Tension redeemed: homosexuality | Sarah Moon: Christian Skeptic
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Disclaimer: I know, I know. Disclaimers weaken my point- Jon Acuff and Wyngz taught me that. But the last time I wrote about this subject, I was accused of being?insensitive and of disrespecting the Bible. I?m not sure if those accusations were deserved (judge for yourselves here), but I hope to be more sensitive in this post. Also, I want to point out that I question the Bible BECAUSE I respect it, and I want to figure out what it really says and means- it?s too important of a document to be read at face-value from a modernist?s view-point. And so, I question.??
I don?t know about you, but I?m tired of ?love the sinner, hate the sin? being the extent of our conversation about homosexuality. It?s a tricky subject to discuss-?if you talk about it, no matter which side you take, someone is going to get offended. ?But there are real people behind this issue, and I?m not sure that dismissing them with a pithy statement is the right way to ?love the sinner.?
So, let?s talk about some of the tension that I, as a Christian, experience when discussing homosexuality.
Is is a sin? There are a handful of Christians out there who don?t want?homosexuality to be a sin. I am one of them. Based solely on feelings, it doesn?t make sense to me why God would make homosexuality a sin. ?But I?m going to put my feelings aside for a moment and discuss this objectively.
Even when we dismiss the Old Testament passages on the subject (you know, the one?s that say homosexuality, along with lobster and touching a pig?s skin- sorry football fans, is an abomination), the Bible seems clear about the subject.
But, let?s dig deeper anyway, shall we?
Jesus never said anything about the subject. And, a monogamous, loving homosexual relationship doesn?t seem to violate two commandments on which all the law hangs- love God and love people. So why would Paul later call it a sin?
So many new questions are opened at this point: are Paul?s letters commands from God, or Paul?s opinions? Did Paul fully understand human sexuality? Could he have been wrong about heterosexuality being the only ?natural? use of sex? Was?the homosexuality that Paul spoke of referring to homosexual relationships? Or was he warning against pagan religions that involved sexual encounters as acts of worship?
I do know that, often in Rome, men who were married were not ?supposed to ?sleep around? with other women. But it was socially acceptable for them to sleep with a man while married to a woman. Was that the homosexuality that Paul was referring to? A selfish sexual?indulgence and a loophole in the ?do not commit adultery? rule? ?That would make sense- cheating on your wife is never loving and never right. The kind of over indulgence that the Romans were famous for was never right.
But was Paul really speaking out against monogamous same-sex relationships? No. Because those didn?t really exist at the time (not that I know of, anyways. Correct me if I?m wrong). ?Does that mean that monogamous, loving same-sex relationships are not sinful? I really don?t know.
Is being gay a choice or not? I?m not a scientist, but, from what I?ve learned in school, there are a lot of biological factors that contribute to a person?s sexual orientation- some people are born gay.
I know of men who were ?cured? of homosexuality and ended up with women and seem to be happy with that decision. I know of ?a woman who was a lesbian and married a man. She loves her husband, but admits that she will never be able to fully stop being ?attracted?to women.
Do these cases prove that all homosexuals can be ?cured?? Should we assume that homosexuality is a result of a sinful choice? Or should we believe science and trust that God makes no mistakes?
What does ?love the sinner? really mean? A couple of months ago, I asked several Christian friends what they would do if they found out their best friend was gay. Most replied with, ?I would continue being a friend, but part of being a friend is calling out sinful lifestyles.?
I?m not so sure that?s true- especially when we have no idea what a person is going through. Talking about the ?issue? honestly and openly? Sure. But calling out? As one friend of mine responded, ?I don?t think we have to confront anyone about their sin. I have enough issues in my life to address.?
I have a hard enough time controlling my own sexuality! I?m not sure that it?s my place to try to control another person?s.
But is there a point where it is more loving to confront? Should we humbly call out gay Christians? Or should we trust that the Holy Spirit will lead them to do the right thing (whatever that right thing may be)?
What about gay marriage??In our country that boasts of ?freedom of ?religion? and ?separation of church and state,? can Christianity really hold a monopoly on the definition of marriage? Does it really hurt Christianity at all if that definition is changed? I don?t think so. But I could be wrong.
One of the biggest arguments I?ve heard against gay marriage is this- that it?s a slippery slope that leads to polygamy. Is that true? On one hand, it kind of makes sense. On the other, I feel like defining marriage by Biblical standards is an even more slippery?slope. Can we use one verse in Genesis to limit marriage to one man and one woman, and then turn around and ignore the rest of the Old Testament?s portrayal of marriage?
And what about the crazy heterosexual divorce rates? Yeah, yeah, I know that using straight divorce rates as support for gay marriage is an argumentative fallacy. But when folks talk about gays threatening the ?sanctity of marriage,? I can?t help but think of Jesus? story about the guy with the beam in his eye?
Wow. That was a tough blog post to write. And it?s even tougher to publish it, since I?m anticipating some negative feedback. I hope I have been respectful and sensitive. And I hope some good conversation will result from this. Please share your thoughts below!
But don?t ever forget- this isn?t just an issue. Homosexuals are not just homosexuals. They are people- fully human, with feelings like yours and mine. Our sexuality is only a part of who we are. I know that?s easy to forget in a culture that puts so much emphasis on it. But we?re all people. And we are all made in God?s image.
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Source: http://moonchild11.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/tension-redeemed-homosexuality/
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