Love but not Affirmation
Today has been a tough and long day. School has been busy, and I have spent hours thinking, praying, and emailing many of you who have commented on my post the “Equality Ride.”
Yesterday morning and afternoon, the Soulforce Equality Riders did indeed come to Covenant College. This is not a news article… I don’t have all the facts or the information, but I am merely speaking from my own personal experience after spending three hours talking, debating, and discussing with real people who came to Covenant with a voice to speak and be heard.
The Covenant Administration did not let them onto campus, as stated in their letter to the student body (and as I tried to adequately explain in my post on the Equality Ride). The Administration had its reasons, responsibilities, and duties to Covenant and the student body to not allow the Equality Ride come onto campus. I respect and stand by their decision - they have their responsibility to the school, and I respect and admire them for that.
But some 100 different students (more or less, I wasn’t counting) went to talk to the Riders over the course of the morning and afternoon. I spent a good three hours talking with several of the Riders, including Esteban who has commented on my previous post. I am glad that I, along with many other Covenant students, had the opportunity to talk to the Riders. Covenant is not close-minded. The Equality Ride was simply another opportunity for Covenant students to dialogue with, reach out to, and love real people… an opportunity that many students took with eagerness and out of their own choice. And the students who spent hours talking with the Riders did so out of love, not affirmation for something the Scripture clearly condemns. There is a difference.
As a Christian and a student of Covenant, I wanted and needed to explain something to those of you who believe that I condemn people who are of a different sexual orientation than me. Several people wrote me and said that I am condemning in my words to homosexuals, bi-sexuals, or transgender people. If you define condemnation as me disagreeing with you and not affirming what you believe, then yes - it is condemnation. But that is not to say that my heart does not reach out to you in love because of a love that Christ has shown me. I have no desire to condemn or judge - it is not my place, and it is a responsibility that God and God alone can claim.
With that in mind, understand that I am open to hearing the words of those who have different opinions than me. I will not always agree with you - I am firm in my own personal beliefs in the Scriptures. But I will not condemn or judge. I will not necessarily affirm, condone, or agree with any opinions presented here …but I am open to listening and loving in the way that Christ has called me to and in the way that Christ himself loved us.
Published on 3 Apr 2007 at 3:27 pm.
4 Comments.
Filed under Real Life Issues, Student Life.
Philip,
I really appreciate how you handle this blog. Thank you for your presenting your beliefs and ideas to be read by the public.
Jill on 4 Apr 2007 at 5:29 pm.
Philip, the way you’ve been handling this blog is commendable. I am not sure I would have been able to handle so well some of the things you have.
To me, it seems many of you who have been accusing Philip of speaking with condemning words may be acting a bit presumptuously. Philip is a student at a private, conservative Christian school. The Equality Riders and other supporters of LGBTQ’s are clearly out to challenge institutions like Covenant and seem predisposed to think those of a conservative Christian nature are nothing but condemning, unreceptive, and hateful toward their behavior.
This is simply not true, and I believe proof of the contrary (and I speak only from personal experience and based on what others have said) is the way the Riders’ visit to Covenant went. There was much dialogue and very little if any condemnation.
It would be sheer ignorance to assimilate disagreement with condemnation…not to mention unreasonable.
You do not have to experience things exactly the same way as another to adequately empathize. Sure, it would help to experience things similarly to privide a more accurate relation, but you cannot condemn another person for trying to empathize even if their personal experience does not match that of your own.
Jeremy Smith on 4 Apr 2007 at 10:17 pm.
One thing that I think sets the Covenant community apart is that they are very familiar about Covenant’s student policy. There is nothing that could be brought before a student — typically I know there are a few exceptions here and there — that they would be like “Oh, uh, really?! That’s there!? Huh. I didn’t know that.” That speaks in Covenant’s favor.
Carrie on 5 Apr 2007 at 8:43 am.
“If you define condemnation as me disagreeing with you and not affirming what you believe, then yes - it is condemnation.”
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I do not define disagreement as condemnation.
My disagreement with you is precisely in wondering what precisely we are disagreeing on.
We already both disagree on the “condemnation” part. It’s non-negotiable, so be it.
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If you truly are sincere, then all I can ask you to do is to be as sincere as you possibly can in your condemnation of me.
I think that’s fair.
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Unfortunately I’m not always fair in the Christlike sense (I have an ego=I am evil) There are many others better versed in non-violence demeanor than me.
I would challenge you to visit us at Soulforce on the forums when you are ready. I can’t guarantee an easy ride, but if you do care, then there are some things — that can still be said — but said without horrible insult, as with President Neilson’s letter.
Come to think of it, I should re-write that..
Emproph on 7 Apr 2007 at 11:40 am.