Christianity and Homosexuality
This Sunday night (March 4), UPC is hosting an event on Homosexuality and the Church.” That event, combined with two recent events in the national news, has brought homosexuality to the forefront for some of us.
The first national event occurred in the sports arena. A couple of weeks ago, former Orlando Magic player, John Amaechi, revealed that he is a homosexual. He did this in conjunction with promoting his new book, Man in the Middle. Since he is the only former or current NBA player to reveal that he is gay, this news was the dominant topic on all sports talk programs.
Shortly after Amaechi went public, former Miami Heat player, Tim Hardaway, was asked what he thought about it on a local sports talk station in Miami. I am sure the host thought he was lobbing a softball and expecting some innocuous response from Hardaway. Instead, Hardaway said, “You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."
The second event that put homosexuality on my radar was a story I heard on NPR. A church in Phoenix, Arizona recently hosted a conference sponsored by Focus on the Family called “Love Won Out.” It is a conference designed to help people to find freedom from homosexuality. This conference and even the idea that homosexuals need to change has drawn considerable protest.
Clinton Anderson, who directs the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Concerns Office in Washington, D.C., for the American Psychological Association, said “the promotion of such therapies contributes to the climate of prejudice and discrimination in this country.”
I think many Evangelical Christians would prefer simply to bury their heads in the sand and hope the issue of homosexuality will just go away. There are many other things we would prefer to discuss. However, the issue is not going to go away. So, we cannot avoid it.
One of the reasons many Evangelicals want to avoid the issue is that we are embarrassed by it. I remember seeing a bumper sticker a few years ago that said “Hatred is not a family value.” At first the bumper sticker angered me because some people think if you are against immorality that you are a hate-filled bigot. However, the real reason it bothered me is because it pricked my conscience. It exposed my self-righteousness. I am against sex outside the context of marriage. I am against homosexuality. However, if my zeal for righteousness causes me to hate fornicators and homosexuals, then something is terribly wrong. If your zeal to be right causes you to hate or despise those who do wrong, then not only are you yourself breaking God’s law, but it reveals that you do not understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It bothers me that Christians are often filled with contempt for the people of the world. Hatred and contempt for those outside the faith by religious people, reveals that they (the religious people) are nothing more than whitewashed tombs (that is Paul’s and Jesus’ terminology). The religious trimmings on the outside hide death, decay and rot on the inside.
When we hate people because they are sinners, then that reveals we don’t understand the gospel. In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul says, “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:3-5).
To hate gay people because they are gay is ignorant, self-righteous, and offensive to God. So, without any fear of caving into “Political correctness”, Christians should stand alongside the mainstream media in condemning the remarks of Mr. Hardaway.
At the same time, while Christ calls us to love sinners, even as we have been loved, that does not mean we are to do away with the biblical definition of sin. The Bible defines what is and what is not sin for us. It is God’s law and He doesn’t put it up for a vote. It does not change with the times. If it was sin 2000 years ago, it is still sin today. If we succumb to the notion that the culture defines what is and is not sin, then that would mean that slavery was not sin in the days prior to the Civil War and the abuse of women under the reign of the Taliban was not sin prior to our invasion.
Still, we must recognize that, if we say that homosexuality is sin and, if we say that it is desirable for those who are homosexuals to change their behavior, our culture will accuse us of the ultimate cultural sins of prejudice and bigotry. In a radio interview, John Amaechi was very clear in saying that he did not want mere “tolerance”. He doesn’t want us merely to tolerate his homosexuality. He wants us to accept it as being okay. Anyone who does not accept it as okay is a bigot.
So, what do we do? First, we must love sinners. Just as God has shown compassion and mercy on us, we should show compassion and mercy on our fellow sinners.
Secondly, we must be careful that we do not “cherry pick” which sins offend us and which sins do not. For example, Christians notoriously get up in arms about homosexuality but only shrug at culturally acceptable sins such as greed, gluttony, self-righteousness, pride, arrogance, and judgmental attitudes. I still contend that greed and heterosexual fornication are causing far more damage in our culture and in the church than homosexuality. Also, we must remember that according to the Bible, the reason God judged Sodom was not primarily because men practiced homosexuality, Instead, Ezekiel 16:49 tells us, "'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”
Thirdly, we must remember that we are aliens in a strange land. I do not see either the Jews in exile or the Apostle Paul in the Roman world having as their primary agenda to reform the sexual practices of their cultures. I do not see in Scripture any model for this being a primary goal of the church. I am not sure fighting the battle of forcing our moral views (even though God’s moral law applies to all people) on the culture regarding homosexuality is a wise tactic. We need to wake up and realize that we are no longer living in a Christian culture but are living in a post-Christian culture. As Christians, we are called to redeem every part of life, to bring all of life under the lordship of Christ. However, we need to be wise in how we interact with our culture and how we set our priorities. Again, I believe the Jews in exile and the early church serve as good models for us here. So, let’s act wisely.
Fourthly, we must remember that acting wisely is not a call to passivity. I believe that there are some significant negative social consequences to redefining the family in a way that no longer resembles the "traditional" family. So, as Christians and as good citizens, I think we have good reasons for wanting the definition of marriage to be one man married to one woman.
Fifthly, we cannot allow the culture to tell us what is and what is not sin. The Bible defines that for us. Christians must accept the fact that we are going to be out of step with the culture. We will be accused of bigotry. Hopefully, by our acts of love and compassion, we can prove these charges wrong, at least in the eyes of some. However, we must hold firm on the Bible no matter what the cost. As we do so, I believe the Scriptures, particularly the General Epistles, will come alive to us in even greater ways because we will be able to identify with our brothers and sisters who suffered for teh faith before us.
The first national event occurred in the sports arena. A couple of weeks ago, former Orlando Magic player, John Amaechi, revealed that he is a homosexual. He did this in conjunction with promoting his new book, Man in the Middle. Since he is the only former or current NBA player to reveal that he is gay, this news was the dominant topic on all sports talk programs.Shortly after Amaechi went public, former Miami Heat player, Tim Hardaway, was asked what he thought about it on a local sports talk station in Miami. I am sure the host thought he was lobbing a softball and expecting some innocuous response from Hardaway. Instead, Hardaway said, “You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."
The second event that put homosexuality on my radar was a story I heard on NPR. A church in Phoenix, Arizona recently hosted a conference sponsored by Focus on the Family called “Love Won Out.” It is a conference designed to help people to find freedom from homosexuality. This conference and even the idea that homosexuals need to change has drawn considerable protest.
Clinton Anderson, who directs the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Concerns Office in Washington, D.C., for the American Psychological Association, said “the promotion of such therapies contributes to the climate of prejudice and discrimination in this country.”
I think many Evangelical Christians would prefer simply to bury their heads in the sand and hope the issue of homosexuality will just go away. There are many other things we would prefer to discuss. However, the issue is not going to go away. So, we cannot avoid it.
One of the reasons many Evangelicals want to avoid the issue is that we are embarrassed by it. I remember seeing a bumper sticker a few years ago that said “Hatred is not a family value.” At first the bumper sticker angered me because some people think if you are against immorality that you are a hate-filled bigot. However, the real reason it bothered me is because it pricked my conscience. It exposed my self-righteousness. I am against sex outside the context of marriage. I am against homosexuality. However, if my zeal for righteousness causes me to hate fornicators and homosexuals, then something is terribly wrong. If your zeal to be right causes you to hate or despise those who do wrong, then not only are you yourself breaking God’s law, but it reveals that you do not understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It bothers me that Christians are often filled with contempt for the people of the world. Hatred and contempt for those outside the faith by religious people, reveals that they (the religious people) are nothing more than whitewashed tombs (that is Paul’s and Jesus’ terminology). The religious trimmings on the outside hide death, decay and rot on the inside.
When we hate people because they are sinners, then that reveals we don’t understand the gospel. In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul says, “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:3-5).
To hate gay people because they are gay is ignorant, self-righteous, and offensive to God. So, without any fear of caving into “Political correctness”, Christians should stand alongside the mainstream media in condemning the remarks of Mr. Hardaway.
At the same time, while Christ calls us to love sinners, even as we have been loved, that does not mean we are to do away with the biblical definition of sin. The Bible defines what is and what is not sin for us. It is God’s law and He doesn’t put it up for a vote. It does not change with the times. If it was sin 2000 years ago, it is still sin today. If we succumb to the notion that the culture defines what is and is not sin, then that would mean that slavery was not sin in the days prior to the Civil War and the abuse of women under the reign of the Taliban was not sin prior to our invasion.
Still, we must recognize that, if we say that homosexuality is sin and, if we say that it is desirable for those who are homosexuals to change their behavior, our culture will accuse us of the ultimate cultural sins of prejudice and bigotry. In a radio interview, John Amaechi was very clear in saying that he did not want mere “tolerance”. He doesn’t want us merely to tolerate his homosexuality. He wants us to accept it as being okay. Anyone who does not accept it as okay is a bigot.
So, what do we do? First, we must love sinners. Just as God has shown compassion and mercy on us, we should show compassion and mercy on our fellow sinners.
Secondly, we must be careful that we do not “cherry pick” which sins offend us and which sins do not. For example, Christians notoriously get up in arms about homosexuality but only shrug at culturally acceptable sins such as greed, gluttony, self-righteousness, pride, arrogance, and judgmental attitudes. I still contend that greed and heterosexual fornication are causing far more damage in our culture and in the church than homosexuality. Also, we must remember that according to the Bible, the reason God judged Sodom was not primarily because men practiced homosexuality, Instead, Ezekiel 16:49 tells us, "'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”
Thirdly, we must remember that we are aliens in a strange land. I do not see either the Jews in exile or the Apostle Paul in the Roman world having as their primary agenda to reform the sexual practices of their cultures. I do not see in Scripture any model for this being a primary goal of the church. I am not sure fighting the battle of forcing our moral views (even though God’s moral law applies to all people) on the culture regarding homosexuality is a wise tactic. We need to wake up and realize that we are no longer living in a Christian culture but are living in a post-Christian culture. As Christians, we are called to redeem every part of life, to bring all of life under the lordship of Christ. However, we need to be wise in how we interact with our culture and how we set our priorities. Again, I believe the Jews in exile and the early church serve as good models for us here. So, let’s act wisely.
Fourthly, we must remember that acting wisely is not a call to passivity. I believe that there are some significant negative social consequences to redefining the family in a way that no longer resembles the "traditional" family. So, as Christians and as good citizens, I think we have good reasons for wanting the definition of marriage to be one man married to one woman.
Fifthly, we cannot allow the culture to tell us what is and what is not sin. The Bible defines that for us. Christians must accept the fact that we are going to be out of step with the culture. We will be accused of bigotry. Hopefully, by our acts of love and compassion, we can prove these charges wrong, at least in the eyes of some. However, we must hold firm on the Bible no matter what the cost. As we do so, I believe the Scriptures, particularly the General Epistles, will come alive to us in even greater ways because we will be able to identify with our brothers and sisters who suffered for teh faith before us.
posted by Mark Bates | 4:15 PM
4 Comments:
I agree with your blog 100%. I especially agree that greed and heterosexual fornication are more important issues that the church should be addressing. I recently read that more couples in the US are cohabitating now than are actually married. Whether true or not, we know that it is highly prevalent and I don't hear much public comment from the church about it.
Still, the question remains how do we as a church reach out to the homosexual community without compromising the word of God? There is such divisiveness between the 2 groups that it seems difficult if not impossible. However, as we heard last night from our speaker "all things are possible with God."
I am not sure which John this is, but, thanks for the comment. I think as we reach out, we need to reach out to individuals, not a community. The homosexual community will not accept us as long as we say homosexuality is sin or as long as we advocate homosexuals changing their behavior. For example, Focus on the Family has an program called "Love Won Out", on how to love homosexuals, with the goal of helping homosexuals change. Because their goal is to help those who want to change to become heterosexual, the gay community views the "Love Won Out" conference as the virtual equivalent of slave trade. So, as long as we advocate--as the Bible does--that homosexual behavior is sin and that those who struggle with same-sex attraction need help, the homosexual community will hate us. So, our goal then must be to love those who hate us. The gay community will not change, but individuals can. So, our focus should not be on reaching the community, but the individuals.
Mark,
Much of the criticism of "Love Won Out", Exodus Int'l, etc. revolves around the issue of whether or not gay people can change. There is a small contingency of secular psychiatrists and psychologists who think change is possible and preferable, but by and large, they follow the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Yet even many who see homosexuality as abnormal, undesirable, or sinful admit that a change to heterosexuality may not be possible for all. The best option for some people who want change may be celibacy and lifelong struggle.
Regardless of the nature of homosexuality (if it can be changed, if it has a genetic component, etc.), I agree with you wholeheartedly that Christians need to be more sensitive to the homosexual community. When we insult and deride them, we are cutting them to the core, for we are telling them their deepest feelings and loves are invalid and inappropriate. Now that may be just the substance of the message that they need to hear, but it can certainly be communicated in a more loving way than "God hates f*gs!" It is certainly true in a certain sense that God does hate sinners, but the fact is that he hated us so much that he himself came to redeem us and make us new creations. Now that's the kind of hate I can get behind.
BTW, there was a very interesting episode of This American Life called "81 words"on the public radio station that touches on this topic. In essence, it is the story of how the APA declassified homosexuality as a mental illness, and it is fascinating, not least because the old reasons given for homosexuality (e.g., verbal, emotional, and/or physical abuse, lack of connection to or rejection by the parent of the same gender, rejection by one's peer group, etc.) still seem to be prevalent with many folks struggling with homosexuality (according to what Dr. Rupp of RTS told me about research in the field). The declassification thus seems to me to be a coup for modern tolerance and the priority of the individual rather than a change motivated by new data (of course, psychology's use of data is not infrequently rather dubious to me anyway). The show has a slant in favor of the declassification because the narrator is the granddaughter of the gay psychiatrist who worked diligently for that change, but the account is quite interesting nonetheless.
Regarding your point about being strangers in a strange land, what, if anything, do you think the church and Christian lawmakers should be doing on a social and political level with regard to homosexuality? Would you vote for a federal or state marriage amendment?
Matthew,
Great comments, as usual.
Regarding the amendment, I would vote for the marriage amendment--the one that states that marriage is only between a man and a woman. However, I don't think I would make that a lead issue for our church, as some have done.
I have a friend who is a conservative, Bible believing pastor who would probably vote against it. He serves in a community with a large gay population. His claim is that, when we say we are against gay marriage, what the gay person hears is, "You don't want me to have health insurance, which means you don't want me to have healthcare." While I understand what he is saying, I still would support the amendment both on biblical and pragmatic grounds.
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