The UU Shooting

A shooting at a liberal church by a gunman who hates liberals and gays. Now that's a headline, and it's hardly surprising that the press suddenly got interested in attacks on houses of worship today.

Hate is not always a bad thing, contrary to popular opinion. I, for example, hate that something like this happened. My hope is that something like this never happens again, though given the depth of human sin, I think it's a false hope.

I have no idea of the background of the gunman. I don't know if he claims to be a Christian or not. I do know that someone who does something like this, regardless of what they claim, is not obedient to Christ in doing such a thing.

Many people would likely consider me to be a 'conservative Christian'. And it is for this reason that I feel compelled to make myself clear - this shooting is not merely a tragedy, but an act of egregious sin. It should serve as a reminder to my theologically conservative brethren that no amount of disagreement with liberal theology, no matter how legitimate, warrants something like this. It is a reminder that conservative preachers and religious leaders need to be careful not only in what they say, but in what they stress. An overemphasis on homosexuality in a church's vision and preaching is unhealthy, imbalanced, and potentially dangerous. The evangelical church should welcome homosexuals and not treat them as outcasts. To offer welcome does not mean we compromise clear biblical teachings on the subject of homosexuality or accommodate our faith to a culture that wants no boundaries. But it does mean that we incorporate our theology of welcome into the real life of the church. The overwhelming majority of faithful Christians and their preachers understand this, but that's not what will be emphasized in the press coverage or the blogosphere.

This shooting highlights the depths of human sin. It is awful and should be unilaterally condemned. And conservative Christians who hold to a robust view of sin and 'hate' sin for the evil that it is should be condemning this shooting the loudest.