Mike Huckabee & Gay Weddings: or How Not To Be A Christian “Tribesman”

Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee defended Christians who refused services (like baking wedding cakes) to the gay community based on their convictions saying, “it’s like forcing Jews to serve bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli. Both foods are violations of Jewish kosher rules.”

Now, I’ve already suggested that Christians owning commercial businesses should offer their goods and services to all without prejudice.  Besides the fact that it’s the law of the land (at least in America) I’m pretty sure Jesus would be happy with that strategy as well.  If you have a clothes shop you can sell a shirt to a Muslim, if you are a plumber you can unclog an atheist’s drain, and if you are a baker you should bake a cake for your customer be they gay or straight.

Huckabee’s statement though inadvertently betrays the real reason Christianity is going through a bit of a crisis right now; Christians have gone from being “people of the Way” to people of a particular “tribe”.

The followers of Christ that were supposed to identify with Jesus by shedding themselves of other tribal identities:

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3:28

have ended up becoming just another tribe amongst many!

Why Tribes?

People love tribes!  Whether we rally around a flag, a religion, or a sports team we love the comraderaie offered by a shared passion for or against certain things.

It’s in our DNA!

Huckabee likens Christianity to Judaism saying both have accepted “rules”.  He is suggesting that homosexuality is against the rules of the “tribe” and Christians shouldn’t be mocked or persecuted for holding to these long established “rules”.

There is just one small problem with that logic though…

Christianity has no rules per se.  That’s why the Apostle Paul kept getting stoned, imprisoned, and run out of town;  he traveled around the known world saying things like:

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

1 Cor. 6:12

Paul was telling a people whose whole tribal identity rested on “the law” that God was saying ALL things are lawful.  (As you can imagine, that didn’t go over so well)

And here is what is crazy;  ‘all things are lawful‘ is foundational to Christianity and and yet it totally freaks Christians out!

Why?

It’s too destabilising!  It’s too overwhelming!  So to help us  God used the Law like training wheels you use while learning to ride a bike.  It helped us keep our balance while we developed our riding skills and our understanding of the natural rhythms of the road;  but in order to really enjoy riding a bike, to really get the most out of the journey,  you eventually have to take the training wheels off! 

Belief vs Behaviour

God has always desired that his law be written on our heart (Psalm 40:8) but Christians, like their Jewish brethren before them, prefer the law on tablets where everyone can see them.  It makes it much easier to validate ourselves while condemning others.  The aim of Christianity as a tribal identity then has the affect of of putting our focus on “affirmed beliefs” rather than outward behaviour.

This can be seen in the example of the Evangelical Christian baker who affirms the belief that homosexuality is a sin.  He applauds himself at denying his baking skills for a gay couple’s wedding and uses that denial as a type of trophy. He has succeeded in confirming his membership in the Christian tribe by affirming it’s belief system despite the fact that the behaviour towards another human is in affect “anti-Christ”.

Theologian and Philosopher Peter Rollins explains this rational insightfully:

Christianity, as a religious system, does not aim to transform the way we behave, buy strives to mold and shape the content of our beliefs.  What is judged here to be of prime importance is the actual belief that one affirms.  So that those who agree are deemed “saved”, and those who disagree are at best heretics, or at worst, “lost”

The Divine Magician- Loc 1740

“The Way” that Jesus brought was one free of tribal identities.  It’s members would not be known by flags, rituals, laws, or rules but by one trait and one trait only…

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

If a Roman soldier commands you to carry his bag 1 mile, carry it 2 miles!

If a homeless person asks for your shirt, give him your coat as well!

If a gay man asks you to bake a cake for his wedding, do so, and wish him well!

By this you will know you are his disciple and not a tribesman!

Peace,

Steve