Pastor Ed and wife Lisa
The Beatles have been inspiring people in unusual ways lately.
During his New Year's Eve Times Square performance Cee Lo Green changed the lyrics of the John Lennon tune Imagine. Instead of "nothing to kill or die for and no religion too" Green delivered "nothing to kill or die for and all religion's true." Just about the polar opposite of Lennon's meaning.
Now news of a "bed-in" to be staged by megachurch evangelist Ed Young and wife Lisa. The event brings to mind John and Yoko's bed-ins in Amsterdam and Montreal back in the 60's.
Whereas John and Yoko's hotel room bed-ins were in the interests world peace, the Youngs' 24 hour bed-in (to be staged on the rooftop of a Texas church) aims to promote regular sex in straight Christian marriages. Whole different vision.
The event will be streamed live on Young's website. He says he will answer "relationship questions and teaching about God's purpose for intimacy in marriage". No accompanying sex action mercifully - just talk.
Ed and bed
Ed Young and St Paul might have locked horns. If the New Testament can be relied upon the apostle's attitude to sex is best expressed as "better marry than burn"... marriage is seen as a last resort for the helplessly horny. Sex kind of gets in the way. Paul considered the unmarried state the better option, at least if you go along with words attributed to him in Corinthians:
"He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God. But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided."
Young's sexifying of Christian marriage as expressed in his book "Sexperiment" with its "seven day sex challenge" would probably not have been a big hit with Christians in the NT era. Might not even be a big hit with stressed-out Christians today who may end up finding the pastor's sex schedule a bit grueling.
Some things haven't changed though. Needless to say Young's sex message is exclusionary. He's opposed to gay unions since he believes they would "redefine marriage as it has been in the social structure of humankind since the very creation of man and woman". Nothing new there.
Link to The Guardian for more.
