Okay before you write me off, I'm not referring directly to abortion-related issues here. Let me explain what I'm talking about when I say that God is pro-choice because it has had a profound effect on my life in academia, consulting, politics, and advocacy. I'm planning to lay out my approach to principled decision-making as a municipal
politician, but I can't do that without a little background regarding my personal beliefs.
1 - Faith in action means striving for the right principles and values
I think, of first importance, you should understand the approach I take to using the Christian scriptures as a guide for everyday life. While I am a seminary grad (M.A. in Biblical Studies with a major in Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School near Chicago), I have not aligned myself with any particular theological camp, although I have been attracted in recent years to some of the thinking coming out of the Emerging Church movement (see my theological blog, entitled wholly stretch, at http://www.whollystretch.blogspot.ca/).
I have certainly not tied myself up in knots working out what the inerrancy of scripture means. Not that a trustworthy revelation of God's nature, character, and will aren't important. But the theological schools of thought that one can list, even within the orthodox Christian Church where everyone is committed to an inerrant scripture, are so diverse at points that inerrancy is the least of our challenges!
[I do like the definition of inerrancy of the Catholic Church, as expressed by the Second Vatican Council: "The books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation." The definition of truth is what counts, of course.]
Key for me is the issue of interpretation (hermeneutics is the official theological word). How does one utilize that inerrant scripture in a way that works for all centuries, all ethnicities, all contexts? My own upbringing in the conservative, evangelical church was not always helpful in this regard. Living Christianly was largely rule-keeping, avoiding being worldly (whatever that meant), and evangelizing. As recently as the late 1970s, when I joined the faculty of Trinity Western University, we had to sign a community standards statement pledging not to drink or dance (culturally-based rule-keeping). There was no compulsion, on the other hand, to pursue social justice.
I have attempted, to the best of my poor ability, to discern what principles and values are at work underneath the biblical teaching on everyday life. For instance, from the mass of parables, stories, and laws that constitute the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), I have determined that God's long-term principles and objectives include these:
Thus, it is principles and values such as these, rather than rules, that I strive for as I look at political choices and challenges.
2 - Remarkably, God never forces his followers to obey his commands or to pursue his principles
Now this is what, to use the old fashioned expression, blows my mind: while God makes it clear that
he is in charge, that his way is the right one, and that he will enable people to live according to his principles, values, and objectives, God never actually forces anyone to live in the way that he as the Supreme Deity prefers. Yes, God points out the benefits of living for him, and the perils one will attract in the long run for living for oneself without reference to his will. But he so respects human choice that, in the final analysis, he leaves the ultimate decision to the individual. God gives people all of the information they need to make the best choice regarding the principles, values and objectives that should characterize their life choices. He offers his help in living with the results of that decision, but he still puts human free well ahead of his objectives. Unbelievable.
This is why I called God pro-choice. He offers full information so that an informed choice can be made. He proffers his own support to help us make the choice he prefers, but he lets me choose. I find this--at the same time--amazing, exhilarating, and terrifying.
3 - How does this affect the way I do politics?
This post has gotten a little long, so I'll save this discussion for the next one.
1 - Faith in action means striving for the right principles and values
I think, of first importance, you should understand the approach I take to using the Christian scriptures as a guide for everyday life. While I am a seminary grad (M.A. in Biblical Studies with a major in Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School near Chicago), I have not aligned myself with any particular theological camp, although I have been attracted in recent years to some of the thinking coming out of the Emerging Church movement (see my theological blog, entitled wholly stretch, at http://www.whollystretch.blogspot.ca/).
I have certainly not tied myself up in knots working out what the inerrancy of scripture means. Not that a trustworthy revelation of God's nature, character, and will aren't important. But the theological schools of thought that one can list, even within the orthodox Christian Church where everyone is committed to an inerrant scripture, are so diverse at points that inerrancy is the least of our challenges!
[I do like the definition of inerrancy of the Catholic Church, as expressed by the Second Vatican Council: "The books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation." The definition of truth is what counts, of course.]
I have attempted, to the best of my poor ability, to discern what principles and values are at work underneath the biblical teaching on everyday life. For instance, from the mass of parables, stories, and laws that constitute the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), I have determined that God's long-term principles and objectives include these:
- The sanctity of the family unit as the building block of society.
- God's special concern for the restoration of the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized.
- A culture characterized by justice (distributive, restorative, and retributive) and the rule of law.
- Letting punishment fit the crime.
- Life balance.
- Personal integrity.
- An organic relationship among the God's people; i.e., a sense of mutuality, concern for the needs of others (cf. the Good Samaritan) as opposed to individualism.
- Wholesome relationships; i.e. a person was never to be exploited in any fashion as a means of achieving self-gratification--whether sexually, economically, or politically.
- Loving others as one would oneself.
Thus, it is principles and values such as these, rather than rules, that I strive for as I look at political choices and challenges.
2 - Remarkably, God never forces his followers to obey his commands or to pursue his principles
Now this is what, to use the old fashioned expression, blows my mind: while God makes it clear that
This is why I called God pro-choice. He offers full information so that an informed choice can be made. He proffers his own support to help us make the choice he prefers, but he lets me choose. I find this--at the same time--amazing, exhilarating, and terrifying.
3 - How does this affect the way I do politics?
This post has gotten a little long, so I'll save this discussion for the next one.
No comments:
Post a Comment