Muslim Qur’an). Such texts outline the lifestyle expected of the adherents of the religions they represent. For example, the Christian Bible, as well as its moral standards (i.e. the Ten Commandments), are assumed by Christians to be the holy Word of a perfect and righteous God whose expectations are to be met. Since God exists on a spiritual level beyond that of human affairs, the things He says through the Bible are perfectly objective and rational. That is, Christians understand that the moral system God establishes in His Word is free of any unrighteous hate, bias, or prejudice. Even when God punishes individuals in the Bible, He does so to achieve a greater spiritual lesson for the whole church, such as the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). Therefore, one can only grasp the true message of the Bible if he or she is a Christian who believes in God’s existence, flawlessness, and omniscience.
Unfortunately, many people attempt to discredit the Bible by interpreting it through a non-Christian lens. This style of “analyzing” Scripture dooms the reader to an erroneous inspection of the biblical text, since he or she is now examining it using a different method than the one it was meant to be read with.
A common societal example of this dilemma is the accusation that the Bible teaches Christians to be “homophobes and sexist.” Such an assumption is created by most Christians’ aversion to homosexuality as a form of sexual immorality. The church often cites verses such as Romans 1:21, 26-28 to explain this aversion:
“For although [Mankind] knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened…Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another…Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion…Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.” (NIV)
While this passage does point out that homosexuality is wrong, and God’s punishment for Man’s pride, it does not call for the church to embrace homophobia or sexism. In fact, passages such as Acts 15:19-20 even command the church to reach out to those in danger of sexual immorality, in order to help them turn to Christ. This confirms the old saying, “God hates the sin—not the sinner.” Christians who morally stand against homosexuality (calmly arguing for a “straight” position is different than the hatred of homophobia), then, are simply agreeing with the religion (and, by extension, the lifestyle) they have chosen to follow. For example, one cannot claim to be a Muslim without trying to emulate Muhammad’s actions. Likewise, a Postmodernist considers himself subject to the ethical standards of his culture—which he believes are correct, if even for a short period of time. In conclusion, what is commonly labeled as “Christian homophobia” is really the Christian community taking a moral stand for the God they represent. If Christians do not take this moral stand, they will become hypocrites in God’s sight—even if they gain the love of the world and its “tolerance.” Logically, however, Man’s applause should mean nothing to the Christian. Rather, it is much more acceptable to stand before God with a firm moral backbone, yet hated by the world.
As to the charge that Christians are sexist, the aforementioned principles of Biblical examination also apply. For example, the Genesis account clearly establishes women as the “completers” of men. For example, after creating the sea and the land, God created the creatures that would fill them, such as fish, birds, and other animals. After creating Adam, God proceeded to take his rib to create the first woman, Eve. Just as the animals filled the other areas of the earth, God made Eve to bring fulfillment to Adam’s wife. In God’s words, “it is not good for man to be alone.” In fact, some people even use this event to make the argument that the Bible teaches that women are the pinnacle of Creation. For instance, Biblical characters such as Deborah show the significance of women and their leadership skills. Even Rahab was used by God to help save the Israelites and their leaders, and Ruth’s actions ended up rescuing the Messianic Line. In fact, the Book of Proverbs often portrays Wisdom as a woman. Also, without women, it is impossible to obey God’s cultural mandate—for man to multiply in the earth and subdue it. As well, in a traditional, monogamous marriage, a man’s wife often saves him from making brash decisions. In addition, a woman’s stronger connection to her emotions is necessary to balance, and even enhance, her husband’s masculinity. Husbands and wives have one main duty to each other—to make the other stronger in Christ. Such a spiritual duty is not laid on one spouse alone, but is meant to be equally shared by both people in the relationship. In comparison with ideologies such as Islam and Secular Humanism, Christianity also elevates women. The respect Christianity gives to women, as well as their spiritual duties, fully outclasses the childbearing role granted to them in Islam. Even secular thinkers see both women and men as “matter in motion”—that is, there are no moral absolutes that govern the way women should be treated (“all is matter”); therefore, they have no spiritual or emotional significance, either. In conclusion, the Biblical/Christian view of women is far from “sexist;” rather, it renders all genders equal before the power of a holy God.
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