Tony Campolo, in National Liberty Journal.
"[The devil] sends errors into the world in pairs of opposites. He relies on your extra dislike of the one error to draw you gradually into the opposite one. But do not be fooled. We have to keep our eyes on the goal and go straight through between both errors." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Outline
The Great Divide
Theological errors by political conservatives
Theological errors by political liberals
Where does this leave us?
Links
The Great Divide
The public debate over homosexuality in our society includes many folks holding extreme views. The spectrum ranges from Rev. Phelps, who apparently applauded the murder of gay people, to the group Sex Panic, who apparently advocate anonymous unprotected sex in public. In the debate that erupts in the public square and even in church bodies, some extremists may hold up the other side as justification for their cause, or accuse the "unenlisted" of supporting the other side. I've heard average citizens talk of a shell-shocked "70% of us in the middle." This paper attempts to provide a reasonable middle ground as well as advocate for public opposition to many extremist views that appear to be drawn from extrabiblical material. In deciding whether to support a position statement or organization publishing material on the topic of homosexuality, I have my own litmus test for reasons I will not support an organization. For want of a better description, I have grouped these problematic statements into two categories: Theological errors by political conservatives and Theological errors by political liberals
Theological Errors by Political Conservatives.
- Linking it with pedophilia
There's evidence both ways, for
either heteros or GLBT's being more likely. - On an internet discussion, someone stated that churches who ordain homosexuals are apt to pay more in judgments for pedophilic abuse.
- Failure to differentiate in rhetoric between sexual acts and human
beings
In other words, use of rhetoric that denies the possibility of an entity such as "celibate homosexual." I've heard,
- "Let's take a stand against gays," (rather than "Let's take a stand against cheap grace for those engaging in sexually immoral acts").
- I've heard, "Could Martin Luther imagine a church that ordains Lesbians?"(rather than "imagine a church that ordains those engaging in homosexual sexual acts?").
- Joe Dallas uses terms "pro-gay theology" (rather than a "theology of acceptance of homosexual sexual acts") and puts quotation marks around the term "gay Christians."
- The Epsicopal News Service spoke of a congregation that broke off from the national EC-USA body because of "growing acceptance and tolerance of homosexuals" (rather than "acceptance of the practice of homosexual acts").
- Focus on dubious "cures" as a criterion of faithfulness at the expense of mere celibacy.
I hold that the bible clearly calls certain acts a sin, but does not necessarily call the orientation a sin. If Paul preached in Romans to some who were "formerly" immoral, it does not necessarily mean they were "cured" of homosexuality, or part of an "ex-gay" ministry!
- Bristling at notions of gay rights, opposing calls to refrain from
killing gays
I've seen people get upset!
- Misstating the nature of "gay rights" or "hate crime" legislation.
Many conservatives seem to believe these measures add penalties for killing gays or minorities but not for killing straights and whites. On the contrary, the laws add penalties for killing someone on the basis of orientation or race, and would apply equally to the majority and minority class.
- Viewing all homosexuals as culpable in a conspiracy to harm America and/or Christians
Gary Gibbs, in "Homosexuality: Return to Sodom" warns us that "Homosexual activists are working diligently to reorder society. Their politically correct Pledge of Allegiance may one day say: 'I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United Sodomites of America. One country under sodomy, none objecting, with liberty and justice for all who agree with homosexuals.' "
- Holding it up as Abomination Number One
Some may insist that certain forms of church participation be denied to promiscuous/ monogamous/ celibate gays yet not those engaged in other egregious sins, such as usury (check-cashing 'banks'), divorce.
- Forgetting that celibate heterosexuals are also apt to be the victim of "anti-gay" bias and violence.
"We take a stick to 'em where I come from," said one man, apparently as a warning to someone he mistakenly assumed to be gay.
- Opposing the notion of "inborn orientation" as if they were defending the reliability of Scripture itself.
I do not think that Scripture or natural law would allow us to act on all our genetic propensities, whether it be a propensity for desiring sweets, alcohol, or sex with 17 year olds.
- Viewing the exhibitionism, promiscuity, and poor taste of revellers as indicative of the character of an entire class of persons
Jerry Falwell has apparently used footage of "Gay Pride" parades to make value judgements about the character of all gay persons. Tony Campolo's response was that he hoped people did not judge heterosexuals on the basis of the actions of some Mardi Gras revellers.
Theological Errors by Political Liberals
- Cheap grace
We must all be silent about all sin ('cept maybe
homophobia).
- The bible isn't that reliable anyway.
This belief is that they bible advocates things which are not good and/or was written by ignorant folks (a seeming denial of inspiration of the Holy Spirit).
Examples:
- Herbert Chilstrom, former bishop of the ELCA, argued
"Just as scriptures interpreted to suggest that all sassy children should be stoned to death - or slaves should remain slaves - are no longer carried out, passages on homosexuality must also be interpreted in a way that makes sense in today's
surroundings." Quoted in "Church debates same sex unions: ELCA ponders reading Bible plainly, in context," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 18, 2001
- Walter Wink writes in "Homosexuality and the Bible":
"Paul knew nothing of the modern psychosexual understanding of homosexuals as persons whose orientation is fixed early in life, or perhaps even genetically in some cases."
- The Law is mutable by human will
So argues Terence E. Fretheim in
The Old Testament and Homosexuality: What is God doing? in The Lutheran magazine.
- Touting the likelihood of an inborn orientation as if that settled the issue.
I do not think that Scripture or natural law would allow us to act on all our genetic propensities, whether it be a propensity for desiring sweets, alcohol, or sex with 17 year olds.
- Mets & Yankee fans at the Country Club
Some church leaders respond to the issue of homosexuality as if they were managers of a country club which needed to get feuding Mets and Yankee fans to sit down to dinner together, rather than a topic for Law and Gospel preaching.
What does that leave us
- Homosexual sexual relations appear to be a sin.
- The violence, discrimination, and prejudice directed at actual and presumed homosexuals by Christians is a topic perhaps as worthy of pulpit time as that of sexual morality itself.
- Some of the more convoluted religious justifications of homosexual sexual activity appear to reject large portions of Christian doctrine.
- The average church is probably full of persons unrepentant of various sins, in disagreement with Christian orthodoxy over the sinfulness of their acts, or are ignorant because they are members of churches which don't preach against these sins. Here are several examples, some current, some historical:
- Racism,
- Smoking in front of children (a major risk factor for SIDS & childhood asthma)
- Greed
- Gossip
- Divorce
- Usury, oppression of the poor
- The American institution of slavery, a brutish and abominable copy of the ancient Jewish institution.
- Willing participation in the holocaust.
- etc.
Cheap grace is therefore a churchwide crisis affecting much more than homosexuals.
Papers on homosexuality I can support
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