Monday, December 11, 2006

On the Fritz

Apparently, just today, another Colorado pastor has resigned due to -- how to put this delicately -- a "personal failure" relating to his sexual orientation.

I remember many years ago when a big name TV preacher/singer broke down and cried proclaiming "I have sinned against you, Oh Lord." This prompted Christian rock singer Steve Taylor (who was attacked by the same crowd for using rock music) to write a song about the hypocrisy of people like this living two lives: one public one, wherein they had a veneer of righteousness; and another, private one, wherein they lived a life exactly against what they preached about the loudest.

Actually, when I read the Gospels, I see a Jesus who accepts human failure without condemnation. They woman at the well, the woman allegedly caught in adultery and many others. The issue of homosexuality was never dealt with in the gospels. However, based on the treatment of other sexual issues that I listed above, I get the distinct impression that the corrupting influence of human sexual needs was not a major issue for Jesus. Why it has become such a major issue for modern evangelicals can be puzzling to outsiders. I grew up in that culture, but it has been so many years since I was part of that mindset that it doesn't make sense anymore.

So, for your viewership, Steve Taylor's On the Fritz:



You can find the lyrics here.

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