Family Values?

[Nicodema]

It is pretty much commonly accepted within Christianity that home and family are sacrosanct -- home, marriage, sexual loyalty (monogamy), children etc. are all to be guarded, protected, upheld, defended.

As best as I can figure out, the bulk of this stems from the Genesis imperative at creation, where God tells the man and woman "be fruitful and multiply" -- as well as creating the first marriage itself in Eden, etc. At least, these are the kinds of things I hear in sermons, SS lessons, and other church media exhibiting pro-family sentiments and values. It is constantly affirmed, upheld and reaffirmed that one's primary duty is to one's family in general and nuclear family in particular -- parents and offspring.

OK all that was a big preface. Here's my question: how do we "square" this with some pretty heavy statements by Jesus that seem to knock it all down like a house of cards? I'm referring to statements like the following:

[:"red"] 34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “ ‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother, a daughterinlaw against her motherinlaw–

36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.’

37 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [/] -- Matthew 10:34-39.

Maybe Christ isn't as "pro-family" as we would like to make Him out to be?

[Jeannieb43]

Nico, I've always understood that passage to mean that those who follow Christ may find that their own families will turn against them because of it.

And, further, [implied]: But if our earthly families forsake us, God Himself will be our family and will provide for us.

Now, this may seem simplistic. But it's been my take on it for a long time -- commencing when all my religious views were simplistic.

[Dr. Shane]

I first started working in the hispanic community in Minnesota. I needed help to start a small church so we got a missionary from Mexico to come up to help me. His English was very poor but all our preaching was in Spainish so we worked good together.

Anyway, his family was strict Catholics and his mother told him on the day of his baptism that if he was baptised in the Adventist church he would cease to be her son. Upon returning from church that Sabbath he found all his clothing outside the house and none of his family (brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents) had spoken to him for years. After about a year of working together in Minnesota one of his brothers called him and told him his grandmother was dying and asking to see him. So that was kind of a bright end to the story although, as far as I know, the rest of his family never did talk to him again.