Non-biblical preaching from the pulpit
I found a couple of Archbishop John Chew’s preaching very disturbing. (He is also president of the National Council of Churches of Singapore)
Unite against alternative values, Anglicans urged
Archbishop tells them to recognise family as cornerstone of faith
By Yen Feng
(For a full reading of where I’m coming from, do see my next post http://mathialee.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/speaking-up-for-the-marginalised/)
“He spoke on the need for ‘classical compositions’ of family structures – father, mother and children – instead of non-traditional ones consisting of single, divorced or same-sex parents.”
I think this is an incredibly insensitive thing to say, because it implies that people become single, divorced and same-sex parents by choice.
I think this is equivalent to saying to the society of limb amputees “of the need for ‘classical compositions’ of body parts”.
Just like choosing to have an amputation to save your life, many people do not wish to become single or divorced parents or same-sex parents by “choice”. People who have to become single or divorced parents often find that a very difficult and emotionally trying decision to make. People who become same-sex parents do so because their biology makes it psychologically torturous to be in a heterosexual relationship. In doing so they face incredible pressures and discrimination from society, and the lack of support that heterosexual families have.
Rather than calling for more support for such people, he has added on to the discrimination and distress. In Biblical times, widows and single parents faced great pressures and discrimination too, and the Bible calls for support of such people, to the extent that Jesus himself was born to a single mother.
In his sermon, he also spoke on the importance of procreation within the family structure. Referring to the low fertility rate, he said if Singaporeans do not produce enough babies, ‘the danger is that the mainstream population, its socio-cultural norms and ethos, will dwindle and diminish down the generations.’
I think this is NOT at all Biblical, and hence, it is incredibly IRRESPONSIBLE of him to use the pulpit to say this, and pass it off as a Biblical teaching.
For the people who WISH to have kids but can’t, because of financial or biological reasons, the Bible continually teaches that children are a blessing from God. For people who can’t afford children financially/timewise etc, I believe the Church should be a vessel of God’s blessings and either help to support families or else advocate for more support for families, rather than imply these people are sinners. For those who are biologically unable, this statement is so insensitive.
For people who DO NOT WISH to have kids at all, the Bible holds this to be a perfectly valid life choice. Look at the Pauline writings. To imply that socio-cultural norms and ethos takes precedence over Biblical principles, and worse, to tout them as a Biblical principle, is completely irresponsible, IMO.
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IMO, the pulpit should not be a place to parrot societal prejudice
It is sad, when the followers are made to feel that they need to adopt these prejudices in order to be a good Christian or to go to heaven.
This is very sad, when followers are unaware that these teachings are not biblical, because they have not the opportunity to read to Bible themselves & have put their faith in the teachings of their leader. Or when followers do not know that there are other interpretations of the Bible.
I think that people, especially Christian people, who have different interpretations of Biblical teachings, or who believe these are lies, ought to stand up and say what they think out loud.
Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? – Acts 10 : 15
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