With all the professing Christians coming out and admitting to having same sex attractions, and with all of the easy pouncing being done by “discernment” blogs on such people and their struggles, I felt it time I come out of the closet myself. I have been a hedonist for almost all of my 35 years as a believer including many years as a pastor. I encourage all the discernment crowd to follow my example and come out into the light of spiritual freedom as well. How do I know I am a hedonist? Here are just a few items that are unmistakable:
* I have a swimming pool with hundreds of gallons of water when millions do not have enough drinking water.
* Over the years I have thrown out embarrassing amounts of food.
* I have spent four times as much on food in restaurants while millions starve.
* I have had a savings account while still professing to trust God.
* I have several rooms with televisions in them.
* I have bought cars above that which I needed.
* I have given money to help a church building pay interest to secular institutions that use it to lend to establishments we would not support.
* Over the years I have had an enormous amount of clothing that I did not need.
* I have spent thousands of dollars to attend various Christian conferences.
* I have spent much money to buy Christian signs, bumper stickers, fish symbols, Bibles, Bible covers, crosses, and Christian pictures.
* I have spent much money on preaching tapes, Christian books, Christian magazines, and Christian music tapes and CDs.
* In 58 years I have spent an obscene amount of money on entertainment, all while knowing people are starving.
* I have actually paid money to hear a Christian sing.
* I am not content with food and clothing.
* I have bought things for my children that they did not need.
* I have spent much money on dogs over the years.
* And many other tell tale signs of a hedonist.
Now I was involved with the hedonist community where we all practiced such things and even suggested God’s blessing and approval on our behavior. If Larry King had asked us to appear on his television show we would have gladly explained why we were hedonists and that God wanted us to enjoy the good things in life. And when Larry quoted some verses in the New Testament that suggested otherwise we would have told him he was interpreting them out of context. But still we would not admit that being a hedonist was wrong.
But today I am coming out of the closet and openly and before God admit that I am in many ways a hedonist. I want to deny the Scriptures but they are so very clear I cannot twist them enough to make room for 35 years of my Christian lifestyle. I was born this way; being selfish and seeking that which benefits me supremely. There are many in my community that are afraid to come out for fear they will be criticized and even mocked. In fact, many are so perplexed about their lifestyles that they still believe God is blessing them in their way of living.
A few years ago I was so very comfortable in castigating other groups that lived lives that reflected the western culture rather than the “in His steps” culture. The gay community always provided for me and my community a convenient whipping boy that elevated their sin and camouflaged our own. To this day most of my hedonist brothers and sisters are offended by any suggestion that they lead anything less than a life that accurately reflects the New Testament life and teachings of Jesus. You see, we held onto our orthodox view of Scripture and used that as a protective doctrinal fort which blinded us to some of the most obvious ways we lived in disobedience to the Master.
So today I am coming out as a practicing hedonist in direct defiance of the open understandings of the New Testament teachings. Again I exhort those brothers and sisters to take the hedonist plank out their own eye before they pillage the lives of others who struggle with other sins. I do see a connection with my hedonist community and the gay community. Both are blind to their sin and both say that they see clearly. There is redemption for both.
Let us hope that a person can be a genuine believer and still be a hedonist.
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2 comments:
1Co 5:9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people--
1Co 5:10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
1Co 5:11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one.
1Co 5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
1Co 5:13 God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you."
How gay people who profess Christ are allowed in the local assembly is a seperate issue and one that needs to be dealt with Biblically lest in our attempt to love we project approval of their lifestyle.
But as you wrote, greed and idolatry are mentioned along with immorality. And this has been my point: Who does the church reject gay believers but welcomes those who practice greed (money) and idolatry (nationalism)? If we are to purge there are many more of those than there are of gay people.
Purging hedonists would probably mean forclosure in many churches due to their mortgage payments.
(Interesting to note: The man that was dealt with in the Corinthian church who was commiting a sin even the unsaved do not commit was a genuine believer who was backslidden.)
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