". . . and with all your mind"

• What are your thoughts about divorce, marriage, and gay marriage?

• What are your thoughts on Science and Religion?

Dear Pastor Gen,

What are your thoughts about divorce, marriage, and gay marriage?

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

In regards to your questions, I always want to take more time to give you more complete responses. However, let me begin to respond with this letter.

1. About what Jesus said on marriage and divorce.

Like everything in the Bible it must be put into context. Marriage was not for love or companionship in Bible times. Marriage was an economic institution. A Hebrew man could legally divorce his wife but a Hebrew woman could not divorce her husband. When a man divorced his wife it could be over something as little as burnt bread. The wife and her children could be legally thrown out on the streets with nothing. There was no child support or alimony. The husband was king and the wife was chattel. A woman in this culture was ³given² by her father (the father received payment from the groom for the bride). The husband was by law able to get out of his responsibilities with a written note and the woman would have nothing. She had no support and may not have even been allowed back into the home of her parents.

According to Jesus, the man owed the woman support for life. According to Jesus, he may not throw her and her children out on the street. Even if it was legal, it was not just.

2. When the teachings of Jesus are put into context, basic truth can be found that still has meaning today. Jesus said that the poor, vulnerable, and the marginalized must be treated justly. It doesn't matter what the laws say. If human beings are harmed by a law then the law must be disobeyed.

3. The Bible says nothing about gay marriage. A "Gay Marriage" is a committed loving relationship between two people of the same sex. Of course, the people writing the Bible did not see any marriage as a relationship of love and companionship. Marriage was for progeny and prosperity.

Lev 18:22 says " 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." This is the detestable act also in Leviticus 11:10 "But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales‹whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water‹you are to detest." So, it is detestable, undesirable, not the way we do things.

HOWEVER, there is more. The problem here of a man with a man is not that they have sex, it is that a man would treat another man like a woman. See the difference? It is not about a loving relationship, it is about power and chattel. To a man (the writer) it is detestable to think of another man being treated as a woman. It was much more about the condition of women in the Old Testament times (which, I must tell you, if it were not for the teachings of Jesus, I as a woman could not practice this faith). You may know that it was a part of war for men to rape the men of the loosing side. It was another way to humiliate the "enemy." It was not about sex and it certainly was not about love.

When Paul writes about men giving up natural relations for unnatural relations, again it must be understood in context. In the Roman world, men did have sexual relationships with other men BUT one of the men was younger and therefore lesser. This was considered in it¹s time to be the natural way of things. To have equal, loving relationships was considered unnatural. It was in it¹s time considered natural that someone be in power and someone else be submissive.

This is not the way of the teachings of Jesus. It is what people of Paul¹s time understood. The teachings of Jesus when put in their context are always toward justice, compassion, healing, and wholeness.

Well, there is so much more. I hope this gives some help.

with blessings, Pastor gen

Dear Pastor Gen,

What are your thoughts on Science and Religion?

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

I am mindful of the story of Gideon (see Judges 6:25-32 included below).

When Gideon topples the god of his father and the town, the men of town come to kill Gideon. The father answers the door. The men say, " Your son has toppled our god."

The Father answers "If your God is a real God let him contend for himself."

I find this story informative related to the current violence in our world done in the defense of/ name of God. It also speaks to your question about the relationship between science and religion.

A real God is one you worship and follow. This relationship with God challenges us to live in better relationship with all of creation. A real God does not need humans to defend him/her. A real God is not afraid of human exploration or human intelligence. You don't get to create the universe only to be left dependent on humans to protect your dignity/ pride/ or whatever.

Rather, a real God is not afraid of science or human thought. A real God who loves the creation wants the creation to be cared for not destroyed. After all when you spend billions and billions of years in creation your goal would be the preservation of the creation not it's destruction.

Further, the example of creative people teaches us that those who are creative continue creating. Thus, a God who made all that is would not be finished.

The example of parenthood teaches that children are given information as they are ready. A creative parent God would want us to have the knowledge of creation. As we mature as a creation, that knowledge will be opened to us. A real God is not afraid of science but opens it up to us.

The problem here is only when humans make science their god which then is no longer science. Science seeks the facts about something. It must be measurable. It must be reproducible. There are scientists who will fake the data to prove their point. This is no longer science. When science is true to itself, it changes as new information becomes available. When science is true to its art it is no threat to God. And really, when you get to be God nothing is a threat to you.

Blessings, Pastor Gen

Judges 6:25-32

(New International Version) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

25 That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering."

27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

28 In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!

29 They asked each other, "Who did this?" When they carefully investigated, they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it."

30 The men of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it."

31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, "Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar."

32 So that day they called Gideon "Jerub-Baal, " saying, "Let Baal contend with him," because he broke down Baal's altar.

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

Matthew 22:37 (New International Version) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society