A comment on a comment

A friend of mine sent me an e-mail making me aware of a blogpost commenting a blogpost I posted on Mackan Andersson´s blog. It is posted by Patrik Olterman and he writes:

“I know Sven posted this comment, and I know Peter's response is to Mackan Andersson, and i know that there is little or no chance that Peter will see this.

Nevertheless I need to state:

A) I do not think the Bible is unambiguous about homosexuality, the texts Peter refer to may address what we know as homosexuality OR may be talking about heterosexual men engaging in homosexual practices.

B) Jesus return is FAR FROM the most common topic of the bible old or new testament. The Kingdom of God may be and that is not the same. However I would say that almost every sermon should be about the kingdom of god as this is number one on Jesus' agenda.

C) There are many lobby organisations that preach greed as virtue, it is of course disguised with the word blessing or prosperity.

D) The last point while fantastic in theory, that our situation and family relations should not interfere with our reading of scripture or our theology, it is simply not true. Our context will always influence our reading and our theology.

Furthermore, I think that god changes how and what he speaks to us according to our situation and relation to him. In that sense theology is and must be relational.

Peter, your theology is for example extremely influenced by your army experience and by your upbringing in a modern society. There are many theological views you hold that would be foreign to the ancient mind (or the post-modern for that matter). We always read from our context because as humans we are not able to transcend our context.”

I am not sure if Patrik will read this, but here are my comments:
A/ Patrik writes “the Bible is unambiguous about homosexuality, the texts Peter refer to may address what we know as homosexuality OR may be talking about heterosexual men engaging in homosexual practices”
I say Yes, who has said anything else? The Bible condemns homosexual practice.

B/ Patrik writes: Jesus return is FAR FROM the most common topic of the bible old or new testament
I say: you are wrong. The end times and the second coming of Jesus is one of the most frequent topics in the New Testament. Please check again! Jesus is having some of his longest speeches about that and in some books in the New Testament this is the main theme.

C/ Patrik writes: There are many lobby organisations that preach greed as virtue
I say: I do not think that greed and thankfulness for blessings are the same things.

D/ Patrik writes: Our context will always influence our reading and our theology.
I say: I agree. But all contextual interpretations cannot be equally right.

Finally Patrik writes that my theology is influenced by my army experience.
I say: I think you are right. And isn´t this what you just wrote that any theology must be influenced by the context.

So our main concern should then be what contexts we allow forming our theology.

I do not think it is a fruitful way of discussing trying to say that somebody else´s theology is not right since it is influenced by that and that.

If I should use the same method discussing Patrik´s theology I could say that Patrik´s way of making theology is blinded by the postmodern thinking of our days. Postmodern, relativistic thinking is not good theology or what the Bible teaches. But since I do not think this is a fruitful way discussing I will not say this.

/Peter Baronowsky