Moral Diversity?

The Synod of Saints has drawn our attention once again to the homosexual issue as it plays out in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). This denomination has gained a large amount of national press over the years for their inner conflict on the homosexual question and this year is no different. The only media coverage of the ELCA 2007 national assembly regarded their action to excise ELCA prohibitions on homosexual conduct by ordained ministers. As the Chicago Tribune reported it "A national assembly of Evangelical Lutherans urged its bishops this weekend to refrain from defrocking gay and lesbian ministers who violate a celibacy rule, but rejected measures that would have permitted ordaining gays churchwide." The article goes on to report that proponents of the homosexual agenda described the pain of having to choose between ministry and a life-long partner.

Mr. Modern is like all of us, sympathetic to human pain and is willing to extend the benefit of a doubt even when the pain seems embellished with tears of the croc. But this kind of pain is absurd. It is outrage over the pain of sanctification; the fury of an alcholic who feels the pain of sobriety or the rage of a slanderer who feels the cruel torment of having to control their tongue. The argument pre-supposes that homosexuality is a virtue, a positive good, and that to choose between mutually exclusive virtues (ministry and homosexual behavior) is simply not fair.

The argument really rests on a foundation of genetic diversity. The homosexual, they will say, is homosexual by virtue of genetic composition - a simple variation on the more prevalent genetics of the heterosexual. The logic of such thinking goes something like this. Premise: Human identity is defined by ones genetic makeup. Premise: It is immoral to ask others to behave in ways that are inconsistent with their fundamental identity. Premise: Homosexuality is embedded in the human genetic structure. Conclusion: It is immoral to ask homosexuals to behave in non-homosexual ways. The locus of complete human autonomy is thereby found in the genes. Any behavior with a genetic source becomes a zone of morality-free license. The real fly in the ointment however is that all behavior is genetically sourced. The Bible forbids lust in the heart of the 19 year old male heterosexual and it forbids adultry although the genetic drive is universally acknowledged. The Bible also clearly forbids homosexual conduct regardless of whether or not a genetic component is in play (and Mr. Modern is of the opinion that there probably is since Mr. Modern embraces the Reformed position on "total depravity").

The Chicago Tribune article concludes with this final sentence: "The 2.5 million-member Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, based in St. Louis, believes the Bible is literally true and does not ordain gays." The use of the term"literally" is worth noting. First Corinthians 6:9-10 says "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." What kind of mental gymnastics would it take to read this non-literally as "homosexuality is a non-wicked positive good in the eyes of God"? The Missouri-Synod position does not require belief in a literally true Bible - any belief will do. A belief that is obviously lacking in the ELCA.

Genetic Diversity and Liberal Positivisim

A recent study by Harvard professor Robert Putnam is gaining attention from the press. His study addressed the effect of genetic diversity on society as a whole. The study surveyed about 30,000 individuals asking them about such things as their level of trust in neighbors, police, and government officials; how they spent their own leisure time; how often they voted in public elections; their level of participation in civic organizations and other such indicators.

The finding indicated that genetic diversity is inversely related to civic health. As the Boston Globe put it "The study, the largest ever on civic engagement in America, found that virtually all measures of civic health are lower in more diverse settings...the greater the diversity in a community, the fewer people vote and the less they volunteer, the less they give to charity and work on community projects. In the most diverse communities, neighbors trust one another about half as much as they do in the most homogenous settings."

After decades of propaganda and positive-think touting the virtues and benefits (especially the academic benefits) of genetic diversity the liberal mind is being challenged by actual data. This study strikes at one of the central questions of human life, the question of "how can we live in harmony (as united people) in the face of so much difference (genetic and ethnic diversity)?" With almost our entire attention focused on an increase of diversity simply for diversities sake, we overlook the far more fundamental issue of what will hold us together? An increase in difference cannot possible lead to a healthy society without a clearly defined and universally embraced unifying ideology.

The unification sought be the liberal mind seems to be found in the political and intellectual spheres. They seek a political system that will institutionalize the "unifying" ideal of increasing genetic diversity while forcing academics to walk in lock-step with propagandistic opinions that support this ideal. Even Professor Putnam, a liberal-minded supporter of diversity, concludes his study with a profound example of anti-scientific positive-think when he says that "[these social trends] have been socially constructed, and can be socially reconstructed". Apparently, despite the evidence, Professor Putnam clings to the notion that there must be a way to bow down to the god of genetic diversity without consequence.

The Christian church has held the answer to this dillema for millenia. The church is united by the Spirit of God, is uniform (united and non-diverse) in what it believes intellectually; how it behaves morally; and even genetically since we are all made in the image of God. It is diverse (non-uniform) in irrelevant genetic ways and in terms of function for God has given his gifts to men as he has choosen. Putnams study just recently discovered this to be true. In his study he found that the Evangelical Mega-Churches had the most healthy of civic lives and sees them as something of a model for political change. Good luck Professor Putnam - you'll need it to grow a church without Christ.

(D)Evolutionary Extinction

Most major news outlets reported this past week on the probable extinction of the Yangtze River dolphin. The baiji are a species of freshwater dolphin found only in the Yangtze river in China and there have been no reported sightings of a baiji dolphin in several years.

A group of scientists recently spent six weeks scouring the river for any sign of the baiji dolphin but failed to spot a single one. The expedition was led by Swiss scientist August Pfluger. After reaching the conclusion that the baiji dolphin are probably extinct in spite of efforts at preservation, Mr. Pfluger comments that "We have to accept the fact that the Baiji is functionally extinct. We lost the race. It is a tragedy, a loss not only for China, but for the entire world. We are all incredibly sad."

Given that evolutionists believe in the "survival of the fittest" and the "death of the least fit" it is difficult to understand saddness at the loss of a species. Under evolutionary theory, the loss of a species is the fundamental law of nature and one which cannot (and I think most evolutionists would argue) should not be altered since it is the mechanism by which this entire universe has come to be. The reaction of the evolutionist to the extinction of a "weak" species should seem to be one of optimism and joy as the fitness of all living things for this planet has increased; that is to say, that when viewed in a global sense, things will have improved for all remaining life! Perhaps they would posit that simply the existence of the baiji dolphin provides some net gain in the ever-ascending evolutionary staircase of man, a kind of prostration before the supreme ideal of biological "diversity"; but such an axiom seems to stand in opposition to evolutionary reality.

Of course the Christian has a well-founded motive to preserve species and a well-grounded reason to be saddened at the loss of life. God himself has placed man as ruling steward over all of his creation and has commanded him to manage it with wisdom. Since all of creation reflects the creative glory of God it is with sadness that we see the dimming of this reflection and the failure of man to preseverve this reflected light. From the Christian perspective then, the extinction of the baiji demonstrates more than anything the devolution of modern man since it demonstates an internal conflict between what is true and what is desired. What the evolutionist believes is at odds with what the evolutionist feels.

Christian Unity and Doctrinal Uniformity

Our modern culture trumpets diversity, unqualified and undefined, as the ultimate social good and then asserts that all mankind is united and connected; a Disney-like vision of the "Circle of Life". While modern culture provides no basis unity and no substance to the ethereal term "diversity", the Christian Church is united in well-defined and substantive ways and is dependent upon the well-defined and substantive diversity of it's members.

As Ephesians reminds us, we are united in identity since we have one Father. The church is united by "spiritual genetics" in much the same way that siblings are united to each other through being raised in the same family and sharing the same genetic fingerprint. We are also united in purpose since we share in one baptism. The trajectory of every Christian life is toward the glory and honor of God and of building up his kingdom. The church is united in thought since we have one faith. It must be emphasized that faith is first of all cognitive. There is always a substantive content to faith and the content of the Christian faith has been well-defined over the centuries. The sinfulness of man, the just wrath of God on sin and the volitional sacrificial atonement of Christ are central elements of this faith and all Christians must, but definition, confess these elements as true. In these ways then, unity is indeed dependent upon uniformity or sameness. All Christians have the same Father but to the extent that they fight against their purpose in life and to the extent that a Christian is alienated from the objective truth of scripture they are to that extent alienated from the body of Christ and unity suffers.

Of course, any attempt to articulate a well-defined core of truth to which all Christians must adhere is doomed to failure. Well-meaning Christians have always, and will always, disagree over issues of faith but it must be remembered that all such "denominations and tribes" are still of one family and are still more tightly united in mind (by confession and belief) than any large non-Christian organization or entity.

Christian unity both allows for and depends upon the diversity of it's members. Not a diversity of identity (since we have one Father) nor in a diversity of belief (since we have one faith) but in a diversity of function (since we have varying gifts). In this way the church is a reflection of the divine economy which exists as one-in-essence but three-in-person. Within the godhead there is a single perfect essence, purpose and unity of mind while there are different roles or functions played by the three persons of the Father, the Son and the Spirit.

Christian Unity and Diversity

Church unity allows for, and is dependent upon, the diversity of it’s members. In Ephesians chapter 4 verses 7 and 11 we read “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers”. The disjunctive term ‘but’ indicates that while the emphasis in the previous verses had been on church unity, Paul is now changing emphasis and examining the diversity that occurs within the church united.

As Christians we are monotheists, we believe that there is only one God and that God is one. However, as we read in the Apostles creed, we also believe in God the Father, and God the Son, and in God the Holy Spirit. God himself is one – completely unified in substance and essence, but God is nonetheless many – for God exists in the persons of the Father and the Son and the Spirit. In the same way, the church is one body; a unified and organic whole which is nonetheless composed of diverse members each having a diversity of spiritual gifts which is meant to build up and serve the body.

We tend to confuse the concept of unity with the idea of uniformity or sameness. It’s tempting to believe that in order to be united we must all be exactly the same in every respect. We can mistakenly believe that we should all be identical, much like the mass-produced precisely-machined cogs of our industrial world. But the unity of the church is dependent upon it’s very diversity and Christ has given each one of us roles and gifts which are to be used to strengthen the church body. Make no mistake, we have all been given a unique and vital role for verse seven says that ‘to each one of us grace has been given’ and verse 16 reads “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”.

As individual believers we are enabled by God to do the works of service which God has called us to perform. God never calls someone into service without also empowering them to excel in that service. When Paul says that “to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” he means that you and I have been given sufficient power to succeed in whatever role Christ has chosen in building up the church body. Exodus 31 gives a great illustration gods grace being apportioned to men for the building up of the church. God says in that text “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you”. Wherever God leads our local church and whatever task God gives to this local body, we can be sure that God has given this corporate body the skill, and knowledge, and ability to succeed and excel.

Unlike this modern world where unity is pursued but without a basis and diversity (genetic and behavioral) is pursued as it's own end, the Christian church has a solid foundation for both unity and diversity. We are united by having one Lord and one Father and one Baptism; we are united in identity but diverse in function for God has given different gifts to men.

Christian Humility as a Means of Unity

In Ephesians 4, Paul lists four key traits that characterize a life that is worthy of God’s calling; these traits are the true and only means of church unity. We are instructed to “Be completely humble and gentle; to be patient, bearing with one another in love. [and to] make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”.

It is of course no accident that humility is the first trait listed since it is the foundational Christian virtue and is the starting point of the Christian life. It is, after all, an affront to pride when we admit to the evil that resides in our hearts and when we admit our complete impotence to overcome it. John MacArthur notes that “Although humility is the basis of Christian virtue, it seems to be a completely foreign concept to the world at large. The word humility is a compound word in Greek that literally means to think or judge with lowliness, and hence to have lowliness of mind. Neither the Romans nor the Greeks even had a word for humility. The very concept was so foreign and abhorrent to their way of thinking that they had no term to describe it. Apparently this Greek term was coined by Christians, probably by Paul himself, to describe a quality for which no other word was available. To the proud Greeks and Romans, their terms for ignoble, cowardly, and other such characteristics were sufficient to describe the “unnatural” person who did not think of himself with pride and self-satisfaction. When, during the first several centuries of Christianity, pagan writers borrowed the term, they always used it derogatorily – frequently of Christians because to them humility was a pitiable weakness.”

I peformed a biblical word study on "pride" and "humility" and I was really struck by how often the terms humility and unity are mentioned in the same passage: humility being the way of obtaining unity. Humility is described in scriptures as an attitude that “considers others better than yourself” and an attitude that “doesn’t think too highly of oneself” but I’m afraid that John MacArthur is right. We live in a culture of self-esteem where we are taught to think very highly of ourselves and to consider ourselves to be at least as good as everyone else. We are taught to be strong-willed and independent; to demand that others treat us as the all-knowing and perfectly-righteous people that we believe ourselves to be.

None of us is immune to pride – it is one of the cardinal vices of the fallen human heart and it lurks just below the surface of our skin. As Christians we get pretty good at masking our conceit but doesn’t it all too often flare up uncontrollably in a glance of irritation; a quick and furtive look of contempt; or in a smug curling of the lips. How many of us are after all proud of our jobs, our house, our spouse, our children, our intelligence, our beauty, our skill, our wisdom or, perhaps the worst of all, our own righteousness, piety, or humility? And how often do we react badly when these things don’t receive the praise we think they deserve?

It seems to me that true humility is a very difficult virtue to obtain. We can’t really become humble by thinking to ourselves something like “Today I’m going to be humble. I’m going to think lots of bad things about myself and lots of good things about everyone else and finally my pride will die.” It seems to me that the best way to combat pride is to not think about yourself at all but to keep our eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith. The best way to eliminate pride is to walk in the Spirit, to be so filled with the humility of Christ that we give no room to the flesh. And let’s not forget that we are called to “complete” humility. We are to consider everyone else better than ourselves at all times and in all situations. Only then will our lives be in balance with our calling.

Philippians chapter 2 describes the perfect humility of Christ. Notice also in this passage the emphasis on the unity that flows from humility. “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Of course we are all inclined to a self-righteous false humility. False humility seems based on a man-made and legalistic notion of righteousness and is usually based on things that we don’t do. Colossians 2 teaches that “while human commands and teachings indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, they nonetheless lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence”. Jonathan Edwards comments on the danger of false humility. “It may be observed that the more excellent anything is, the more it will be counterfeited. Thus there are many more counterfeits of silver and gold, than of iron and copper: there are many false diamonds and rubies, but who goes around counterfeiting pebbles? The more excellent things are, the more difficult it is to make anything like them; the more prevalent will the counterfeits be, and the more skill and subtlety be displayed, in an exact imitation of the outward appearance.

So it is with Christian virtues and graces; the subtlety of Satan, and men's deceitful hearts, are inclined towards counterfeiting those things that are in highest repute. So there are perhaps no graces that have more counterfeits than love and humility; these being virtues wherein the beauty of a true Christian does especially appear.”

How do we know whether we have the attitude of Christ? How can we gauge whether we have truly adopted the nature of a servant? That question may be best answered by how we react when we are treated like a servant. If you react as a servant when others treat you as a servant then and only then do you have the heart of a servant and an attitude of true humility.