我覺得我對基督教的看法可能是錯的 (转载)# LES - 同女之舞
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【 以下文字转载自 TrustInJesus 讨论区 】
发信人: Eloihim (真神), 信区: TrustInJesus
标 题: 我覺得我對基督教的看法可能是錯的
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Thu May 17 23:19:45 2012, 美东)
我一直認為基督教最後會死在進化論上， 教育普及以後，信基督教就像信
地球是平的一樣是難為情的事， 一兩代以後就不會有什麼人信了。 這看法
未必錯，不過我最近領悟到同性戀問題可能提早把基督教消滅， 這幾年正是
tipping point, 加州的 Prop. 8, 北卡的 Amendment 1 把基督教牢牢釘在
恐同反同的一方， 這如這篇博文講的， 也許基督徒贏了文化戰爭中的幾個
戰役， 卻失去一整代年輕人， 當基督教擺明與他們的同性戀朋友為敵，他們
自然不會再認同基督教。
當猶太人迫害耶穌時，比拉多洗手撇清。
當基督教迫害同志時，年輕人洗腳走開。
http://rachelheldevans.com/win-culture-war-lose-generation-amen
How to win a culture war and lose a generation
When asked by The Barna Group what words or phrases best describe
Christianity, the top response among Americans ages 16-29 was “
antihomosexual.” For a staggering 91 percent of non-Christians, this was
the first word that came to their mind when asked about the Christian faith.
The same was true for 80 percent of young churchgoers. (The next most
common negative images? : “judgmental,” “hypocritical,” and “too
involved in politics.”)
In the book that documents these findings, titled unChristian, David
Kinnaman writes:
“The gay issue has become the ‘big one, the negative image most likely to
be intertwined with Christianity’s reputation. It is also the dimensions
that most clearly demonstrates the unchristian faith to young people today,
surfacing in a spate of negative perceptions: judgmental, bigoted, sheltered
, right-wingers, hypocritical, insincere, and uncaring. Outsiders say [
Christian] hostility toward gays...has become virtually synonymous with the
Christian faith.”
Later research, documented in Kinnaman’s You Lost Me, reveals that one of
the top reasons 59 percent of young adults with a Christian background have
left the church is because they perceive the church to be too exclusive,
particularly regarding their LGBT friends. Eight million twenty-somethings
have left the church, and this is one reason why.
In my experience, all the anecdotal evidence backs up the research.
When I speak at Christian colleges, I often take time to chat with students
in the cafeteria. When I ask them what issues are most important to them,
they consistently report that they are frustrated by how the Church has
treated their gay and lesbian friends. Some of these students would say
they most identify with what groups like the Gay Christian Network term “
Side A” (they believe homosexual relationships have the same value as
heterosexual relations in the sight of God). Others better identify with “
Side B” (they believe only male/female relationship in marriage is God’s
intent for sexuality). But every single student I have spoken with believes
that the Church has mishandled its response to homosexuality.
Most have close gay and lesbian friends.
Most feel that the Church’s response to homosexuality is partly responsible
for high rates of depression and suicide among their gay and lesbian
friends, particularly those who are gay and Christian.
Most are highly suspicious of “ex-gay” ministries that encourage men and
women with same-sex attractions to marry members of the opposite sex in
spite of their feelings.
Most feel that the church is complicit, at least at some level, in anti-gay
bullying.
And most...I daresay all...have expressed to me passionate opposition to
legislative action against gays and lesbians.
“When evangelicals turn their anti-gay sentiments into a political campaign
,” one college senior on her way to graduate school told me, “all it does
is confirm to my gay friends that they will never be welcome in the church.
It makes them bitter, and it makes me mad too. This is why I never refer to
myself as an evangelical. Ugh. I’m embarrassed to be part of that group.”
I can relate.
When Tennessee added an amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex
marriage (even though it was already illegal in the state), members of my
church at the time put signs in the yard declaring support for the
initiative. From my perspective, the message this sent to the entire
community was simple: EVERYONE BUT GAYS WELCOME.
Dan and I left the church soon afterwards.
Which brings me to North Carolina and Amendment One.
Despite the fact that the North Carolina law already holds that marriage in
the eyes of state is only between a man and a woman, an amendment was put on
the ballot to permanently ban same-sex marriage in the state constitution.
The initiative doesn’t appear to change anything on a practical level, (
though some are saying it may have unintended negative consequences on
heterosexual relationships), but seems to serve primarily as an ideological
statement
....an expensive, destructive, and impractical ideological statement.
Conservatives in the state—who you would think would be more opposed to
tampering with constitutions—supported the amendment, and last night it
passed. Religious leaders led the charge in support of the amendment, with
93-year-old Billy Graham taking out multiple ads in publications across the
state supporting the measure.
As I watched my Facebook and Twitter feeds last night, the reaction among my
friends fell into an imperfect but highly predictable pattern. Christians
over 40 were celebrating. Christians under 40 were mourning. Reading
through the comments, the same thought kept returning to my mind as occurred
to me when I first saw that Billy Graham ad: You’re losing us.
I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again...(though I’m
starting to think that no one is listening):
My generation is tired of the culture wars.
We are tired of fighting, tired of vain efforts to advance the Kingdom
through politics and power, tired of drawing lines in the sand, tired of
being known for what we are against, not what we are for.
And when it comes to homosexuality, we no longer think in the black-and-
white categories of the generations before ours. We know too many wonderful
people from the LGBT community to consider homosexuality a mere “issue.”
These are people, and they are our friends. When they tell us that something
hurts them, we listen. And Amendment One hurts like hell.
Regardless of whether you identify most with Side A or Side B, (or with one
of the many variations within those two broad categories), it should be
clear that amendments like these needlessly offend gays and lesbians, damage
the reputation of Christians, and further alienate young adults—both
Christians and non-Christian—from the Church.
So my question for those evangelicals leading the charge in the culture wars
is this: Is it worth it?
Is a political “victory” really worth losing millions more young people to
cynicism regarding the Church?
Is a political “victory” worth further alienating people who identify as
LGBT?
Is a political “victory” worth perpetuating the idea that evangelical
Christians are at war with gays and lesbians?
And is a political “victory” worth drowning out that quiet but persistent
internal voice that asks—what if we get this wrong?
Too many Christian leaders seem to think the answer to that question is “
yes,” and it's costing them.
Because young Christians are ready for peace.
We are ready to lay down our arms.
We are ready to stop waging war and start washing feet.
And if we cannot find that sort of peace within the Church, I fear we will
look for it elsewhere.
***
发信人: Eloihim (真神), 信区: TrustInJesus
标 题: 我覺得我對基督教的看法可能是錯的
发信站: BBS 未名空间站 (Thu May 17 23:19:45 2012, 美东)
我一直認為基督教最後會死在進化論上， 教育普及以後，信基督教就像信
地球是平的一樣是難為情的事， 一兩代以後就不會有什麼人信了。 這看法
未必錯，不過我最近領悟到同性戀問題可能提早把基督教消滅， 這幾年正是
tipping point, 加州的 Prop. 8, 北卡的 Amendment 1 把基督教牢牢釘在
恐同反同的一方， 這如這篇博文講的， 也許基督徒贏了文化戰爭中的幾個
戰役， 卻失去一整代年輕人， 當基督教擺明與他們的同性戀朋友為敵，他們
自然不會再認同基督教。
當猶太人迫害耶穌時，比拉多洗手撇清。
當基督教迫害同志時，年輕人洗腳走開。
http://rachelheldevans.com/win-culture-war-lose-generation-amen
How to win a culture war and lose a generation
When asked by The Barna Group what words or phrases best describe
Christianity, the top response among Americans ages 16-29 was “
antihomosexual.” For a staggering 91 percent of non-Christians, this was
the first word that came to their mind when asked about the Christian faith.
The same was true for 80 percent of young churchgoers. (The next most
common negative images? : “judgmental,” “hypocritical,” and “too
involved in politics.”)
In the book that documents these findings, titled unChristian, David
Kinnaman writes:
“The gay issue has become the ‘big one, the negative image most likely to
be intertwined with Christianity’s reputation. It is also the dimensions
that most clearly demonstrates the unchristian faith to young people today,
surfacing in a spate of negative perceptions: judgmental, bigoted, sheltered
, right-wingers, hypocritical, insincere, and uncaring. Outsiders say [
Christian] hostility toward gays...has become virtually synonymous with the
Christian faith.”
Later research, documented in Kinnaman’s You Lost Me, reveals that one of
the top reasons 59 percent of young adults with a Christian background have
left the church is because they perceive the church to be too exclusive,
particularly regarding their LGBT friends. Eight million twenty-somethings
have left the church, and this is one reason why.
In my experience, all the anecdotal evidence backs up the research.
When I speak at Christian colleges, I often take time to chat with students
in the cafeteria. When I ask them what issues are most important to them,
they consistently report that they are frustrated by how the Church has
treated their gay and lesbian friends. Some of these students would say
they most identify with what groups like the Gay Christian Network term “
Side A” (they believe homosexual relationships have the same value as
heterosexual relations in the sight of God). Others better identify with “
Side B” (they believe only male/female relationship in marriage is God’s
intent for sexuality). But every single student I have spoken with believes
that the Church has mishandled its response to homosexuality.
Most have close gay and lesbian friends.
Most feel that the Church’s response to homosexuality is partly responsible
for high rates of depression and suicide among their gay and lesbian
friends, particularly those who are gay and Christian.
Most are highly suspicious of “ex-gay” ministries that encourage men and
women with same-sex attractions to marry members of the opposite sex in
spite of their feelings.
Most feel that the church is complicit, at least at some level, in anti-gay
bullying.
And most...I daresay all...have expressed to me passionate opposition to
legislative action against gays and lesbians.
“When evangelicals turn their anti-gay sentiments into a political campaign
,” one college senior on her way to graduate school told me, “all it does
is confirm to my gay friends that they will never be welcome in the church.
It makes them bitter, and it makes me mad too. This is why I never refer to
myself as an evangelical. Ugh. I’m embarrassed to be part of that group.”
I can relate.
When Tennessee added an amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex
marriage (even though it was already illegal in the state), members of my
church at the time put signs in the yard declaring support for the
initiative. From my perspective, the message this sent to the entire
community was simple: EVERYONE BUT GAYS WELCOME.
Dan and I left the church soon afterwards.
Which brings me to North Carolina and Amendment One.
Despite the fact that the North Carolina law already holds that marriage in
the eyes of state is only between a man and a woman, an amendment was put on
the ballot to permanently ban same-sex marriage in the state constitution.
The initiative doesn’t appear to change anything on a practical level, (
though some are saying it may have unintended negative consequences on
heterosexual relationships), but seems to serve primarily as an ideological
statement
....an expensive, destructive, and impractical ideological statement.
Conservatives in the state—who you would think would be more opposed to
tampering with constitutions—supported the amendment, and last night it
passed. Religious leaders led the charge in support of the amendment, with
93-year-old Billy Graham taking out multiple ads in publications across the
state supporting the measure.
As I watched my Facebook and Twitter feeds last night, the reaction among my
friends fell into an imperfect but highly predictable pattern. Christians
over 40 were celebrating. Christians under 40 were mourning. Reading
through the comments, the same thought kept returning to my mind as occurred
to me when I first saw that Billy Graham ad: You’re losing us.
I’ve said it a million times, and I’ll say it again...(though I’m
starting to think that no one is listening):
My generation is tired of the culture wars.
We are tired of fighting, tired of vain efforts to advance the Kingdom
through politics and power, tired of drawing lines in the sand, tired of
being known for what we are against, not what we are for.
And when it comes to homosexuality, we no longer think in the black-and-
white categories of the generations before ours. We know too many wonderful
people from the LGBT community to consider homosexuality a mere “issue.”
These are people, and they are our friends. When they tell us that something
hurts them, we listen. And Amendment One hurts like hell.
Regardless of whether you identify most with Side A or Side B, (or with one
of the many variations within those two broad categories), it should be
clear that amendments like these needlessly offend gays and lesbians, damage
the reputation of Christians, and further alienate young adults—both
Christians and non-Christian—from the Church.
So my question for those evangelicals leading the charge in the culture wars
is this: Is it worth it?
Is a political “victory” really worth losing millions more young people to
cynicism regarding the Church?
Is a political “victory” worth further alienating people who identify as
LGBT?
Is a political “victory” worth perpetuating the idea that evangelical
Christians are at war with gays and lesbians?
And is a political “victory” worth drowning out that quiet but persistent
internal voice that asks—what if we get this wrong?
Too many Christian leaders seem to think the answer to that question is “
yes,” and it's costing them.
Because young Christians are ready for peace.
We are ready to lay down our arms.
We are ready to stop waging war and start washing feet.
And if we cannot find that sort of peace within the Church, I fear we will
look for it elsewhere.
***
