QC and SG accountability (22/9/18)

So today Selwyn asked how we are meant to interpret Genesis 1...
We said that it was important to determine the genre (historical narrative, poetry, wisdom literature, apocalyptic literature, etc.) of that chapter. When the creation story is repeated in Genesis 2, it is reasonable to deduce that the 2 chapters have different emphases. I think Genesis 1 is a song!
Some have noted that the creative acts of the 1st and 4th, 2nd and 5th and 3rd and 6th days parallel each other. This may suggest that the 'days' of creation are not in chronological order. Some have tried to reconcile Genesis 1 with modern science by evoking the 'gap' view (i.e. there is an indefinite chronological period between 1:1 and 1:2), or by noting that the 'days' may not be literal 24-hour days (no sun and moon till day 4!).

I think it is more profitable for us to consider what Genesis 1 tells us about spiritual realities, for instance:
1. God is Creator. We owe our existence to Him and are accountable to Him.
2. He is mighty: He creates out of nothing by speaking the universe into being.
3. God pronounces the physical creation "good" and will redeem/renew it at the end of time. We will have glorious bodies in a new heaven and earth. This dignifies our physical bodies. We do not fall into the extremes of asceticism or hedonism by believing that the physical is bad and the 'spiritual' is good.
4. He calls us to procreate to fill the earth and 'subdue' - to use its resources wisely and well for the benefit of the human race. In this sense we are not to be unqualified nature-lovers who seek to preserve the natural environment at all costs, and neither are we meant to damage the environment out of greed. Activities such as farming, mining and alteration of the environment to make it suitable for habitation and resource production are part of our mandate as God's image bearers on this earth.

These points only scratch the surface of Genesis 1: this chapter tells us why we are here, who we are, and what we are meant to be. It is absolutely foundational to our faith.

I raised the matter of whether 377A should be repealed. The Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Singapore has written a nuanced response to this matter that I think is better put than the NCCS statement. The Archbishop puts it well when he says, "laws should not be enacted simply on the basis of current or popular opinion but must be rooted in Truth and the common good." 

Faithful Christians can struggle with this issue of repealing and unenforceable law. We hesitate to enforce our moral values on society at large. My strong belief is that, as Christians who know God and who know His will revealed in Holy Scripture, we must look at this matter first and foremost from the perspective of God's glory and will. If we disagree on this matter, we should disagree according to the pattern of Rom 14:1-9 - seeking to honour Him above all things.

My own view (more definite now than when the issue came up last) is that Christians should be supporting any civil law that is in accord with the revealed will of God. The Canadian and US experience has shown that abolition of legal restraints has led to an aggressive agenda against those whose convictions do not permit them to agree with same-sex unions. I think that we have no need to be ashamed of our convictions and should exercise them as responsible citizens with a voice in the morality of our country. In other words, we do not need to primarily consider the opinions and needs of others in society - our main consideration should be to express our own Christian convictions humbly and clearly.If we believe that God's will is good and perfect, then we must believe that by upholding it, we are intending the best for everyone in Singapore, whether homosexual or heterosexual in orientation. We affirm that our ultimate identity and sufficiency is in Christ, not in our sexuality.

We celebrated Eugene's birthday! And Grace's farewell :(