A woman commenting on yesterday’s post (1 Man, 2 Women in a Polyamorous Relationship) wrote:
I shared this blog with a few of my Christian friends that I thought might be open to the discussions we have here [on the blog], because John had suggested that sometimes, when people read his responses to complicated situations and all the comments of support for people going through different circumstances, it helps to use that to start a conversation with others. I thought it would be a good way to open up the lines of communication I had so long avoided.
Isn’t that sweet?
So she suggested to some of her Christian friends that they come read my blog.
She then shared that “the first thing these ‘friends’ said a few weeks ago when they read JohnShore.com for the first time” was:
You know if you keep reading that crap the next thing you know they will have you believing there is no sin in this world, that if it feels good do it, God is all about love and there is no such thing as punishment for sin, that Jesus died for nothing because we can all do whatever we want to do with no consequences as long as it makes us happy and makes us feel good. You just wait and see, first they are okay with abortion, then they are okay with homosexuality, then polygamy, then drunk and drugged orgies in the street, as long as it satisfies their human lust, no problem. As long as no one is being hurt, no problem. If there is no conviction of sins, if everything in the world and anything you want to do no matter what is fine, then why did we need salvation to begin with? Why don’t we all just stop trying to lead good lives and just do whatever? Is this really what you think the Bible teaches? You went to this page to make yourself feel better about your sins, it is simple as that and we will pray for you, but you cannot believe this stuff and be a Christian, stay away from it!
Drunk and drugged orgies in the street?
I guess that would be the natural consequence of being okay with abortion.
Of course, before you can get a drunken, drugged orgy going in the streets, you’d have to get everybody else to agree with you that abortions are okay. Otherwise it would just end up being you running around your neighborhood, naked and drugged, humping cars, mailboxes … lawn ornaments … slow cats. Whatever. But that’s no fun. You could really get hurt that way. Cats have pretty sharp claws.
You know what’s weird? How fundy-types so often sarcastically sneer, “As long as no one is being hurt, no problem.” As though it’s just obvious what a profound problem it is when people are having fun, and no one is getting hurt. I’m no theologian, but it seems to me that if people are having fun, and no one is getting hurt, that’s a good thing.
Sexual immorality isn’t bad because it’s fun. There’s no Fun-o-Meter that, once it registers that you’re having too much fun, turns all your fun into sin. Sexual immorality is bad because it does damage. Sexual immorality hurts people. It creates victims. It infects people with awful diseases. It results in unwanted pregnancies. None of that sort of thing is fun. What makes sexual immorality immoral is that it results in people getting hurt.
No harm = no sin. That’s the real rule of real morality. To use the Bible to condemn as sinful actions or thoughts which, objectively speaking, result in no harm being done anyone, is to do nothing more than turn Christ’s unconditional love into man’s toxic hatred. And what could grieve Christ more?
And if you think it’s the Bible that’s stopping you from turning into a dissolute animal, think again. Lots of perfectly moral people aren’t Christian. Your belief that an outside agent reigning you in is necessary for preventing you from becoming a shameless, immoral, out-of-control pig only means that somewhere along the line someone taught you that you are a shameless, immoral, out-of-control pig.
But you’re not. That was someone passing their own fear and anger onto you. Yes, same as anyone else, you are inclined to at times be selfish, greedy, lazy, opportunistic, and all the rest. But you’re okay. You’re good. You intrinsically understand the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, moral and immoral. And, just like anyone else, you long to be as good and moral as possible.
And that is something with which God can very definitely help you.
But this thing you do, where you hate, rail, condemn, accuse, and use the Bible as a weapon? There, you’re on your own.
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