tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28637516.post6726422247953526176..comments2024-01-20T07:17:13.678-05:00Comments on Phil Wyman's Square No More: Christian Sexuality Part 5bPastor Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07344719487413688550noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28637516.post-44335683656672332852007-02-20T19:43:00.000-05:002007-02-20T19:43:00.000-05:00yeah, that's a good point, sin is found in every f...yeah, that's a good point, sin is found in every family... still scratching my head.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28637516.post-46716543115707401002007-02-20T16:37:00.000-05:002007-02-20T16:37:00.000-05:00Hey Caz,Thanks for stopping in. I like your phras...Hey Caz,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for stopping in. I like your phrase genuinely noormal and genuinely spiritual. That's a cool way of describing living ritually.Pastor Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07344719487413688550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28637516.post-83835807010054149242007-02-20T16:01:00.000-05:002007-02-20T16:01:00.000-05:00Hi pastor Phil, just to say a big thanks for your ...Hi pastor Phil, just to say a big thanks for your posts on sexuality. Only just found your blog and I'm really enjoying it. What you say makes sense to me and I've never really seen it like that before (the whole monogamy / one God thing) Genuinely normal and genuinely spiritual. Err well, I haven't got any deep comments to add, so cheers again. <BR/><BR/>CazAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28637516.post-77291717607404567502007-02-20T12:51:00.000-05:002007-02-20T12:51:00.000-05:00You are right that polygamy is nowhere forbidden, ...You are right that polygamy is nowhere forbidden, except for church leaders, but it never seemed to work out well either. An extreme example is Solomon, though the patriarchs before him had no end of trouble from having more than one wife.<BR/><BR/>In missions this sometimes can be an issue. A few years ago I heard about a well-intentioned missionary in Africa that led a powerful man to faith in Christ, but would not baptize him until he dealt with his second wife. The missionary explained that monogamy was the only acceptable option. The missionary left, and a few weeks later returned to check on things. The man, sad-faced, said he was ready to be baptized. The missionary said that was great, and that he would also like to speak with the ex-second wife about what this all meant. Terribly confused, the man told the missionary that she had been put to death.<BR/><BR/>In that tribal culture, there is no divorce. Sometimes it helps to understand your culture. This sounds like an urban legend, but it was presented to me as fact from people who knew the missionary.Adam Gonnermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08975190849449996353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28637516.post-75543219612664597002007-02-20T10:19:00.000-05:002007-02-20T10:19:00.000-05:00Hey Carl,I had to think through this topic a numbe...Hey Carl,<BR/><BR/>I had to think through this topic a number of years ago, because I was wanting to move to Utah and minister to Mormons in central Utah many of whom belonged to fundamentalist, polygamist Mormon churches.<BR/><BR/>So I had to consider what muight happen if a family joined a church with two moms, both with 3 or 4 kids, and a father who was responsible for the whole family. So what the heck do you tell them? --Sorry, you'll have to divorce your second wife, and send the kids off with her into the wilderness like Hagar and Ishmael?<BR/><BR/>We don't face these dilemmas here in MA, USA, but if we preached in Africa, or the Middle East, or even Utah we'd have to think about it.<BR/><BR/>As far as sexual immorality down the genetic line: I wonder which genetic line hasn't had that difficulty. It seems to be a general human condition of sin - even among television evangelists.Pastor Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07344719487413688550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28637516.post-49526840840666296102007-02-20T08:25:00.000-05:002007-02-20T08:25:00.000-05:00Dude phil! you're stretching my brain. Everytime I...Dude phil! you're stretching my brain. Everytime I read about guys with more than one wife in the bible I usually dismiss thinking about it because it's just to foreign and awkward for me to think about. <BR/><BR/>I may be wrong but didn't the biblical characters who practiced polygamy/adultery in one way or another(Abraham, David, Solomon) have trouble down the genetic line with sexual immorality?... I'll have to mull over this. These have been great posts on sexuality, Thanks Phil.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28637516.post-18132947148887281352007-02-20T07:40:00.000-05:002007-02-20T07:40:00.000-05:00Hey Dave,Thanks for the heads up on that paragraph...Hey Dave,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the heads up on that paragraph which was typed out quickly last night. All fixed now.<BR/><BR/>As far as using the word "allowed," since I do not come from a reformed theological position, I do not have a hard time with the word allowed. Perhaps it's a matter of theological semantics. I use allowed in the sense of "the times of this ignorance God winked at." Yet strangely I also do not find a call to repentance concerning the practice of polygamy in scrippture, and certainly if that was critical to God I believe that I would see it since it was a practice openly occuring in society at the time the biblical text was being formed. This is a weirdly uncomfortable thing to consider, especially since I have met, and discussed polygamy with real live Mormon polygamists.Pastor Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07344719487413688550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28637516.post-9793427026873656572007-02-20T00:19:00.000-05:002007-02-20T00:19:00.000-05:00Phil,I love the redemptive picture of Christ and h...Phil,<BR/><BR/>I love the redemptive picture of Christ and his Bride. Do you think that generally speaking men have a harder time relating to that picture than women? My lovely wife is enraptured by meditating on this while I seem to hold a rather intellectual perspective. I wish I could get closer to where she is! In spite of my weakness on this point, I find it a magnificent metaphor.<BR/><BR/>How is polygamy "allowed" by God? Do you mean it is allowed in the sense that men like Jacob and David were not immediately obliterated? I shy away from "allowed" in favor of "grace." It is/was a sin like any other and God chooses not to exercise justice for all manner of sin. (But not always; e.g. Nadab and Abihu, Uzzah, Ananias and Sapphira.) His demonstration of grace doesn't seem to be the same as allowing sin.<BR/><BR/>One more thing...the paragraph immediately following #3 doesn't seem to say quite what you want it to say. Am I mistaken?<BR/><BR/>You're doing a great job with this series. Hurry up, I'm preaching through Ephesians and am quickly approaching the marriage section in chapter 5! You're a big help!<BR/><BR/>DaveShiloh Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00516285675816569740noreply@blogger.com