It is my conviction that homosexuality is wrong. I think it is a perversion of God's original blueprint for sexual experience. There are complex theories about its morality, but to me it is a conviction of the heart. I think there is biblical support for the belief that it is a sin, but I value feeling and leading more. Obviously one's view on the matter is a deeply held conviction. I will certainly not beat someone up over their view of the issue. I simply believe that anatomically and psychologically a man and a man and a woman and a woman isn't natural.
I don't support the notion that LGBT people choose their sexuality. This flies in the face of any common sense. Why would someone choose this path when it will surely be more difficult and lead to persecution? (Though I do think there are some people that are choosing to dabble in bisexuality because it is kind of a trendy thing to do right now.) It is beliefs like these that give Christians the label of being dumb.
Even though homosexuality is a sin (again, this is my view) I don't believe it is a mortal sin (as opposed to a lesser "venial sin") as some Christians seem to think. I think homosexuality is an exploitation of the body. So is obesity. Yet millions of Christians are obese and they don't talk about that. Gluttony and homosexuality are condemned in the same verse, but they don't mention that. Divorce is a sin. War is a sin. Materialism is a sin. Exploitation of the environment and resources is a sin. Failure to help the poor and the homeless is a sin. Yet Christians seem to have no problem actively supporting these things. In my opinion, these sins are worse than homosexuality. These issues were the crux of Jesus' message. These were the issues Jesus focused on.
Instead of being known for our hate for the sin, let's be known for our love of the sinner. Nobody is perfect. Everyone struggles with certain things. The church would be a much better place if people started realizing this, instead of people acting like they have all the answers and do no wrong. The church should be a place of humility and understanding. (Humility is the absolute basis for the Christian life.) Church should be the one place that a homosexual can feel welcome. They should be respected and supported there. Yet it isn't that place. It is far too often a place of judgmental people and hate. Jesus ministered with the poor, the oppressed, and the sinful. He hung with the tax collector, adulterer, and the prostitute. Scorn was reserved for hypocrtical religious leaders. I think it is our duty to say that homosexuality is wrong if we believe it. But let's do it in a loving manner. Let's help all the gays that are committing suicide and battling depression or drug addiction because they feel confused and rejected. That should be what our focus is on.
If Christianity has any chance to engage secular culture it must reaccess its priorities. It also absolutely imperative that it be known for its LOVE, not its HATE. When Christians demonstrate love they do tremendous things. Some Christians finally seem to be getting this.
I've posted a related video under the comments section. (A VERY good video.)
4 comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkWk1ATYHno
I think you have spoken well and I agree with much if not all of what you have stated. Of course, the only problem is that our world is full of sin and hate, and until that changes (which will never happen) there are going to be those who are so called "christians" who do the very thing which you speak of. And that being, having a judgemental and hypocritical eye carrying a "holier than thou" attitude which brings not only failure to which the church is called to be, but also creates greater animosity between believers and the secular individualists. Good points.
A few things:
1. I agree with the overall message of this post: Christians can and should still call homosexuality wrong while loving the homosexual, the same as anyone living in sin or all of us with predispositions toward certain sins.
2. I don't think the primary question is whether or not homosexuals choose their lifestyle; it's whether or not it's natural (i.e., genetic, embryonic) vs. nurtured (i.e., due to social factors and so forth). So the primary question is subconscious choice, though I think there can definitely be a conscious factor in "embracing" one's orientation, etc.
3. I understand the moderate usefulness of the ideas of "mortal" vs. "venial" sins, though this is an unbiblical dichotomy. However, I don't think your listed sins are all equivalent. Divorce in the Bible is not always a sin (there are exceptions), and I certainly think the same goes for war.
In regards to comment #2, I think the first question encompasses the second. If it is natural, then homosexuals don't choose it. If it is nurtured, then they do choose it. I do think homosexuality is natural. Many Christians view it as something people choose, as a mental disorder, something which one can be healed of, which I disagree with. Though I do think that may be possible in some cases. (The research in that area is lacking and much of it is biased because it is done by religious people trying to prove sexuality can be changed.) Personally, I believe homosexuality is primarily genetic. (Though there is also a great deal of evidence that there are hormonal influences, but I think that it is fundamentally genetically rooted.) I do think there are some people who see homosexuality as the "in thing" (sort of a fad), and construct that identity for themselves. In such cases, individuals DO choose their lifestyle (and possibly change their sexuality in the process). However, I think this really misses the point. Just because something is natural doesn't mean it is right. Humans, because they are not perfect, are predisposed to commit some sins, they just often choose not to. People are predisposed to have irresponsible sexual relations, but they make the choice not to. Even if homosexuality is natural, people can make the choice not to engage in it, just like a person can chose not to engage in wanton sexual behavior. Like any sin, I think one has to think about WHY it is a sin. I do believe it is a sin, but I'll admit I'm not even 100% sure, and sometimes I doubt that. The whole issue is just so complex, which is why I think it is so ridiculous people can be judgmental about it. It is such a personal conviction that I think people should be sympathetic to all views.
In regards to comment #3, I do believe from logic we can deduce that there are different levels of sin. I have heard Christians say that all sins are the same, but that's just idiotic. A murder and a lie may both be sins, but they certainly aren't equal, because one causes infinitely more harm than the other, and therefore is worse. However, I was basing this on classic Catholic theology (which classifies sins as either venial, which supposedly cannot damn someone to hell, or mortal, which can damn a person to hell) and not my own personal views. There does, however, seem to be some sort of dichotomy in the theology of many Protestants. However, this seems to be de facto rather than de jure. My point is that many Protestants discuss how evil homosexuality while neglecting sinful behavior they participate in, such as materialism, divorce, etc. Which makes them hypocritical like the Pharisees and Sadducees in the Bible. (And you'll remember Jesus was more harsh to them than the common sinner.) Also, I think there are some situations in the Bible that divorce and war are necessary and not always a sin, but I think that most divorces and wars today are sinful because there is not appropriate basis(es) for them.
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