It really wasn't that long ago that "coming out of the closet" was all the rage. At this point in time, it seems silly when we read of someone "coming out" as if it is a brave and unusual thing because at this point no one really cares anymore. That's not meant to be mean. It's just that "homosexual" has come to be so prevalent (One study I read said that 85% of television shows had homosexual elements.) that it's no longer "brave" or "unusual." "Oh, you're gay? Okay, fine."
You have to wonder what's going on with all those empty closets. Must be a lot. Estimates are that 3.8% of the population are in that category -- gay, lesbian, or transgender. They believe that there are nearly 10 million LGBT folks in the U.S. And, they're out! That means there are a lot of empty closets.
Recently Azusa Pacific University caved to the LGBT forces eliminating their biblical standards for sexual purity (apparently only for the LGBT community -- it appears that heterosexual sexual purity is still required, a double standard) because the LGBT community complained. When biblical morality collides with the world's morality, the only permissible outcome is the elimination of biblical morality. When biblical values collide with the world's values, the only possible outcome is the elimination of biblical values.
So, consider 1) the collision of biblical Christianity and the world and 2) a lot of empty closets these days. Guess who the next occupants of those closets will be? A study a decade ago said that 75% of Americans identified as Christians. Of those, only 15% actually went to church and only 5% said that their beliefs impacted their lives. If you run the numbers, it looks like something around 3.8% of Americans have the earmarks of being genuine Christians. (Seriously. Look at the math. 5% of 75% is 3.75%.) So I think there are enough closets to go around for genuine believers. Of course, you'll have to decide, believer. Is it peace and safety in the closet as a closet believer, or is it danger and testing as an obedient believer like the early Christians? I don't say it will be easy, but I think it is inevitable and, likely difficult, but I don't think a genuine follower of Christ can go into the closet.
8 comments:
How about going into your closet to Pray? sounds good to me.
i would rather die in the open, then to live in a closet. unless i am praying of course.
Different closet, right?
Was the early Church really "out and proud"? Even today, we commend Chinese Christians, and they are a secret group. They're obviously still growing even though they're "in the closet".
The early church told their government, "Who should we obey, you or God?" They didn't appear to hide very much. I read about one of the persecutions at the hands of a Roman Caesar who started hanging Christians. They started volunteering. When the Romans ran out of rope, they brought their own. The Caesar had to stop. At times the church has been "out and proud," at times just under the surface but not hard to find, and at others in hiding.
I should point out for all that if you dare agree with Jesus that being bad-mouthed and lied about is considered "persecution" (Matt 5:11) you will be reviled -- by unbelievers, "Christians," and even believing Christians -- as being "too whiny." "Man up!" they will tell you (even though we've already determined that masculinity is toxic). I'm not saying that what we are currently experiencing in America is "persecution" on the scale that, say, Christians in China or Muslim countries are experiencing, but I'm also not willing to say, "Oh, Jesus, you got that wrong. That's not persecution." And I think it is abundantly clear that there is a large shift from "If I'm American, I'm Christian" in the mid-20th century to "We need to start changing those Christians' minds on what they believe" today as an indicator of the arc we are on toward what everyone would agree is "genuine persecution" (and not just that silly stuff Jesus called "persecution").
I haven't done an actual count, but I think there are more LGBT characters in various television shows (including of course, cable and streaming services, like Netflix) and movies than there are actual LGBT sufferers in the real world. It seems clear that one cannot get a new show aired without having an LGBT character.
I feel strongly compelled to come out of the closet created for those won't speak kindly about the disorder. I don't intend to seek out controversy and confrontation, but I won't walk away and use only their mandated words and expressions. We need more shame in the world.
Stan, I agree that what we see is persecution, and that Jesus promised us that we’d be persecuted. But on a personal level, I don’t feel like what I go through is comparable to what Christians in Muslim or Communist countries go through.
We’re at the low end of the scale, but I suspect it’ll get worse here before it gets better.
I think I've indicated the same.
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