“God loves you just the way you are.” Why should this provoke ire from fundamentalists self-professed "christians"?
It seems like nothing has changed since Jesus confronted the Pharisees: Love still seems to confound and frustrate the self-righteous and religious
*****Theological…
The first thing that Christians must realize when debating the issue of gay marriage, is that the Bible does not clearly condemn homosexuality. To many that may be surprising considering the way many preachers and teachers talk about homosexuality. There are approximately seven references in the bible to same sex activity, and none represent a loving relationship or sexual orientation as we understand it today.
One of the most prolifically cited scriptures about Homosexuality is in Leviticus 18 & 20. This is a favorite scripture of people condemning homosexuality. One must ask them why this was written. Leviticus is a Hebrew purity code which I can guarantee no Christians use as a moral guideline in today’s culture. By these standards all people that ate shrimp, wore polyester, or played football (touching pig-skin) would be condemned to hell. It seems ironic that many Christians choose to pull out this scripture and ignore all the surrounding scriptures as void. The Old Testament is valid, but clearly we as Christians do not resort to the legalism that Levitical code represents. God has purpose in his Laws and they are not irrational, many believe that these strict purity codes were to keep the Israelites disease free and to set them apart as God’s chosen people. Clearly this makes sense in the levitcal code stating that you should not have intercourse with a woman on her period. We as rational human beings can see that this was not because it was a perversion, but because it would have been very unsanitary at the time and prone to spreading illness, because of the inability to take showers and be hygienic.
Without getting into great detail about the actual translation of words in the New Testament “condemning” homosexuality, it is important to understand the context in which they are written. There are a myriad of theories about what the Romans, Corinthians, and Timothy, references to homosexuality mean. It is important however, to realize that while these books are valid and essential to the Christian faith today, they were written as letters to the early church. Paul was writing letters of admonition to the early churches in Rome and Corinth about issues they were facing. When Paul mentions homosexuality (well, in fact he doesn’t because their was no word for what we understand as homosexuality, he used a word that meant man, and bed, in Greek, and it is widely debated what this word actually meant, because he made it up and it isn’t in any other literature) he did not do so ambiguously. Paul was writing the church about issues that were present in their culture; otherwise his references would have been totally pointless in addressing the church. We must ask ourselves what issues would the churches in Rome and Corinth have faced. A quick study of Roman culture, the society which the churches were living in, will tell you quickly what he was talking about. In the pagan Roman world it was common to keep catamites, or young boys as sex slaves. And in Romans it is often speculated that Paul was talking about the Pagan Idol rituals involving same-sex acts committed by heterosexuals. Both sexual perversions that were rampant at the time Paul wrote to the church in Rome. Without fail Paul mentions these in reference to people who use their sexuality for their own means and not an expression of love. The word effeminate is also used in the list of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. This word is another greek word, Malakoi, translated as “Soft.” This word to Greeks is indicative of someone who has lost their balance and moderation and seeks to satisfy the flesh, rather than being temperate and controlled.
The bible also talks about the Immorality of tax collectors. Does this mean all tax collectors are evil throughout history, or does it mean that they were in Jesus’ day? Clearly we can see that the condemnation of Tax collectors does not apply to today’s IRS, but to a corrupt system. Do Paul’s references to Same-Sex activity condemn homosexuals today, or was he speaking against the corrupt practices of Roman Culture, in which it was rampant to have male sex slaves? Corinthians 7:17-24 it speaks of remaining in the place that you received Christ, be it free or slave. Imagine a Roman slave coming to the knowledge of Christ, but being unable to be free of constant rape. I think in this example we can see why Paul would speak out against this practice.
When one actually begins to dig to understand what Paul was saying and whom he was addressing, It becomes clear that he was making specific references to issues that the Roman Christians were facing in separating themselves from a Pagan society, that are very different from the issues we face as Americans regarding this matter.
******What does the Bible say then??
The bible does contain a lot of Law Code, Law that was given by God to his people. Jesus however said he came to fulfill that Law, and change the relationship between God and man from legalism, to a relationship of Loving response. Jesus was constantly coming into conflict with the legalistic religious leaders who wanted to find fault with him. In one such story Jesus told his disciples to glean some food from a field to eat, however when the Pharisees heard of this they were indignant because it was the Sabbath and he was encouraging them to work. Jesus responded by saying that the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath. Indicating what the religious leaders were missing. That God had not given them the law of keeping the Sabbath so that they would have to keep it meticulously and be slaves to it, but so that they would have a day to rest and worship God.
From above we can see that the more you look at this issue of homosexuality and Christianity the more ambiguous it becomes. When referring to the Law, Jesus made a very simple guideline by which to understand the Law as it was fulfilled in him, making what was once very complicated very simple:
“Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands." In the Law there are many commands, such as, "Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not want what belongs to others." But all of these are summed up in the command that says," Love others as much as you love yourself." No one who loves others will harm them. So love is all that the Law demands." Rom 12:8-10
I think this passage should be the most important rule of morality to a Christian, and certainly applies to the issue that the Church is debating now. When you have loved others as you have yourself, you have fulfilled the spirit of law. Sadly this is something that many Christians, especially those involved in politics, have forgotten. The bible says that Christians will be known by their Love. I wonder if I asked a gay person how do you know someone is a Christian, I doubt they would say by their Love.
Jesus said he came to give life and life more abundantly. As Christians we must ask ourselves how does this apply to people that are gay. Today we see Christians loudly proclaim hate of the gay community, and that they are the enemies of Christianity. We see people being subjected to Ex-gay “counseling” that has not only been proven ineffective (It is proven that the significant majority eventually return to their former lifestyle) but by psychology’s standards it has been shown to be psychologically damaging to the individual in many cases, who is already hurt and frustrated. By these simple facts we see that despite a deep desire to change, they cannot, and what must Christians do in this case? What is the abundant life that Jesus promised for these people? Statistics show last year over ***400***Christians killed themselves because they were gay, and could not change, meaning that someone who was raised in the church killed themselves because they were gay. When we look at these facts, one really must ask, are Christians handling this issue correctly?
Jesus taught many things about how to live a righteous life and how to live and love, so I thought we should certainly reference his thoughts on homosexuality since he is the founder of our faith
Jesus on Homosexuality: "_________________________
*****Tradition or Family Values??
Today the one of the biggest organization’s that fights against Gay Marriage is Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family, a Christian organization, claims that God is seemingly only approving of heterosexual relationships, and apparently 2.5 kids and a white picket fence. A quick look at the bible will tell us that these “Family Values” are more American idealism than anything else. King Solomon had 700 wives, and 300 concubines, Women were required to marry any man that raped them by Levitical law, and Paul never even married and counted it a blessing. What does the bible say about following tradition instead
of seeking out God’s will for your own life?
“Take care lest there be some one who leads you away as prisoners, by means of his philosophy and idle fancies, following human traditions and the world's crude notions, instead of following Christ” Colossians 2:8
Is Focus on the Family seeking to sustain human and American tradition, or are they truly seeking the heart of Christ on this issue? God is not silent, and he can speak to us today about our society, just like he spoke to Paul about the society in Rome and Corinth...Let's not put God in a box.
*****Promiscuity…
It seems Ironic to me that Christians in the same breath condemn homosexuals for being promiscuous, while actively trying to prevent them from legally having a monogamous relationship.
Accepting gays is not a breakdown of morality. The same morality that applies to heterosexuals should apply to homosexuals. That is that sex is binding, and only permissible in a monogamous and hopefully loving relationship. Legally preventing gays from being in this relationship only encourages promiscuity and the spread of diseases such as HIV. The Church should have a clear message against promiscuity, but being promiscuous is not being Gay. Once again did God say this just to subject people to strict laws, No of course not! We are spiritual beings created to be in communion with God, and when someone is promiscuous it tears them apart from that relationship with God, puts them in harms way, and causes emotional distress. Sex is a binding and covenant relationship throughout the bible.
The biggest myth propagated by organizations such as Focus on the Family, is that there is a “Gay Lifestyle.” Apparently this lifestyle is one of random hook-ups, depression, drug use, and death from a disease. The fact is that there are Ministers that are gay, there are Lesbian mothers, and people that have chosen to remain celibate their entire life, there is no more a gay lifestyle, then there is a straight lifestyle. You choose your lifestyle that you live.
******Politics
It saddens me today to see the state of Christianity and how it has become so involved in Politics. "Christians" have gone completely wrong in many times trying to evoke change through a ballot, instead of through people’s hearts and by compassion. I wonder what Jesus would say about Christians who spend their time campaigning against gay marriage, while thousands of children around the world die of starvation everyday. To me this is merely the same problem that Jesus fought during his life. Pharisees focusing on the technicalities and legality while ignoring the poor and those in need.
I yearn for the day when Christians stop trying to create change in politics, and will start to try and make a difference in someone’s life. Jesus was rejected by many Jews as being the Messiah because they viewed the messiah as someone who would overthrow Roman control, and restore Jerusalem to Jewish control. Jesus, when asked about paying taxes to Caesar said “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s”, indicating his mission on earth had little to do with political change, but of impacting lives and having compassion on the outcasts of society.
you, conservative "christian" republican what not, focus on the INCREDIBLE gap between the lower/middle class vs. the super rich elite in america. NOW THAT'S SOMETHING WORTH FIGHTING ABOUT
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