Dedicated to my cousin Roy and coworker Bill—both who had endured prejudice and misplaced shame for being how God created them. They have since crossed over.
I’m angry, yet I’ve been silent. By taking the “this is not my battle” stance, I’ve empowered those who expend energy to make homosexuals pariahs in our society. Now’s the time for me to speak up and state that self-righteous people have no right to condemn gays, lessen their humanity and drive them away from Christianity.
All of us were created in God’s image.
Science has confirmed that people are born with their sexual orientation. It is the way God created them. We wouldn’t condemn someone for having blue eyes. Yet, too many Christians denounce people solely based on whom they love.
Some of you may argue the Bible says gays are going to hell for their abominations. As I’ve stated before, I see the Bible as a figurative piece of divinely inspired text. Many of whose stances on sexual mores mirrored the ancient Mediterranean culture for which they were originally written. During that era, many religions (outside of Judaism and The Way, an early name for Christianity) practiced sexual rituals—both heterosexual and homosexual—with temple prostitutes. I believe that type of practice is what the Bible refers to when it discourages sexual immoralities.
For those who take the Bible literally, consider this argument. Do you believe in slavery? The Bible condones this practice (even Paul sent Onesimus, an escaped slave, back to his owner), but no one could possibly believe that God backs that horrid practice. I view the Bible’s take on homosexuality like its portrayal of slavery; the text better relates to that culture and its laws than to ours.
Jesus didn’t preach about homosexuality.
Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus mention sexuality of any kind. If sexual orientation played an important role in being a good Christian, Jesus would’ve brought it up. Instead he preached, “love your neighbor.”
God is love, so the Lord won’t deny others love.
God wants us to find love. To believe the Great I Am would impose a loveless life on those he created, one would have to see the Lord as cruel. A caring Supreme Being would want all of us to find partners with whom to share our lives. God would never withhold this most precious gift from anyone.
Gay does not equal immoral.
People have argued that homosexuals are deviants with strange sexual appetites. Sorry, I don’t buy that. I’m sure some exist, but so do heterosexual deviants.
Christians, get off that pedestal.
Jesus accepted and respected everyone. Let’s try to emulate his behavior by sending our love and positivity to all of our neighbors, regardless of their lifestyle. Frankly, we shouldn’t be concerned with who is attracted to whom.
Resource: http://www.canyonwalkerconnections.com./
Hi, Kathy! Thanks for writing this post! I love that you chose to write about this even though, as you put it, ‘it’s not your battle’. I’m glad that our discussion has inspired this and maybe it will help others going through hard times. ^_^
I think my favorite part of the post was when you said that Jesus preached ‘love your neighbor’. And it got me thinking about those who say that gays (and non-Christians) put their own will above that of God and worship Idols and whatnot… but couldn’t that be said for them as well? They’re hanging on to an interpretation of a book that was written 2000 years ago, prejudices and stereotypes and use them to justify why they’re right and imposing their view on others.
But is keeping God’s commands about being right or wrong? Shouldn’t it be about love and joy and helping others achieve them even if you don’t agree with them?
Great post, Kathy. It got me thinking…
Thank you, Serban. My hope is that in the future, people will not have to endure such hatred in the guise of religion. It is wrong to label people as different in order to dehumanize them. Jesus said several times that the top commandments were to love our parents and our neighbors–to me that is what God wants most from us.
Kathleen,
Well put!
Sharon
Thank you very much.