Christian Patriarchalists and Gender Complementarians Sexualizing the Trinity and Insisting Sexual Activity is Necessary to Fully Know God (via Under Much Grace blog)
There was actually a book by some Christian authors some time ago who quoted works by other Christian authors who suggest that to truly and completely know God, a person has to be married and having sex with a spouse. Of course, if you are a virgin into your 30s and older, this is a problematic view – as well as being bizarre, unbiblical, and ridiculous.
At Under Much Grace blog, Cynthia Kunsman wrote a series of blog posts about that issue as well, and related ones, such as the Christian gender complementarian tendency to sexualize the Trinity – yes, God Himself.
I will only copy a portion or two from Under Much Grace blog; please click the link below to visit Mrs. Kunsman’s blog to read the entire thing.
On the blog page I am linking you to here, there are links to five more pages on her blog. She has broken up her writing on this topic into a series of posts.
(Link): Tim Keller, Sex, and Eternal Submission Doctrine: Summing up the Sexualization of the Trinity with Shirley Taylor (the introductory post), by Cynthia Kunsman
Excerpts:
… Ideas have consequences, and I find two most troubling consequences that result from these [Christian gender complementarian / Patriarchal] teachings claiming that marital sex concerns and mirrors the life of the Three Divine Persons in the Trinity.
Some engage in this debate because these ideas hinder women from participating in ministry which is troubling enough, but these same ideas are used to dehumanize women which can also result in abuse. In terms of theology, I’m deeply disturbed by the theological implications. In effect, they result in a sub-Christian understanding of God’s identity which robs Christ of His full deity
…An Index to Posts on the Sex and Trinity Connection
The posts that address these issues concerning sex and the way that the developed are explored in the following posts in Five Parts. They center around Tim Keller’s statements, and most include commentary from Shirley Taylor — both from her books and from some of our private exchanges:
I:Tim Keller on the Meaning of the Sex Act in MarriageII: Sex, Tim Keller, and the Replacement of Salvation by Faith
III: The Genesis of Eternal Subordinationism
IV: Is the Trinity a Sex Orgy?
V: The Connection between Marriage and Holiness (The meaning of Ephesians 5:22-29)
Here’s a chart of the development of these doctrines which are further explored in the posts in this series
Here is are just a handful of excerpts from a few of the other pages in the series:
Shirley Taylor responds to this statement in her book Dethroning Male Headship in the discussion of the “Sexualization of the Trinity”:
Salvation by faith has been replaced
They have made the marriage bed into God’s grand design and demoted salvation by faith into a secondary design. But salvation for the Church Body was God’s grand design, not the marriage bed. Procreation was part of God’s grand design in marriage, and the Bible does not shy away from sex. However, God’s command to be fruitful and multiply does not indicate that the sex act reflects God Himself. Sex is procreational and recreational, but it is not symbolic of the relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
(Source for above)
As we established in (Link): previous posts, Tim Keller’s writings (along with those of his like-minded ideologues) claim that marital relationships as well as sex itself gives us the best insight into the social nature of the Trinity and the personalities within it. Along with thinking about our spouse as we are in the throes of passion, we are are told that we Christians should be thinking about the relationship between the Father and the Son.
….Keller says in Chapter 8 of his book that marriage is a “commitment apparatus” after explaining that sex is not dirty and it is more than a physical act. But then, he goes on to say that we need the “spousal love of Jesus” in our lives. I find this to be a profane (unholy) statement and nauseating. I need God’s sacrificial love, and I need the love of my husband, along with the love of family and friends, too.
… He [Tim Keller] then says that we all need the “cosmic need for closure that our souls find in romance.” WHAT??? That means that if you are single, you can’t know God which is why Keller claims that if single, you must have a very large peer group community of singles who are all seeking marriage.
(Link): This concluding page in the series notes that some churches are incorporating works or teachings by Keller and others on these subjects in the guise of defending “family values.” Once more, and via all these teachings that are promoting “family values” or gender complementarianism, adult virgins and life-long singles are given the shaft by Christianity.
The Bible no where teaches that marriage or sexual activity is necessary to know God or to receive salvation. Salvation comes via faith alone in Jesus Christ – not from being married, having sex, or having children.
I have warned you before – if you are a celibate, single adult – that gender complementarianism is very damaging and dangerous to you.
Gender complementarianism places a high premium on Christians getting or being married and having children – conservative Christians who propagate traditional gender roles really think the best way to save culture is to endorse and push very tight, strict gender roles.
Christian gender complementarians don’t seem to notice or care that Jesus never told believers to redeem culture. Apostle Paul reminded Christians to judge those within the church, not those without. Paul, therefore, was also not keen on fighting culture or cleaning it up.
Christian gender complementarians view secular feminism and homosexuality as huge threats to Christians, to Christianity, and to society.
These types of Christians feel that gender complementarianism (or Christian patriarchy, for those Christians who feel complementarianism is too “light weight”) is the cure or the tool to fight against social positions they disagree with.
Intertwined with that is the assumption by gender complementarians that in order to fight feminism, abortion, and homosexuality (and other societal positions they do not agree with), that Christians all need to marry and pro-create – if only culture had more nuclear families, we could all get back to the cultural 1950s secular mecca that was 1955 America and things such as abortion and homosexual marriage would be defeated.
Never married adults, the widowed, the infertile, the child free, the divorced are all neglected or shamed in this gender complementarian quest, which is one reason (of several), if you are currently a single adult, you need to abandon gender complementarianism.
Gender complementarianism, ESS (Eternal Subordination of the Son), excessive devotion to the institution to marriage and parenthood, and Christian patriarchy are NOT friends or an ally to never-married or celibate and childless adults. Gender complementarians, advocates of ESS and Christian patriarchy actually penalize or marginalize anyone who does not meet the “married with children” niche.
Related Posts:
(Link): Church’s Woke Advert Featuring a Bearded Jesus with Women’s Breasts and Make-Up Sparks Outrage
(Link): Everything Is Sexualized: LEGO Now Features an LGBTQ+ Set With a Drag Queen
(Link): Say Hello to Trans Jesus by Michael Warren Davis
(Link): Halloween Pole-Dancing Lawn Skeletons Deemed Too Risque’ For ‘Family-Friendly’ Block
(Link): ‘Hunky Jesus’ Competition, Drag Queen Easter Egg Hunt Return to San Francisco
(Link): Prof Says There is Something Homo-Erotic About Christian Men Who Say They Love Jesus
(Link): Paul, Singleness, And Mutuality: Three Proposals for The Church (from Junia Project)
(Link): The Sexualization of God and Jesus
(Link): Marketing Companies Offering ‘Sexy Jesus’ Calendar, Selfies With Jesus
(Link): Following the Usual Advice Won’t Get You Dates or Married – Even Celebrities Have A Hard Time
(Link): Depressing Testimony: “I Was A Stripper but Jesus Sent Me A Great Christian Husband”
(Link): Does God Require Singles to Be Perfect Before He Will Send Them a Spouse
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