"The Secularist Delusion and Christian Dualism" and Rep. Tim Faust

Representative Tim Faust made some very interesting comments about marriage, gay "marriage", and the Bible.  They were doubling interesting because Tim is an ELCA Lutheran pastor.

Rep. Tim Faust thinks marriage between man and a woman is merely a religious institution and therefore probably shouldn't be protected in state law.  The fact that many people, constituents and others are defending marriage with Bible arguments causes him further angst.

Rep. Tim Faust, DFL-Hinckley, has been one of the most watched members of the House on the marriage issue. He’s an undecided DFLer from a largely rural area that voted overwhelmingly for an amendment in November that would have banned same-sex marriage in the state Constitution.

A week ago, Faust had told a group of gay marriage opponents that he was unsure how he would vote.

On Thursday, Faust said for the first time that he is leaning toward legalizing same-sex marriage — even if many of his constituents disagree.

Faust stood to the side of the rally Thursday, unprotected from the sleet and rain. He said nearly all the arguments against same-sex marriage are biblical but noted that many devoted people view it the other way.

“Then the question becomes, do we have the right to impose our religious belief on others?” Faust asked. “If the reason we are arguing we shouldn’t be doing this is because of religious beliefs, it’s pretty hard to make that argument.”

 His thinking epitomizes the dualistic thinking which is ubiquitous today in the church.  This world is what we make of it.  What God says isn't really relevant to how we live our lives as a community, a society.  Religion and faith are merely private matters. What's especially sad is Tim is a Lutheran pastor.  A pastor who believes, or seems to believe, what God says about marriage doesn't apply to our public life.  Why?  Because that would mean imposing our religious beliefs on others.

If religious beliefs are merely private affairs then our concern for the poor, sexual trafficking, slavery, protecting the unborn, and so forth are really off limits for Christians and others whose faith informs their lives.  It means Christians and others should simply stay home and say nothing about the issues of the day and how we order should our public life.

John Stonestreet touches on this in a video commentary entitled "Worldiness: Secular Delusion and Christian Dualism".  He talks about practical atheism which is the view that God may exist but is irrelevant to everyday life.  Secularism which is where faith is a personal, private experience matter.  And Christian dualism is the belief among some Christians that God and what he says is not relevant to our public life.  The problem is God doesn't see it that way.  He says He's the Lord of all.