"But if you had known what this means, 'I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,'
you would not have condemned the
innocent." ~ Jesus (Matthew 12:7 NASB)
AWAKE is committed to maintaining and advocating for the equitable treatment of all human beings. Before doctrine, theology, sacred texts, or any other factor, we affirm as paramount the dignity and inestimable worth of all people. God cares about people more than precepts or laws; in fact, we learn from Jesus Himself that the only reason the laws of God exist is to serve the needs of people (Mk. 2:27). Consequently, the welfare of human beings will always be a primary consideration in the beliefs and activities of AWAKE.
To ensure an unambiguous profession, please find a list of classes of people traditionally marginalized in the Christian community whom we unequivacally affirm.
Race is a human-made construct of social stratification. We have allowed racial classifications to divide us, creating modern-day tribalism during a time when we really should have evolved from such thinking. We do not believe that God sees a distinction between races, or that He honors or favors any race above another, and that any such claims, whether in theory or in practice, are antithetical to what it means to be a Christian.
Although there are certainly biological differences between the sexes, for all other intents and purposes, no distinctions exist between male and female. At most, one might say that women were pronounced inferior to men as a consequence of the Fall (Gen. 3:16); however, just as death was swallowed up in victory through Christ, so was any theological subjection of women to men. Post-Calvary teachings of that sort in the New Testament (e.g. Eph. 5:22-24; Col. 3:18) should be considered accommodations of the prevaling cultural patriarchal paradigm, and not a universal rule or law, as though reflecting God's own view. As the apostle Paul said, there is no distinction between male and female in the Kingdom of God.
We also acknowledge that although there are generally two biological sexes (male and female), we affirm the existence and value of all intersex people (those born with ambiguous sex characteristics, e.g. chromosomal pairs, genitalia, etc.). No such person should feel compelled to any surgical or other medical courses of action.
All people do not experience sexual attraction in the same way, but we affirm (with the caveats mentioned in the last paragraph of this section) that no one way is morally superior to another. Because people define and describe sexual orientation in many ways, it is important to clarify that for our purposes, we are referring to those who identify as heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, or asexual. Other forms of attraction may exist, but they are not necessarily related to sex (male/female), hence are not being described within the framework of this clause (e.g. pansexual, demisexual, sapiosexual, etc., all of which have more to do with how a person's personality attracts them to others, rather than an inherent, natural inclination that most likely existed from birth).
While we recognize that there are sincere people of faith who believe that God opposes homosexuality, we assert that Scripture, when properly interpreted in light of its socioreligious context, does not condemn consensual relationships or sexual activity between consenting adults of the same sex. We also believe that even in the absence of a particular passage of Scripture explicitly condoning such, the principles of Scripture relating to the covenant of marriage are wholly consistent with the idea of same-sex marriage (except as related directly to patriarchal assumptions on the part of the biblical writers). In addition, in keeping with our "prime directive" of People Over Precepts, we conclude that celebrating and affirming same-sex attracted people and the relationships that ensue are in keeping with God's love and concern for our sexual fulfillment (1Co. 7:9).
Because of the controversies surrounding sexual orientation, it is important to emphatically state that we do not affirm forms of attraction that can only ever be exploitative or harmful (also known as paraphilias), among them being pedophilia (attraction to children), zoophilia (attraction to animals), or any other form of attraction outside of the scope of affection between consenting adults.
People often use sex and gender interchangeably, but they are not the same. Sex is a function of biology (esp. anatomy), whereas gender is a social construct within which we create cultural norms regarding the appearance and behavior of people because of their sex. Terms like male and female relate to sex, while terms like man and woman relate to gender. Consider language like "real man," which doesn't simply describe an adult male, but indicates certain cultural norms and expectations by which the legitimacy of someone being a man is determined.
Because gender is a social construct, it would be inappropriate to import cultural norms and expectations into a Kingdom paradigm (for the Kingdom, not being of this world, is not subject to cultural norms). Consequently, we have no expectations relating to how males or females must appear, behave, express themselves, or identify. In light of this commitment, AWAKE respects the ways in which people choose to be referred to, vis-à-vis names and pronouns.
While it is impossible to provide an exhaustive list of classes covered by our principle of affirmation, this document clarifies the principles by which we are governed. All allied entities are required to either agree with, or at the very least be subject to these principles in their ministries and/or activities.
If you're ready to be in alliance with other leaders and ministries with this commitment to equity and justice, click here.