Want to know how to take away the impact of the ‘bible-thumping’ verses that are used over and over and over, ad naseum?
This diary post over at Pam’s House Blend was a great read (and long).
I will pull out a few things I liked right off the bat
The Gospel means: Good News! The good news is that we are God’s children by God’s grace alone (unmerited favor) and we appropriate that grace through our abiding faith (implacable trust) in God (i.e. trusting God over and above seen circumstances), love, peace, reconciliation, and inclusiveness! That’s the only Gospel to be found in Christianity.
Unfortunately, we are primarily exposed to the false gospel of legalism, perfectionism, and exclusion, a false gospel that is diametrically opposed to the good news, to Christianity itself. Far too many propound the gospel of genital placement, rather than the Gospel of Christ; ignore such egregious sins as unjust war, poverty, and disease.
I liked this response to Genesis idea of being fruitful and multiplying:
First of all, a tribal society, living on the edge, and surrounded by enemies must be “fruitful and multiply” if it is going to survive! Therefore, under those conditions, there is no premium placed on homosexual activity! However, we are no longer a tribal society living on the edge; it’s inappropriate to blindly translate the cultural practices of ancient societies to contemporary society as to do so cheapens the Bible
Please go read the rest, you won’t be disappointed.
thought provoking. . .
“The Good News” sounds like evil scriptures when radicals get their hands on the bible.