A controversial post

This Sunday we're going to get controversial. I know, I know. I HATE getting controversial. I really do. But I was asked recently how I could possibly support gay rights and remain a Christian. And while I answered privately, I also felt led to make my answer public as well. Because this is actually a subject I am quite passionate about (surprise surprise, can anyone find a subject that I'm NOT passionate about?). So here goes.

How do I, as a Christian, support gay rights? I think, honestly, its truer to ask why, as a Christian, I shouldn't? I mean, lets be clear and honest right here from the start. The Bible very clearly states homosexual acts are a sin. And I am a strict follower of the Bible. I am not, in any way, trying to say that it's not a sin. It is. It is a sexual perversion of what God meant sex to be. Clear and simple, whether you want to hear it or not that's what the Bible says.

But I don't think supporting gay rights is the same as supporting the homosexual act. It's all a matter of loving the sinner but hating the sin, really. Something we should all be really good at because we all have a lot of practice, its what we do everyday with ourselves. You are a sinner, my friend, as am I. Yet we love ourselves. And as soon as we learn to love others the same way we will all be a lot better off.

But anyways, this is my thing: We can hate that sin, as we should, without persecuting it the way we seem (as a church) to feel the need to. I mean think about it, its the number 1 worst attacked sin ever. And I don't really understand why. I don't know where Jesus said it was the worst sin ever, where He said to pursecute those outside the faith with this particular sin. Yet I see it everyday persuecuted above and beyond any other sexual sin. Ive never heard of anyone trying to make co-habitation against the law. That's a sexual sin equally bad in the eyes of the Lord. I've never heard of anyone trying to make it illegal for people in their second marriage to adopt children. And I hate to break it to you, Jesus said that any man to marry a divorced woman is committing adultery. Plain and simple, God never intended divorce any more than he intended homosexuality. They are both perversions of His plan, they are both sin.

And I really don't see what we think we are achieving with all this hatred. Except a bad rep maybe. I cant count how many friends and acquaintances that have told me this one issue has stopped them from joining the church. Just the fact that they don't want to be seen as or be surrounded by "haters". Really. Christians equal haters in these people's minds. That is so backwards to me. Christ was about love. About loving sinners above all. Yet all we are showing the outside world is Hate. Fear. Zelous Persecution of those different than us.

And we arent getting anywhere. Making it illegal for gay couples to get a legal marriage (because lets not joke ourselves, after the way we have behaved no gay couple wants to even ENTER our church, let alone get our blessings) does not in any way change our own marriage, their position of sin, or anything else. Refusing to speak to your gay daugther/sister/friend is not holy or right, its hateful and prideful. She has just as much right to not speak to you, your sins are equally dark in the eyes of the Lord.

Lets take this energy, I say, and turn it into something more like what Christ would be doing. Loving people. Hating their sin, yes, but loving them. Welcoming them in all their brokenness, in the brokenness that we ALL have, with open arms. When did Jesus get involved with the laws? When did he ever persecute anyone? Arent we supposed to be HIS followers?

And maybe, just maybe, if we change our ways, the gay community can forgive us. I like to believe they just might.

8 comments:

Kim said...

I will admit that when I saw the title of this post I was a little bit scared to read it. Now I don't have a clue why. I couldn't agree with you more. Good for you voicing the opinion that I and many others share, hopefully that will help put us one step closer to equal rights for everyone.

Anonymous said...

Oh man I wish I had read this before coming to dinner so we could chat on it. Really I couldn't agree more! My parents and another couple were talking about this very subject when I got back to their house tonight. Our pastor that is leaving stands very very firmly in the belief of Christs love for all (hating the sins not the sinners) and following in his footsteps of building strong relationships with people. Several people left Knox when the church was forced to choose to allow homosexuals to become members of the church. I'd like to think we "chose" right. But honestly I don't think it should have ever even been an issue. How horrible is it that in the land of freedom to worship and freedom of religion there are soooo many churches that do not allow you to worship with them for a countless number of reasons (with sexual orientation being #1 on the list). BAH!

Anonymous said...

It is so double standard that one sin can be "forgiven" any others not. Like still being friends with someone even after they cheated on their wife. Hello? Sin?

Jennspiration said...

Very well put, I couldn't agree more.

Annali said...

I like reading blog posts that makes us think. :)
I think though that there is a difference between "hating the sin, loving the sinner" and rewarding the sinners with everything they want. Giving them legal marriages is not hating the sin, loving the sinner it is enabling the sinner, whom we love and should want better for, to continue in the sin we "hate". If all sin is on the same playing field (which I think it is. Every sin is just as bad as every other sin, and that is why we ALL need God's forgiveness), why are we giving murderers a life sentence? They don't like that. Why don't we hate the sin, love the sinner, and give them what they want....to be free??? Doesn't really make sense, does it? Once we, as Christians, give our lives over to God, He very clearly states we are to be different. We are to be the salt and light of the earth. We are to stand out. We are to STOP SINNING ("Go and sin no more"). Shouldn't that be our aim? To share the Good News and get ALL sinners to stop sinning instead of making it easier for them to continue in their sin? Just my 2 cents.

Courtney said...

I love you Annali because we never agree :) We really do make each other think.

We give murderers a life sentence to protect other people. I don't really think its a good comparison.

I think a better comparison is second marriage. Its another perversion of God's plan for sex. Why are we allowing this? Not only in our country but in our churches and among our members?

We ARE to be different, and we ARE to encourage people to stop sinning. To encourage. Not to force, not to persecute if they dont stop. Jesus never forced or persecuted anyone, he gave them a choice. And if they chose different he knew what their punishment would be, and that it wouldn't be on this earth or from Christians.

Not to mention that I don't think stopping gay marriage, not allowing homosexuals to have certain jobs, ect stops any sin. It punishes the sin, but it doesn't stop it. And I think its telling that we aren't doing this to anyone else, not to drunkards, not to gamblers, not to the prideful. It makes me feel like its our hate that is driving us on more than our holiness.

As always, I love your thoughts, though.

Annali said...

LOL, you're right. We NEVER agree! :) At least we can disagree in a nice friendly fashion.
We may just have to agree to disagree here. I'm pretty sure we aren't going to see eye to eye. I agree though that homosexuals should not be denied the basic rights that are afforded to ALL human beings, nor should they be denied certain jobs, health care, etc. I just don't think they should be given the benefits of a 1man+1woman marriage, because that's not what they have. That's not what marriage is defined as. I totally recognize that they are in loving and committed relationships (maybe even more loving and committed than the average marriage because their relationship is daily being tested by the outside), I just don't feel they have a traditional marriage. On another note, if a homosexual couple came to my church, I would accept them with open arms because everyone gets an equal chance to know God and I could help them with that, but that wouldn't change the way I view their relationship, nor would it cause me to support legislation that grants them a legal marriage. And you're right, using murderers wasn't a great example, but second marriages aren't either. Jesus said he did not want any to divorce, but he did grant scenarios when it would be acceptable, and there are some biblical grounds for remarriage. I can look up the references if you want (although, we may not agree on the interpretation of the verses! Haha! :)
Hey, I'm off work all this week, maybe me, you, Holly, Kim Kelly and whoever else wants to should get together? Let me know!

Anonymous said...

Good blog Courtney!