Where is Jesus?

The adult children were in a raucous mood, congratulating themselves for surviving and thriving despite their suffering at the hands of their well meaning but incompetent parents, Jackie and me.  Lots of laughs at our expense, but Jackie and I loved it.  It was family!

As the conversation wended on, it became apparent that without being specific they were suggesting that despite our advanced years and infirmities, grandma and grandpa might still be sexuality active.  I cut my eyes to Morgan, realized she understood what was being inferred, and I thought she was going to vomit!

Now ten years later, there is little change, except the older grandchildren are able to disguise their disgust when there is any suggestion of intimacy between the grandparents.

While the reaction of the younger Morgan is recalled with laughter, we all understand that painting word images, however disguised, of any couples sexual intimacies is fraught with danger both for the painter and the hearer.  Yet it appears there are those who simply cannot see some couples without getting into imagined imagery of scenes that do not belong to them and if even true, they are not welcome to view.

Try as I may, I cannot grasp how my marriage, good or bad, impacts others marriages.  Assuming Jackie and I are in a consensual adult relationship, why would anyone devote energy to defining rules for Jackie and me.  Do folks not have enough work to do without creating mischief for others?

It seems not.  The Christian right spends enormous energy and time invading the lives of people they know little about and about whom they refuse to learn, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender folks.  They imagine grotesque scenes and convince themselves their self spun lies are true.  They seem to forget the lessons of history that recorded the carnage created when otherwise well meaning religious folks insisted on visiting their vision of faith on those who did not ask for it and did not want it.

Two Thousand years of Christian Anti-Semitism resulted in the Holocaust. Hundreds and Hundreds of years of Christian ignorance supported misogyny. Hundreds of years of Christian bigotry supported slavery.  Is it so difficult to see the pain their homophobia creates and sustains?

Yes, there were Christians who were not Anti-Semitic or misogynists or bigots, but for millions and millions of Jews, Roma, women, people of color, disabled persons, lesbian and gay folks, they were too few in numbers for too many years.

And yes, I will concede that hate is not unique to Christians. But since I consider myself a Christian that is where I focus.  The fundamentalists and fundamentalism I understand. It is simply willful ignorance.

What I cannot understand is how can or why do the greater number of Christians live with the shameful actions of the fundamentalists?

Especially in our time as we witness the daily carnage of the terrorists abroad, can’t we see the daily carnage of the fundamentalists here at home?  The decision of the Presbyterian Synod of the Pacific Permanent Judicial Commission is a near fatal blow to the hopes and aspirations of folks who want nothing more or less than the rest of us.  The right to chose a life partner and have the union blessed and supported by their faith community.

Where is our humanity?  Where is that American trait of protecting the underdog?  Where is the unconditional love preached by the founder of all Christian faith traditions?

Jim Spahr, Person
Paterfamilias of the west coast Spahr clan
August 24, 2007

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