Why Nothing Has Changed Since the SCOTUS Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage

The early church was defined by its efforts to follow the teachings and example of Jesus, both as individuals and as a community.  They were committed communities of discipleship and mission; characterised by simple living and generous giving; they prioritised ways of being good news to the poor, the powerless, the marginalised, and the oppressed; they were known as agents of reconciliation and peacemaking; and they were known for their commitment to nonviolent ways of living. 

In his book, The Heart of Christianity, Marcus Borg provides a different take on how the church is defined today; he shares how his [Oregon State] University students have a uniformly negative image of Christianity. "When I ask them to write a short essay on their impression of Christianity," says Borg, "they consistently use five adjectives: Christians are literalistic, anti-intellectual, self-righteous, judgmental, and bigoted."

Christians might object, rather defensively, that it's unfair to draw sweeping conclusions based upon the report of one person. If you think that way, you'd be right in your logic, but wrong in your conclusion.  A relatively new book called unChristian: What A New Generation Really Thinks of Christianity...And Why It Matters by David Kinnaman of the Barna Group, presents objective research that supports Borg's findings. 

Kinnaman suggests that these broadly and deeply negative views of Christians aren't just superficial stereotypes with no basis in reality. Nor are the critics people who've had no contact with churches or Christians. It would be a tragic mistake, he argues, for believers to protest that outsider outrage toward Christianity is a misperception. Rather, it's based upon their real experiences with today's Christians.

According to Kinnaman's Barna study, the top three descriptions of present-day evangelical Christians by people outside the church are:
1) Anti-gay (91%)
2) Judgemental (87%)
3) Hypocritical (85%)

Followed by:
Old-fashioned,
Too political,
Out of touch with reality,
and Insensitive to others.

So how does the church return to its roots?  How do we recover our identity as imitators of Christ; as subversive agitators of corrupt systems; as radical agents of peace?
Since we’re chiefly known for what we oppose, perhaps it starts with what we stop doing, rather than what we start doing.

Christians have been angrily blowing up the internet this year about the SCOTUS decision on same-sex marriage, abortion & Planned Parenthood, the 2nd amendment, and immigration.
But, please... one thing at a time.  

The conversation surrounding same-sex marriage and the LGBT community has been more than a growing issue of late (and to be honest, the church has arrived pretty late to the party).  It’s reached full maturity and is standing on our doorstep asking, “Well...are you going to let me in or not?”

Here are a few thoughts on this matter that have been simmering for a few weeks that I guess I’m ready to share:

Perhaps the first things that comes to mind concerning this - and other controversial matters - is that it might do some of us a whole lotta good if we remember a few good practices before we cyber-vent and put reactions out into the web-o-sphere that can never be retracted.
A few weeks on, and some of us are really looking like boorish clods right about now.

It’s amazing how emotion and outrage can cloud reason and accountability.  The idea that a State ruling - which is Constitutionally sound by the way - is somehow an attack on the faith of a nation is nothing short of embarrassing.  Brothers and sisters, this is the logical outcome of the religion of Christendom - what emerged from the fusion of Church and State (cf Emperor Constantine, 5th Century).  We cannot have it both ways; we can't cry out, "Christian nation, Christian nation," about marriage equality and abortion, and then, "Constitution, Constitution," about the 2nd amendment and immigration. No one can serve two masters (Matt 6:24).

Christianity is not under attack in the U.S.  American Christians are not being persecuted as a result of the ruling on marriage equality. If anything, the SCOTUS ruling reinforces the United State's conviction to allow people to freely live, grow, and worship as they choose (cf the First Amendment). 

This ruling does not change the message of Christ found in Scripture; it doesn't change the purpose of the Church. 

We can still love.

We can still live generously. 

We can still act justly, love mercy, and live into the narrative of God.

We can still feed the hungry and clothe the naked.

We can still be kind.

We're still free to congregate in churches to worship God the way we always have.

Oh, and incidentally, heterosexuals are still free to marry the opposite sex!

Finding the good (or the potential good) in every situation happens to be something that I do pretty well - sorry if that sounds arrogant, but it’s something I’ve discovered about myself.  For whatever reason, I tend not to look at the immediate circumstance(s) as the end of the story.  Perhaps I’m an eternal optimist, or perhaps I am victim to Nietzsche’s perspective on hope, “In reality, hope is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs the torments of man.”

Either way, I believe the current SCOTUS ruling on same-sex marriage could be exactly what Christians in the U.S. need. Maybe now that we can no longer focus our time and efforts on stopping others from getting married, we can finally take a long hard look at why our own marriages are failing.  For some time the divorce rate data that is typically used suggests that 50% of U.S. marriages end in divorce, and in all probability that’s a fairly accurate number.  The Americans for Divorce Reform estimates these figures to be accurate.  The Barna Research Group (George Barna) conducted a recent survey of 3,854 people from the 48 contiguous states and discovered that divorce rates among conservative Christians were significantly higher than for other faith groups, and much higher than Atheists and Agnostics experience.
Perhaps it’s time that we start focusing on our own marriages, because when looking at these figures, the argument that a gay-marriage is somehow defiling the sanctity of our third marriage, is as absurd as it sounds.
We now have ample time to begin focussing our time and energy on issues that actually impact humanity and grow the kingdom!

How is it that a faith so deeply rooted in love, grace, acceptance, and mercy, gets so easily absorbed into political agendas and social judgements?  We legislate biblical standards and ethics onto a secular society that does not share our beliefs. Our call is to reflect the kingdom of God so that others will see the beauty and glory of our Father in heaven.  Our job is not to impose our interpretation of kingdom values onto others by force. Jesus never did that, and if we’re being honest, most of us “Christians” can’t even agree on some of the basic tenants within our own faith.  

Our God is a welcoming God.  Regardless of our differences, we can and should be welcoming to the entire LGBT community - especially those seeking community with fellow Christians (this should never have been an issue to begin with).  Scripture is full of verses encouraging us to welcome people - all people - despite our differences. Galatians 3:28 is a reminder written to the early church.  It went against their culture to welcome people that were different from them (Greeks, slaves, etc), similar to how we sometimes find it challenging to do the same in today’s world.

Matthew 5:46-48 is a passage about welcoming everyone, not just fellow Christians or people like us. It's easy to welcome those that are like us, but what about those that are so different that we can barely relate socially or spiritually?  Welcoming those who have nothing in common with us is one of the defining qualities of Christians.

So if you’re done ranting and raging over a cause you’ve already lost… could you maybe start focusing on one of the meta-commands Jesus gave us?  We’ve got a whole lotta’ Jesus’ love to spread around this world, and we could use all the help we can get.