Nov 10 2008
Church: Why Doesn’t Anybody Like It?
I love controversial, generalized, overstated titles.
I go to church and I like going to church and that’s why I go to church. There, I said it. I’m not the pastor, I haven’t been to seminary, I don’t get paid (in fact I usually pay, or “give” as it is often called), and I’m not scared of hell. Well, I’m not scared of hell anymore, that is. Religion (including Christianity) is completed misunderstood and therefore totally rejected by popular culture and popular intellectual culture in this our modern time. But I often find myself in debate with people who argue against religion from a “religious” perspective and I’d like to take this opportunity to call them (or maybe YOU) out on that.
Since we’re on the idea of enjoying controversy, let’s talk about gay marriage. I’ve heard the arguement against the Christian idea of marriage that goes something like this: “Your religion’s random idea of marriage is unfair and not based in the freedom every human being has to decide how to live his or her life. Besides, it discriminates against gay people because it says what they’re doing is wrong and that’s judgemental and not loving. Don’t impose your religious ideas on me or anyone else…that’s just arrogant and prideful.” Actually, the arguements are not usually that well articulated and succinct, so I’m helping my previous debate opponents out a little here.
You may feel the same way they do and that’s perfect, that’s exactly where I want you to be right now. I will now make you more angry than you ever have been if you’ve been on the non-religious side of an arguement like this before: You are arguing from a Christian (not just religious) perspective. At the core of your arguement you are asserting your belief in a God who cares about human justice, freedom, expression, absolute truth, human history, individuality, morality, and finally (like Bono) love. Please take this opportunity to yell at your computer screen (I’ll give you a couple seconds at least)…
…Okay, first: morality cannot be man made (and it exists so therefore it’s God made), neither can justice nor truth (YOU cited all three of these in your side of the argument) and you should go ahead and look this up in even your most liberal philosophy books from even the most ancient philosophers.
Second: the Christian God is the only God of any religion who cares about human things such as individuality, human freedom, relationship, expression, and even humility (YOU called me arrogant).
Third: it can therefore be deduced that, according to the foundational statements of your arguement, you are appealing to the truth of the Christian God of the Bible, upon whom your country (the USA) and your constitution are originally founded.
PLEASE reply to this post with your angry comments — or come up with another argument for why religion is an invalid source for reason in decision making and debating and why the Christian perspective on gay marriage is absolutely horrible without affirming it by arguing according to the same foundational principles.
Ha ha ha ha ha - you have Christian morals!
