Nuance 27

I am a Christian. This defines as well as describes me. This word for me is both noun and adjective. I used to define myself as a feminist, but really, I am first a Christian who believes in gender equality, because God has no preference of gender. I used to define myself as a pacifist, but really I am first a Christian who believes it is wrong for people, under any circumstances, to kill each other. I follow Jesus, who warned his disciples that he who takes up the sword shall by the sword perish. Instead of arming them to defend him against the Roman and Jewish authorities, Jesus accepted his unjust sentence and execution by death on the cross, knowing that thus he would be vector and author of the world's salvation and redemption. For this reason I disapprove of war. I could go on, about the environment, about human rights, about many many features I share in common with so-called progressive folk. But Unlike said progressive folk, I do not identify or define myself by any of those labels. Rather, I am a Christian, and my faith defines and informs my progressive values. Jesus, and not the Church is at the centre of my life. For those of you who don't believe, this has nothing to do with the Church, which is to say the Roman Catholic, or many Protestant denominations. Regardless of the Churches' historical record, and our differences, I am still part of the Church, because the Church claims to represent Christ, whom I follow. I am also an official Anglican, having been confirmed in the Anglican Communion and being currently enrolled in the parish of St. Faith's. So far, so good. Is my relationship with Christ dependent upon church attendance or membership? No. Then, why bother? It's about community and sharing. Christianity is not an individualistic faith, it is decidedly communal and communitarian. By connecting myself with other Christians I am completing my own experience as a Christian, because we are all in this together. I do get rather sick and tired of knee jerk politically correct folk who unfairly blame the church for misogyny, as the causes are far more complex than their simplistic little brains seem quite willing to plumb. While the church has been historically complicit in some horrendous crimes against humanity, beginning with the Crusades, then the Inquisition and witch-burnings, up to and including native residential schools and pedophilia, these are from internal corruption, and a very wrong-headed association with the state and with society. All this started with Constantine in the fourth century when he declared Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire. Thus, the church became a servant and a vector of the state, much in opposition to Christ's original mandate for his people. So, the Church became a very messy, sordid and bloody affair. But there were still many faithful adherents who loved God and served others in a spirit of sacrificial love, despite the abuses of ecclesiastical power. The church does get a particularly unfair rap in terms of misogyny, even if it is partially culpable. Part of the problem has been in the tendency of accepting as the direct word of God every single word in the Bible, including some of St. Paul's notorious and sometimes unfortunate statements about women and homosexuals. In the Anglican, and other Christian traditions, it has since been understood that many of these writings have been taken out of context. Paul was writing to specific persons about specific issues, which did not necessarily involve the casual reader. Paul was also a child of his era and culture, so that he would still take as gospel (sorry, bad pun!) all the Jewish traditions about women and sexuality, even if he was still, for a man of his time, quite liberal in his approach and interpretation. It is unfortunate that Christians throughout history have accepted his interpretation to the letter, even if it has since been found that the traditional roles and expectations of women could be legitimately considered as a social injustice, and that it is perfectly acceptable for persons of same-sex attraction to marry each other and live fully integrated lives as part of the community. As a Christian, there are aspects of secular feminism that I simply do not swallow, but I will explore this in a future post. Ta-ta.