On Homosexuality and the Christian Church

Hmm this duck dynasty Phil Robertson thing....

The issue of homosexuality to the Christian conservatives is certainly a hot button, and I am no expert to weigh in. I will offend people on either side of the debate I feel certain, but as a believer in God, in Christ of the Bible, who was raised in the Bible Belt, then schooled in life in San Fransisco for the past 8.5 years, I have dipped my toes in the ocean of both worlds. And I love them both dearly. And here is my take:

From the Christian conservative perspective, this is what the Bible, interpreted literally and not adjusted for cultural and time contexts, clearly states, that homosexuality is a grave sin.

But the problem I have is with Christians or really anyone declaring to hold exclusive rights on "truth". Yes I understand that to Christians this is the definition of our beliefs, of our savior as "the way, the truth, the life", but is not everything, including our scripture, subject to individual (or pastoral/theological) human interpretation?

Phil Robertson and what feels like 99% of Christians view the Bible as: "The scripture written thousands of years ago by many God-inspired authors says homosexuality is a vile sin, so today in 2013 is is still a vile sin (and in fact is one of the MOST unnatural and vile sins). End of discussion." But do they not see how many of their everyday sins of lust, greed, and jealousies are also vile and punishable by death in the eyes of a righteous God? So then is it our place to point fingers and declare ANYONE as hell-bound of all things? (Read Rob Bell's Love Wins for more on this...)

So do we give Robertson the right to express his views? I think we should. But should we as Christians not as well begin a discussion of why we believe the things we do? Should we not self examine the logs in our own eye and consider this topic from the viewpoint of and walking in the shoes of our homosexual brothers and sisters?

I know of believing homosexuals who have struggled so painfully thanks to Christians and their judgements. Do straight Christians know what it feels like to want to connect to God, to sincerely miss the fellowship of Christians in their life, to yearn for the family community of His church but to not feel welcome there? To have been taught through the church SO much guilt and abhorrence for homosexuality that they do not feel worthy to approach the God who created them? How it must feel to WANT and feel the need to change themselves, but not being able to change who they are? We can say it is a choice all we want because of what our sacred scriptures state, but have we ever walked in the shoes of the individual who tried to walk these "Biblical" ways, married, had kids, lived the life they were supposed to, but ultimately could not suppress who they were and how they felt?

I know I don't. I haven't experienced it. So how can I sit back and point fingers at anyone? Why is it so important to us to maintain these rigid ideals of what families, what love can look like? I believe in following and looking to scripture for wisdom, but at what point do we completely throw out our life experiences or the stories of people we know, love, and respect, for the declarations of our scriptures so many years ago? I am not saying whether homosexuality is "wrong" or "right". Since when is it my place to decide this? Since when is it any of ours? Can we declare someone of a different race, religion, cultural background, physical ability or something they were otherwise born into to be "right" or "wrong"? This is between each individual and God. Call it liberal wishy-washiness all you want, I call it following Christ--you know the one who broke bread with prostitutes, Samaritans, and tax collectors but condemned the religious leaders of his time--yeah that guy.

We need to stop judging people into a corner, or judging them right out the door and far far away from the God that they must conclude hates them, because they cannot, no matter how they have tried, change their feelings or who they are. If we want people to see Jesus and feel able to approach him, we need to stop telling them that they are perverted freaks of nature, step one.  And step two, if we are going to preach taking the logs out of our own eyes, we need to lay off other people's sins and fricking go ahead and do what we are proclaiming. Blaming homosexuals for the world's problems is ridiculous, reprehensible, and mighty self-eye-log-oblivious.

In the Christian community it is seen that this is very different from racism or judging and excluding someone by the color of their skin. But in the rest of society, it is seen as parallel. Maybe you aren't judging based on skin color, or say a physical disability, but you are excluding based on sexual orientation. Who am I do declare this as a "choice" when I haven't been there or felt what these individuals feel. And if you are a straight Christian, have you never lusted over someone you were not married to? Did not JESUS himself call this an act of adultery to lust after your "neighbor's wife"? So could we not interpret this to mean that we should all be outcasts from God's family as we all have participated in the type of "vile sexual sin" we condemn? Which one of us has not harbored some secret sin that we know full well we should not be doing/thinking/entertaining but struggled so in changing? "What I want to do I do not do, and what I do I hate."  So then are we any less the "sinner"?  I say NO. HELL NO.

For myself personally, I have been defeated and spiritually oppressed by my own guilt and self-hatred, thanks to the judements and scriptual interpretations by other believers. The well meaning scripture quoting of Christians can be an act of aggression and bigotry. I don't believe it is intended, in fact in most cases, I believe the Christian truly believes he/she is doing God's holy work, but has it become more akin to jihad (or the crusades) than love? Is it an "us vs them", Christians versus "our perverse culture" situation?  I think we have forgotten who the real enemy is (to draw a Catching Fire parallel, lol) in fighting against our fellow humans, all of whom are broken and aching for God's healing. I know I am.

So I can see the perspective that Robertson should not be fired for expressing his beliefs, just because we disagree with him. I mean, most of us choose to laugh off the stuff that goes on in all those kitsch reality "Deep South" shows, it is, after all, entertainment. But I also think that as Christians, as a whole, we need to re-examine our unwavering, harsh, critical stance towards homosexuality.  And if perhaps homosexuality is NOT a "choice", just imagine with me for a brief moment, if that is so hard to believe, that is is something one is born with, just as each person is born with brown hair or female anatomy or 5 foot 11, or with 20/20 vision.  IF this is the case, then can you see how telling someone they are WRONG for being homosexual just as being wrong for being female or having blue eyes or having curly hair or a speech impediment could be seen as bigotry or abhorrent and hateful? For being akin to slavery or the holocaust?

Christians, have you never met a homosexual person (for me, a great many individuals) who was more moral, more generous, or more loving than half (or 95%) of the people in your church, and felt in the pit of your stomach that something was not right with condemning this person to hell? Have you not felt deep spiritual unease at this thought or this part of your God and faith? Have you not felt humbled in God's presence and ability to surprise us and to be GOD instead of us?  To have a completely unexpected plan that we cannot comprehend?  If you havent, then I am sorry and hope you will soon. If you have, then you know what I am talking about, and are hopefully open to this "sacred questioning" (credit David Dark) of which I am speaking.  To this holy examining of our most passionate beliefs and interpretation of our holy scriptures.  It will be a lifelong journey, a song that never resolves until Jesus returns, for only He holds all the answers to life's many conundrums. I will take this arduous journey, and accept that I don't know all the answers, and my faith and my God cannot fit inside a little churchy box; for in this journey of the unknown is real life.   I want to grow.  I want to create space for people like Jesus did. Who is with me?