eurotony

It's a tricky one. There are times when it's appropriate, I think, for a Christian minister in a one-to-one (or one-to-two) pastoral situation to share her/his insights into human sexuality. However, it is less appropriate (and sometimes downright inappropriate) to give those insights the full "Thus saith the Lord" treatment, which I take to be the heart of the critique offered here. I would commend St Paul's practice in this regard (especially in 1 Corinthians), where he differentiates clearly between his own view more or less firmly expressed and what he understands to be the tradition received from the Lord Jesus. It is also, I think, unwise to try to universalise those insights under the guise of "Biblical principles". Within the long conversation between God and his people, part of which is recorded in Scripture, there is a wide variety of cultural factors in play. At times polygamy is at least accepted (e.g. Abram, Jacob, David and, with reservations, Solomon). At other times the ideal of monogamy is clearly set before the believer (e.g. Jesus, Paul, the Pastoral Epistles). Again, I would commend Paul, who deals with the questions which his congregations are asking him (or situations which have been reported to him) in accordance with his understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.