by Ben Howard
Ben sits down with co-hosts Sebastian Faust, Jesse Moon and Ryan Hawk to
talk about the news of Jason Collins' announcement that he is gay. They
break down the significance of the announcement, then discuss the
reaction within the sports community including the negative response of
ESPN commentator Chris Broussard. Finally, the shift into a discussion
of the church's response to homosexuality, the turning tide in favor of
gay marriage, and the odd role pastors perform as agents of the state
with regards to marriages.
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Peace,
Ben
If you have any questions, comments, or if you just want to say hi, you can contact us at onpoptheology [at] gmail.com.
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Showing posts with label Jason Collins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jason Collins. Show all posts
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
A Biblical Response to An Athlete's Unbiblical Lifestyle
Apparently baseball highlights, hockey
playoffs, and various unconfirmed draft rumours are not enough to
fill the airtime and pages of major sports media outlets these days. Recently,
we’ve seen not only sport-related speculation, but social and
religious commentary as well from the talking heads on ESPN.
By now, you’ve heard of the story of the professional athlete who has become a household name for his
lifestyle more than his statistics. His candid discussion of very
personal issues has sparked significant controversy not only in the
world of sports-related news, but in also in the realms of politics
and religion.
Many prominent figures have rushed to
support and congratulate this athlete for his words and actions and
he’s been lauded by many as a brave and courageous hero; an
inspiration to us all.
But it’s time to open our eyes, and
reexamine what the Bible really says. We live in an age where people would rather make exceptions to the teachings of God, than submit to those
teachings they find inconvenient or unlikeable. Nowhere has this been seen more
clearly than in our culture’s response to this athlete. Rather than
lovingly holding him to the standards of Scripture, we have accepted
him and his lifestyle. Those who have spoken the truth on this issue
have been ridiculed, silenced, and ignored.
The Church must be careful not to be
caught up in the sweeping tide of celebrity worship and public
opinion. Though it may make us unpopular, we must not endorse or
congratulate those whose actions are in clear disobedience to the
simple commands of the Bible.
In Matthew 6 we read: “When you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites, for they love ... to be seen by others. … But
when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray.”
Sadly, Tim Tebow has been widely celebrated for a lifestyle of public
prayer seen by others, in disobedience to this clear command of
Scripture.
While it's disheartening to see the
clear teachings of Scripture so blatantly ignored, it's even more
disappointing to see many so-called Christian men and women support and celebrate this lifestyle.
It’s time for us to stop celebrating
this athlete, and instead call him to repent and submit
to a traditional, Biblical view of prayer regardless of how
unfashionable or unpopular that message might be.
It’s time for him to stop kneeling in
the end zone, and stand up for Biblical truth instead.
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Saturday, May 4, 2013
Super Mario As A Hipster and the Best Things You'll Read All Week
 |
| See the others here. |
Reads of the Week
Why Progressive Christians Should Care About Abortion by Rachel Held Evans
"So just as I grew irritated with the pro-life movement for its inconsistency and simplistic solutions, I grew irritated with the pro-choice movement for its callousness and disinterest in discussing the very real ethical concerns surrounding the termination of a pregnancy."
Why NBA Center Jason Collins is Coming Out Now by Jason Collins with Franz Lidz
"I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."
Why Jason Collins' Faith is Ignored...And Tebow's Isn't by T.F. Charlton
"There are many reasons for this marginalization of black Christian athletes. Segregation and racism in American churches and media, and widespread ignorance of black religiosity, are partly to blame, but it’s also due to the fact that white evangelicalism is more politicized—or, perhaps more accurately, is differently politicized—than Black Church traditions tend to be."
ShePonders: Apologies by Kelley Johnson Nikondeha
"Our tendency is to look away or stare into the ground, as if the floor needs the apology. But then comes the gentle reminder—look up, into your sister’s eyes, let her see you. Eye to eye contact requires connection in that tender moment. We look at the one we hurt; maybe we feel a sting in our soul as we stutter our apology. We look at the one who just insulted us and listen to their heart, even while we’re still hot with hurt. Sharing this moment matters, small as it might seem."
White Lady Feminism, Christian Blogging, and the Worst of Both Possible Worlds by Dianna Anderson
"But, when either of these two goes wrong, they go really, really wrong. And, remarkably, I’ve noticed that they tend to go wrong in almost exactly the same ways. It’s a disturbing confluence of the problematic nature of ideology embraced above hearing opposition and it is, in many ways, a perpetuation of marginalization and oppression."
Honorable Mention
Discussing Faith Over Seafood by Sarah Moon
Just Like Me? by RJS
Theodicy and Foreign Policy: The U.S. is Not Omnipotent by Fred Clark
Line of the Week
"Can't wait to see who wins 'Best Hubby Ever' on today's episode of Facebook." - Joshua Robinson (@joshuamrobinson)
On Pop Theology Week in Review
On Being Enlightened
Charity Erickson asks us what it means to be Enlightened.
The Meaning of the End
What does it mean when things end?
On Economics and Truth
On what is true and what is true-ish.
Song of the Week
"A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" by Fergie, Q-Tip, and GoonRock (listen to the rest of the Great Gatsby soundtrack on NPR: First Listen)
Peace,
Ben
You can follow On Pop Theology on Twitter @OnPopTheology or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OnPopTheology.
Contact us at onpoptheology [at] gmail.com.
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