I will say upfront that I am a Christian. I regularly attend church. Like most self-proclaimed Christians, I believe that the act of homosexuality is wrong. ***PLEASE DO NOT THROW IN THE TOWEL AND QUIT READING. PLEASE LET ME FINISH.*** I will also say upfront that I am flawed. I am a sinner. I have during the course of my life lied, stolen, committed adultery, disobeyed my parents, driven over the speed limit, coveted the possessions of others, wished harm upon others, as well as a plethora of other sins that I couldn't name.
As a Christian, I have been brought up in the teaching of both the Law and the Gospel--the two parts which make up the Bible. According to the law, all of the sins I have committed which are listed above are equally as bad as homosexuality. So, although I have never had sex with another woman (and I will not lie to myself and others and say that the thought has never crossed my mind) I am just as accountable to God for all of the sins I have committed. So who am I to judge those who are gay? How can I call them out for their wrongdoing when I can not control my own?
Again, I will say that I am a Christian. I will also say that it at time shames me to see how other people who claim to be Christians handle this ongoing debate. From the discussions I have seen and read, it seems that those on the Christian side of the debate are always quick to quote the Bible when asked why they believe homosexuality is wrong. Their answer is always: well, the Bible says so. And then they quote such passages as Leviticus 18:22 (Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin), Leviticus 20:13 (The penalty for homosexual acts is death to both parties. They have committed a detestable act...) and Genesis 19: 1-29 (the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in which God destroys the cities due to rampant homosexuality). Here is the problem with quoting such passages--they are part of the Law. Specifically the mentioned passages from Leviticus--they are part of a whole set of rules that were laid down for the Israelites to follow. They also include laws such as "Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed" (Leviticus 19:19)--guess all the farmers are going to hell. "Do not exploit the foreigners who live in your land. They should be treated like everyone else and you must love them as you love yourselves" (Leviticus 19: 33)--ok, so any company in this country that uses illegal aliens for labor, sorry, you're damned too. Oh, and my personal favorite: "Do not trim off the hair on your temples or clip the edges of your beards" (Leviticus 19:27). So, have you ever gotten a haircut? Sorry to tell you, but you're f***ed. Sounds a bit ridiculous, doesn't it?
I have two issues when it comes to using quotations from the Bible to defend one's stance against homosexuality (and again I will reiterate, I am a Christian!). The first is that as mentioned above, most passages are pulled from the Old Testament, or the Law, which detailed a lifestyle that was set down for God's chosen people, specifically the Israelites or later on known as Jews. What must be known about the Law is that IT WAS FULFILLED!!! That was Christ's whole point for coming down to earth. He came down as the perfect Son of God and lived a perfect life. He was tortured and then placed on a cross where he died for ALL sins. He didn't just die for Christians. He died for everyone--that includes homosexuals, as well as Muslims, Buddhists, athiests, murderers, thieves, etc. He died for all sins--including homosexuality. Through Christ's death and resurrection, all sins are forgiven. Here are some Bible quotes for you: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18), "As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12), "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). You cannot use the Law to condemn because Christ already was condemned. The Law has been fulfilled. Sins have been forgiven.
My second issue comes from Christians quoting Scriptures as if homosexuality is so much more wrong or sinful than anything else. Again, their go-to answer is that the Bible says it is wrong. The Bible says A LOT of things are wrong. For example: Romans 2:18-32--"But God shows his anger from heaven against ALL sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves....So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired...Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved.....When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises and are heartless and unforgiving. " (For the sake of space, some of the passage has been omitted.) The point of this passage is that it is not just homosexuality that is wrong--so is every other sin listed, INCLUDING being UNFORGIVING. Think about that for a moment: God finds it just as abhorrent for someone to not forgive another as He does a man sleeping with another man. For all you "Christians" out there that love to judge, remember that before you paint another "All gays are going to hell" sign for your next protest.
And another passage:, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11--"Don't you know that those who do wrong with have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin....adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals....none of these will have a share in the kingdom of God....but now your sins have been washed away....You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you." Yes, the Bible says homosexuality is a sin. It also says that adultery is a sin. So, if like me, you have had sex outside of marriage or if you have had sex with multiple partners, you are just as sinful as someone who is gay. And someone who is gay is just as forgiven as you.
To conclude this bit on Bible-quoting, here is one final set of quotes for consideration: " A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34-35) and “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, this is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”(Matthew 22:37-40). Christ says that as His followers, we have two rules to follow: that we love God and we love each other. By loving God, we are to follow His commandments and try to live in His image. By loving others, we are to forgive and not judge. If we claim to love another as Christ loves us, then we should be willing to die for another, even if that other person is indeed a homosexual. Such is the love He showed for us. For he who is blameless, let him cast the first stone. None of us are blameless, therefore none of us have the right to judge another's sin. Period.
You are allowed to believe that something is wrong. However, I would say you are not "allowed" to judge and condemn another unless you are willing to first judge and condemn yourself. So before you start throwing out Bible quotes, think first on the passage you are quoting and consider if it truly is one you wish to use. Jesus ate with the tax collectors. He allowed a whore to anoint his feet with expensive perfume. He loved and forgave all. Until you can do the same, watch your tongue. The whole point of being a Christian is to invite and encourage others into God's family--not push them away with a spewing of judgment and hate.
Well said, sister.
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