Pigfest on the Roof Summary

I called this edition Pigfest on the Roof, and nominally themed it off of Fiddler on the Roof, inviting people to bring a traditional side dish or dessert for the feast. But we did not meet on the roof. Instead, we crammed 21 adults and 7 children into my living room, kitchen, and hallway. I thought about taking pictures this time, but I am simply not that organized!

In the 3 hours we met, the Pigfesters engaged in seven separate debates. Everyone behaved very well, which made moderating rather easier. The topics were interesting and well-engaged.

1. Because the government is anti-God and immoral, it would be immoral to pay taxes. Jesus said to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. But what is Caesar’s? To how much was Caesar entitled? When the sitting executive’s face is not on our coin, as it was in Jesus’ day, is it still to be rendered to him? Does our personal judgment determine the justice of a tax? Is the income tax even legal? Is it rather unconstitutional? But the resolution was giving moral reasons for refusing to pay taxes, not legal ones. Must Christians submit to immoral governments? Is doing something morally wrong in the name of submission ok? In the Bible, children were wiped out with their fathers for the sin of the father, but we see no mention of justification because they were just doing what their fathers instructed. Do the layers of responsibility in the government protect us from culpability? That is, by paying taxes, are we not simply enabling the government to make good choices? That they make bad choices is a potential consequence of our trust. But, we are in a democracy where we the people choose our government. Some of our taxes do go to moral things, like roads. It was suggested that we look at the federal budget and deduct from our income tax a corresponding percentage to that which the government spends on immoral activities, and to enclose a letter of explanation. There is a doctrine of Lesser Magistrates, which discusses the conflict between obeying contradicting authorities or whether citizens are required to submit to authorities not established by the higher authority (in this case, the US Constitution). Jesus paid his taxes (the story of the coin in the fish).

2. Men have no biblical responsibilities towards their families. Paul had to have been married, so it is possible he abandoned his wife for the call of God. (This was highly debated.) If a man does not provide for his own family, he is worse than an infidel – the Bible. A husband is to love his wife as himself, which often includes caring for her needs. At this point, the contributor of the resolution conceded that the Bible did have some responsibilities listed for men towards their families, so the debate shifted to what they are: What is the definition of men? It includes fathers, husbands, sons, and brothers. Brothers were commanded in the Mosaic Law to take their sister-in-laws as wife if they were barren widows (law of the kinsman-redeemer). Lot is an example of a man whom we do not, in our culture, consider to have been a good father. He offered his daughters to the lustful crowd – and what’s up with that? But, was he a jerk, or was he righteous? Scripture is often addressed to fathers, which seems to be significant. Some of the sons of Jacob slaughtered a city to avenge their sister’s rape. Is that a responsibility? God is presented as a Father. Are we not to imitate Him? Does God have any obligations to His children? Obligations (and by implication, responsibilities) have to do with consequences. When God takes an action, he is responsible for the consequences, and thus obligated to abide those consequences… Likewise, a man is obligated to deal with the child he has if his wife conceives. God’s fatherhood is often demonstrated in punishment. But He is also merciful. Are fathers, therefore, required to imitate God’s grace as well as His chastising? Whence comes the impulse to provide and protect? If not from the Bible, and if not from the character of God, then where?

3. America has gotten worse since the Women’s Liberation movement. Worse was described as moral deterioration: divorce, abortion, crime. And the women’s liberation movement was specified as that movement that rose in the 60’s and focused on equal opportunity, women leaving the home for the workplace, and sexual liberation. Perhaps it is not the actual liberating of women that caused the moral decline, but the attitude women took. Are we talking about a cause of moral decline, or is the women’s liberation movement yet another symptom of a larger rebellion. It was a rebellion against God. “We hate men” was not the origin of the movement, but rather, World War II empowered women when men were unable to work the factories and women left the home to take up those responsibilities. Or perhaps women’s lib. started with suffrage. Are not all created equal, even male and female? Does that not apply to roles? The real wickedness of the feminist mindset is not, “We hate men,” but “We hate God.” For they are rebelling against God’s created order. Perhaps women, though, were not the instigators. Maybe men abusing their authority, really oppressing them (for example, physical violence) caused women to assert themselves. What does this subject matter today? Abortion is going on today, and is horribly unjust to fathers. They have no legal right to stay the murder of their own child. A result of the women’s liberation movement is that men were not allowed to be men, and so have abdicated their roles. But shouldn’t men have stood up against the women’s liberation movement and defended the God-given order? Those who did were slandered. Really, emasculation is a result of the Fall and the Curse, when God told Eve that her desire would be for her husband, it is the terminology of desiring to be “over” her husband, just like sin “got the better of” Cain. Women today do appreciate their liberties, without wicked motives, and make good use of them (women doing missions without their families). The Christian worldview has been proclaimed as the kindest to women. Are we kind to women to fight for equality in the area of sexual promiscuity? Should we not have fought for equality the other way, of neither men’s nor women’s promiscuity being acceptable? Even though we may disagree with the movement, we can use the women’s liberties today for good: a woman who doesn’t believe women should have the vote can choose to submit her vote to her husband’s views. The movement is continuing even today, but is evolving, and so is not necessarily from the same motives as the feminists had in the 60’s.

4. Sharing is unnecessary and not biblically supported. Sharing is defined as co-ownership, especially as opposed to lending. The distinction between (and comparative value of) giving and sharing was a theme throughout the debate. Are we saying that taking turns is unnecessary? When a child’s friend comes over to play, what is the host child to do? Should he keep his toys to himself? Or – perhaps he should truly give the toy, not expecting it back. Sharing is looking out for other’s interests, putting others ahead of yourself. [Ownership] rights are unbiblical. We put so much emphasis on our rights, but God calls us to give up our rights. Christians are told to love our neighbors as ourselves. Is there a difference morally between offering to share with someone else, and requesting that someone else share with you? Sharing may be unnecessary when giving is an option. But to whom are we to give? How much? Sharing makes life better and more efficient. Instead of buying a toy for each child in a family, they can share one toy. Sometimes there is no money to buy for each individual what they need, but they can have what they need if they all share one. How is hospitality done if not by sharing? God owns everything anyway; none of this property is really ours. God made us stewards, and we are to exercise wisdom and discernment in how best to use what He has entrusted to us.

5. God withholds because we do not ask. If we are obedient to God, then we abide in God’s love, and God does what we ask. When we walk with God, He gives us the desires of our hearts. The Bible encourages us to entreat God – even to the point of nagging Him. How does God’s sovereignty fit into the equation? Is God really dependent on our actions? God gives some good gifts without prayer (common grace: rain falls on just and unjust; and special grace to Christians, but without us asking). When the Spirit intercedes for our weakness, what if our weakness is that we don’t ask for the right things? Can He bridge that gap? Generally that verse is not interpreted as praying for us when we are not praying, but interceding for us as we pray. God changes His mind when people act or plead with Him. Either God lies or He changes His mind, for he told Moses that He would destroy Israel, and then God didn’t. If our children acted that way, we would punish them… It seems best to act as though what we do and pray matters, regardless of what we believe about the sovereignty of God. Daniel knew God’s prophecy that He would do something at a certain time, but Daniel still prayed for it to happen. Is God’s plan allowed to be malleable? If not for that, could we have this redemption story: God creates the world perfect, but man sins, so God gets to demonstrate His lovingkindness by sending His only Son to die for us. Or did God plan it that way all along? Isn’t consistency an attribute of God? Maybe God must only be consistent within His character (for example, mercy).

6. Ownership for the sake of hospitality is the best kind of stuff and the best kind of ownership. Best is defined as optimal, in the short term and/or in the long term. People are not equivalent to “stuff.” The other reason to have a lot of stuff is to be like a dragon, hoarding riches and laying on them because they bring pleasure to you individually. Are families included in hospitality? If you own something for the purpose of benefiting others who are in your family, is that still the best kind? There is this trend toward larger and larger master bedrooms, which serves no hospitable purpose, but often detracts from available space for hospitality towards others. Hospitality, though, is an attitude, and can be demonstrated without stuff. Should we buy a lot of stuff to be hugely hospitable? There is a difference between purchasing stuff for the sake of hospitality and making hospitable use of stuff bought for other reasons. This resolution did not address the inherent value of the property in question (ought we to be hospitable with our Play Station?), but rather, with the motive in possessing it. Hospitality enables relationships. Maybe a better kind of ownership would be for God’s call: some people need their own space to refresh in order to do what God has called them to do. If it is impossible to share without making yourself useless, hospitality might not be the most important thing. We should be willing to give up property when God wants us to do something else.

7. Intimate friendships with the same sex is just as important for men as for women. Intimacy was defined as vulnerability especially in the senses of accountability and sharing emotions. Men see the world differently: things versus relationships. Guys do have as intimate of relationships, but do not express them the same way as girls. Spending the day hunting and sharing a one-sentence commentary on their job (men) can be as intimate as a three hour conversation (women). But the argument of the resolution is that men need to express more – a lot of times, and not in a way that looks like women. Take, for example, David and Jonathan, who had a much closer relationship than what is common to men in our culture. Men are afraid to reveal themselves, especially for accountability. There is also a difficulty in expressing masculine intimacy for fear of seeming “queer*.” Are women really good examples of intimate friendships, or rather than holding each other accountable, aren’t we gossiping and discussing things that shouldn’t be said? Many men experience closer friendships with other men before marriage, and miss those relationships afterwards, but have been unable or have neglected to keep them up. Men have been influenced by the doctrine of individualism, so that they overvalue doing things on their own and not asking for help. The hard world necessitates a shell especially for men, who are in the world more than women. Men don’t have time for relationships. World War II hurt the willingness of men to be open, because they did not want to talk about the horrors they had witnessed or even committed. Were male relationships more prominent in the past or in other cultures? *queer in the sense of homosexual

Each 15-minute segment seemed to go too fast and be over too soon. The incredible value of Pigfests it that they do not allow you to really complete a topic, or all the aspects brought up in the debate. So we keep thinking and talking (and writing!) for weeks to come. I think it is interesting how there are often two themes weaving their way through the debate. At some points there were up to four people with their hands up waiting to speak, so the different threads were carried on well. For myself, I had prepared a resolution, but the things I wanted to bring up with it were touched on in so many of the other debates that I decided not to present mine for debate.

All in all I am quite pleased with how the night went. God answered all of my prayers for the party. As hostess and moderator and human being I felt more focused than I have at some Pigfests, and for that I also thank God.

To God be all glory.