Believe it or not, that’s the line being run by a former evangelical, Keith Mascord, in today’s smh. After a brief summary of the potential issues with believing in a global flood (Genesis 6-9) he concludes,
the only reason a plain (and church-history-long) reading of the Noah story has been overturned in favour of seeing it as a localised flood, even if unconvincingly (or, more convincingly, as myth), is that scientific discoveries have made that necessary. Many of the first geologists were Christian clergymen. It was under pressure from their discoveries that the biblical text came to be reread and reappropriated.
This is, one must understand, a sophisticated argument. Not because the point being made is particularly brilliant but because it’s made by someone who understands Sydney Anglicans. They’re a conservative lot, but a popular position here is exactly that which Mascord outlines – geological evidence makes the acceptance of a universal Flood untenable. Mascord thinks he’s found a chink in the Sydney Anglican armour, and so on he goes…
There is good reason to think we will need to do the same with the issue of marriage equality. Throughout history and across cultures, and within the Bible itself, homosexual practice has been almost universally condemned. But we now know, or have increasingly strong reasons to believe, that people are born gay or lesbian. Far from this being unnatural for them, it is an example of God’s creative handiwork. And once again, advances in scientific understanding are occasioning a rethink of relevant biblical texts. As a result, straight Christians like me must take seriously the heartfelt desire of our gay and lesbian friends to share in the benefits and responsibilities of marriage
It’s a bit of a non-sequiter, isn’t it? The parallels just aren’t there. One might concede that “scientific evidence” means that we can’t accept a global Flood, but it’s not a concept that’s transferable to the issue of sexuality, or of any behaviour. It’s a little embarassing to say it, but Mascord gives the impression that he doesn’t understand basic orthodox belief on creation and sin. That someone is “born” with a particular trait is not necessarily evidence of “God’s creative handiwork”. We don’t live in a simple created world. It is both created and fallen. The argument would not hold for other behaviours.
If someone is born with a tendency towards violence, we don’t call that “an example of God’s creative handiwork”. If someone is born with a tendency towards alcoholism (of which there is much greater scientific evidence than any supposed “gay gene”), we don’t call that “an example of God’s creative handiwork”. If someone is born predisposed to certain cancers, we don’t call that “an example of God’s creative handiwork”. No, on each occasion we recognise, as Athanasius puts it, that the image of God is marred, flawed by the outworking of sin in the cosmos.
This is basic theology, friends. You might wish to concede the point on a global flood (although I wouldn’t personally – the approach itself betrays a certain attitude to Scripture) but that doesn’t mean you have to accept Mascord’s argument. Disagreements about the historicity of the flood are exactly that, disagreements over historical claims. Disagreements over being “born” gay are an entirely different category. That Mascord, who taught philosophy at Moore College for many years, seeks to equate the two arguments is particularly disappointing.
Holy Cow! What a total disaster of an argument by Keith Mascord. What a dreadful shipwreck of a soul. May God have mercy.
David,
Are you agreeing that the flood was not global?
hi Jackie,
No, not at all. I think it was certainly global – hard to know how to read the text any other way.
I was simply pointing out that one can concede Mascord’s first point without in any way having to insist that it implies the second.
Mascord is also wrong about is claims for science. There is no scientific evidence for anyone being “born gay or lesbian”.
There are two lines of research that show that genetic factors may create a predisposition towards homosexuality:
1. Studies of twins separated at birth have shown that if one twin is gay, the other tends to be also, even if they have grown up separately;
2. Some men, with particular family traits, may have a predisposition towards characteristics that have traditionally been considered “feminine”. Specifically: the fourth boy in a line of boys may behave more “feminine” than his older brothers. Researchers theorise it’s because the mother’s womb creates hormones that make this alien creature – the baby – more like itself, viz, more female. That’s a hypothesis at the moment, not proven.
Both of these are a long way from “proving” that people are “born gay or lesbian”. Mascord’s overblown claims are, basically, bad science.
I’m all for taking scientific results into consideration – but we must evaluate these scientific results within all their limitations and qualifications, which honest researchers would themselves be quick to admit. Mascord has damaged both science and faith. Most disappointing.
Kamal,
In fact, the best “twin studies” have found that if one one of a pair of identical twins is homosexual, then the other will also be in around 7% of cases. Hardly strong scientific evidence for homosexuals being “born that way”. In fact, human sexuality, its formation and fluidity, is a vast area of complex study, but for anyone to baldly claim that people are “born” with a certain sexuality that is immutable, is simplistically naiive.
It would be great for some of you to present your case for Keith to reply to on his new blog page. Some interesting discussions there: http://arestlessfaith.com.au/blog/a-restless-faith/#comments
good point, Pete. Looks like there’s some good convesations happening there now.
I listened to an interview that Keith Mascord gave about his departure from ‘fundamentalism’. He mentions Moore College, I was wondering is this the only institution that the Sydney diocese recognise degrees from?
hi Lucy,
No, not quite. When someone applies for and is accepted for ordination in Sydney diocese they go to Moore College. As a result the vast majority of ministers here will be Moore grads. But others are accepted from outside the diocese from time to time. Two neighbouring parishes here have “out of town” ministers. As long as the Archbishop is happy to license them they are more than welcome.
There are, of course, a number of parishes here who differ from the mainstream evangelical convictions and, indeed, a few who dissent. But all have been able to get a Rector.