I REALLY don't want to write this post. But I think the God REALLY wants me to because the idea keeps popping in my head- has been for weeks now. Every time I think I've gotten away with not doing it, something always triggers that small yet powerful voice leading me to write.
That voice even used the Golden Girls to talk to me.
How low is that?
I can handle news stories of the Boy Scouts, my kids talking about it, even Soldiers at work discussing it, but the Golden Girls, a 1980's sitcom that makes me laugh more now then it did as a kid? I mean, come on, God, how can you talk to me through classic TV????
Are you all dying to know the topic yet?
Before I get to that, this is what I'm going to do.... tell you my initial thoughts/ questions/ confusions and then I'm going to look some information online and share it with you as I learn more about what God really says. I'm truly hoping for my clarification on this topic because I feel so lost in what God wants from me.
Here it goes...
Gay. Lesbian. Bisexual. Transgender.
Are people born that way? Do they chose that lifestyle? Is it a choice for them to make? What does God think of it all? How do you explain it to kids? When is accepting too much? Is it a sin? Why are people more accepting now? Is it natural? Is the world going to be blown up like Sodom and Gomorrah?
What I was taught growing up is that being LGBT is wrong, sinful, and a disgrace to family. That God, my loving compassionate God, HATES people who are LGBT and that I should not associate with anyone like that. Making fun of LGBT where a lot of people can see wasn't right, but doing so with close family and friends was OK. That people who are "that" way are confused and need Jesus more than anyone else. That AIDS was God's way of punishing people who are gay and purging the world of their sin.
Today, as my faith and ideas and thoughts are now my own, I am way more confused than ever. God says that a man and woman will joined as one and procreate (Ephesians 5:31). God tells us that sin is sin, non is greater than the others (James 2:10). Having sex with a member of the same sex is not what God had in mind when He created us (Genesis 2:18-24). In fact, Leviticus 18:22 says that it is detestable for a man to lie with a man as he does a woman. And Leviticus 20:13 says that when that happens, their blood will be on their own heads. I don't know if that is a literal translation or if it means something different, but either way, it doesn't good. The New Testament also tells us that those who indulge immoral acts will not inherent the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6: 9-10). The chapter goes on to talk about sexual immorality. How our bodies are to be used for the glory of God, not for sexual immorality and how that is the only sin that can be done against our own body.
So then, is same sex marriage/ relationships/ with sexual contact fall under that guideline? If so, then why do churches perform same sex marriages? The United Church of Christ, Jewish Synagogues, Quakers (depending on meetinghouse), Metropolitan Community Church, and Unitarian Universalist allow full same sex marriages. Some Episcopal priests are allowed to bless the marriage, but not sign the marriage licence while others are allowed to do the full ceremony, as well as can Lutheran pastors. Most Baptist, Methodist, Catholic and Presbyterian churches still do not allow same sex marriages (http://gayweddinginstitute.com/_blog/Gay_Weddings_are_Good_for_Business/post/Which_Churches_Allow_Gay_Marriage/) and (http://www.pewforum.org/gay-marriage-and-homosexuality/religious-groups-official-positions-on-same-sex-marriage.aspx).
The churches who do not perform/ endorse gay marriages do so because they believe God's definition of marriage is between one man and one woman. Those that do endorse gay marriages do so because they feel it is yet another way that God's love can be shown to member's of the congregation. The United Church of Christ posted this on their website,
"EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS FOR ALL
[Adopted at the Twenty-fifth General Synod on July 4, 2005]
WHEREAS the Bible affirms and celebrates human expressions of love and partnership, calling
us to live out fully that gift of God in responsible, faithful, committed relationships that
recognize and respect the image of God in all people; and
WHEREAS the life and example of Jesus of Nazareth provides a model of radically inclusive
love and abundant welcome for all; and
WHEREAS we proclaim ourselves to be listening to the voice of a Still Speaking God at that at
all times in human history there is always yet more light and truth to break forth from
God’s holy word; and
WHEREAS legislation to ban recognition of same-gender marriages further undermine the civil
liberties of gay and lesbian couples and contributes to a climate of misunderstanding and
polarization, increasing hostility against gays and lesbians; and
LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Twenty-fifth General Synod calls for an end to
rhetoric that fuels hostility, misunderstanding, fear and hatred expressed toward gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons; and ..."
I omitted some things because these were the ones I found most interesting. No where in this notice are there Bible verses to back up any of the statements. Jesus was a radical person back in the day. The UCC uses the fact that Jesus accepted everyone as a reason to allow gay marriages. I do believe that God still speaks to us (duh... re-read the first part of this post if you don't believe me), but I'm not sure I believe that His message has changed. The last two statements about misunderstanding I can agree with, however, there is no Biblical basis for them and it is one thing understand and accept a person for who they are, it is entirely different to condone and enforce their sinful nature.
Which brings me to my next point.
God is Love.
He loves us. John 3:16 is the infamous verse as to how much God loves us.
He doesn't want to see us in Hell suffering for eternity for our sins, that is why He sent Jesus.
So we can live to love Him.
Luke 10:27 tells us to love God above all else with all of our heart and soul and mind and then love our neighbor as ourselves.
Here's a quick trip down memory lane for everyone....
In the summers I worked at then Anchor Point Camp as a teenager. Those were some of the best times in my life. To this day, I find myself singing a song that we sang back then...
"Love. The. Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and love all mankind as you would love yourself and
Looooove, the Lord your Gooooood. With all you heaaaaaart. and your soul and mind and love all mankind.
We've got, Christian lives to live. We've got, Jesus love to give. We've got, nothing to hide so in Him we will abide. LOVE."
Such a great song with a great way to remember what God tells us to do. And that is to simply LOVE.
If God is truly love, then why do some Christians not accepts and love those within the LGBT communities?
That is my biggest dilemma.
I feel that the Bible is God's Word and is very true and relevant to my life.
I feel that what it says about marriage and sexual immorality is what I should hold onto for truth. That marriage, as God defines it, should be between a man and a woman.
I do not think that a church who bases themselves on the beliefs of the Bible should conduct same sex marriages based on my previous statement.
However dot dot dot
I do not think that God calls us to alienate those who are gay. Jesus befriended those who were not popular. He reached out to the evil tax collectors, prostitutes, desolate people of his time.
This is why I feel that groups such as they Boy Scouts, should allow leaders and boys who are openly gay to be a part of their organization. They allow leaders who are not married but are in a physical relationship with a member of the opposite sex. The Boy Scouts is an organization to help build character and morals for the boys within the program. It teaches them valuable life skills on survival and leadership. Can't they learn those things from people who are gay? Shouldn't a transgender boy be allowed those same opportunities? Who are we to say that because he is different in his heart that we should treat him different than a "normal" boy through exclusion?
I don't want the Boy Scouts to change what they stand for, but I do want them to accept everyone as they should after all-
A Boy Scout is:
Trustworthy.
Loyal.
Helpful.
Friendly.
Courteous.
Kind.
Obedient.
Cheerful.
Thrifty.
Brave.
Clean.
Reverent.
A Boy Scout is not biased, judgmental, or a bully.
There it is. My post.
I think I've cleared a few things up for myself. I really don't know if a person is born gay or transgender. Some of the things I read through college and the internet and see on TV tells me they could be. Others tell me it is a choice. Maybe it is both.
What I do know is that it is not up for me to know that information. God knows and that is enough for me.
My job as a Christian and a mom who wants to raise her two beautiful full of questions children, is to read God' word. Trust in what God tells us. To have faith, love and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13). To know that God made each of us different and that we should accept those differences in LOVE.
Mary- While I concur with most of your post, I first need to say that yes, we (as christians) must love as Christ loved. We do not need to accept the sin (as it clearly lays out in the Bible as homosexuality being sin), but we do not treat those participating in the sin any differently than the person who lied to us, or stole our car, or who's sleeping with their significant other outside of marriage vows. I am to respect and love all persons. Why? Because Christ does. He loves them as much as He loves me, a broken, in need of a Savior, me. Many of the churches allowing same sex marriages are concerned more about the approval of people than of the Lord himself. They teach many immoral and ungodly principles, not just on that topic, but on many. Some 'christians' go along with it as a sort of 'cause' they can rally around, and do so in clean conscience I believe, because by in large - so many christians today never read the Bible and study it for themselves. They depend on the influences of others, their pastors, the web, their friends, and society's level of acceptance to being politically correct to teach them how they should believe. JESUS was NOT politically correct, not ever! WRONG IS WRONG. Our attitudes towards those that claim to be gay can also be WRONG if we're treating them harshly. As far as many organizations go, (like boy scouts), I think the thoughts here about whether openly gay etc... men should be allowed to be involved poses another level of making things personal. It's the 'influence' of the gay lifestyle that is being accepted and paraded around as a 'role model' to our straight, christian sons that I do not welcome. I won't welcome my son's bad treatment of them either. There is a need for some godly perspective and balance here. Those boys are impressionable, and adults are THE ADULTS. Not every dynamic of a person's life needs to be on public display. When they put it on display they're taking up an agenda, and they desire to influence others for the sake of their 'cause/equality' - which is indeed a matter of influence directly and indirectly to our children in this country.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that you do not know whether people are born gay or they choose it. God did not create anyone to be gay. He does not create people to condemn them, to have them born as an abomination unto Himself as their creator. He gave each of us a free will, and with that free will we can embrace and serve the God of the flesh (self) or we can embrace and serve GOD. I encourage you to really research this more from the BIBLE and less from websites and other people's views. It's plainly there in scripture. God made ADAM and EVE, not ADAM and STEVE. At some point in our culture, yes, our belief system as a Christ follower WILL result in a non-acceptance of SINS that are NOT gray in the Word, but laid out plainly for us. This is one of them. It's not God's design. Nor are we to be the people who give gays a continued reason to think all christians hate them, because Christ doesn't. He'd do life with them, if He walked the earth. He'd spend time with them. He'd never compromise His love for His father, would make no apologies for His faith and his desire to please his Father - but He would do it all lovingly. WWJD is a great question to ask as we look at our role when dealing with those that profess to be gay or transgender etc. We cannot be afraid of them. We must CHOOSE to love them to the point where they can see who Christ REALLY is by looking at us and not seeing our own self, but seeing Him instead.
The passage that gets to me is
ReplyDelete1 Corinthians 5:9-13
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister[c] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
To me this seems clear. If they are a non-believer I agree with you. But if they call themselves a Christian and openly participate (without being repentant!) in ANY of the sins listed in the passage then we are called to 'judge'.
I don't really think it's the homosexual lifestyle that worries me the most. We live in a sinful world. It's the acceptance of it when it goes against God's word and I hate that it's not ok to disagree.
Boy Scouts- I don't want my kids looking up to someone that is ok with sin, any sin. If it was NEVER discussed or brought up, it may be a different story. Do I always have a choice? Nope. Again, we are in a fallen world. I can't shelter them forever but if it happens then my young son will not be able to join boy scouts. And I would have just as big of problem with a heterosexual 'relationship' outside of marriage in the open too. JMO
I do believe they could be born with it. Just as I think some are born with more of a chance to be an alcoholic. They still have a choice to indulge or not.
Mary Ann,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, from your former HS English teacher...great writing and focus in your blog entry. And I was impressed with the maturity and complexity of your thoughts. You see, you are still a sweet little ninth grader in my eyes.
I've heard judges give rulings in diverse cases that went on for as long as your blog, weaving pro and con thoughts to where you weren't sure how they were going to rule in the end. I wasn't sure where you were going to end up with this topic, but I have to say that I was impressed with your research and reasoning. And...even better, I agree with you. I have known many LGBT individuals in my 60 years of life and 37 years as a teachers. Many of them shared with me that they felt they were born that way, and living a life of confusion, bullying, and dissension would NEVER be a choice. They don't want to live on the fringes of society. They want to experience happiness and love like the hetero side of the population. I've always thought the Golden Rule was the biggest indicator of someone living a worthy and respectful life. The rest of life's disagreements don't much matter in my book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can't imagine that you will lose friends simply for expressing your beliefs. And, by the way, most LGBT people I know exhibit most or all 12 of the attributes used to describe a Boy Scout. ♥