Mark 10:6-12 NIV
6 "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 7 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." 10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."
This is just one selection of Biblical text that provides contradictions to commonly accepted Christian practices today. Depending on who you talk to, they will tell you that verses six through nine is God's spoken command and verses ten through twelve were culturally relevant to that specific time period.
I was a Youth Leader and led other various aspects of ministry at my home church and other faith-based organizations. The simple fact of the matter is, I didn't lead, I simply repeated.
I have studied the Bible. I have studied it more since I have left the church than when I was in the church. Many who know me will call BS but, while a part of a congregation, I simply listened and took whatever was fed to me as 'The Gospel'. Since I have left, I have been forced to read the full text on my own and have it not be filtered by the individual delivering that text. I can come to the Word with a blank canvas, after having my faith rocked by my sexuality.
I have been grieving since I left the church. That much I have known since the winter of 2009 when I stopped attending. What I have finally figured out is, why I have been grieving. I was that bigot. I was the person who would listen to verses, taken out of context, and just repeat them to others and label them 'The Gospel'. I would take for granted the intent of leadership and follow blindly as 'abominations' listed within six verses of the 'hot topic' text were being allowed and condoned.
I was that Christian gentleman who actually believed that marriage, defined biblically, was between one man and one woman. I would proudly proclaim this even after I just read in the Old Testament of these men, after God's own heart, who had multiple wives. How stupid I must have looked. Even within the Biblical text, there are contradictions to the definition and execution of marriage...especially as we define and execute marriage today.
I was also that person in the pew (er...chair rather) that would whole-heartedly believe that Paul was dishing out the very Word of God in everything he said, simply because he said he did. Even though Paul, at times, provided slightly contradictory text than the actual written words of Christ.
I was the blind follower to those who, while having positive intentions, preached their version of 'The Gospel'. I would judge others as I had been instructed to pass judgement, while harming friendships and family ties.
I grieve because I was that hypocrite.
But I am no longer that hypocrite. Since leaving the church, I have found myself able to love others more unconditionally than before. My mind has been opened to Christ's command of loving one another, not judging and living in peace.
I grieve for Kim Davis, I honestly do. She is making this stand, in what I assume, is good faith that everything she has been taught and fed from the pulpit is God's will for us. I grieve for her as she bears this pain and suffering, unnecessarily.
Before you comment: When I refer to the 'pulpit' and church leadership, I am referencing more than just one actual pulpit and church leader. I am referring to Christianity as a whole and it's dogma. I do not wish to make this a political discussion. While I realize that this post is in response to one, the intent was not to provide commentary on it. If you wish to discuss the political aspects of the current event, I will be more than happy to buy you a glass of wine and discuss in person.