The Gay Debate – Round Two

The stakes have been raised in the Finnish gay/Christian debate. And I must raise my hat to some very brave young people in Finland. One of them is a girl who shares her story of having teenage-lesbian-relationships until meeting God. In short, her life has changed and she’s now engaged to a guy.

She tells her story on a video now up on Youtube. The video headlines a (teen-organized) campaign, where teens are encouraged not to give in to mainstream gay (or any) propaganda, but rather find solutions to life’s questions from the Bible.

I’d say the kids are pretty bold.

Especially after what has followed, in the last three days. They have had to turn off comments on the Youtube video, after hate messages and death threats. The campaign’s Facebook-group has been shut down, by Facebook.  The Archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Finland has absolutely rejected the campaign on national television.

No one is praising the girl for her courage to share her story. The campaign is not a hate campaign against gays, it just gives a voice to another point of view.

It is an oxymoron that Christians aren’t “allowed” to have a Biblical opinion when it comes to homosexuality. Not even by the official Lutheran Church of Finland.

The official campaign page.

Tall Poppy Syndrome in Church

The tall poppy syndrome is somewhat true in Finland. If someone is  successful in something, we like to cut them down. There is even a saying, that if you compliment someone you will just make them proud.

This is strangely enough true in church.

Trying to introduce a time for testimonies to a church service can be surprisingly difficult.

“Oh, you mean that someone will come and tell how their life was in the gutters and now the don’t have any problems.”

“I don’t like those kinds of testimonies, because they make me feel like God helps everyone else except me.”

“Maybe we could have people share how difficult their life is?”

Is our faith so small, that if someone has experienced God’s help in their lives,  we refuse to hear about it, because “of course God does things in others’ lives, not mine”. What the heck? Isn’t exactly the opposite true? Because God has answered other people’s prayers, maybe he can get to me too.

The Korean Powerhouse

Anyone who has met Korean Christians or has visited a Korean church, knows what I am talking about. These people are passionate, devoted and effective in their Christian lives. South Korea is the number one missionary sending nation right after the United States. They have some of the world’s largest churches and their Christian community about doubles every ten years. They are passionate prayer warriors and it is common for Christians to go up on a “prayer mountain”, to pray before a big decision.

I have a Korean friend, who lives in Finland. She said she misses praying so she decided to go to the Pentecostal prayer meeting. In a quiet room full of people one person stands and prays while the others listen. To her it was a shock.

Korean style of praying is a noisy room packed with people and everyone praying out loud at the same time. And they do not hold back their tears, passion and cries.

I thought the Western way of praying must feel like, in a room full of people only one person is doing “the job” of praying, when everyone could be “at work”. I think maybe that’s exactly why prayer meetings are deemed as boring.

Church: The Great Gay Debate

Finland has been turned upside down and inside out by the great gay debate. Recently in a televised debate Christian politicians and a Lutheran bishop said that gays cannot marry in the Church and having gay relations is un-Biblical. People got ticked off and left the Church in roves. In two weeks about 35 000 people have left the Lutheran Church. In a nation of 5 million, where over 80% of the population are members of the Church, it is kind of a big deal.

The papers, the news, the kids, the Church – everyone is talking about the Church and gays. The surface question is whether, when, why and how the Church will bless the civil unions of gay couples. The deeper issue lies in the interpretation of the Bible and simply – faith.

The crisis the Western Church is facing has been building up for decades. We are now simply reaping the consequences. The same-sex-marriage-debate has been going on in churches in America, the UK, Sweden etc.  Several decades ago the Finnish faculty of Theology that trains Lutheran pastors, started operating on the basis of dissecting the Bible as “a scientist” would. No longer was it deemed as inerrant, but as a piece of ancient literature that is fitting for our day as we see fit, ie you can use history or culture to explain away the uncomfortable bits. Herein lies our problem today. Since science has become our Western religion, ultimate truth and authority on all things, the Bible is subordinate to that. (Which is ironic, because true science never contradicts the Bible, when it is subordinate to the Bible.)

Therefore when I want to do something that is not permissible according to the Bible, I am right and the Scriptures are dated. This point of view is understandable if you are a person who doesn’t believe in the Christian God of the Bible, but shocking if you are a clergyman or even a Bishop. Then you are like a salesman who doesn’t believe in the product he’s selling.

The crisis in the Church is whether we believe the Bible truly is inerrant and the Word of God or not. Based on the answer to this question the Church will decide what it is supposed to do about the gay issue among others.

How Long Can You Endure the Silence?

Now that I am living in Finland again, I find myself observing my own culture as an outsider. I was invited to a dinner with half a dozen people, I didn’t know.  I tried to hold back and listen.

Finns are serious, even somber people. Words mean a great deal and therefore you do not waste them on nonsense. Finns skip the chit chat and engage in meaningful conversation. Words have such power that you don’t say “I love you” flippantly like the English speakers do. That is why those words are rarely used.  The Finnish sense of humor is extremely dry and sarcastic. When Finns eat there can be long stretches of silence with only the  clinking sound of metal forks on plates.

One person at the dinner shared about a rough patch he’s been having in life. Everyone listened quietly and said nothing. Stared at their plates mostly. One of the more talkative people asked a few questions. I held my tongue. The guy shared some more. Then there was the silence.

I don’t take uncomfortable silences very well. I am the one who breaks them to make a stupid joke. Obviously Finns take them much better.

I realized that people were quiet out of respect. This man had just shared something very painful and his audience was silent because the story deserved it. And Finns can take it.  And that was beautiful.

More uncomfortable silences, Finnish culture and naked men in saunas:

I’d Like to Help from a Distance, Please

I see her in her dirty dress and outstretched hand.  I should help, but I don’t want to get involved. What if she wants to talk? What if she needs a place to stay? I can’t take her home with me.

It is so much easier to give money to a charity that will do the dirty work for you. Perhaps it makes it easier to pass that bearded, dirty man with a glazed stare on the street.

Finnish people have been puzzled with a phenomenon the past few years. Roma, Gypsies from Eastern Europe have utilized their freedom to travel within the European Union and hundreds have showed up in Finland. They have shocked Finns by begging on the streets and living in camps on the outskirts of cities. In this organized, civilized and socialized nation this is unheard of. The debate is heated. Should they be kicked out? Should you give money to them? Some want to make begging illegal.

There are millions of Roma in Europe. They are looked down upon, ignored, ignorant, dirty and hopeless. It is easy to feel sorry for the Roma when you read a brochure about their plight and give a small donation. But when they show up at your doorstep, it becomes an invitation to get involved.