"Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectionate, or romantic attractions primarily to "people of the same sex;" it also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, behaviors expressing them, and membership in a community of others who share them." -an excerpt from Wikipedia (very reliable source, I'm aware)
I am willing to wager that every single one of you is friends with, knows someone, loves someone, or has a family member who is gay, a lesbian, homosexual, etc. It's no light topic. It's not something I enjoy discussing, but it is something I have found myself wondering about, praying about, and asking others about. Five years ago, shoot, even a year ago, my response to any and all discussions of homosexuality being "right" would have been, "Absolutely not, never, never, never." Then, I started experiencing homosexuality in a realm that hit much closer to home, I acquired friends whose sexual orientation was gay, and I became more comfortable with the idea.
I began to ask myself questions such as this, "What does the Lord have to say about it?" "Does the Bible specify what will happen to those who are homosexual?" "Will homosexuals go to Hell?" That last question is one that I hate. I hate, literally, HATE that some Christians have the propensity to tell homosexuals that they are going to hell because of their sexual orientation. It makes me want to slap a fool. "Excuse me, but could you please stop being ignorant for 2.5 seconds? Please take a step outside your provincial mindset and be empathetic and understand the root of our sexual orientations. Your density is cramping. my. style."
Most of you may wonder why I would even write a post such as this, one of such controversial value. Trust me, I'm not doing it for the rating of my blog. (Not that I even believe my blog has a rating) I'm writing it because it has been on my heart for a long time now and it has come to a sort of culminating point over the past few weeks as I've pondered its weight in my life, what it means for the people around me, plus I recently watched a video about a Christian artist named Jennifer Knapp who has recently come out. Such is my reasoning. Take from this what you will. Another element to my post is that I want to be able to read this later and understand what I was facing in my college years.
Onward, I will share with you now what I believe about homosexuality.
-I don't believe that just because you are a homosexual means you are going to hell. Nope, not at all. I don't know of a Scripture that translates to all homosexuals going to hell. Now, if you are a homosexual and you are Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, agnostic, atheist, or just don't care for any of it then that's a different story...
-I understand that sin is sin. We lie, we cheat, we steal, we slander, we disrespect our parents, etc. I'm not excusing myself from the responsibility of sin I carry as a Christian who will ultimately be judged by my King. However, I do believe that the Bible (our Sacred text) is truth and on that truth, I stand. As a God-fearing, Bible believing Christian, I have to ask myself the question, "What does the Bible say about this?"
- Before I dive into what the Bible says, first I would have to establish that homosexuality is indeed a sin then move forth on that premise.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
I can draw a few conclusions from this passage of Scripture. 1) Homosexuality is sin based on the context of this passage. 2) It is one among MANY sins listed here, therefore I would group these sins together as being equally offensive to the Lord. 3) I can't say definitively what is meant by not inheriting the kingdom of God - does that mean a sentence to hell? Does that mean you simply won't have as many rewards in Heaven? Does that mean (insert scenario here)? I can't make up mind, especially without knowing the original script and many words do change meaning when they are lost in translation.
I should also cover the fact that I do not believe homosexuality is a gene encoded in our DNA. Some might argue, but I am under the conviction that it is not. The same way I don't believe being an adulteress is a DNA encoded gene. Some argue that homosexuality is a choice. I agree with that statement partially, because it has a few layers. The first layer: I believe some homosexuals have felt this way since they were little children and honestly could not help the way they felt about the same sex; I would say in this instance, it isn't really a choice. The choice comes later... will he/she pursue the same sex? I believe other homosexuals turn to the same sex because of bad relationships with the opposite sex and find that they can receive "real pleasure" from the same sex, because the same sex understands them better. Even still, I believe some people choose homosexuality because it makes them feel good, yes, but also because they are starving for attention and will turn to any measure. So, in those capacities, yes homosexuality is a choice regardless of whether or not you've felt that way all your life or not. I should also say that I believe some people are born with a propensity for the same sex, in a similar way to some people being prone to alcoholism. I have certain sins in my life that I struggle with more than others. On the premise that homosexuality is sin, it is that sin for some.
"Love is a choice." Of course love is a choice. Any married person will tell you that they don't "feel" love for their spouse every single day when they wake up. They don't always roll over in the morning and exclaim, "I feel so much joy and love for my husband/wife today!" Especially if he/she didn't wash the dishes last night. It is a continual choice to choose LOVE. Do things for your significant other. Shower them in compliments. Do something unneeded that shows yes, you do love them. I am not a big fan though of this counter argument that many homosexuals use to justify their lifestyle. You are right, love is a choice. But that really has nothing to do with the sanctity of matrimony between a man and a woman.
I could go on and on about the ins and outs of homosexuality, why it is right or wrong, the many different opposing views and I could attempt to counter them all or bolster their strength as a legitimate argument. However, I am under the conviction that it all boils down to this one thing: Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ? Is He your savior? If the answer to those questions is yes, then I believe if you are struggling with homosexuality then you should get real with Him (He is after an honest heart; there's no point in evading His truths; they will find you). Ask for forgiveness.
But before you do anything of this sort, you have to make a definitive decision about sin. The reason many aren't right with God is because they are being wishy washy about the sin in their life. Trust me, I have been far from God at times because I didn't want to make a definitive choice about the sin in my life, "Eh, it could be sin, but..." Always an excuse. Stop making excuses, decide based on the Scriptures what you believe about homosexuality, and if it is truly something you struggle with then daily ask Him to deliver you.
It may not appeal to you at first to be with the opposite sex, but I believe that He can wash away all sin and make us new again. It may take EVERY SINGLE DAY OF YOUR LIFE, but if you are truly seeking to honor God with your lifestyle then you will choose to please Him by seeking a life that He intended for you. And, I don't believe God created homosexuality. I don't believe God created sin. Man sinned, not God. I see sin as one huge man-made lake. That however is a large topic that I could expound upon forever, so I won't. I should also add that if you are struggling with homosexuality and feel alone because you can't be with anyone due to your convictions or because you can't be with the opposite sex, then spend time with the Lord in His word. Hang out in the New Testament with Paul - you'll discover quickly that he didn't think that everyone needed to be married. In fact, he sometimes encouraged us to refrain from being with a man or a woman.
There are many things that I didn't even cover in my analysis and journey through this topic. I know a lot of people ask the question, "Why do we have to judge homosexuality so critically if it is a sin among many other sins?" I believe the answer to that question in part is such: homosexuality affects individuals on a heart level, it is a struggle, it can be an uncomfortable topic to discuss, it hurts us, and because it has become so prevalent in our culture. I charge fellow believers who are not homosexual to stop judging so quickly. Understand the root of the problem, get to know the person, offer them mercy, and show them love just like you would to anyone else. Don't discuss their homosexuality at every conversation. Be their friend. They aren't some freak show. And homo phobics, GET OVER YOURSELF. Just because he or she likes the same sex doesn't mean they're an animal and will jump on EVERY single same sex member... Remember: you aren't attracted to every opposite sex member. In the same way, they aren't attracted to every same sex member.
I want to close by saying, I have a huge heart for this matter, and I am not going to judge you or not be your friend simply because you are homosexual. I just want you to examine your heart. If you don't believe in God, then this is a completely different matter, one of salvation. If you are a Christian and do want to please the Lord, then please pray and ask Him honestly what He has to say about this particular sin and your life, and remember you have to decide what you believe is and isn't sin...and go forth from there in your relationship with God. I can't judge every person's walk, but I can tell you if there is fruit in their life. All of this to say, we as a culture need to stop being so harsh and critical, but we also need to take sin for what it is. The Lord has a lot to say about it in His word.
I am done sharing my heart.
Over & Out,
J
No comments:
Post a Comment