tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20715800.post7940773429858158182..comments2023-06-22T03:32:39.901-07:00Comments on H-n-T: The Bible on HomosexualityHollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317867541610325491noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20715800.post-91840979645457702732014-12-21T14:36:52.691-08:002014-12-21T14:36:52.691-08:00I would ask you to define what you mean by "a...I would ask you to define what you mean by "all-loving." Is it someone who lets you do whatever you want to them, including abuse, disrespect, etc.? Is it "all loving" for someone to refrain from ever giving their actual, true thoughts to you? If that's the definition, I'd say that an "all-loving" person wasn't loving at all. Someone who can't tell me the truth when I'm hurting myself isn't much of a friend. I wouldn't call it "loving" for a mother to allow her child to touch a hot stove or play with knives.<br /><br />Permissiveness is not the same as love.<br /><br />NOTE TO READERS: I really don't like profanity on my blog, and I don't like anonymous posts because I feel people should be accountable for their statements. So more often than not, I delete comments like these. However, I think it is important to publicly present hostile attitudes toward Christianity, particularly ones such as this one which juxtaposes an expectation for Christianity ("all-loving") with the opposite behavior (the insult of "Christian c----"). Christians are often accused of hypocrisy by folks who exhibit hypocrisy.Hollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18317867541610325491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20715800.post-7986473931210899452014-05-25T12:46:27.359-07:002014-05-25T12:46:27.359-07:00Christian cunts. Nice example of the all-loving Sa...Christian cunts. Nice example of the all-loving Savior, as per usual.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20715800.post-64645932443296291262008-12-18T11:39:00.000-08:002008-12-18T11:39:00.000-08:00Yes, yes you DO need to call her and catch up! :-)...Yes, yes you DO need to call her and catch up! :-)LaTonyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01696807991892946093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20715800.post-32277920786899771442008-12-15T16:36:00.000-08:002008-12-15T16:36:00.000-08:00On the name H-n-T:It stands for "Holl and Tawn." I...On the name H-n-T:<BR/><BR/>It stands for "Holl and Tawn." I started the blog solely as a way to keep in touch with another Christian writer. She didn't have much time on her hands to blog, and it ended up becoming my personal blog.<BR/><BR/>Before I set up the blog, I'd checked to see if anyone was using the acronym "HNT." I didn't find anything back then. Some months later, a trend arose called "Half-Nekkid Thursday," or HNT, in which people post photos online of bare body parts (usually benign stuff like toes, elbows, and kneecaps).<BR/><BR/>I considered changing the name of my blog, but I'd put considerable effort into emailing the link to churches and pastors, and there were folks subscribed to the blog by this time. So the name stayed. It does make me happy to see it--reminds me of my dear friend (and reminds me that I need to call her and catch up).Hollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18317867541610325491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20715800.post-28797293273993291582008-12-15T16:20:00.000-08:002008-12-15T16:20:00.000-08:00Hi David, (I also posted this on the TCW site.) I ...Hi David, <BR/><BR/>(I also posted this on the TCW site.) <BR/><BR/>I appreciate that you are really taking the time to think--I think Christians often don't love God with our minds enough.<BR/><BR/>I've recently finished some research with focus on the question, "What purpose does the Old Testament law have for today's church?" There's not a ton out there on this topic, and it's something of great personal interest to me. I will be posting my research here on my personal blog (H-n-T) in January.<BR/><BR/>Several posts on the TCW blog posed the question, "Why do Christians put so much effort into issues about gay marriage and abortion, when there are greater concerns, such as poverty?"<BR/><BR/>I have a different perspective on this: Christians put a ton of effort into poverty. Our emphasis is on action rather than discussion. If you take a look at charities and aid organizations, you'll find that Christians are involved in every aspect of giving. Who runs the soup kitchens and shelters? Who delivers aid to remote parts of Africa? Who cares for orphans? Who visits the prisons and helps released prisoners get back on their feet? Sadly, the answer to these questions is sometimes: No one. But, more often than we recognize, it is churches, religious non-profits, and individual Christians who are offering comfort and help to the suffering. <BR/><BR/>But we don't hear about this work because, honestly, it's so common. A food pantry run by a church isn't considered newsworthy. So we don't read this in the papers. Instead, we read about the protests and rallies, and even more sadly, bombings of abortion clinics by misguided Christians. <BR/><BR/>So what's the solution? Should churches start tooting their own horn more often about their charitable work? Should Christians stop all political involvement? I think it's just a fact of life that we know more about controversy than about the good people do (e.g. How often do we hear about celebrities being charitable, compared to the amount of news on their broken relationships and rehab stints?) <BR/><BR/>I'd interpret the CT stat about gay marriage that you offered on the TCW site differently: 80 percent of those polled think there's something more important for the church to be involved in. <BR/><BR/>I'd be among that 80 percent, which might seem ironic since I just wrote about gay marriage! Since 2002, when I started writing for Christian publications, most of my writing has been about spiritual growth and how to (or, more often, how NOT to) share your faith. <BR/><BR/>I don't know what the most important "issue" facing the church is. In my opinion, the most important pursuit for the church should be: How do we develop our relationship with God and with others? And the second most important: How do we help others who are seeking a relationship with God? How do we respond to the obstacles that are keeping others from knowing God?<BR/><BR/>At the same time, I think it is appropriate for American Christians to take a stand about political issues as God leads them. For example, I have a couple Christian friends who are extremely active environmentalists. It's just a matter of letting the Bible shape our politics, rather than using Scripture to back up already formed opinions.<BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/>HollyHollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18317867541610325491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20715800.post-84353010710096891352008-12-09T21:10:00.000-08:002008-12-09T21:10:00.000-08:00Hi Holly,Thanks for that extra insight on Matt 19....Hi Holly,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for that extra insight on Matt 19. <BR/><BR/>I wasn't trying to imply any particular stance by Jesus. I think i was just exemplifying the ease of picking an isolated verse to support a cultural preference.<BR/><BR/>Leviticus describes it as 'disgusting', and says those involved are to be put to death. But i don't think you (or anyone else here) is suggesting capital punishment as the sentence. Meanwhile, leviticus also sentences to death anyone who curses their parents (how many of us would have made it through our teenage years?) and prevents men from trimming their beards.<BR/><BR/>How do we decide with an ancient verses, which parts are still culturally relevant, and which were related to a different time and place? Sometimes it seems arbitrary. (Did someone say 'concubines'? :)<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile the Corinthians passage lists the greedy in the same list as the homosexuals. And Jesus, who came to bring "good news to the poor" has an entire speech (Matt 25:31-46) about helping the hungry, thirsty, naked and sick. So, we in the Western world buy our ipods, plasma tvs and SUVs , while 1 billion people don't have clean drinking water. Where is the Christian campaign against that?<BR/><BR/>It's there - but it's very much on the back burner. In a recent CT poll, i see 20% of people say gay marriage is the most important issue facing the church. Another 50% say it is one of the most important.<BR/><BR/>While the biblical record on homosexuality can be neatly summed up in a nice little blog post, the gospels are dripping in references to monetary greed. So why does homosexuality get ramped up the agenda? (at least by CT readers)<BR/><BR/>My guess is because it's easy. I'm not gay. Never have been. Never will be. So I could go full steam ahead on that issue without any fear of implications.<BR/><BR/>However, if I campaign for no-fault divorce, that requires me (if married) to put in the effort to make it work. If I campaign against the greed of the corporate sector, then I have to examine my own motives when money is involved. If I campaign against world poverty, then I have to think about starving countries when I'm buying my latest electronic gizmo.<BR/><BR/>I think it is easier for us (myself included) to tell other groups how to live, that step up to the mark ourselves. But changing my own behaviour is so much harder than simply pointing my finger at the sins of others. So in the end it's more convenient to pretend there's only one thing God detests - and it's being done by someone else.<BR/><BR/>David<BR/>(still trying to be transformed by a renewing of the mind, from what my culture wants to (hopefully) what God wants)<BR/>ps. what does H-n-T stand for?davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18223229241414391785noreply@blogger.com