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In spite of some predictable negative reviews, the Presbyterian Church in Canada has produced a promising, seventeen-page interim report on “Human Sexuality” which is now available for study and comment by the Church. (Copies may be obtained from the Committee on Church Doctrine of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, 50 Wynford Drive, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1J7.) This report is helpful because it attempts to sketch out more than in a much briefer, single-issue report adopted in 1985, “The Church and Homosexuality” (“Acts and Proceedings” 1985, pp. 238-41) — one Christian church’s position on the topic of human sexuality as we face the issues of the 1990s. True, it does not raise every variation on every issue; however, it attempts to offer positive and essentially biblical direction to pastors and lay people on the main topics that may concern them. Indeed, the strong opening section on “The Authority and Sources for Christian Life” may well be its strongest (although hotly debated) part. Some will argue that there is an insufficient “investment of research, scholarship or the taking of oral testimony for this most important subject for every segment of the church” but we will argue that the Report is adequately researched and documented, presenting theological, biblical, historical and contemporary insights which lift up a traditional view of “our vocation as sexual beings.” Detractors may claim that contrary views are not adequately presented; that is probably true. The Report does not give much credence to opposite positions. But to argue that the Report lacks in “Christ’s call for justice and His inclusive love for all persons whom He has created” is unfair. The Report seeks to avoid a patronizing and preaching tone, suggesting that “all Christians . . . need God’s forgiveness and mutual forgiveness [in areas of sexual error] as we pursue together the path of holy living. To all, God’s grace abounds, and in our weakness God’s strength is made known.” Perhaps one might ask for more elaboration on the plight of those who have found themselves “outside” of the traditional boundaries and the Christian compassion that those “inside” the Church may manifest; that is something that could come out of a further study and comment on this Report But as it stands this Report can be a guide for those who wish to have a modest “position paper” on The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s “official view” on issues of human sexuality. What follows is an excerpt of the first section of The Report. — JHK
1. Introduction — Where We Find Ourselves in the 1990’s
1.1 In the past three decades, human sexuality has been extensively researched, discussed and debated in the medical sciences, social sciences and theology. Cultural and sociological changes have brought to the fore questions about human sexuality and standards for appropriate sexual expression. Family patterns have changed dramatically. Traditional gender roles are being redefined. Old assumptions about sexual behaviour are being challenged, giving rise to confusion, conflict and the challenge of relating sexual issues to Christian faith and life …
2. The Authority and Sources for Christian Faith and Life
2.1 The ultimate authority for the Church and for Christian faith and life is God, revealed in Jesus Christ, witnessed to by the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scriptures. The Preamble to the ordination vows for a minister of The Presbyterian Church in Canada states:
The Presbyterian Church in Canada is bound only to Jesus Christ her King and Head. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as the written Word of God, testifying to Christ the living Word, are the canon of all doctrine by which He rules our faith and life. We acknowledge our historic continuity with the Holy Catholic Church and her doctrinal heritage in the ecumenical creeds and confessions of the Reformation. Our subordinate standards are the Westminster Confession of Faith … and such doctrine as the Church, in obedience to Scripture and under the promised guidance of the Holy Spirit, may yet confess in her continuing function of reformulating the faith.
Thus our primary source for the understanding of God’s will is to be found in Scripture. In attempting to discern the will of God we also consult other sources: tradition, reason and experience. However these must never supplant the primary authority of Christ as witnessed to in Scripture.
2.2 Scripture
2.2.1 As Living Faith, 5.1 puts it:
The Bible has been given to us
by the inspiration of God
to be the rule of faith and life.
It is the standard of all doctrine
by which we must test any word that comes to us
from church, world, or inner experience.
We subject to its judgment
all we believe and do.
2.2.2 The New Testament witnesses to the same God who is revealed in the Old. However, the understanding of revelation unfolds in new ways, and both are to be read in the light of the supreme revelation of God in Christ. The revelation in Christ does not destroy the Law and the Prophets but it does fulfil them, i.e., it adds to them and completes them. Nevertheless it is also true that there are some aspects of God’s revelation, (for example, teaching on creation) which are more fully and clearly set forth in the Old Testament than in the New, and which are no less authoritative than the New Testament.
2.2.3 In employing Scripture as the primary source for Christian faith and life, it is best to begin by attempting to understand the Bible in its original historical setting. For this a wise use of historical-critical methods is essential. We recognize therefore that Scripture is shaped by its particular historical and cultural circumstances. For example, the Old Testament clearly reflects a patriarchial society; polygamy was at first accepted but later gave way to monogamy. We too are conditioned by our own time and culture. Consequently, biblical interpretation involves the interaction of the historical text with the contemporary situation. In view of this, individual texts should not be isolated, but should be studied in the light of the total canonical context.
2.2.4 If the Bible has been given to us by God to be the rule of faith and life, then that rule must apply to every aspect of our lives, including our sexuality. Since our sexuality is an inherent aspect of our whole being, that is, our humanity, the Bible’s teaching about human relationships, including sexual relationships, should never be divorced from its teaching about the whole human person.
2.2.5 Christian ethical reflection must be grounded in biblical theology and biblical ethics. In the Old Testament, law is not primarily a means of earning God’s favour. God graciously delivers the people of Israel and enters into covenant with them. Torah, meaning “teaching” or “direction” rather than “law”, is a gift of God and provides guidelines for the life of God’s covenant people. It includes both moral and ceremonial law.
2.2.6 In the New Testament, the requirements of the ceremonial law are superseded or reinterpreted; however, Jesus not only reaffirms moral laws, but makes them even more demanding. Paul emphasizes that no one can earn salvation by keeping the law; salvation is a gift of God’s grace in Christ, to be received through faith. However, though believers are not saved by works of law, they are saved in order that they might do good works. They are to manifest in their lives “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22); the greatest gift of the Spirit, and the supreme guiding principle, is love. Believers are to be guided by the twin command to love God and love neighbour. The moral law revealed in the Old Testament, and known to Gentiles through conscience, remains binding on Christians, not in any legalistic sense but as a revelation of the will of God for God’s people. Believers are to “fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). The Ten Commandments, for example, are still valid guidelines for Christians, and the New Testament epistles provide specific ethical directives as well as general guiding principles.
2.2.7 Calvin recognized three uses of the moral law; as well as convicting persons of their sin, and restraining unrighteousness, it serves to instruct believers in the will of God and confirm them in their obedience to it, though not in any legalistic way. Reformed theology recognizes that Scripture does provide ethical guidance and direction for the life of God’s people.
2.3 Tradition
2.3.1 Biblical understanding occurs within the context of the historical Christian community of the past two millennia, and in formulating a Christian sexual ethic, that community, in its contemporary manifestation, must take seriously the tradition which it has received. “Tradition” simply means something handed down from the past to the present. In Christianity, this term embraces the beliefs, practices and institutions which are handed down from generation to generation. In the New Testament Paul speaks of what he has received from the Lord and delivered to the Church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 11:23; 15:3). The author of Jude speaks of the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). Jesus Christ is the tradition to which all other traditions are subordinate, and because it is Scripture that witnesses to Christ, Scripture remains the standard by which all Christian traditions are to be measured and evaluated. For example, although a strong ascetic tradition which exalted the ideal of celibacy developed, especially from the fourth century onwards, the Reformers rightly rejected this as inconsistent with the main thrust of the biblical teaching on sexual relationships.
2.3.2 While tradition may be accepted as a rich resource which provides stability, nevertheless Scripture remains our primary standard. In the words of the Westminster Confession of Faith,
The supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture. (1.10)
2.4 Reason and Experience
2.4.1 In addition to Scripture and tradition, Christian theology has normally ascribed some role to reason and experience in discerning and understanding the will of God. The Old Testament Wisdom tradition is rooted in rational reflection upon observation and experience of the world around us and of human society. It seeks to learn the art of living and pass this on to future generations. Scripture however also recognizes the limits of human wisdom, and it must always be remembered that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).
2.4.2 Various positive roles can be assigned to reason in the process of theological reflection. Any theology which aims to produce a coherent and consistent statement of Christian belief must obviously make use of reason, for example in its discussion of Scripture and tradition. Reason may also be employed in reflecting on and seeking to make sense of experience.
2.4.3 There is Scriptural warrant for acknowledging reason as a means for discerning the revelation of God in creation. Paul recognizes that Gentiles who have no knowledge of the revelation in Scripture, nevertheless are able to perceive God’s power and deity in creation (Romans 1:20), and through conscience have God’s law inscribed on their hearts (Romans 2:15). The Westminster Confession of Faith (1.1) acknowledges that “the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence . . . manifest the goodness, wisdom and power of God.” Calvin, too, argues that with respect to “earthly things,” — i.e., politics, law, economies and the liberal arts — reason operates in a positive way (Institutes 11.2,12f).
2.4.4 Clearly there are limits to the use of reason as a means of knowing God’s will. Historically, an excessive emphasis on reason’s competence has led to the rejection of some of the most basic assertions of the revelation of God in Scripture. Reason then, may be regarded as an essential means towards ends appropriate to its use, but it must always be evaluated on the basis of the revelation of God in Scripture.
2.4.5 Experience is ordinarily taken to be a special form of knowledge. Traditionally this has been understood as Christian experience in the sense that Christian faith is a way of life to be experienced and not just a theory to be believed. Calvin made use of the ancient notion that “experience teaches” and he could say “we teach nothing not borne out by experience” (Institutes III.22.1). Some later Reformed theologians argued that the experience of the life of faith comes from participation in the community of faith. In this they recognized that experience does not stand or act alone; it is never an independent source of truth but rather confirms and applies Scriptural truth. More recently, some have claimed a greater role for experience. In liberation and feminist theologies, for example, the experience of oppression and discrimination can lead to a radical questioning of traditional Christian attitudes. This is to be welcomed insofar as it challenges theology which is divorced from actual human experience, and insofar as it uncovers aspects of the biblical revelation which have been neglected or distorted. However, when this type of experience is understood as constituting an independent source or even the norm of truth, the question has to be asked whether experience can function in this way to overrule Scripture as our primary source of the knowledge of the will of God.
2.4.6 Experience and reason are combined in the procedures adopted by the natural and social sciences in formulating theoretical models of sexuality. Science works with data and uses reason to construct various models in an attempt to understand and explain human behaviour. These models (e.g., Freudian, Jungian) can help us clarify the nature of human sexuality and some of the ethical issues which surround it. Science can provide information and concepts which must be taken into account in articulating a theology of sexuality. For example, the discussion of moral issues relating to genetic engineering or euthanasia must take into consideration information which science provides on such matters. However, while biology, psychology, anthropology, and sociology can provide helpful insights into the human condition, they cannot in themselves determine in any final way the criteria on which our ethical decisions should be based. For instance, the pervasiveness of certain types of sexual behaviour (e.g., prostitution) does not mean that such behaviour is acceptable from a Christian point of view. In brief, science can help the Church reflect on human sexuality. It can also assist the Church to challenge cultural assumptions, including our own, about sexual behaviour. It cannot, however, tell us whether certain forms of sexual behaviour do or do not conform to the will of God. We believe that the true nature and calling of humanity cannot be rightly known apart from the knowledge of God and of God’s will.
2.5 Conclusion
2.5.1 There is always a delicate interplay among Scripture, tradition, reason and experience as sources for our knowledge of God’s will for God’s people. Yet our ultimate authority and our primary source for our knowledge of God’s will for his people remains the revelation of God, in Jesus Christ, witnessed to in Holy Scripture, speaking to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. A Christian sexual ethic will make wise use of tradition, reason and experience, but will subject these to the witness of Scripture. Experience and rational reflection may act as spurs which drive us back to look again at the biblical revelation.
2.5.2 Members of the Church should be encouraged to reflect upon and discuss the question of authority and the sources for ethical decision making, subjecting their own views and attitudes to critical scrutiny, and listening to the views of others in an open, sympathetic and caring fashion.