Existential Punk

Adele & Peter: Queer & Christian: Conversation 7

Peter says, 'Here, Adele shares more of her painful experiences with ex-gay ministries, how she attended Pat Robertson's Regent University (TRULY!), and how these experiences nearly led her to suicide...'

In the next segment, i ask PETER a few questions! So, STAY TUNED! Adele

Adele & Peter: Queer & Christian: Conversation 5: 'Claiming To Know Christ...So Unloving...'

Peter says this, 'In this 5th segment of my interview with Adele, she makes some especially poignant remarks that I think you'll appreciate.

When the online attacks from fundamentalist bloggers were at their peak on www.Queermergent.com, Adele thought:

“If I weren’t already Christian, I wouldn’t want to be Christian…

“Who are these people who claim to know Christ and love Christ, but they are so unloving and unkind and ungenerous.'

 

Dear Ken . . .

Here's my letter i wrote to Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries on his contact page, who is CONSTANTLY writing negative things about me and my friends. i am starting to wonder if he is getting an unhealthy obsession with me?! There are anywhere from 5 to 9 links coming into Queermergent's stats from his site in any given week. i am trying to practice 'Loving my enemy', which is often very difficult to do. i admit i allow this guy and what he says to get under my skin at times. i hate that i do this. Then other times, i am able to let his words roll off of me like water rolls off a duck. Why are some people so locked in their certainties and if one disagrees with them, then they are wrong, they are going to hell, they are reprobate, they are apostates? Why can't people like this see that there is room at the table for differing views and interpretations? Oh well, at least today i am trying to love Mr. Silva. G-D, forgive me when i fail, as is the case more often than not.

UPDATE: Below my letter is Ken's response i received this afternoon.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Ken,

i just wanted to write and thank you sincerely for all the traffic you bring to my two blogs. Even though people rarely comment, it's real nice that you help my stats increase!

i know we disagree on most everything related to faith. Yet, the common denominator we have in common is our faith in Jesus Christ. That, sir, is the most important thing to me. G-D commands us to Love him and to love others as we love ourselves. Kindness and grace go a long way.

i know you feel like you are doing what you are supposed to do. Free as you are, it is sad that you think anyone who disagrees with you is wrong, reprobate, an apostate, and/or going to hell. i used to believe like you but it was too tiring and painful.

i just wanted to let you know that despite all the things you write about me even though you do not really know me, i LOVE YOU, Ken Silva! It would be nice if you would take the time to get to know someone like me, a queer who loves Christ. i can be a pain in the ass but i am really a nice person who is plodding along through life. Too bad you are so set in 'your' ways. We might have a cool conversation. Yet, i sense you really are not open to that since you have everything all neatly figured out and interpreted from the Bible.

i am so sorry you think i am an apostate on my way to hell. i beg to differ and i'm ok with that.

G-D bless you, Ken Silva!

Warmest Regards,
Adele Sakler

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello Adele, 

Thank you for contacting Apprising Ministries. I read this earlier on your Existential Punk website, which has also has an intro noting I’m one “who is CONSTANTLY writing negative things about me and my friends. i am starting to wonder if he is getting an unhealthy obsession with me?!” Is ok; you may rest assured I am not. Truly, this isn’t personal; I’m just doing my job is all. You asked: “Why are some people so locked in their certainties and if one disagrees with them, then they are wrong, they are going to hell, they are reprobate, they are apostates? Why can’t people like this see that there is room at the table for differing views and interpretations?” 

But I could also ask you, why are some people so afraid of certainty concerning what the text of the Bible actually says? How, in their uncertainty, are they then suddenly so sure that someone like me is wrong? Why can’t people like this see that where the Bible is clear we must proclaim its truth, regardless of whether others like it or not? All depends upon how one looks at it, ya know. Adele, in the issue of homosexuality, there is no room at the table for differing views and interpretations because God has spoken quite clearly that it is sin. However, I would ask you to be careful not to just assume that I am some narrow-minded fundamentalist bigot who hates GLBTQ people; because I’m really not, and, I don’t. 

Prior to being saved, I was a stand-up comic and professional musician living for years in Long Beach, and performing all around the Los Angeles area, so there really isn’t much I haven’t seen. I have many gay friends, one of which was my boss when I worked in a group home with people who are developmentally challenged people. And he was very out about his sexuality. We’d joke about it all the time; we got along great, and I even visited with him, as well as his partner, at their home many times. Also, my niece is out concerning her homosexuality. You see, strictly on a personal level, one’s sexual orientation doesn’t matter to me at all. 

However, as one Jesus called to be one of His pastor-teachers, I have an obligation to proclaim His Word; and the Bible tells us homosexuality is among the sins which lead one to hell. Still, I’m not telling anyone they are going to hell; because I have no way to know their future. What I do warn someone about, who is unrepentant in their sin, is that if they do not repent and receive the forgiveness of their sin in Jesus Christ, then the broad road they place themselves upon does end up in hell (see—Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus tells us, apart from Him, they are already condemned (see—John 3:18).

In your case Adele, from reading your own testimony, you have apostatized from a previously held proper view of the Bible, and sin, so at this time you are on that broad road. In love I humbly implore you, please repent and turn to the Jesus of the Bible; as He’s the only one there is. If there’s anything I can do to help you, I would certainly be willing to try. Adele, you are correct; we don’t agree, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you, for Christ’s sake. There are many people with whom I disagree, and we can agree to disagree agreeably. 

That said, sometimes God’s message has an Isaiah 6:8-10 result; and this is something I have no control over. When I link to your sites, because I’ve been blessed of the Lord with a couple of large Internet forums, your traffic will increase. However, being a former head football coach, I often use football as an analogy for this type of spiritual warfare. The truth is, you and me are on the playing field of ideas in the church visible, and like a middle linebacker, it’s my job to stop you—and the team you play for—from penetrating the heart of the defense. 

One of the best ways I can do that is to link to your sources, and thereby shine the light upon what your team is actually doing, supposedly in the Lord’s Name. You said, “the common denominator we have in common is our faith in Jesus Christ.” I’m sorry Adele, but you’re wrong; we don’t believe in the same Jesus Christ at all (see—2 Corinthians 11:4). You also said, “Too bad you are so set in ‘your’ ways. We might have a cool conversation.” I say this gently, and you’re not? 

The fact remains, I’m not here to have “conversation” about God when I’m on the playing field; as a pastor I am to preach His Word and teach people what He has said (see—2 Timothy 4:2). Now, as I told Tony Jones when he called me a couple of years ago, once we are off the field, so to speak, we could talk about other things over dinner. But I cannot fellowship with you as fellow Christians because you’re not playing for the Lord; though I assume you’re sincere, in my view you’re both on Satan’s team. 

Finally, you also say, “i sense you really are not open to [getting to know someone like me] since you have everything all neatly figured out and interpreted from the Bible.” Adele, my mind is closed to anything that fights against Jesus because — To fear the LORD is to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13), and as I explained above, I know many people like you. And I’m sorry that you appear to have been hurt by people claiming to know Christ; however at the same time, no one credible is claiming to “have everything all neatly figured out.” 

All we are saying is that, when the Bible is clear, then those of us who dare call ourselves Christians need to obey what Jesus has said. I pray this helps a little anyway. 

Sincerely, 

Ken

'Evolving in Monkey Town'

My dear friend, Rachel Held Evans, has her first book coming out next year. She was kind enough to interview me for the book and i made the final cut! i am honored and wish to share the details of her work with you. From her blog:

"Over 80 years after the Scopes Monkey Trial made a mockery of Christian fundamentalism and a spectacle of her hometown of Dayton, Tennessee, award-winning writer Rachel Held Evans explains how evangelicalism survived by successfully adapting to a modern environment.

As a result, the conservative Christian community so embraced modern rationalism that Evans grew up in a culture obsessed with apologetics and the Apostle’s call to “always be ready with an answer” in defense of the faith.

But when rehearsed answers to tough questions about religious pluralism, human suffering, biblical interpretation, science, heaven, and hell fail to quiet her own doubts, Evans finds herself in the midst of a faith crisis that forces her to reconsider all she thought she knew about God.

Evans concludes that if her faith and the faith of her generation is to survive in a postmodern world, it must once again adapt to its environment and evolve.

In a changing culture where new ideas threaten the safety and security of the faith, Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions is a fearlessly honest story of survival."

Release Date: June, 2010

Publisher: Zondervan

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This Man Is Dangerous!

Think Different!

'Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.'
    - Think Different at Wikipedia

Lately i have been getting a bit more visibility because of starting Queermergent back in January. A lot has been a great and joyous experience with much love and support. Yet, not all has been as positive because many very conservative Christian right wingers have been brutal in their attacks and criticisms of me and some very dear friends. i just want to clear the air a bit. First, this is my blog and my musings, rants, thoughts are all my own, and where i often process what is going on inside my soul. i do not claim to have life all figured out nor do i try to change minds. What i like to do is process my inner conversations here on my blog. i may say something today and change my mind tomorrow, next week, next year, five years from now, and so on. Or i may not change my mind on something. That's my prerogative. What i do attempt to do is challenge all of us, including myself, to think differently and to be open minded. Second, i do not represent or speak for the emerging church and/or Emergent Village. The views, opinions, thoughts, rants, musings, etc. represented here at Existential Punk are my own except where referenced by a link.

Caryn Solly, an atheist who attends Jay Bakker's Revolution Church in NYC, has this to say about being open-minded that really challenged me:

'As a left-leaning Democrat, I have often found that people misuse the words “open-minded.”  It’s a term often used to describe a liberal point of view.  Political liberals have strong opinions and often aren’t willing to budge on them.  That’s OK, and good even.  We all feel that way about many things in our lives, like the value of family or how human beings came to be on this Earth.

However, this is not what open-minded means.  To be open-minded is to free yourself from yourself.  Are you open to changing your mind?  Are you willing to let in new ideas and weigh them against what you currently think?  Are you willing to walk a new path if you find that a new idea has merit?  I find a lot of inspiration in science, and the scientific method is a process of open-mindedness.  Scientists draw conclusions from data, not the other way around.  This is what open-minded means, and to me, it is an essential part of a true spiritual journey, no matter where you started walking.'

i find that i struggle at certain times to be truly open-minded but i aspire to be, and Caryn's comments reminded and challenged me to be even more open to all this. i allow comments on my blog that disagree with me and i think a lot about what people say to me, hard or easy. What i really struggle with are those people who focus on what they believe to be wrong, un-Biblical beliefs of others, criticize those beliefs, and never focus on their own lives, what they believe in or what they might be experiencing in their own faith journeys. They rather judge others and deflect from themselves. In other words, they care only about looking at the speck in the eyes of others rather than focusing on the planks in their own eyes. We all have issues but what i find maddening is when people have an answer at every turn and don't really listen to others. This happens on both the left and the right, liberal and conservative and all the places in between. We are human and no one is immune. Yet, those who have an answer for everything and can't admit they could be wrong drive me crazy!

i am not out to convert people to my way of thinking. i do have opinions and certain beliefs. i could be wrong about many things, but i live my life as authentically as i can. i am really a lot like the definition of Apple's 'Think Different' campaign! My detractors can vilify me, disagree with me, quote me, but you will never silence me. i want to be about pushing boundaries, challenging the status quo, and help to push the human race forward with the help of the Divine rupturing my soul. So, i challenge ALL of us to THINK DIFFERENT!

Shalom!

Reaching Greedily For The Kool-Aid

'To "choose" dogma and faith over doubt and experiment is to throw out the ripening vintage and reach greedily for the Kool-Aid.'

    -Christopher Hitchens

i found this quote yesterday and it got me thinking. i know Hitchens is a devout atheist, but i find truth in some of his words. It has been important for me in my journey not to throw the baby out with the bathwater and to be able to find nuggets of truth from different sources. i have a deep and abiding faith in Christ even though it is imperfect and fails often. i agree that choosing DOGMA over doubt and experiment is like throwing out that ripening vintage and greedily reaching for a cheap and sugarcoated Kool-Aid. Our lives are not certain in any form. We must be open enough to realize this and accept doubt, questions, and the like as an authentic and natural part of being human. Trying new things, experiementing, like many in the emergent conversation are doing with fresh expressions in churches. The places that don't experiment become dry, boring, rote, and often sugarcoat. Many churches have become places of doing the thinking for us and we just listen and take what they say at face-value rather than places where there is dialogue and room for people to doubt, question, lament, etc. If G-D has relationship with us and the church is to model this relationship, then shouldn't that relationship be a two-way street? G-D is not about control and getting us to drink the proverbial Kool-Aid. G-D is about real relationship. Thus, the church has much to learn if it does not want to find itself irrelevant to people. Let's embrace the ripening vintage that i believe G-D wants to give us rather than waste it for the horribly tasting Kool-Aid.

What do you think?

Essence Of The Liberal Outlook According To Bertrand Russell

"The essence of the Liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held, but in how they are held: instead of being held dogmatically, they are held tentatively, and with a consciousness that new evidence may at any moment lead to their abandonment."

    -Bertrand Russell

i LOVE cool and interesting quotes and i collect them all the time. Often i add them to my Apple email program as rotating signatures at the end of my emails. Bertrand Russell's quote above really spoke to me when i found it recently on someone's blog. i like what he says but i also can see some liberals being just as dogmatic about their beliefs as those on the right/conservative side of the spectrum who hold tightly to their fundamental beliefs. i think his quote is a great attitude for ALL human beings to aspire to because none of us has a monopoly on truth and what is the correct way to believe. i am not out to change people's minds but to challenge ALL of us, INCLUDING myself, that none of us has a monopoly on truth and that we must hold our opinions lightly! What do you think?

The Difference Between Literalism & Fundamentalism

i have never read John Dominic Crossan but have always heard wonderful things about him and plan to read him in the future! HT Pete Rollins for this interview clip with Crossan where he discusses the difference between religious literalism and religious fundamentalism. i think he is spot on and i really resonated with what he said from my own personal experiences!