This morning as I checked my inbox and when I saw this mail, I am reminded that Lawrence Khong and the LGBTs were simply aping the Americans with scant regard for the local context. Overall I think Khong was more guilty and provocative. The LGBT community was just returning his provocation. There ain't any love when they fight each other.
If Lawrence Khong keeps up with his pressure, he is setting himself up for very serious trouble to himself eventually. On the other hand the LGBT community have many spokespersons and are easier to persuade too.
My take is our larger community do not want to adopt an adversarial approach to such matters. Many of us would also prefer LGBT to go no faster than most of us are able to accept. Impatience will backfire on any party.
Finally both sides talk about love but I don't blame them for missing the mark. Display of love with no accompanying grace and humility is just at best a very crippled love. To those who have not seen a purer love they cannot tell the difference. We live with all sorts of love, we have written great novels about love and there are many forms love which people will discover is more bitter than hate. Just as what is worse than a lie is a half truth.
Update: 9:55 am
A great piece by Howard Lee. That is what a writer must do who isn't like me writing for himself and sometimes family.
By the way Lawrence Khong will not compromise because the Bible as he understands it will not. Anyway Khong is not Polycarp. He is the type who can only exist if the Church is not persecuted. Christianity is not about creating safe spaces or we wouldn't have so many risk loving missionaries sent to be killed. It is about being in the world but not of the world. Khong and his kind are trying to remake the world. Unless you are the American democracy, using the political and social process to further the Christian agenda is totally inappropriate.
Update: June 28, 9:40 am
I found this from Gentle Lamb blog who left a comment here. Perhaps he mistook my blog for Bertha Henson's.
Update: June 28, 10:00 am
Bought this Kindle book, 'The Cross in the Closet' almost a year ago but like so many uncountable books I have not been able to get to it.
To each is own.
ReplyDeleteGays are Singaporean too. They exist and are who they are irrespective of religion, culture and race.
ReplyDeleteGays are not calling for Stonewall. They are having a picnic once a year.
The churches have their space with services every week with the mega churches having us speakers.
To right to love and be loved is universal. It is beyond what society should reasonably legislate as a matter of public interest.
There have been many instances where gays argue with bible verses in support. Yet the apostle Lawrence Khong speaks as if he has full authority over the interpretation of the bible. Maybe the Christian church should be renamed Apostle Khong church?? It is saddening humans can claim to speak in God's name with such lack of tolerance and respect for one another
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for the link to Pope Francis homily. I agree with him wholeheartedly.
ReplyDeleteDid you intend to leave your comment at Bertha Henson's blog, in particular her post: http://berthahenson.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/between-pink-and-white/
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for the link back to your blog. I have read it and also the About page too. You have suffered!
I have a book which I never have the time to get to on gays. It is the first hand account of a straight Christian man spending time living among the gays. At the moment I am about half way through a Homosexuality documentary on Youtube. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcj6kSkO1A. I only manage to view it in segments of 10 to 15 mins. So many other priorities press on me but I can sense LGBT issues will become increasingly important for more of us to study and understand.