Renewing Civil Discourse: How Do We Hold Differing Views and Remain in Relationship?

“Renewing Civil Discourse: How do we hold differing views and remain in relationship?”

St. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church

November 12, 2009

Dr. Tony Campolo

St. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church

November 12, 2009

“Renewing Civil Discourse: How do we hold differing views and remain in relationship?”

1.  Americans have lost ability to be different from one another in love

2.  Lost ability to hold different points of view and still remain together

3.  Scripture calls upon us to have a ministry of reconciliation

4.  Have allowed dominant culture to dictate how we act

5.  Story—John Daly—spoke against two sides arguing

6.  Shows—set up in opposition to one another

7.  We’ve allowed church to be politicized

8.  Evangelical: Nicene Creed, high view of Scripture, strong emphasis on mysticism of Jesus, primary reason for winning people for Jesus is to live in this world, not prepare for the next

9.  Story—Christian up to a point

10.  How countercultural should Christianity be? What does Christianity really look like?

11.  1 John 3:17-18

12.  Difference between Catholics and Protestants: reading Jesus or Paul first

13.  When you take a position, you ought to be like Paul: “This one thing I know: Christ and Him crucified”

14.  Everything is up for discussion, except for Jesus and the basis of salvation

15.  Each party has to entertain the possibility that they could be wrong

16.  Homosexuality issue that is dividing the church has been nurtured in the political arena

17.  Story—Proposition 8—what did we win?

18.  Should be ongoing discussion on homosexuality

19.  Tony first part, third part. Peggy second part and fourth part. Discussion

20.  Tony—against same-gender erotic behavior

a.  Church and community of faith supports this position

b.  Conservative

c.  Old Testament—Leviticus and Deuteronomy

d.  Two kinds of commandments—Ten and Purity

e.  Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah—not caring for the poor

f.  New Testament—2 Timothy, Corinthians, Romans 1

g.  Wesley—quadrangle—what did the passage mean to the people who first had it addressed to them in the time when it was written? Tradition of the church? What does the community of faith say?

h.  Must be open to being wrong

i.  The Clash of Civilizations—every war was over political and economic ideology

21.  Peggy

a.  Scripture must be read in context of history

b.  Wrote against cultural orgies, not against homosexuality

c.  Times to transcend tradition

d.  Homosexuals unjustly silenced in the church

e.  Homosexuals should not have to be in the closet to belong to the body

f.  Both angry about treatment of this group by church leaders

g.  Stand together against promiscuous lifestyles

h.  Disagree on subject of same-gender erotic behavior

i.  Both agree should be legal relationships, but Peggy believes they should be entirely welcome in the church

22.  Tony

a.  Government should not legitimate marriages

b.  The Church should legitimate marriages—“sacred institution”

c.  Government should guarantee civil unions and equal rights to all

d.  Marriage in the church

e.  Each respect other’s right to own beliefs

f.  Freedom of religion

g.  Nobody know what causes homosexual orientation

h.  Except in rare cases, homosexual status does not change

i.  Life experiences

i.  West Philly High gay student who committed suicide

ii. Girl at Christian school had been “outed” had to tell dad

iii.  Funeral for a man with AIDS

j.  Christianity is about loving

k.  These are our brothers and sisters

l.  Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ

23.  Peggy

a.  Peggy’s childhood—“fake it until you make it”

b.  God is waiting to meet each one of us

c.  God had been preparing Peggy’s heart to work with gay and lesbian people

d.  Story—Tom, her gay friend in high school

e.  Need Holy Spirit to give courage

f.  Story—Provincetown former priest

g.  Peggy has been changed by her gay and lesbian Christian friends

h.  Story—Lois

i.  Story—another man in Provincetown

j.  Jesus has Kingdom work for us to do

Tags: John Daly, Nicene Creed, Homosexuality, Proposition 8, Conservative, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, commandments, sin, Sodom, Gomorrah, poor, Wesley, quadrangle, ideology, cultural orgies, 2 Timothy, Corinthians, Romans 1, marriage, 1 John 3:17-18, sacred institution, West Philly High, AIDS, Tom, Provincetown, priest, gay, lesbian, Lois

11122009 St. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church