The Worst Sin Is To Be Religious
While the media has focused us on recent Supreme Court rulings, another big news item went unnoticed. The other day I learned that the Christian organization Exodus International had shut its doors. Its president no longer believes they can do what they have promised for over 25 years.
In case you haven't heard of them, Exodus International was one of the power players in the evangelical world. Their mission was to bring people out of homosexuality by way of Christianity. Serving generations, they ran conferences, trainings, inspired support groups all in the name of changing homosexual orientation. Churches referred people to them or created their own sub-groups. They were a very big deal for a long time.
Two weeks ago its president pulled the plug. Exodus had not been successful. Some people were still attracted to the same sex, including the president who was faithfully married in a 16-year heterosexual relationship. The organization no longer believed in what they had stood for.
The issues the North American evangelistic church has gripped so fiercely have been falling away like scales the past 20 years. Remember when divorce was taboo? Don't even think about remarriage. Churches would not perform weddings if you weren't a member - not to mention pregnant. Speaking of pregnancy, having a child "out of wedlock" put a big red letter on your chest. Living together was horrendous and abortion was murder. Working mothers weren't as godly as those who stayed home and homosexuality was a sin. Pouf - there you go. That's church.
Well, there's more to sin than that. A thoughtful article by Janie B. Cheaney in World Magazine causes the reader to think about what happens if God doesn't change your orientation after you have begged him to. She came to the conclusion that the conversation shouldn't just be whether one is gay or not, but whether we are aiming to live a holy life. I like that.
For years we have watched legalistic "religious" people point fingers at anyone that doesn't fit their slim mold. They believe their righteous opinions are just, so it's okay to judge and look away. I've watched churches not welcome people on a Sunday because of how they dressed or smelled. I've seen people sit in a Bible study year after year to learn more about God yet refuse to go help in a children's class because it meets at the same time. I've been judged because I wear earrings. If that same person now knew I was once even divorced... I have seen adored speakers off stage and cringed at their behavior.
What's left to thump on the table now? Every one of the things that were hot, defining issues in the 1980s are now part of the fiber of our culture. The church can no longer afford to distance itself from the culture. It must stop looking for the person who sins worse than us and focus on the kind of church Jesus would want to go to. I doubt many of the ones out there today would make the cut.
All the while the outward shunning and judging were going on, leaders were addicted to porn or worse, financial decisions were made to please the biggest benefactors, people were placed in positions based on who their family was, ministries were funded or underfunded because of internal politics and prayer chains were the morally accepted gossip chain. Leadership boards were composed of good ol boys clubs. Numbers and programs became more important than loving people in the ever important quest to increase attendance. Forget content, forget individuals and grow that attendance pumpkin overnight or get out. Abortion protestors were murdered in the name of saving a baby's life. Remember all of the above was done in the name of God.
With each passing decade, the North American church has become more a place of business than a place of worship. No wonder so many people think it is not relevant in their everyday lives. I can't believe this is what Jesus came to die for. He doesn't set low standards. And we have proof that he sought out people, never discarding or wounding them. The Old Testament ways have been replaced.
It is not okay to leave people in the dust because someone has been deemed to be a sinner or not welcome someone just because you personally already have enough friends. You can be friendly. You can care. You can love.
I honestly believe that on that judgement day we aren't going to be asked how many verses we've memorized. I think we're going to be asked how we loved and what we did for God.
In case you haven't heard of them, Exodus International was one of the power players in the evangelical world. Their mission was to bring people out of homosexuality by way of Christianity. Serving generations, they ran conferences, trainings, inspired support groups all in the name of changing homosexual orientation. Churches referred people to them or created their own sub-groups. They were a very big deal for a long time.
Two weeks ago its president pulled the plug. Exodus had not been successful. Some people were still attracted to the same sex, including the president who was faithfully married in a 16-year heterosexual relationship. The organization no longer believed in what they had stood for.
The issues the North American evangelistic church has gripped so fiercely have been falling away like scales the past 20 years. Remember when divorce was taboo? Don't even think about remarriage. Churches would not perform weddings if you weren't a member - not to mention pregnant. Speaking of pregnancy, having a child "out of wedlock" put a big red letter on your chest. Living together was horrendous and abortion was murder. Working mothers weren't as godly as those who stayed home and homosexuality was a sin. Pouf - there you go. That's church.
Well, there's more to sin than that. A thoughtful article by Janie B. Cheaney in World Magazine causes the reader to think about what happens if God doesn't change your orientation after you have begged him to. She came to the conclusion that the conversation shouldn't just be whether one is gay or not, but whether we are aiming to live a holy life. I like that.
For years we have watched legalistic "religious" people point fingers at anyone that doesn't fit their slim mold. They believe their righteous opinions are just, so it's okay to judge and look away. I've watched churches not welcome people on a Sunday because of how they dressed or smelled. I've seen people sit in a Bible study year after year to learn more about God yet refuse to go help in a children's class because it meets at the same time. I've been judged because I wear earrings. If that same person now knew I was once even divorced... I have seen adored speakers off stage and cringed at their behavior.
What's left to thump on the table now? Every one of the things that were hot, defining issues in the 1980s are now part of the fiber of our culture. The church can no longer afford to distance itself from the culture. It must stop looking for the person who sins worse than us and focus on the kind of church Jesus would want to go to. I doubt many of the ones out there today would make the cut.
All the while the outward shunning and judging were going on, leaders were addicted to porn or worse, financial decisions were made to please the biggest benefactors, people were placed in positions based on who their family was, ministries were funded or underfunded because of internal politics and prayer chains were the morally accepted gossip chain. Leadership boards were composed of good ol boys clubs. Numbers and programs became more important than loving people in the ever important quest to increase attendance. Forget content, forget individuals and grow that attendance pumpkin overnight or get out. Abortion protestors were murdered in the name of saving a baby's life. Remember all of the above was done in the name of God.
With each passing decade, the North American church has become more a place of business than a place of worship. No wonder so many people think it is not relevant in their everyday lives. I can't believe this is what Jesus came to die for. He doesn't set low standards. And we have proof that he sought out people, never discarding or wounding them. The Old Testament ways have been replaced.
It is not okay to leave people in the dust because someone has been deemed to be a sinner or not welcome someone just because you personally already have enough friends. You can be friendly. You can care. You can love.
I honestly believe that on that judgement day we aren't going to be asked how many verses we've memorized. I think we're going to be asked how we loved and what we did for God.
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