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Tuesday, 06 February 2007 15:33 |
| | Paul Metzger |
By JIM GENARO
Following his talk, "On the Christian Religion: A Latt?© for the Consumer Masses," at UNC Ashevilleës Rhodes-Robinson Hall on Jan. 30, theologian Paul Metzger answered questions about the role of evangelical Christians in social issues.
About 50 people attended the forum, which was part of the schoolës Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations.
One man
observed that while the teachings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul were
"really revolutionary at the time ... thereës a lot in the Bible thatës
very traditional."
Among these is the call in the Old Testament for homosexuals to be put
to death ÇƒÓ one that he said Paul reiterated. "How do you reconcile
that?" the man asked.
Avoiding the question of capital punishment for homosexuals, Metzger
turned to another practice whose supporters cited the Bible as
justification ÇƒÓ slavery.
Though the Old Testament legitimizes slavery, Metzger said, "Paul calls
himself a ǃÚslave to Christë and calls on slave-owners to free them.
Paul is working within the structures of his time, but at the same
time, heës challenging that order."
He termed that system "the fallen order that Christ has lifted us from."
The questioner responded, saying that neither Jesus nor Paul was "for a violent revolution."
"No, nor was Dr. King," Metzger replied.
He added that the New Testament is "a very political book." In
particular, the Book of Revelations "was a way of challenging the
Caesar system."
Another man asked Metzger to elaborate about comments he had made that
evangelicals have often opposed "policies that make abortion less
desirable," despite their opposition to the practice.
Metzger replied by quoting a fellow evangelical preacher who said that
"the evangelical community has so long identified with capitalism that
it doesnët see the downside of it."
Of Adam Smith, Metzger said, "I donët think he would have been in favor
of laissez-faire capitalist policies" as they are practiced today.
Countering Metzgerës assessment about the churchës failure to engage in
politics, a female student said, "Iëm seeing a lot of real good stuff
going on with the church" in terms of the environment and HIV.
Metzger responded by saying he supports such efforts, but added that
"if itës not a deep-seated value ÇƒÓ itës only trying to appeal to the
consumer ÇƒÓ weëll drop it like a bad habit."
"Does it seem to you somewhat hypocritical to maintain these more
secularized element (such as coffee bars) in the church?" a man asked.
Metzger said that while he is not necessarily opposed to coffee bars in
churches, "itës problematic when we donët think about it ... We need to
rethink space ÇƒÓ weëve made it into an auditorium."
A woman asked about the racial divide within evangelical churches. "Do you see it as hypocritical?"
she asked him.
"I do think itës a denial of the gospel," Metzger replied.
He added that race is such an emotionally charged issue that "people explode over race. Itës demonic, this stuff."
But racism not only harms its victims, he said, but those who hold racist views, as well.
Diversity is as crucial to those in a position of wealth as it is to
the poor, he noted. For instance, he said, many of the people in the
evangelical community who have spent time in Mexico and other
developing nations have come back from the experience profoundly
changed by their interactions with the people there.
"We need them as much, if not more so, than they need us," he added.
"Do you see a lot of indifference and anger when you bring up issues of wealth disparity among evangelicals?" a man asked.
Metzger replied that he has encountered much hostility when he speaks on behalf of the poor.
Once, while speaking at a church service, Metzger said he "was sharing
a story about ǃÚNegro removal,ë otherwise known as ǃÚurban renewal.ë" One
man in the congregation was so incensed that he shouted, "How old is
this guy? Who does he think he is?"
A man asked how the "mainstream activist community reacts to having
evangelical Christians join in with what theyëre working on."
Metzger replied that evangelicals were well regarded for their activism
involving social causes prior to 1925, when the Scopes Monkey Trial led
to a souring of public perception about the movement.
Scopes vs. State was a trial that pitted evangelical Christians against
Tennessee schoolteacher John Scopes, who was arrested for teaching
Darwinës theory of evolution in a classroom, despite a statewide ban on
curricula that contradicted creationism.
After that, "the rhetoric and the hostility intensified" among opponents of evangelical Christianity, Metzger said.
Nonetheless, evangelicals today are beginning to make a large impact
through their activism, he added. "Public faith, when itës truly
redemptive, can be very engaging."
A man asked about people who use their interpretations of the Bible to
justify bigotry and other values that contradict the teachings of Jesus.
"Theyëre the hardest people to reach," he said. King, he noted, referred to some of these people as "my sick, white brothers."
"I have to deal with these people," Metzger said. "Jerry Falwell ÇƒÓ heës my brother."
Metzger also expressed his regrets for anyone who has been persecuted
by evangelical Christians because of their sexual orientation.
"I donët find that anything other than love ever transforms people," Metzger said in closing.
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