Okay, Where Were We?

September 2, 2008

I realized today that it’s been nearly two months ago since I started a sporatic series on (queer) Christian sexual ethics with a post titled Lesbian Sex, Free Downloads, and Naked Photos. I know you’ll be nonplussed to learn that particular post gets the highest number of hits every day, a result of some fairly freaky words and phrases people are putting into their search engines including but not limited to, and I quote here, disavowing all personal culpability for what is to follow, lesbian sex photos, lesbians playing around, outside lesbian sex, sex photos and free downloads, lesbian sex free, lesbians having fun together, photos of naked women together, and for a reason that totally escapes me, and the wheels on the bus go round and round. Now, you know I’ve got a dozen smart-alecky comebacks for each and every one of those but I’m just going to take a deep breath and think happy non-related thoughts.

Inhale. Happy thought. Exhale. Okay then. So if you missed any of the posts or need a refresher on the material we’ve covered so far since it’s taken me forever to get back on topic, here are the posts as they appeared in chronological order.

To this point I’ve focused much of the discussion on breaking down traditional teachings of biblical sexual ethics that are often presented as absolutes within the conservative church such as marriage is between one man and one woman, sex outside of marriage is prohibited, and celibacy is required of gays and lesbians; This trifecta of morality has for the most part comprised the cornerstone of the churches’ teaching on human sexuality and what I proposed is that the biblical teaching on marriage and sex lacks such certitude and instead contains ambiguous and conflicting messages within the biblical account when viewed as a singular unified witness.

Beginning with the following posts I want to change things up by proposing that while the Bible doesn’t provide us with a standardized one-size-fits-all code of sexual ethics, what it does do is provide us with one overarching ethical standard that’s more than enough to guide and equip us in all areas of ethical living. Some people fear that without absolute answers we’ll be left floating in a sea of ambiguity where relevant morality reigns and anything goes. Nothing could be further from the truth because the ethical standard we have to guide us requires far more of us than simple obedience to a codified law but it calls us to something higher and greater than doing the right thing, but to doing the right thing rightly motivated.

But more on that to follow in the next post.

Spread the Word!