I’ve sometimes wondered about Christians who were so keen on ‘saving the planet’ but who have little difficulty disregarding the importance of the human body. They think, for example, that ‘gender fluidity’ is an acceptable way to be human. They think you should identify as a different sex, for example, if that’s what it takes to actualize your ‘authentic self,’ and by that they mean ‘your inner, invisible self.’
I know some of these Christians. I love them as brothers and sisters. But here’s the problem. They think the body is essentially irrelevant, and that we will one day ‘transcend the body’. They think we will, at death, become ‘spiritual,’ and therefore more like God (they think). I’ve studied their theology. I’ve hung out with them. I’ve loved them. And still do.
YET some of these same Christians think human-caused global warming crucially important. So. I must confess, I’m puzzled. Why not hasten the day when we become ‘godlike’? Why should we care about the material creation? Why not salt the earth? And hasten the coming day of godlikeness. Material suicide is the ticket. Isn’t it?
Of course each of them would recoil in horror at such a thought. But I detect a glaring inconsistency in their thinking.
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What if God created us to be and become what we were created to be and become? What if God created us to become ‘spirit of God’ infilled human beings? (Theologians calls this Temple Theology.) Doesn’t that change the end time calculus, cosmically and personally? And allow us to consistently view the planet and our bodies sacramentalIy? I think it does.
I know there is altruism in the position of the Christian environmentalists I’m criticizing.
“We should care for the planet because of our children and God’s other creatures” they say. And they are right.
But if these Christians are convinced that our eternal destiny is a disembodied ‘spiritual’ existence, if we are so to speak ‘justa passin thru,’ and the ultimate goal is to become godlike, as in ‘spiritual’ like an angel, then why not the sooner the better? True, it may be decidedly uncomfortable for our children and other worldly creatures. But won’t it be eternally rewarding?
Also many of these Christians affirm God as the Creator. So. Can you square that circle? I can’t.
As a classic Christian I’m convinced that CREATED spirit (or soul) and CREATED matter (our bodies) are equally important to our Creator, and were meant to be integrated. God values both. God created both and called all of it “very good.” Why would Christians think otherwise?
They shouldn’t.
Oh, I know, some parts of the created order are broken. Like my brother’s body was broken in the womb. Still, assuming normal human development, our bodies are a great and good gift. And Christians should not think otherwise?
Thinking like that is the great distortion of these very queer un-Christian times.
God help us.
There is more to say. Please see the post below.
Companion Post
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Celebrate God’s Creation of Male & Female