The Final Word on Homosexuality

This is my last post on the whole Chick-Fil-A fiasco, I promise. After all of the coverage this story has received online, I felt like adding my voice one more time to hopefully clarify where I stand. This post probably won’t get the same sort of coverage as my last two (here and here), but having this honest and open discussion can really be helpful in our pursuit of truth.

Let me clarify that the title of this post is sarcastic. I don’t presume to think that I will cover everything concerning homosexuality. This post is not exhaustive in any regards. It simply is a platform for me to present my thoughts, and hopefully clarify my position.

Before we can go any further, we have to come to an agreement that the event on August 1 was really about a stance on homosexuality. At least, that is what everyone is making it about now. The few that spoke up on the issue of freedom of Speech pale in comparison to the shout that was heard around the world dividing the line between conservative Christians and gay rights activists. So while I would prefer to talk about freedom of speech, for the sake of this article, the issue at hand is homosexuality.

I have realized in this whole discussion that the real problem on how Christians are looking at the issue of gay marriage is really a matter of perspective and presumption. I will admit that I took a position without fully explaining myself and made it seem that I was light on the sin of homosexuality, but I can assure you I am not. Others agreed with my statements because they felt that other Christians have taken this issue too far. What it has come down to is that Christians on both sides of the issue have throw insults toward the others. Few have done a decent enough job at really exposing the issues that were at stake with the whole Chick-Fil-A appreciation day. I took a stance on free speech, which covered the concerns of anyone who might have been on my left, but it didn’t provide a satisfying explanation of my ideas for those who are on my right.

Now that the preliminary introduction is out of the way, I can address these major concerns.

How Those On My Right See This Issue

I have seen several responses to those who would consider my views to be too lenient on the topic of homosexuality. Some jeer with a clear and undeniable spirit of hostility toward homosexuals in their jubilation that August 1 was a victory for the church. This sort of response is nothing but sinful and only shows a Pharisaical simple-mindedness that has no place among the Body of Christ. This post is not to address them, but those who have serious concerns with making sure our statements are consistent with Scripture when addressing the sin of homosexuality.

Wayne Grudem, in his book Politics according to the Bible, points out that the sacred union between a man and a woman is defined by God. He further suggest that government should protect this union because marriage is an essential fiber which holds our society together. He quotes Aristotle when he notes that homosexuality is destructive to the well being of any society. The problem with this statement is that Aristotle was a totalitarian, not someone concerned with liberty where all men are created equal. Let’s face it, Christians consider homosexuality as one of the worst sins ever, somewhere right under pedophilia and rape. But I’m not so sure they are deserving of that level of disdain. American Christians have a very negative bias toward homosexuals that is both unhealthy and contrary to the love of Christ. Don’t believe me? Would you invite your homosexual neighbors over for dinner with you family? When posed with this question, the average Christian has formidably answered, “No way!” Yet, these same Christians have conceded that they would invite their unmarried heterosexual neighbors.

The other argument I hear is that marriage is a picture of the gospel, as Paul uses it as a metaphor for our relationship with Christ. This makes the attack on the biblical institution of marriage really an attack on the gospel. I find this hard to believe because the real issue with this analogy is the union between two individuals which no man can separate — “Till death do us part.” This would make divorce the greatest threat against this analogy, but Christians are not attacking that policy in government. Divorce is a very complicated subject and I don’t mean to make a blanket statement on the issue, but clearly, if divorce is this complex, shouldn’t we consider that gay rights are a little more complex than we might initially think? How has the sin of the world ever been anything but an attack on the gospel? Homosexuality doesn’t stand alone as the greatest threat to Christianity. Prejudice is far more destructive.

The other response I get is that this was a chance to show our support of a biblical view on marriage. The gay rights activists threw down the gauntlet and we had to respond to make sure that they knew we do not approve of their sin. I can understand this. I really can. But whenever the Apostle Paul made a statement that got him in hot water and later in prison, the churches didn’t line up at Paul’s local tent shop to support his industry, they met in each other’s houses and they prayed fervently. They didn’t pull off a V for Vendetta moment where they all gathered on the politicians lawn to show their support or numbers. They humbly went before God and prayed for an opportunity for the gospel.  Furthermore, Paul didn’t get on the defensive and make this about who was right and who was wrong. He saw every opportunity as a means to share the gospel. He disarmed rulers, judges, guards, and detractors with his meek boldness in presenting the good news about Jesus Christ. Paul never took up stones to throw back at those who attacked him. He simply praised God that he could join in Christ’s suffering (Romans 5:3). This is the guarantee to anyone who wants to live a godly life: You will suffer persecution (2 Timothey 3:12). Don’t act surprised when it happens.

The next response I already addressed in my last post, but I wanted to make sure that I covered it fully as it has a lot to do with dividing believers. Ruth Graham’s comment, ”If God doesn’t soon bring judgment upon America, He’ll have to go back and apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah!” seems to be where many Americans are today. But as I stated last week, we have to be careful how we handle how God dealt with cities in the Old Testament and how he is working through the Church today. I don’t see any biblical precedence that God is going to judge America before Christ’s return. So be careful when you pray like Elijah for God to bring down fire when God hasn’t given us any reason to expect that sort of behavior. Furthermore, we have to stop thinking that the grossness of homosexuality is exclusively bad to our day. During Christ’s time on earth, pedophilia and homosexuality were a natural part of Greek society. Yet Christ didn’t organize a campaign to reform the Hellenistic culture, he came to offer a completely different worldview that would subtly yet profoundly change the world.

I can understand why this view on homosexuality would be the default evangelical position in America today. We want to be sure that the world knows that we think homosexuality is a sin. God is a holy and righteous God and he cannot tolerate any imperfection. But God is also a God of love, and while we were called to bare witness to the truth, we must also do so in a loving manner. We should never present our views on homosexuality, whether by word or by action, to only suggest that God hates sin without equally expressing that God loves the sinner. To do so is unbalanced and an ineffective presentation of the good news of salvation.

But this does not preclude the importance of speaking the truth. (I find it ironic, that people to my right are always the ones who misuse this passage to suggest that they can say anything, as long as it is true, and not worry about offending anyone because the gospel is offensive.)

How Those On My Left See This Issue

It’s not enough to simply say that God loves them either. It is essential that we bare witness to the whole truth, and that means shedding light on the bad news as well: God hates sin. There are a lot of people who will suggest that love is the most important principle in how to handle this issue, and while love is greater than faith and hope, we have to remember that love does not compromise the other two.

I want to offer my appreciate to everyone who liked and shared my posts from last week, but this does not mean that you, and myself included, do not require a good helping of critique as well.

Anyone who is ashamed or embarrassed to openly state that homosexuality is a sin and therefore contrary to the biblical definition of marriage, is either ignorant or a coward. The Bible clearly teaches that homosexuality is a sin. You don’t have to wear it on your sleeve wherever you go, but you shouldn’t back down if anyone asks you the question that they asked Dan Cathy. But there is a way to make your position known without sounding like a jerk. My suggestion is that you avoid saying, “It’s not natural.” “Aids is God’s response to Gays.” or “God hates fags.” You can still speak the truth with love by stating it a little bit differently.

“I believe the Bible to be true that God is the creator of everything. The creator has made the rules on how we ought to live. Mankind has always disagreed with God and desired to take control of their own lives and redefine what is good. We are all sinners and therefore we are all equally guilty of disobeying God — which includes going against the design God has for marriage. Homosexuality is a sin because it is defiance against God and His Word. But there is forgiveness found in Jesus Christ who showed the greatest love of all by giving up his life for those very sinners. If God can love them, I can love them. Though I disagree with their lifestyle, that doesn’t mean that I hate them.”

That’s not going to get you a warm welcome on The View, but at least it doesn’t condemn the sinner without showing the love of Christ. Those who suggest that we don’t need tact in approaching this sensitive issue are equally as ignorant and cowardly as those who would say nothing.

One person told me that since Jesus never spoke about homosexuality, he felt he was in the clear to not have to preach about it from the pulpit. This is not only silly, but it’s stupid as well. The red letter Bible may give some people a misconception that the only words that really matter were what Jesus actually said. But, since Jesus was God, every word in the Bible ought to be written in red. They are all God’s Words. To neglect the clear teaching of the whole countenance of Scripture is dangerous and foolish.

This leads me to my other concern with those who are on my left. We need to be careful that we don’t underplay the political ramifications on this matter. While I am not for legislation that would limit the free speech of homosexuals, I am worried that we will quickly lose our rights to preach out against sin. There are several bills that would severely limit the free speech of Christians and effectively label my quote above ‘Hate Speech.’ This would make it illegal to preach on homosexuality from the pulpit or Christian radio and TV. We should not be so passive to not speak out against the problem that we are gradually losing our rights to defend our beliefs in the public circle.

Another popular response to the event on August 1 was to point out that though thousands of Christians showed up at a Chick-Fil-A to support free speech and traditional marriage, they would not show up at a food kitchen to feed the poor. We have to be really careful here that we are not generalizing those who are a little to our right. Just because someone went to a Chick-Fil-A doesn’t mean that they aren’t also working in a vital ministry that is reaching people who are hurting and in need. Furthermore, making a statement on free speech and homosexuality is not a bad thing, so don’t divert your frustration with what they are saying by attacking their character. Then you are only taking part in joining those who saw the event as a means to express their hatred. Show a little grace and consideration to those who think differently from yourself as well.

I understand why some Christians would see an association with Chick-Fil-A as a negative image for the Church, but Christians should not shy away from saying what the Bible says. We don’t have to do it forcibly, but we ought not to be ashamed of who we are as Christians either.

While my philosophical views could be labeled as unconventional, in regards to the default evangelical position, I do hope that everyone understands that I am doing my best to build my worldview based on the Word of God. This is a challenge in today’s Christian culture because we are often bullied and badgered to move to one side of the spectrum or the other. I think it would be much more appropriate on both sides if we would put down the stones and have a healthy discussion so that we can continue to sharpen each other as iron upon iron.

Finally, we really need to think about how our comments are perceived. Part of the problem with spreading hate is that we don’t dress our words with grace and mercy. Many of those on my right can’t talk about homosexuality without it sounding like they’re shewing on a cow pie. Others on my left feel like they have to apologize for those on their left, and end up throwing their brothers in the mud while praising the sinner. It is essential that we learn how to communicate the truths of the Word of God without watering them down, or making them condescending.

Culture Wars – Attack or Evangelize

Today, the war on culture heated up to a frenzy. Sadly, their were casualties on both sides.

Gay rights activists suffered a crushing defeat as Chick-Fil-A recorded record turn outs of people willing to stand up against homosexuality. On the other hand, many Christians have brought shame to the gospel by making this about homosexuals and not freedom of speech.

Just today I heard someone mention that we have an opportunity to share the gospel with homosexuals by handing them a Chick-Fil-A sandwich and showing them the love of Christ. That’s more like taunting than witnessing.

Is eating a fried chicken sandwich really the best way to represent our religious views?

I submit that the problem with society is that we are involved in a war over culture. It’s a very subtle mindset which may have drastic ramifications.

There seems to be a war on just about everything these days: a war on terror, drugs, diabetes, etc. It fits well within our American sensibilities that if there is something wrong with society, you approach it with a war like mentality. In many ways, Christians have adapted this mindset when approaching the moral degradation of our day.

But there is a problem with this. How can you ever think of making a convert when you see others as an opponent or enemy? Can you expect sinners to act like anything other than sinners? Fighting them to fit within our morals is a losing battle, and both sides suffer.

The ‘take no prisoners’ mentality has greatly affected the churches witness in the world. Many Christians are concerned that the principles of Scripture are being lost in an every increasing secular society, but the actions they are taking to defend ‘God’s standards’ come with the peril of poorly representing ‘Christ’s example.’

There is a mentality in American society where we have to fight to get to the top of the hill where we can be in control of everything and call all of the shots for everyone else. The process to get to the top is very bloody. Christians and non-Christians alike are elbowing, kicking, biting, and scratching, all to get to a position where they can make their demands. Some will justify their actions by suggesting that the gospel is offensive, but nowhere does it say that we have to go out of the way of God’s Word to tick off society.

The Bible does teach us some very important lessons that we should not lose sight of in light of the cultural war.

#1. We don’t have a land — we have a Church. We have to be very careful how we apply the mentality of the Old Testament where God was working with a nation. We need to function more like nomads than soldiers. We were never given the command to purge the land of unbelievers. We were called to make disciples not victims.

#2. God will come back and judge the world. There is no specific biblical precedent to suggest that God will destroy America if it is allowed to get any worse, but the day will come when God will judge the whole world. Until then, we are to preach the good news of Christ and the forgiveness He came to bring.

#3. We were called to be light and salt. As Christians we are to bare witness to the truth. This involves shedding light on good and evil. But Light is not a physical barrier. We cannot prevent the world from doing what they want to do. There are only two ways to accomplish compliance with our beliefs: by force or evangelism. One creates corpses, the other converts.  We are called to have a physical impact on society, but as salt, not stones. In order to make a difference, it must be through close proximity and our preserving qualities. We will not change the world by attacking it head on.

#4. Historically, America has provided a common ground where all mankind is created equal. That’s not the America we have today. Instead, we are divided by principles and pitted against each other based on values and prejudices. The first Baptists of Rhode Island saw the propensity of American protestants to create a religious society. In those days you could not be a functioning member in politics unless you were a good standing member in the local church. As you can guess, this developed into a corrupt religiosity that poisoned the church and society. Essentially, it was no different than the oppression the pilgrims fled from when they left England. Thanks to the Baptist then, we have the principle of separation of Church and State.

Sadly, the idea that we have a free society has been lost in our culture today. You don’t believe me? Why is it even an issue that Romney is a Mormon? Or why would Christians attempt to slander Obama by suggesting he is a Muslim? Why would that even matter in a free society? We live by the same sinful mentalities that plagued the original colonies. We want ‘our’ views upheld in the presidential office, when we should be concerned that the originally founding father’s views are being honored. (Which neither of the previously mentioned candidates qualify for that.)

I can stand by Atheists, Catholics, Mormons, Muslims, Homosexuals, and witches on this unifying principle: Everyone has the liberty to live their life as they please in a free society. I don’t have to agree with what they do or approve of their lifestyles. I don’t expect a government to punish people who disagree with my sensibilities. I’m a big boy. I would appreciate the government to defend my rights to free speech, but how can we expect them to do that when we’ve limited the rights of others? 

If I had the opportunity to participate in Chick-Fil-A appreciation day, it would be to defend the liberty and the freedom of speech. But I would do the same thing if the statements were contrary to my personal beliefs. Would you?

Our Own Medicine Tastes A Lot Like Chicken

I feel like I should visit a priest and make a confession, “Father, it has been two months since my last blog post.” But I’m a good Baptist so I’ll choose to pretend that it never happened instead. (More on where I’ve been all these weeks later.)

I’m sure you’ve noticed in the hail of media coverage that Chick-Fil-A is getting a lot of free advertising. Based on many of the responses I’ve seen on ‘The Facebook,’ I’m realizing that the subject of speaking out on one’s personal beliefs is as hot as a freshly served chicken sandwich. If you have somehow avoided the news and know nothing about this, let me briefly update you…

Chick-Fil-A is well know to be managed by a Christian family who is unabashedly outspoken about their beliefs on homosexuality. Their connection to anti-homosexual organizations has put them in a hot spot recently. Now, gay right activists have created a campaign to tarnish the company based on their religious beliefs. That campaign has involved slander, gross exaggerations, and personal attacks in a very public forum.

So far, three mayors have issued public statements implying that they would bar Chick-Fil-A from setting up shop in their cities. But should we really be surprised?

What has happened in recent days has been both shameful and infuriating. As a libertarian, I don’t particularly want federal legislation banning gay rights, but the back lash has been so unconstitutional that I am sickened to the core.

A free society certainly allows for individuals to spend their money wherever they wish, and to even sign petitions to make their voice louder, but it is never appropriate to slander, distort, or manipulate in order to attack a company which shares values you disagree with. Neither is it appropriate to appeal to legislation to limit the free market when it goes against our sensibilities.

(A little political lesson, whenever you call for the limiting of someone else’s rights because they are offensive to your own, what you are effectively doing is creating a precedence where your rights could inevitably be taken away.)

So despite that fact that the mayors of Boston, Chicago, and San Fransisco were completely out of line for their actions, and without overlooking the unjust attacks from gay activists, there is an important lesson that we, as Christians, can learn from all of this.

Oh, How the Tables Have Turned

The first thing I noticed after getting past my initial disgust with the main stream media’s coverage of this story was that the whole situation looks very similar to what I’m used to seeing as attacks from the right. When I really think of it, I normally see this sort of behavior among Christians more than I see it in the world. We are so quick to attack an organization that supports liberal views, whether it be planned parenthood or gay rights, and we’re not very good at keeping our facts straight either. Christians are known for their slander, their grossly exaggerated mass emails, and their bigoted prejudices before looking at all of the facts. It seems that we’re getting a dose of our own medicine and it taste a lot like chicken.

Before we get all high and mighty and take up arms against the principalities and powers, and run before God and attack Ai, we ought to take a moment for reflection and think about how we ought to respond biblically.

If you’re thinking that your first response should be to take a stand on your beliefs by either posting something on Facebook or driving thirty miles out of your way to a Chick-Fil-A to support the cause against the moral degradation of society — you might want to give it a little more thought.

I’m not telling you that you shouldn’t support Chick-Fil-A’s position, but that shouldn’t be your first response. Christ taught us that we have a tendency to point out the sin in others without taking full account for our own actions. When we do this, we only add fuel to the fire of hate and perpetuate negative stereotypes.

Society has wrongly made a moral issue out of the cause for gay rights. This means that by simply speaking our mind and drawing the line in the sand, we are giving a false impression to the world that we are on the opposite side of morality. This makes us look arrogant and proud. Not to mention, it grievously cements a wrongly informed notion of morality.

Seeing the sins of the world should not foster pride in ourselves or personal satisfaction in the judgement of the wicked. It should prompt us to be reflective and repentant because the sins of the word are really only a mirror to our own heart. This is what Jesus was teaching when he told the Pharisees to take note of the plank in their own eye before helping another with the speck in theirs.

It can be hard to swallow that the sin of homosexuality would be a speck when the worst that most Christians struggle with is gossip, right? No. This was the sin of the pharisees. They started to measure the weight of sin in society and when all of their calculations were done, they naturally rose to the top, separating them from the very people they were supposed to be serving.

Christ taught us a different example. He didn’t get caught up in the defining of the Law, but the fulfilling of it. He showed love and graciousness to the tax collectors and the immoral. Unlike us, who detest liberal politicians who are stealing from us and despise the homosexuals who are shaping our society.

It might be wise to take a closer examination of the sins that are blocking our perception and confess our tendency to slander, perpetuate false information, and judge before knowing all of the facts.

With that said, I respect and support Chick-Fil-A’s decisions and how they have handled the media hail storm. But in the end, I’m still going to shop at Target, drink coffee at Starbucks, and use Google as my search engine.

In the end, Chick-Fil-A will be alright. They will probably get an increase in profits over the next few weeks with all of the free publicity they are receiving. Just another lesson that in today’s culture, the things you attack tend to get stronger with all of the rage.

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