God is love - a Lenten series 22 Love goes beyond the book
*trigger warning*
I used to be a "Biblical" Christian. But as I've written before, I now consider myself a "compassionate" Christian. Here is how Biblical christianity plays out.
Can a couple make love when the wife has her menses? - Not according to Moses see Leviticus 15:19.
Can gay people have a loving marriage? - Not if they are men, God hates that. Leviticus 18:22, see also 20:13, 15 - 16 and Romans 1:24, 26 - 27.
Can healers help people on the Sabbath? - No, you have 6 days to work, you must rest on the 7th day. Exodus 31:13; Jeremiah 17:21-23 ; Nehemiah 13:19
But Jesus ignored the book when it interfered with compassion. He healed on the Sabbath. In fact he did it so much his "by the book" religious opponents got infuriated with him and accused him of violating the book. Here is one story from Luke 13.
Jesus does not let the book interfere with compassion. Sometimes the book can be used to avoid consequences. The book does not speak to statutory rape. When an American youth pastor takes advantage of a teenager in his youth group, his church will not turn him into the police. The youth pastor will be "disciplined" by his church, but be sent off with a going away party, though chastened by his "mistake". His victim remains devastated. And when that pastor moves to another church and gains national prominence and writes books about sexual purity, the victim is shamed for telling her story. She is blamed for not forgiving and forgetting. Because that is what the book says to do. Because the victimizer did everything by the book, though not the laws of his state, because he is held to a "higher" authority. There is an authority higher than that book, it's the law of love. Love guides a church to side with victims. Love guides a married couple to decide when they make love. Love enables a couple to marry, no matter their gender. Love heals on the day of rest. Love is the arbiter.
Here is Jules Woodson's story from the New York Times about her victimizer Andy Savage, who received a standing ovation for his confession of sexually assaulting her.
I used to be a "Biblical" Christian. But as I've written before, I now consider myself a "compassionate" Christian. Here is how Biblical christianity plays out.
Can a couple make love when the wife has her menses? - Not according to Moses see Leviticus 15:19.
Can gay people have a loving marriage? - Not if they are men, God hates that. Leviticus 18:22, see also 20:13, 15 - 16 and Romans 1:24, 26 - 27.
Can healers help people on the Sabbath? - No, you have 6 days to work, you must rest on the 7th day. Exodus 31:13; Jeremiah 17:21-23 ; Nehemiah 13:19
But Jesus ignored the book when it interfered with compassion. He healed on the Sabbath. In fact he did it so much his "by the book" religious opponents got infuriated with him and accused him of violating the book. Here is one story from Luke 13.
14 But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.”
15 But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? 16 This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”
17 This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did.
Jesus does not let the book interfere with compassion. Sometimes the book can be used to avoid consequences. The book does not speak to statutory rape. When an American youth pastor takes advantage of a teenager in his youth group, his church will not turn him into the police. The youth pastor will be "disciplined" by his church, but be sent off with a going away party, though chastened by his "mistake". His victim remains devastated. And when that pastor moves to another church and gains national prominence and writes books about sexual purity, the victim is shamed for telling her story. She is blamed for not forgiving and forgetting. Because that is what the book says to do. Because the victimizer did everything by the book, though not the laws of his state, because he is held to a "higher" authority. There is an authority higher than that book, it's the law of love. Love guides a church to side with victims. Love guides a married couple to decide when they make love. Love enables a couple to marry, no matter their gender. Love heals on the day of rest. Love is the arbiter.
Here is Jules Woodson's story from the New York Times about her victimizer Andy Savage, who received a standing ovation for his confession of sexually assaulting her.
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