I realize that when it comes to God we don't live in a democracy. We don't get to vote about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in God's eyes... except that we do. There are all sorts of things that we no longer think are acceptable that were acceptable at the time of Jesus, and vice versa. We are dependent then on the foremost religious thinkers of our times to talk amongst themselves in a civilized and passionate discourse in order to determine the will of God for the rest of us.
That being said...
I'd like a national debate on national TV (PBS or some such). I'd get Charlie Rose to moderate. On one side of the table I'd have several "progressive" Christians who believe that being gay is not something that we should be shunning. And on the other side, I'd have several "conservative" Christians who stick to their guns that Gays are sinners. I wouldn't allow politics or Gay rights advocates or anyone else into the debate. This would be a strictly religious debate amongst the top Christians on either side of the issue.
I'd ask them three questions. 1) In light of what the Bible says, is homosexuality a sin? 2) How should we behave towards homosexual people? 3) Given your answers to number one and two, what should people who are gay do if they are also Christians?
Considering the train wreck that is national gay rights policy, it behooves Christian Americans to answer these questions before we discover a) that we're living in Sodom and Gomorrah or b) we start building nice "summer" camps for Gay people with mandatory attendance. Since there are extreme advocates for both views, I can see us adopting a more middle of the road course.
The point is that so far I've only heard rhetoric on both sides of the argument. I'd like to hear a compelling argument either way that would help me make up my mind.
That's what I'd like to see.
2 comments:
Whoah.
Good post. Makes me think about the fact that what may be morally right might not be legal, and what may be legal might not be morally right (I'll leave it to you - the generic "you" - to decide where this topic fits in.)
To answer the questions...
1) Leviticus 18:22, 1 Corinthians 6: 9 & 10, and Romans 1: 18-32.
2) Matthew 22: 36-40, Matthew 7: 1-5, Romans 2: 1-4, Galatians 6: 1-5
3) Romans 2: 5-16
What's it mean? It means the sin has been defined clearly. It means we, who are sinners, cannot judge - there is only One who can. It means the sinner (which we ALL are) must be repentant before God. It means that we must love ALL of God's children, sinners and all.
I'll look up Andy's citations later, but my preliminary thoughts, in addition to his which are spot on.
1. Sin is sin. There is no hierarchy.
2. Forgiveness requires one to repent.
3. If that behavior, like adultery, is a sin, one cannot somehow claim that God accepts it.
4. As Christians, we should accept any sinner who repents, but we shouldn't fail to say what sin is, regardless of how "serious" we believe it to be.
Good post.
Cheers.
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