The True Christian
Acting upon homosexual tendencies does not leave a gap between the homosexual and God, and homosexuality is not some lifestyle or behavior that must first be abandoned before we can become true Christians. Homosexuality and Christianity are not mutually exclusive terms.
I have uttered these phrases on many ocassions and I don't want to sound like a repetitive one-trick pony, but it seems that there is always a new, valid reason to repeat these things. Take the following letter for example. It's from an associate pastor at a church in Tennessee who emailed me a month or two ago after randomly surfing the net and landing on my website. I thought my views on homosexuality and Christianity would have become apparent after a second or two reading the thoughts and posts on my site, but in one email he asked me why, as a Christian, I happened to be so interested in the gay community. It was as if he were talking to me "true Christian to true Christian" for a second there, as if for that moment it happened to be the two of us against the gays. After we had exchanged a few emails I reminded him that I was a gay Christian, and I flat out asked for his opinion on homosexuality in response. I do this frequently, with various people, even though I'm certain I won't like every answer that comes back to me. I figure it's good to ask questions and be challenged because it allows me to appreciate the fullness of my connection with God--how far I have come and how far I have yet to go. Challenges make my own faith more visible.
I think this pastor in Tennessee represents a widespread sentiment. Here are some excerpts from the letter:
Well, you asked for my opinion about being gay and about being a Christian. I believe that once a person becomes a Christian, it is their primary responsibility to pursue God in a relationship, and one that puts sin in the past. I classify sin as anything that is not God honoring and disobeying what Gods rules are. I believe 1 Peter 1:16 sums up what we should be doing in our Christians is to "be holy, as he is holy." So, therefore, we should throw away everything that causes us not to pursue holiness.
Also, I believe that God ordained marriage to be between a man and a woman. I believe that the Bible clearly speaks of this and homosexuality is something that God hates. That to me is evident throughout scripture. However, I believe as the cliché' goes, "Love the sinner, hate the sin". That goes for anyone and everyone. So, in the case of homosexuality, if a person is pursuing God, and claims to be a Christian, they are striving to be holy and putting off everything that slows them down of that. I believe that a person can be a Christian and struggle with homosexual tendencies, because of temptation, but I do not believe that a person can be a Christian and practice homosexuality.
I agree with much of what he says. I agree that once a person becomes a Christian it becomes his or her primary responsibility to pursue God in a relationship. And I agree somewhat that sin can be classified as anything that is not God-honoring, although I think there are some things that are simply neutral and not sinful. For example, scratching my head doesn't really honor God, but it doesn't dishonor God either. It's just an action. There are many of these insignificant movements in life. So I think it's better to say anything that becomes an obstacle between a person and God can be classified as sin. My homosexual relationship is certainly not an obstacle. Rather it propels me toward God at a rate that I could never achieve on my own, and it has become one of the ways in which love flows through me and enters the world, which is exactly the type of vessel that Jesus called us to become. So this relationship is evidence of God, and God is honored by it. And as a result, the hetero or homosexuality of it becomes irrelevant.
Heterosexuality does not equal holiness. This associate pastor assumes that homosexuality is one of the things that we must "throw away" on the path to holiness, and with that comes the underlying assumption that homosexuality is in itself sinful, and that heterosexuality in itself, is not. But I believe both homosexuality and heterosexuality are in themselves morally neutral, and it is a matter of what one does from each base that can turn that particular root sexuality into a path to either sinfulness or holiness.
This idea that God ordained marriage to be between a man and a woman...where does it come from? Is it Biblical? I know there were marriages in the Bible, but where does it say this is the only acceptable union? The idea that marriage can only be between a man and woman seems to be a tradition more than a commandment. I don't think God sees gender as much as God sees the condition of the heart, and if two hearts commit and become one in a covenant relationship, gender then becomes irrelevant. This becomes more clear when we begin to see ourselves in terms of our spiritual bodies rather than physical bodies.
How does one "practice homosexuality?" I would love to know, because if it is true that practice makes perfect I could really make some big strides and perhaps end up a model homosexual someday. Does one practice heterosexuality? The word "practice" implies that sexuality is a behavior, when in actuality, sexuality is simply an underlying root attraction that allows one person to achieve intimacy with another. I think heterosexuals have an understanding of this concept and they would probably agree that this definition can aptly describe the basis of their natural attraction to members of the opposite sex, but when it comes to attempting to understand a same-sex attraction, they switch gears and propose that homosexual actions are not a natural expression of a true root, but rather a defective extension of some underlying seed of corruption. But true love in any form certainly does not feel corrupt. And with all of the peace, joy, and other fruits of the Spirit that stem from this love as evidence, there is no way it can be considered corrupt. These things do not come from sin. It's actually good news that it is a misunderstanding about the root of homosexuality that causes others to classify it as sin and condemn it on that basis. The condemnation does not come from truth, or from the Creator for that matter.
It's odd that this associate pastor would consider me to be justified as a Christian as long as I am "struggling with homosexual tendencies," and then assume that I would cross the Christian taboo line when I end the struggle and accept the truth about myself. Accepting the truth allows me to become content and joyful (two wholesome qualities which God authors and ordains), yet in the eyes of many Christians I become a social deviant at the very least, and perhaps even a non-Christian. That's quite a leap, but one that many people make. I have several friends from conservative families who have experience with ex-gay ministries, and they tell me that as a rule, people stick with you in the struggle, or as long as they think there is hope that you might change. But as soon as the self-acceptance process is complete and you become assured of the truth of your convictions, the support network disintegrates. I guess they assume you're past the point of rescue at that point. But that's okay. The important thing is that we do find acceptance for ourselves and that we do become certain that we are justified in our truth. God is in the assuredness.
The overall urgency of this letter seems to be to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" and to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1) That is indeed my mission, and it is the mission of hundreds of other gay Christians that I have come into contact with. Homosexuality is not what slows us down. It's far too good, healthy, and joyful at the core. Judgment and criticism from others within the Christian community are the things that launch us into periods of self-doubt and spiritual hesitancy, and it is this injustice that we must continue to counter with truth, faith, and fixed determination. This takes practice, but with God as the author and perfector of our faith, practice will make perfect. And the approval of others will cease to matter.
I have uttered these phrases on many ocassions and I don't want to sound like a repetitive one-trick pony, but it seems that there is always a new, valid reason to repeat these things. Take the following letter for example. It's from an associate pastor at a church in Tennessee who emailed me a month or two ago after randomly surfing the net and landing on my website. I thought my views on homosexuality and Christianity would have become apparent after a second or two reading the thoughts and posts on my site, but in one email he asked me why, as a Christian, I happened to be so interested in the gay community. It was as if he were talking to me "true Christian to true Christian" for a second there, as if for that moment it happened to be the two of us against the gays. After we had exchanged a few emails I reminded him that I was a gay Christian, and I flat out asked for his opinion on homosexuality in response. I do this frequently, with various people, even though I'm certain I won't like every answer that comes back to me. I figure it's good to ask questions and be challenged because it allows me to appreciate the fullness of my connection with God--how far I have come and how far I have yet to go. Challenges make my own faith more visible.
I think this pastor in Tennessee represents a widespread sentiment. Here are some excerpts from the letter:
Well, you asked for my opinion about being gay and about being a Christian. I believe that once a person becomes a Christian, it is their primary responsibility to pursue God in a relationship, and one that puts sin in the past. I classify sin as anything that is not God honoring and disobeying what Gods rules are. I believe 1 Peter 1:16 sums up what we should be doing in our Christians is to "be holy, as he is holy." So, therefore, we should throw away everything that causes us not to pursue holiness.
Also, I believe that God ordained marriage to be between a man and a woman. I believe that the Bible clearly speaks of this and homosexuality is something that God hates. That to me is evident throughout scripture. However, I believe as the cliché' goes, "Love the sinner, hate the sin". That goes for anyone and everyone. So, in the case of homosexuality, if a person is pursuing God, and claims to be a Christian, they are striving to be holy and putting off everything that slows them down of that. I believe that a person can be a Christian and struggle with homosexual tendencies, because of temptation, but I do not believe that a person can be a Christian and practice homosexuality.
I agree with much of what he says. I agree that once a person becomes a Christian it becomes his or her primary responsibility to pursue God in a relationship. And I agree somewhat that sin can be classified as anything that is not God-honoring, although I think there are some things that are simply neutral and not sinful. For example, scratching my head doesn't really honor God, but it doesn't dishonor God either. It's just an action. There are many of these insignificant movements in life. So I think it's better to say anything that becomes an obstacle between a person and God can be classified as sin. My homosexual relationship is certainly not an obstacle. Rather it propels me toward God at a rate that I could never achieve on my own, and it has become one of the ways in which love flows through me and enters the world, which is exactly the type of vessel that Jesus called us to become. So this relationship is evidence of God, and God is honored by it. And as a result, the hetero or homosexuality of it becomes irrelevant.
Heterosexuality does not equal holiness. This associate pastor assumes that homosexuality is one of the things that we must "throw away" on the path to holiness, and with that comes the underlying assumption that homosexuality is in itself sinful, and that heterosexuality in itself, is not. But I believe both homosexuality and heterosexuality are in themselves morally neutral, and it is a matter of what one does from each base that can turn that particular root sexuality into a path to either sinfulness or holiness.
This idea that God ordained marriage to be between a man and a woman...where does it come from? Is it Biblical? I know there were marriages in the Bible, but where does it say this is the only acceptable union? The idea that marriage can only be between a man and woman seems to be a tradition more than a commandment. I don't think God sees gender as much as God sees the condition of the heart, and if two hearts commit and become one in a covenant relationship, gender then becomes irrelevant. This becomes more clear when we begin to see ourselves in terms of our spiritual bodies rather than physical bodies.
How does one "practice homosexuality?" I would love to know, because if it is true that practice makes perfect I could really make some big strides and perhaps end up a model homosexual someday. Does one practice heterosexuality? The word "practice" implies that sexuality is a behavior, when in actuality, sexuality is simply an underlying root attraction that allows one person to achieve intimacy with another. I think heterosexuals have an understanding of this concept and they would probably agree that this definition can aptly describe the basis of their natural attraction to members of the opposite sex, but when it comes to attempting to understand a same-sex attraction, they switch gears and propose that homosexual actions are not a natural expression of a true root, but rather a defective extension of some underlying seed of corruption. But true love in any form certainly does not feel corrupt. And with all of the peace, joy, and other fruits of the Spirit that stem from this love as evidence, there is no way it can be considered corrupt. These things do not come from sin. It's actually good news that it is a misunderstanding about the root of homosexuality that causes others to classify it as sin and condemn it on that basis. The condemnation does not come from truth, or from the Creator for that matter.
It's odd that this associate pastor would consider me to be justified as a Christian as long as I am "struggling with homosexual tendencies," and then assume that I would cross the Christian taboo line when I end the struggle and accept the truth about myself. Accepting the truth allows me to become content and joyful (two wholesome qualities which God authors and ordains), yet in the eyes of many Christians I become a social deviant at the very least, and perhaps even a non-Christian. That's quite a leap, but one that many people make. I have several friends from conservative families who have experience with ex-gay ministries, and they tell me that as a rule, people stick with you in the struggle, or as long as they think there is hope that you might change. But as soon as the self-acceptance process is complete and you become assured of the truth of your convictions, the support network disintegrates. I guess they assume you're past the point of rescue at that point. But that's okay. The important thing is that we do find acceptance for ourselves and that we do become certain that we are justified in our truth. God is in the assuredness.
The overall urgency of this letter seems to be to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" and to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1) That is indeed my mission, and it is the mission of hundreds of other gay Christians that I have come into contact with. Homosexuality is not what slows us down. It's far too good, healthy, and joyful at the core. Judgment and criticism from others within the Christian community are the things that launch us into periods of self-doubt and spiritual hesitancy, and it is this injustice that we must continue to counter with truth, faith, and fixed determination. This takes practice, but with God as the author and perfector of our faith, practice will make perfect. And the approval of others will cease to matter.
posted by Jen Austin at 3:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home