[AMA Series 2015] Presbyterians

What is the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost? Are they a real thing or just how humans view Him?

I affirm orthodox Trinitarianism. Three hypostases in one ousia. The second part of your question I don't really understand. I think they're "real" but only Jesus has a physical body by default.

I subscribe to a non plotonic view of the human person. I think the importance of the physical body has been too denigrated in Christian thought. I think the human soul is like a blueprint for the person, sort of their fundamental essence. It has many of the same traits as the mind, and I think must reflect the body in some way, but not completely. I think the soul is able to accurately represent the uniqueness of the person after being purged of frailty and malady, which is part of the eschaton.

What is your view on LGBTQ issues and what is your support theologically?

I've always supported GLBTQ rights at the polls because secular live-and-let-live is the only thing that's allowed religion to prosper in America, and compulsory obedience is no obedience at all, and I grew up in an church environment that was very welcoming (we had a gay elder in the church), but in seminary I came to the conclusion that a lot of violence was being done to the disciplines of exegesis and text criticism in order to get to the point where Reformed believers, who were supposed to base their faith on their understanding of scripture, could see those scriptures as not condemning gay sexual interactions. Coming from a scientific background, I learned very early on that tampering with the data to achieve a desired result is the most deadly sin you can commit. I can't throw the same metrics and presuppositions that allowed us to get to our modern approximation of the "original text" under the bus just to have the scripture advocate for social justice in this one area where it doesn't naturally.

As I've said before, I think the only Reformed argument for full inclusion that is even remotely intellectually honest or tolerable is that Paul claims it to be against nature in Romans 1, we know scientifically that he was off base with that, therefore his conclusion is based on an invalid premise.

In a lot of ways, I sympathize with Tony Campolo, I also don't feel that homosexuality is harmful to people when practiced between a monogamous couple for life, but as a Reformed Christian, I can't see a way to reconcile gay marriage or ordination to church offices with being gay or lesbian.

I don't think the bible says anything about trans people, so we should rely on a combination of universal proscriptions and medical research. In all cases and for all pairings, serial sexual partners and divorce are an abomination.

/r/Christianity Thread Parent