A Different Sort of Faith

I am a progressive Christian.  What do I believe in?  I feel the following tenets sum up my beliefs very well.

THE PHOENIX AFFIRMATIONS Version 3.8

CHRISTIAN LOVE OF GOD INCLUDES:

1. Walking fully in the Path of Jesus without denying the legitimacy of other paths that God may provide for humanity.

2. Listening for God’s Word, which comes through daily prayer and meditation,studying the ancient testimonies which we call Scripture, and attending to God’s present activity in the world.

3. Celebrating the God whose Spirit pervades and whose glory is reflected in all of God’s Creation, including the earth and its ecosystem, the sacred and secular, the Christian and non-Christian, the human and non-human.

4. Expressing our love in worship that is as sincere, vibrant, and artful as it is scriptural.

CHRISTIAN LOVE OF NEIGHBOR INCLUDES:

5. Engaging people authentically, as Jesus did, treating all as creations made in God’s very image, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality, or economic class.

6. Standing, as Jesus does, with the outcast and oppressed, the denigrated and afflicted, seeking peace and justice with or without the support of others.

7. Preserving religious freedom and the church’s ability to speak prophetically to government by resisting the commingling of church and state.

8. Walking humbly with God, acknowledging our own shortcomings while honestly seeking to understand and call forth the best in others, including those who consider us their enemies.

CHRISTIAN LOVE OF SELF INCLUDES:

9. Basing our lives on the faith that in Christ all things are made new and that we, and all people, are loved beyond our wildest imaginations—for eternity.

10. Claiming the sacredness of both our minds and our hearts, and recognizing that faith and science, doubt and belief serve the pursuit of truth.

11. Caring for our bodies and insisting on taking time to enjoy the benefits of prayer, reflection, worship, and recreation in addition to work.

12. Acting on the faith that we are born with a meaning and purpose, a vocation, and ministry that serve to strengthen and extend God’s realm of love.

Equal Signs and Dividing Lines

I changed my Facebook profile picture to the red marriage equality sign yesterday.  I wanted to show my support for gay marriage.  I am bisexual and could have easily ended up in a committed same-sex relationship, but I fell in love with and married a man.  I am friends with people who hold belief systems on a continuum from the extreme left to the extreme right.  I was fortunate that no one confronted me about my beliefs.  I saw others attacked for displaying the equal sign.  I don't understand this.  Why must people be so divisive, derisive, and shaming?  For instance, I support gay marriage.  Many of my friends don't.  I respect that.  I have a right to state my beliefs and so do they.  We don't have to fight about it.  If you are my friend, I like YOU.  I don't care what you believe.  That's your choice.  What I believe is my choice.

And that's okay.  Really. 

I also saw people post signs against marriage equality.  I am certainly not offended by those who posted the pictures because everyone has the right to state their beliefs.  Just because I disagree, doesn't make the opinions of others unimportant or "wrong" to me.  This represents one main message I am trying to get across; they are all opinions, not matters of fact.  Therefore, they are neither right or wrong, simply different.

Just because I believe differently than you makes me no less a Christian.  I believe in marriage equality and God has blessed me greatly in my life.  I fully believe God made me who I am for a purpose.

I thought it was rather interesting that on Facebook, the "opposite" of the equal sign picture was either a "division" sign or a "not equal" sign.  That is a powerful message coming mostly from the Christian right.  Essentially, those who posted the "division" sign are stating or suggesting (likely without thinking) that they wish to be divisive.  Those posting the "not equal" sign are stating or suggesting (also likely without giving it much thought) that LGBT individuals are not equal to heterosexuals.  In the Bible, it is recorded that Jesus treated everyone the same.  And I don't think God gave anyone the right to judge.  He can do that when we meet Him.

My problem with the "division" and "not equal" signs have nothing to do with the non-support of gay rights.  It has to do with equality and human rights.  Who is anyone to say that anyone else is a lesser person.  I have learned over and over again in my career as a professional who works with individuals who are intellectually and developmentally disabled and mentally ill that the people I serve are no less than I am.  They are merely different. Each one has a God-given purpose on this earth.  

As do we all.