A
TWOGISTATES Publication
Sodomy and
the NIV
by Carl
Graham
Second Edition 1998
PREFACE TO THE SECOND
EDITION
The
following article is an overview of how I got involved in repudiating the modern
versions of the Bible and relates my experience with the New International Bible
Society over one of my booklets, Sodomy and the NIV. The article was
published in the Communications Digest, February - April 1996, Volume II, Issue
2. Dale A. Hammond, Editor, First Baptist Church, PO Box 154, Frederic, MI
49733. I recommend this publication to all Bible believers
everywhere.
I would
like to also call the reader’s attention to the O Timothy Magazine,
Volume 14, Issue12, 1997, which has an article about another homosexual on the
NIV Translation Committee, Dr. Marten H. Woudstra. Dr. Woudstra was the Chairman
of the Old Testament Translation Committee. For more information about Dr.
Woudstra contact David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, 1219 N. Harns Way, Oak
Harbor, WA 98277 USA. The referenced article may also be accessed on the
internet at http://wayoflife.org/~dcloud/index.html
Carl Graham
Click Here to Skip to Sodomy and the NIV
Document
Click Here to Read about Dr. Virginia Mollenkott- Lesbian
Editor for NIV
My Experience with Modern Bible
Versions
by Carl Graham
I
have an experience to share about the modem versions of the Bible that is
interesting to say the least. Presently I am a strong advocate of the King James
Bible as the only correct English version of the Word of God, but this has not
always been my stance as I too was deceived briefly by the hype of the new
modern versions. When the NIV first came out, I was excited about a Bible that
was easy to read and in today's modern language, so I eagerly encouraged my
friends to purchase it.
However, as I began to study the NIV and compare its readings with the King
James Bible, I found that there were many differences that could not be
reconciled with my fundamental beliefs. Consequently, I stayed away from the
modern versions and kept with the King James Bible, as I knew it was
trustworthy. I must say, though, that I was led astray for a while with the New
King James Version, but it was soon put aside as I realized that there were
doctrinal discrepancies in it also.
I
spent some time researching the various versions, but the major problem was hard
to identify as scholars whom I trusted kept telling me that there were errors in
the King James Bible. What they were saying didn't make sense, but I didn't have
the knowledge to disprove what they were saying. I was fortunate to hear a radio
broadcast as I was traveling through Greenville, South Carolina several years
ago. I listened intently to a person identified as Dr. D. A. Waite. Everything
he said made sense to me, and it was exactly what I had been looking for; a
person who knew the problems with the modern versions and could explain them
well enough for me to understand the major differences. I immediately got in
touch with Dr. Waite and ordered much of his literature. Over the years he has
become a friend and ally in the faith, and I have depended on his counsel in
several matters since that time.
I
relate the preceding story about my getting to know Dr. Waite for a single
purpose as can be seen later in the story, for he proved to be a true friend and
counselor in my confrontation with the New International Bible Society over my
booklet on Sodomy and the NIV
Sodomy and the NIV came into being quite
accidentally. I was researching the theology of the many scholars on the NIV
Committee when I discovered that there was a homosexual, Dr. Virginia
Mollenkott, on the committee. I took the information I had gathered on her,
which included her profession that she was a practicing homosexual and also some
of her views about the Bible, and included this in the booklet.
After I completed the documentation in booklet form, I mailed it to every
popular evangelist for whom I could get an address. I didn't get the response
that I expected, as I found that none of these religious leaders were concerned
about a homosexual being on the NIV committee. This surprised me, for this was
about the time homosexuality was being pushed on the American public, and many
of these same people were speaking out about this biblical sin. However, Dr. D.
A. Waite and Dr. Hugh Pyle saw the point I was making about the NIV and
recognized the negative implications of a homosexual having influence on any
Bible. Both Dr. Waite and Dr. Pyle gave wide publicity to my booklet and because
of their support it was immediately in great demand. Since then, many others
have given the booklet support in various fundamental newsletters. It seems
every few months someone picks up a copy and publishes my address, and I then
get a flurry of requests for it.
The
distribution of the booklet has been widespread. I have mailed copies to every
state in the Union, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, England, Scotland,
Australia, Norway, and Canada. I lost count of production at 10,000 copies, and
I know that there were many others who copied it for distribution in addition to
what I have done.
Someone must have mailed a copy to the New International Bible Society, for in
the fall of 1993 I got a registered letter from it, which was threatening in
nature. They accused me of slandering the members of the NIV Committee and
insisted that I withdraw the booklet immediately or face a possible lawsuit.
This is where I called on Dr. Waite for advice as I knew that he had also been
threatened in a similar situation about one of his publications. Following his
advice, I got an attorney.
My
attorney assured me that I was on firm legal grounds. He seemed most anxious to
get the issue into court because he believed there was a freedom of speech issue
involved which should not go unnoticed. He basically told the NIV people to take
their best shot and we would see them in court. His communication with the
International Bible Society resulted in an apology for the threatening letter
and I have heard no more from them.
In
their letter to me, the NIV people denied that Dr. Mollenkott had any influence
on the final product. However, they have not been consistent in their
explanation of her input, for one letter from them says she was dismissed in the
late 60's and another from the same office says she was dismissed in 1972. From
what I have read about Dr. Mollenkott's relationship with the NIV, I am left
with the impression that she was there for the duration of the project. I really
don't know where the truth lies about her influence on the final product, but I
know for certain that she is a homosexual, she served on the committee, and the
sin of the Sodomites has never appeared on the pages of the NIV.
The
homosexual issue is merely one of many doctrinal discrepancies in the NIV, as
many of you know, but it is no better nor any worse than any other of the new
Bible versions, but is only part of the modern movement to lead all the world
into Roman Catholicism. To accomplish this, Satan is advancing on three fronts:
he is giving us unreliable Bibles, flooding the Christian world with the false
faith of new evangelism, and confusing the want-to-be Christians with the
charismatic movement. Of course, all this leads into the full acceptance of the
Roman Catholic Church, glorifies the Pope as the Vicar of Christ, and sets the
stage for the Great Tribulation.
I
might add that my quest to reveal the truth about the NIV has caused some
ministers to shy away from me, while others just attack openly. I have been
accused of less than Godly behavior (even being led by Satan), causing trouble
in the Christian community, and being just plain stupid. With leaders whose
attitudes are such as these, it is no wonder the Christian world is having so
many problems: the people no longer have a Bible they can trust, and their
ministers are leading them in the wrong direction.
I
urge all that read this article to take a bold stand for the cause of Christ and
His Word. The Bible must always be our rule of faith, and we must always have a
translation we can trust. The King James Bible has always been trustworthy and
its truths will stand proudly until Jesus returns.
Note:
Brother Graham mentioned Dr. D. A. Waite in his article. Dr. Waite is president
of The Dean Burgon Society. The Society stands "In Defense of Traditional
Bible Texts." Write to:
The Dean Burgon
Society
Dr.
D. A. Waite
Box
354
Collingswood, New
Jersey 08108
(609)
854-4452
* * * * * *
The
question is often asked, "Is the New International Version of the Bible (NIV) a
reliable translation?" The answer depends entirely on the basic belief structure
of the one replying.
It is a
general consensus among the evangelical community that the NIV is an excellent
rendition of what God has said to mankind. The positive answer among this group
is probably brought about for two reasons: (1) the translators claimed to be
evangelicals, and (2) the evangelicals endorse the modern techniques of textual
criticism which were employed. Others who subscribe to the theory of textual
criticism will also hold a high opinion of the NIV. From a scholarly standpoint,
the NIV seems to have been accepted.
However,
there are those who are comfortable with the King James Bible (KJB) and hold a
totally different view about the NIV. They see many new words and concepts and
are convinced that these changes not only aren't necessary, some even detract
from God's Word. They believe the truth never changes and if the NIV were a true
translation of the Bible, it would reflect the same thoughts and comparable
words as the KJB, which has been around for centuries.
Clearly,
there is disagreement between the NIV and KJB supporters. While there are many
minor problems, the major difficulty falls in the area of providential
preservation of the Scriptures and the implications this has on how God has
protected His Word and kept it accurate over the passing years.
The KJB
translators were fully committed to an accurate translation based on their
personal convictions that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God, and
that He had preserved it in its pure form for all generations. The texts they
used were the Hebrew Masoretic and the Greek Texus Receptus.
On the
other hand, the NIV translators held the view that the Bible had become
corrupted over the centuries and they could reproduce the original wordings by
various literary techniques. They discarded the work of the KJB translators and
developed an eclectic text. The major discrepancies between the KJB and the NIV
are due in part to the two different underlying texts, but the most radical
changes stem from the foundational beliefs of the two translating committees.
The NIV
committee was made up of over 100 people with various Biblical backgrounds and
doctrinal beliefs. There were many that professed inerrancy, but believed the
texts of the KJB were severely corrupted. Somewhere between this and the liberal
view were those who professed partial inerrancy, which basically means the
Bible, is inerrant in matters of faith and practice but is in error in matters
of history and science.
Then there
was the extreme group who claimed to hold a high view of Scripture, but whose
doctrine was either liberal (didn't believe the Bible was God's inspired Word),
or was just generally confused regarding God's Word. The sad part of the whole
situation is those who knew better let those with liberal leanings control the
process and this resulted in a doctrinally deficient version of the Bible. This
is clearly illustrated by the influence of Dr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott and the
treatment of homosexuality in the NIV.
Dr.
Mollenkott, one of the literary consultants for the NIV translating committee,
is a professed homosexual. This is verified by her own words in an interview in
the Episcopal publication, Witness (June, 1991, pages 20-23). The
interviewer, Sue Pierce, asked the question, "Why was it important to both of
you to come out as lesbians?" Dr. Mollenkott's reply was, "My lesbianism has
always been a part of me. I tried to kill myself in my teens because they told
me I'd never be healed, that God had no use for people like me. I couldn't stand
the thought of living a life that was useless and offensive to God. I tried to
be heterosexual. I married myself off. But what I did ultimately realize was
that God created me as I was, and that this is where life was meaningful."
Realizing
Dr. Mollenkott's moral direction, one could expect her views to strongly affect
the outcome of the NIV translation, and it does, as can be seen in the treatment
of the sin of Sodom from which the term "sodomy" is derived. This word,
generally used for homosexual behavior, is defined in Webster's New
Collegiate Dictionary as "copulation with a member of the same sex or with
an animal." As can be seen, sodomy implies more than homosexual behavior, but
Dr. Mollenkott was not interested in the human-beast relationship, she was only
concerned about justifying the same sex relationship of sodomy.
In her
book, Is The Homosexual My Neighbor?, Dr. Mollenkott explains fully why
she thinks the homosexual got bad press in the Bible. She presents all kinds of
fanciful notions that the Old Testament Holiness Codes which forbid sodomy do
not apply to the New Testament church. She explains in detail that Jesus did not
condemn homosexuality as a loving relationship between two consenting adults.
Therefore, she concludes, it has to be OK. Where Paul mentions homosexuality,
she again says that it only applies to promiscuous homosexuality. The NIV
clearly reflects her views.
The
following readings compare the KJB and the NIV in several areas where sodomy or
homosexual behavior is mentioned. Going over these, it is easy to see that
sodomy was never considered as a viable concept in the NIV and homosexuality was
presented from Dr. Mollenkott's viewpoint. The comments of Dr. Mollenkott are
from her book, Is The Homosexual My Neighbor? (Abbreviated as ITHMN).
Genesis 19:5 - The sin of
Sodom
KJB - And
they called unto Lot, and said unto him, where are the men which came into thee
this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
NIV - They
called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out so
that we can have sex with them."
Mollenkott,
ITHMN, Page 57 - "... the Sodom story seems to be focusing on two specific
evils: (1) violent gang rape and (2) inhospitality to the stranger."
Leviticus 18:22 -
Sodomy
KJB
- Thou shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an
abomination.
NIV - Do
not lie with a man as one lies with a woman: that is detestable.
(Author’s
note: There is quite a degree of difference between the meaning of the words,
abomination and detestable.)
Leviticus 20:13 -
Sodomy
KJB - If a
man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed
an abomination: they shall surely be put to death: their blood shall be upon
them.
NIV - If a
man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them has done what is
detestable. They must be put to death: their blood will be on their own heads.
Mollenkott,
ITHMN, Pages 110 through 121 - "Dr. Mollenkott argues that this is part of the
ceremonial laws, and as such, are to be disregarded by the Christian. She places
this act on the same level as wearing clothes of two different materials."
Deuteronomy 23:17 -
Sodomite
KJB - There
shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of
Israel.
NIV - No
Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute.
Judges 19:22 -
Sodomy
KJB - Now
as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain
sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to
the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into
thine house, that we may know him.
NIV - While
they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the
house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house,
"Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him."
Mollenkott,
ITHMN, Page 57 - "Violence - forcing sexual activity upon another - is the real
point to this story."
I Kings 14:24 -
Sodomites
KJB - And
there were sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the
abominations of the nations which the Lord cast out before the children of
Israel.
NIV - There
were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all
the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the
Israelites.
I Kings 15:12 -
Sodomites
KJB - And
he took away the sodomites out of the land and removed all the idols that
his fathers had made.
NIV - He
expelled all the shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of the
idols his fathers had made.
I Kings 22:46 - Sodomites
KJB - And
the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father
Asa, he took out of the land.
NIV - He
rid the land of the rest of the shrine prostitutes who remained there
even after the reign of his father Asa.
II Kings 23:7 -
Sodomites |
KJB - And he brake
down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the Lord,
where the women wove hangings for the grove.
NIV - He
also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes, which were in
the temple of the Lord and where women did weaving for Asherah.
Mollenkott,
ITHMN, Page 59 & 60 - "Most scholars agree that in the fertility religions
of Israel's neighbors, male cult prostitutes were employed for homosexual acts.
The people who loved and served the God of Israel were strictly forbidden to
have anything to do with such idolatry, and the Jewish men were commanded to
never serve as temple prostitutes."
(Author’s
note: Clearly a male could be a shrine prostitute and not be a homosexual, but
according to the dictionary a Sodomite is a homosexual.)
Matthew 11:24 - Judgment
upon Sodom
KJB - But I
say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day
of judgment, than for thee.
NIV - But I
tell you it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.
Luke 10:12 - Judgment upon
Sodom
KJB - But I
say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for
that city.
NIV - I
tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for you.
Mollenkott,
ITHMN, Page 59. "Jesus refers to Sodom, not in the context of sexual acts, but
in the contents of inhospitality." And on Page 71, she expands this thought with
the idea of a life long homosexual orientation or 'condition' is never mentioned
in the Bible."
Romans 1:26 & 27 -
Homosexuality
KJB - For
this cause God gave them up unto vile affections; for even their women did
change the natural use into that which is against nature: And like wise also the
men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in lust one toward another;
man with men working that which is unseemingly, and receiving in themselves that
recompense of their error which was meet.
NIV -
Because of this, God gave him over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged
natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way men also abandoned natural
relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.
Mollenkott,
ITHMN, Page 62 - "The key thought here seems to be lust, 'unnaturalness,' and,
in verse 28, a desire to avoid the acknowledgment of God. But although the
censure fits idolatrous people with whom Paul was concerned here, it does not
seem to fit the case of a sincere homosexual Christian. Such a person loves
Jesus Christ and wants above all to acknowledge God in all of life, yet for some
unknown reason feels drawn to someone of the same sex, for the sake of love
rather than lust. Is it fair to describe that person as lustful or desirous of
forgetting God's existence?"
I Corinthians 6:9 -
Rejection of homosexual behavior
KJB - Know
ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not
deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
nor abusers of themselves with mankind.
NIV - Do
you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolators nor adulterers nor male
prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.
A note here
to point out that this is the only place in the NIV where the word "homosexual"
occurs. It is not clear from the context if this means heterosexuals who abuse
homosexuals or homosexuals who abuse each other. See Dr. Mollenkott's
explanation in the 1st Timothy comments following.
I Timothy 1:9 &
10
KJB -
Knowing this, that the law is not made for righteous man, but for the lawless
and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for
murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers. For whoremongers,
for them that defile themselves with mankind, for manstealers, for liars, for
perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound
doctrine.
NIV - We
also know that law is not made for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels,
the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their
fathers or mothers, for murders, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders
and liars and perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.
Mollenkott,
ITHMN, Page 67 - "Interpretations of these passages depends on two Greek words
used in I Cor. 6:9 which have presented a problem for translators in the King
James Version, they translated 'effeminate' and 'abusers of themselves with
mankind.' In the Revised Standard Version of 1952, they were combined and
rendered simply 'homosexuals,' which implied that all persons whose erotic
interests were oriented to the same sex were by the very fact excluded from
membership in the kingdom of God. But the original intent seems to have been to
single out specific kinds of same-sex practices which were deplorable."
Jude 7 - Strange
flesh
KJB - Even
as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving
themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for
an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
NIV - In a
similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to
sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer
the punishment of eternal fire.
Mollenkott,
ITHMN, Page 59 - "The ‘unnatural lust’ thus could, in the context, and in view
of the apocryphal texts to which Jude made allusion, refer to a desire for
sexual contact between human and heavenly beings."
It would
not be fair to say that all the people involved in producing the NIV favored
homosexuality as an alternate lifestyle, but it is fair to say that those who
were responsible for the final wordings were at least sympathetic to Dr.
Mollenkott's cause. One only has to look at the treatment of sodomy in the NIV
to reach this conclusion.
While many
believe practicing homosexuals can be Christian, there are many others who have
a different conviction about what the Bible says about sodomy. For this group,
it is hardly acceptable to call Sodomites temple prostitutes, or to think of
same-sex relationships as natural. These same people would take a viewpoint that
God hates the sin of homosexuality and will bring judgment on those who live
this kind of lifestyle.
The
information presented here is not all inclusive, but is intended to sound an
alarm. If the NIV were your Bible of choice, it would be prudent to look closely
in other areas as well, for there are many other subjects handled just as
loosely as sodomy. Don't take anyone's word for what God says; Check it out!
After all, He'll hold you alone responsible.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.
Mollenkott, V.R. Women, Men and the Bible, New York: The
Crossroad Publishing Company, 1988.
2. Mollenkott, V.R. and
Scanzoni, L., Is The Homosexual My Neighbor?, San Francisco, CA:
Harper and Row, 1978.
3. Mollenkott, V.R.
Speech, Silence, Action!, Nashville, TN: Abingdon,
1980. 4. Pierce, Sue, "Church
Needs New Sexual Ethic". Witness, June 1991, pages 20 -
23. 5. The Holy Bible,
The New International Version, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Bible
Publishers, 1978. 6. Webster's New
Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, MA: G & C Merriam Co.,
1977.
|
* * * *
* * *
Addendum to Sodomy and
the NIV
The
following article was copied from O’ Timothy Magazine and is used with
the publisher’s permission. Virginia Mollenkott is a professed homosexual and
was a Literary Advisor on the original NIV Translation Committee. Her theology
is clearly reflected in the NIV by its treatment of the sin of the Sodomites. I
urge the reader to check out the references to the Sodomites in the NIV and
determine for yourself if this is what God meant,
January 25,
1997 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist News Service, 1219 N. Hams Rd., Oak
Harbor, WA 98277) - We have been receiving many requests for information about
Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, a lesbian who worked on the New International
Version, Mollenkott is a pro-abortion feminist who claims to be a "left-leaning"
Evangelical. In reality she denies the very God of the Bible and worships an
idolatr6us female god of her own imagination. She grew up in a Plymouth Brethren
fellowship and moved in Fundamentalist circles during her early years. She
studied at Bob Jones University and taught at Shelton College in the 1950s. She
has moved miles from that position, through. Today she is an Episcopalian,
serves as professor of English at William Patterson College in New Jersey, and
moves in the most radical ecumenical feminist circles. In the 1970s, Virginia
Mollenkott was a consultant for the New International Version translating
committee.
In 1978 she
co-authored (with Letha Scanzoni) the book entitled Is the Homosexual My
Neighbor? in which she called for nondiscrimination toward homosexuality The
book argues that the Sodom account in Genesis does not teach the evil of
homosexuality but the evils of violent gang rape and in-hospitality to
strangers. The book also claims that "the idea of a life long homosexual
orientation or 'condition' is never mentioned in the Bible" (p. 71), and that
Romans 1 does not "fit the case of a sincere homosexual Christian" (p.62).
In 1979
Mollenkott participated in the 9th General Conference of the Universal
Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Church (a denomination composed largely of
homosexuals). In a report, which was published by the Christian Century,
Sept 26, 1979, Mollenkott stated, "This was the most grateful celebration of
Christ I had ever attended..."
In 1985
Mollenkott admitted that she was a lesbian. In October of that year, her
signature appeared on a statement supporting homosexuality that was published in
the Sojourners magazine. James B. Nelson of the American Lutheran
denomination, author of a book, which promotes homosexual marriages and
homosexual pastors, also signed the statement.
In 1987,
Mollenkott wrote an article claiming that refusal to ordain homosexual
"clergywomen" is unscriptural discrimination. She wrote: "To ask lesbians and
gay men to pretend they are like the majority is to deny them the
self-identification and affirmation that is the natural legacy of every healthy
adult. Forcing gay Christians into silence also denies them the opportunity to
celebrate in gratitude to God for their authentic nature and for their
life-enriching mutual relationship with a loving partner" (Christianity and
Crisis, Nov. 9, 1987).
In the June
1991 issue of the Episcopal monthly entitled The Witness, she testified,
"My lesbianism has always been a 'part of me...I tried to be heterosexual. I
married myself off. But what I did ultimately realize was that God
created me as I was, and that this is where life was meaningful." In her plenary
address before the July 1986 convention of the Evangelical Women's Caucus
International (EWCI), in Fresno, California, Mollenkott warned against
"heterosexism," the idea that everyone must be heterosexual.
In 1993
Mollenkott published a book entitled Sensuous Spirituality, in which she
reflected on her lesbianism and her belief in a female God.
In the
early 1980s Mollenkott was a member of the National Council of Churches'
committee that produced an inclusive-language lectionary which addressed God in
feminine terms. At a news conference at the NCC's governing board meeting on
November 10, 1983, Mollenkott claimed there is some evidence that Jesus Christ
was really a woman. She cited the research of biologist Edward Kessel, who
argued that Jesus was "born in parthenogenesis; that parthenogenetic births are
always female; that in some cases, therefore, he would be willing to refer to
Jesus as 'she' - up until the last minute of sex reversal, in which case Jesus
remains chromosomally female throughout life, but functions as a normal male and
looks like a normal male" (Christian Challenge, August 1984).
At the
November 1993 Re-imagining conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was
sponsored by the World Council of Churches, Mollenkott said: "Jesus is our elder
brother, the trailblazer and constant companion for us ultimately is among many
brothers and sisters in an eternal, equally worthy sibling-hood. First born only
in the sense that he was the first to show us that it is possible to live in
one-ness with the divine source while we are here on this planet… As an incest
survivor, I can no longer worship in a theological context that depicts God as
an abusive parent [referring to Christ's death on the cross] and Jesus as the
obedient, trusting child." At the same conference, Mollenkott said she longed to
see the creation of an interfaith "worship community" in which each member
respected completely the religion of the others and Christians ceased to make
missionary efforts to target members of other religions. She labeled
soul-winning evangelism as "imperialistic attempts to make others such as I."
* * * * * * *
Carl
Graham Ministries Homepage
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