Q&A with Rev. Durrell Watkins

Question: Why doesn’t God stop evil and (the so-called) Devil in the world?

Answer: The problem of evil has puzzled thinking people in every age. If God is all-powerful but doesn’t end suffering and evil, then one wonders if God is good. If God is good and doesn’t end suffering and evil, then one wonders if God is all-powerful. If it is true that what God does for us, God does through us, then perhaps God is doing all God can and is simply waiting for us to do more to solve the problem of evil.

Some people believe that evil is an illusion, like a nightmare: terrifyingly real when we are experiencing it, but lacking substance. These people believe that the appearance of evil is like a dark room… the darkness isn’t real in and of itself; it’s only the absence of light. If I’m stumbling around in the dark room the darkness is scary, but it isn’t real since a flashlight or candle would instantly dispel it. According to this view, evil is not a cause, but an effect. Evil would merely be the result of ignorance, poor choices, disordered thinking — terrible in its experience but lacking real substance. Evil then is stopped by us we embrace the light of truth.

I once heard Dr. Robert Schuller give a very good answer to the problem of evil (and its mythic personification, “Satan”). Dr. Schuller was asked why he didn’t preach about “the devil”. Schuller answered, “Because I don’t know much about him; that’s not who my relationship is with.” I thought that was brilliant! Rather than trying to figure out evil, Dr. Schuller decided to focus on Good.

When asked what kind of God would allow the Holocaust, one philosopher answered, “I’m more concerned with what kind of people would allow it.”

I’m also reminded of that wonderful scene from the play “Jeffrey” where a priest is asked about evil, and the priest says, “Who cares? Evil bores me; it doesn’t sing!”

So, either: (1) God could defeat evil but chooses not to, or (2) God detests evil and stands with us as we fight it but is unable to destroy it without our help, or (3) Evil isn’t ultimately real and the illusion of evil is destroyed by our individual enlightenment, or (4) Rather than focusing on Evil we should focus on God and God’s goodness, and as we do that, we may find evil disappearing anyway. I personally reject option #1. Options 2, 3, and 4 all seem plausible to me, but I don’t have a final, authoritative answer for you.

The question is an ancient one, and I’m afraid we haven’t settled the issue today; but you’ve given us something to think about.

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Question: What is MCC’s position on the issue of abortion? Is it a personal decision or is it the… killing of an unborn child… What do you believe?

Answer: Metropolitan Community Churches as a denomination hasn’t traditionally taken a stand on this issue. I’m sure there are those among us who are pro-choice, and others who are not. Because I will never be faced with the decision to have an abortion, I am personally uncomfortable telling women what they must or mustn’t do with their bodies. It is too easy for me to form an opinion about an issue I’ll never face, and so I have compassion for those who have to make such a difficult decision (regardless of the choice they make).

The bible doesn’t really offer clear guidance on the subject. Exodus 21.22-23 says that if two men are fighting and accidentally hit a pregnant woman causing her to miscarry, the man who hit her should be fined. But if the woman herself is injured, then the penalty is “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth… wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” To cause a miscarriage would cost a man some money, but to harm the mother would result in the man suffering harm in kind. That biblical author clearly valued the life of the mother over the life of her fetus. However, the Apostle Paul believed that he was called to his apostolic ministry from the womb (Galatians 1.15), which would suggest his importance was determined in utero. Just as in our lives, there are many ways to understand an issue, even in the bible.

For people who are pro-choice, abortion is usually a last resort but they want it to be an option. In the words of a former president, the ideal would be for abortions to be “safe, legal, and rare”.

For people who are against “choice”, I would hope they are fully committed to assuring a high quality of life for every child. All children deserve health care, adequate housing, education, and protection from abuse.

The issue is complex and as long as one is consistent with his or her belief about it, I can respect both opinions. If we as a community, a nation, a world do better at making sure that all people have adequate health care, safety, educational and financial resources, my guess is that abortions will happen less frequently, and that is something I think everyone could appreciate.

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Question: In this troubling economy, how can the Sunshine Cathedral afford a new organ and building renovations?

Answer: Actually, the Sunshine Cathedral can’t afford major building projects. Our property is owned by the Sunshine Community Foundation and it is the SCF that raises the capital needed to expand or improve the current property, or if needed, to acquire new property. Many Sunshine Cathedral members contribute to the Foundation, but when you pledge or tithe to the Sunshine Cathedral, those monies are used exclusively for the daily operations of ministry.

We can thank some very generous donors who made sure we now have this world-class organ. The Cathedral operating monies did not purchase it. The Sunshine Community Foundation has financed the new chancel (from a grant from the Graves Trust, individual donations, and a loan from Sterling Bank), and we will eventually be getting beautiful new windows and doors because of money the Foundation will raise for that very purpose.

When you support a Sunshine Cathedral fundraiser, or when you honor your pledge to the Sunshine Cathedral or when you put an offering in the plate on Sunday, every penny of those monies goes to paying staff, utilities, rent to the Foundation, purchasing needed supplies (paper, communion wafers, etc.), paying denominational assessments, buying advertising, and donations that are so designated fund global outreach and benevolence ministries.

Let me be as clear as possible that the Cathedral’s weekly income could not provide us with the beautiful windows, organ, and chancel that contribute to our wonderful worship experience each week; but thanks to the generosity and faithfulness of the Sunshine Community Foundation, the Cathedral worships on this beautiful property which we use to both the glory of God and for the good of our community. Gifts to the Foundation support the “bricks and mortar” of the church while giving in the offering plate supports the daily work of the church. Your tithe dollars are used exclusively for ministry.

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Question: A few weeks ago, one of the preachers said that the Bible isn’t the word of God. Did I hear him correctly? What did he mean by that?

Answer: I wasn’t the one who made that comment, so I can’t speak for the person who did. However, I do agree with the statement, so let me share my perspective.

Some people call the bible the “word of God”. If that means it is a collection of stories about a people’s understanding of God, then that phrase is perfectly fine. But if we understand “word of God” to mean that God dictated every word that is in the bible, then many of us can’t agree with that.

In the Old Testament, the “word of God” is the spoken word of the prophets. The Psalms are prayers and hymns TO God, not from God. And in the New Testament, the writer of John’s Gospel considers Jesus to be the word of God, the “word made flesh”. So calling the bible the “word of God” isn’t necessarily “biblical”.

A shorter of way explaining it would be to say the “word of God” does not mean the “words of God”. To suggest that God possessed a human writer’s body and made the writer compose something without any of his or her own personality or culture contributing to the work suggests that the bible is a channeled work, and most Christians do not embrace the occult practice of channeling. Moreover, there are too many internal contradictions (for instance two very different creation accounts) for the bible to have been written by a single entity.

Another way to explain it is to say that the bible may be the word of God, but we must discern the difference between the descriptive word and the prescriptive word. When the bible seems to condone the evil practice of slavery, that is the descriptive word… describing how things were, not how things ought to be. On the other hand, when the bible tells us to love our neighbor and to refrain from judging one another, that is the prescriptive word… prescribing how we ought to live!

We never want to make an idol of the bible. We are certainly free to call the bible the “word of God” if we choose, but let us remember it isn’t the FINAL word. God is still speaking in our lives.

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Question: You sometimes talk about Sunshine Cathedral’s message being “progressive, positive, and practical”. What exactly does that mean?

Answer: We sometimes say we practice P³ Christianity, that is, the Christian message as we explain it is Progressive, Positive, and Practical.

Our message is Progressive because it seeks to offer liberation to people who have found themselves in society’s margins. We seek to empower people to claim their sacred value. We don’t say that only Christians have access to God. We are Christians because in Jesus we find a model of affirming the dignity of all people and we find a message of divine Love that includes all people. We are Christians because we are trying to express the divine Nature that is already within us and that we believe is in all people. Our word for that divine Nature is “Christ”; other people have different names for it.

Our message is Positive because our focus is on affirming the sacred value of all people. Once we believe in our own goodness, we tend to have a positive outlook on life. Following Jesus’ lead, we seek the Good in ourselves and in all people. By focusing on our innate goodness and the wonderful possibilities that exist in life, our faith experience is positive and it has a positive effect on our daily lives.

Finally, our message is Practical. If something is practical, it is constantly available, usable, and it will help meet real needs. Isn’t that what a Progressive and Positive faith experience is? Our message is rooted in love and hope, and those divine attributes are always available to us, always usable, always able to help us with whatever our need at hand might be.

Ernest Holmes took the inclusive, optimistic, and usable aspects of spiritual living and called it the Science of Mind. The Recovery Movement took the healing message of spiritual living and called it the Twelve Steps. A Protestant minister, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, took the liberating, life-giving message of Jesus and called it The Power of Positive Thinking. Myrtle and Charles Fillmore called the affirming message of Jesus “Practical Christianity”. Malinda Cramer and Nona Brooks called the teachings of Jesus “Divine Science”. The earliest followers of Jesus called it simply “The Way”. We sometimes call it P³ Christianity. Whatever we choose to call it, we find that following Jesus’ example is progressive, positive, and practical.

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If you have questions about faith, the bible, the church, or sexuality & spirituality, you can email your questions to durrell@sunshinecathedral.org, or go to the Cathedral web site at www.sunshinecathedral.org and click on the link there. Rev. Durrell Watkins will answer your questions and publish the answers in this column. Your name will always be withheld, so only the actual question and the response will be printed.