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The atricle. Evangelicals are strict, not stupid is here
Colin Sedgwick
Saturday September 4, 2004
The Guardian
The impression is often given that evangelical Christians are de facto bigoted, ignorant and, not to put too fine a point on it, downright stupid. Their protests against what they regard as unorthodox developments in the church are seen as boorish and, sometimes, fuelled by hate rather than love. Obscurantism rules OK.
Sadly, there are those who confirm the stereotype. And, it goes without saying, they are the ones who capture the attention of the media. The debate over homosexuality is a case in point.
But as we all know if we stop to think about it for a moment, things are rarely as simple as they appear. Even evangelicals come in varying shades of opinion and emphasis. And the fact is that some are only too sensitive to the complexities and subtleties of the issue.
The essence of their problem is simple to state, but difficult to pick a way through. On the one hand they are bound by a strong view of the authority of scripture. The place of the Bible in the church is itself a complex issue (an issue, incidentally, for all Christians), and evangelicals are well aware of that. But none the less they are convinced that scriptural authority is part of the historic Christian tradition, and accordingly this is where they turn in trying to find light on every issue, including sexuality. They know well the arguments against regarding the biblical teaching as permanently valid. But their conclusion, in all conscience (perhaps even, to some extent, to their regret - if only this scriptural strand didn't exist!), is that homosexual activity is not compatible with obedience to God.
But on the other hand they are keen to be open to the deeply felt needs of those who are struggling with their sexuality or who consider themselves marginalised and unjustly treated because of it. The last thing they want is to end up merely handing down condemnations and denunciations to add to already acute pain.
Many evangelical church leaders are involved in intense and sometimes agonising pastoral care for those in this kind of situation. I know; I speak from my own experience as a local minister. To pronounce on a topic in a theoretical way is easy: rights and wrongs are there for all to see. But when you are confronted, say, with a young person whom you have grown to love and respect over the course of many years as their pastor and friend, things appear rather different. You may have been present with the family when the young person was born; you may have seen them go through Sunday school and youth meetings; you may have seen them profess adult faith in Christ and become a "practising Christian". And now you find yourself sitting with them and trying to help them through a moral and spiritual maze. No one who has been there can be under any illusion that the issues are simple.
In short, the sensitive evangelical is wrenched in two: pulled one way by the imperative of scriptural authority; pulled the other way by real tenderness and affection for the person looking to them for guidance.
Don't get me wrong: this cri de coeur is not an appeal for sympathy. God forbid! - if there is any sympathy on offer let it be for the person drowning in the mire of confused feelings. No. It is, rather, an attempt to highlight a rarely recognised dilemma and hopefully also to correct, for those interested in an even-handed view, an all too common stereotype.
There are, no doubt, many things wrong with evangelicals. But if one thing can be said in their favour, it is that they remain consistent in their allegiance to Christian tradition. They resist the tendency to sway with the prevailing wind. Who knows, perhaps they are actually right on this as on other issues? Whatever, it would be good if more of a hearing were given to the best rather than the worst of their representatives.
· Colin Sedgwick, Minister of Lindsay Park Baptist Church, Kenton, Middlesex
Colin Sedgwick
Saturday September 4, 2004
The Guardian
The impression is often given that evangelical Christians are de facto bigoted, ignorant and, not to put too fine a point on it, downright stupid. Their protests against what they regard as unorthodox developments in the church are seen as boorish and, sometimes, fuelled by hate rather than love. Obscurantism rules OK.
Sadly, there are those who confirm the stereotype. And, it goes without saying, they are the ones who capture the attention of the media. The debate over homosexuality is a case in point.
But as we all know if we stop to think about it for a moment, things are rarely as simple as they appear. Even evangelicals come in varying shades of opinion and emphasis. And the fact is that some are only too sensitive to the complexities and subtleties of the issue.
The essence of their problem is simple to state, but difficult to pick a way through. On the one hand they are bound by a strong view of the authority of scripture. The place of the Bible in the church is itself a complex issue (an issue, incidentally, for all Christians), and evangelicals are well aware of that. But none the less they are convinced that scriptural authority is part of the historic Christian tradition, and accordingly this is where they turn in trying to find light on every issue, including sexuality. They know well the arguments against regarding the biblical teaching as permanently valid. But their conclusion, in all conscience (perhaps even, to some extent, to their regret - if only this scriptural strand didn't exist!), is that homosexual activity is not compatible with obedience to God.
But on the other hand they are keen to be open to the deeply felt needs of those who are struggling with their sexuality or who consider themselves marginalised and unjustly treated because of it. The last thing they want is to end up merely handing down condemnations and denunciations to add to already acute pain.
Many evangelical church leaders are involved in intense and sometimes agonising pastoral care for those in this kind of situation. I know; I speak from my own experience as a local minister. To pronounce on a topic in a theoretical way is easy: rights and wrongs are there for all to see. But when you are confronted, say, with a young person whom you have grown to love and respect over the course of many years as their pastor and friend, things appear rather different. You may have been present with the family when the young person was born; you may have seen them go through Sunday school and youth meetings; you may have seen them profess adult faith in Christ and become a "practising Christian". And now you find yourself sitting with them and trying to help them through a moral and spiritual maze. No one who has been there can be under any illusion that the issues are simple.
In short, the sensitive evangelical is wrenched in two: pulled one way by the imperative of scriptural authority; pulled the other way by real tenderness and affection for the person looking to them for guidance.
Don't get me wrong: this cri de coeur is not an appeal for sympathy. God forbid! - if there is any sympathy on offer let it be for the person drowning in the mire of confused feelings. No. It is, rather, an attempt to highlight a rarely recognised dilemma and hopefully also to correct, for those interested in an even-handed view, an all too common stereotype.
There are, no doubt, many things wrong with evangelicals. But if one thing can be said in their favour, it is that they remain consistent in their allegiance to Christian tradition. They resist the tendency to sway with the prevailing wind. Who knows, perhaps they are actually right on this as on other issues? Whatever, it would be good if more of a hearing were given to the best rather than the worst of their representatives.
· Colin Sedgwick, Minister of Lindsay Park Baptist Church, Kenton, Middlesex