45 Questions On Faith

Questions about faith, an on going list.

1. Do we ever fully let go of our baggage?
2. Does it matter if we cannot let go?
3. What is G-d given?
4. Is it my fault?
5. Is there a G-d like that?
6. How do we define sin?
7. How does G-d define sin?
8. Why is there a difference?
9. How do we close the gap?
10. So what that there is a gap?
11. Why does G-d have power over me?
12. Why must we have relience on G-d?
13. What does G-d feel when he looks at me?
14. Could G-d ever really love me?
15. Could G-d ever really love me despite my sin?
16. Am i valuable?
17. Are you good at all?
18. Am I good?
19. Can I trust you?
20. How do I know I can trust you?
21. Why does it have to be so complicated?
22. Why is it so simple?
23. How do I know you won't hurt me?
24. Does G-d see me as beautiful?
25. Will G-d change his mind?
26. Why doesn't G-d help my unbelief?
27. Do I have to earn it?
28. Is it really all true?
29. Have I just convinced myself that this is true?
30. Is this the occult?
31. Why don't I see G-d in death?
32. Does hell exist?
33. Is evil an actual reality or just our poor choices?
34. Is it the sum of poor choices?
35. How much of our faith is borrowed from other faiths?
36. Will G-d answer our questions?
37. Will our questions be trival?
38. Was G-d's original thought to never have women?
39. Why weren't Adam and Eve made at the same time?
40. Why something?
41. Why not nothing?
42. Why do we believe in the Bible?
43. So what that we do believe in the Bible?
44. What happens if we were wrong?
45. So what that G-d constructed a universe in which that we are loved?

Originally posted on diaryland on April 30, 2006.

What if Jesus was Gay?

While I was scanning headlines on Yahoo News today I lunch, I was caught by surprise at a headline. "Gay Jesus play angers Australian church leaders". I wasn't really shocked at the headline. I think I would have been shocked had the headline read "Gay Jesus play a hit with church leaders".

The play, "Corpus Christi", is being presented at the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia and presents a Jesus who was gay and had gay followers. Interestingly enough, the play was directed by a person who identifies himself as a Christian and wanted to provoke debate.

I don't have a strong opinion on the play either way. As a long time supporter of the theatrical arts, I believe theatre, and in particular, modern drama, is a place where we can talk about topics that make us uncomfortable in a safe, nonjudgemental way. I haven't seen or read the play yet but I'm curious to see what the play presents.

The topic of the play alone raises so many questions in my mind that I am almost overwhelmed at the thought.

For example:

• What if Jesus was gay? Would you be open to the gospel had it come from the mouth of a homosexual?
• What parts of the gospel could you accept from a Gay Jesus?
• What parts of the gospel would you be unable to accept from a Gay Jesus?
• How does this impact the idea of homosexuality and the Church?
• If there was a Gay Jesus, what would the face of marriage look like today?
• Can we as Christians talk about the impact of this play without getting caught in the shock value of its content?
• Is the idea of a gay Jesus as upsetting to Christians today as the idea of a black Jesus would have been one hundred years ago?
• Can we listen to the message of God without judging the vessel it came in? Or does the vessel make the message?
• What if Mary Magdalene played the role of the Savior and Jesus played her role instead? Would we be able to believe in a female Jesus?
• Would we be willing to buy into and believe in a Jesus that does not look like what our idea of what the Son of God should be?
• Why has faith beome dependent on a Messiah that seems safe?
• How did we forget how unsafe Jesus was to the Jewish population two thousand years ago?

I think the best way to close this is with a quote from the director. I hope to open it up again with your comments and questions.

"I wanted this play in the hands of a Christian person like myself to give it dignity but still open it up to answering questions about Christianity as a faith system," Leigh Rowney said.