This blog is often critical of Christians who think that belief is the only requirement for salvation. So it is refreshing to hear of a Christian who thinks that salvation involves actually putting our beliefs into practice. Such a person is Rosaria Butterfield.
Ms. Butterfield was a very successful college professor who was also a lesbian and Marxist. When she became a Christian, she realized it would mean giving up her lesbian lifestyle. So she changed and it cost her. She says the aftermath of her decision was a “bloodbath” as she felt that she had betrayed her friends and community [1] and I’m sure the feeling was mutual.
Ms. Butterfield understands that the purpose of salvation is to make of us a new creation and that means we must change. That has always been the problem we humans have with God. God wants to interfere with how we think we should live our lives, with the type of person we want to be. Human nature, being what it is, means we constantly try to think of ways to avoid having God meddle in our lives. And one way to accomplish that is to make salvation only a belief system.
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[1] Bill Sherman, “TU community gracious to ex-lesbian speaker”, Tulsa World, November 21, 2015, p. A11.
