But until that time comes, here is my take on the current evangelical reaction. I am truly perplexed at the evangelical response to these two recent (or about to be recent) theatrical film releases. The current response to these films actually seems almost topsy-turvy.
Beauty and the Beast
On the one hand, we have a live-action version of Beauty and the Beast that, according to the director, has a “delicious,” “exclusively gay” moment. And so naturally, very prominent evangelical leaders are calling for a boycott of the film. When I first head about this “moment” I was initially wondering if it was similar to the “moment” in Finding Dory when there’s a split-second scene of two women with a stroller - which obviously means they are “clearly” a homosexual couple (while two mothers at the aquarium while the fathers are at work is not just as plausible is still beyond me).
All I wish to do is to call attention to the false dichotomy being imposed in the chant: "Do your job or resign." For one thing, Kim Davis, by neglecting to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples, is doing her job. The State of Kentucky Constitution reads thus:
I'm not going to take the time here to lay out a case as to why that is an abhorrent ruling in the eyes of God (Lev. 18:22, 20:13) and why gloating over it as Obama did will only incur further wrath on himself and his nation (Ps. 2:10-12).
What I also will not be doing is claiming myself to be sitting on a mountaintop, waiting for God's judgment on America because of this ruling and, in my mind, even far more gruesome sins (like the 3 million babies we kill each year in terrifying ways). No, I'm not sitting on a mountaintop, waiting for God's judgment on a sinful nation. What I'm saying is that the church has already been doing that very thing for far too long; and we need to repent from that method of Christian living. On 2/28/13 Steve McSwain was published in the Huffington Post's Religion section with the following article:
6 Things Christians Should Just Stop Saying The list is pretty straight forward, although he does some lengthy elaborations on some of the points. But in summary, here are the six things which a fellow(?)-Christian(1) says all other Christians really need to stop saying:
While I wanted to respond back then, I didn't really have a forum to do so; and I also didn't really have the time until just recently (preparing for the birth of our daughter, learning how to be a Dad to a newborn, going through an unexpected job change, etc.). Nonetheless, now that I do have time, I'd like to do something of my part in protecting (or encouraging) the flock, and give (by God's grace in me) what I believe is a Biblical response. |
