The Bible, homosexuality, and abomination

Last summer, I described how my beliefs about homosexuality had changed over time.

In Biblical times, the main purpose of couples was to produce offspring to ensure the continuity of the family line and the perennity of the group. If any people felt love and attraction towards the same sex, they probably weren't encouraged to form a lasting bond, as it would have been of little social use. Much more visible, however, would have been the sexual abuse of young boys - and therefore, it would have been vigorously condemned by anyone with a strong sense of morality. So, if Bible authors were familiar with abusive homosexual behaviour, but not with committed, faithful same-sex relationships, they would have called it wrong and immoral. This notion has been brought forward before by scholars and Christian LGBT advocates, and they've argued the case much more convincingly than I can. But recently, something unexpected came to support this theory for me.

I never thought that working in a centre for asylum seekers would help me better grasp the issue of homosexuality, and why it seems, on the surface, to be so adamantly condemned in Scripture. Yet, meeting people from different cultures throws a very interesting light on the morality of this issue.

In our center, we have been holding discussion panels about life in Belgium, and mentioning things such as gender equality, freedom of religion, and LGBT rights. The question of gay marriage got a variety of responses. Many people, including those coming from a Muslim background, were very matter-of-fact about it, saying that we all need to respect the life choices of other people. Some people from Africa got their Bibles out and emphatically argued that homosexuality was inherently sinful. 

But what I found particularly interesting was this: many of our residents from Afghanistan or Iraq, when confronted to Western acceptance of homosexuality, state dryly that there is no such thing in their country. Some Afghans even protested, "Pedophilia is illegal where we come from!". Aghast that they would make such a comparison, I dug further. They explained to me that in Afghanistan, there is no such thing as two men loving each other the way a man and his wife do (or at least, they're not aware of it). What they have often witnessed, however, is the abuse of young boys by older men, not only back home, but also during their journey to Europe. Hence the way they recoil from the very mention of homosexuality, and the way they were quick to state that such things were illegal. Of course, we explained to them that pedophilia is illegal (and immoral) in Europe too, and that being attracted to someone of the same sex is totally different from child abuse. But I find their comments and reactions very enlightening. If the only type of homosexual relationship you'd ever witnessed was one of abuse and control, driven by lust and the desire to overpower the other person, rather than committed, loving relationships, you'd find the practice despicable, no doubt. You would be very likely to call it... an abomination. Wouldn't you?

Unity and disagreement

This is the third post of a series on something that is extremely important to me: the Christian faith. As I explained yesterday, I have come to question certain beliefs I used to have; but I have always held on to the basics of the Christian faith.

The apostle Paul sums it up in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." It's the most simple expression of the Christian creed. A more elaborate version is the Apostles' Creed, also known as Symbol of the Apostles:

"I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (i.e. universal) Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting." 

Christians believe this and live in the light of it. Those are the essentials, the fundamentals. If a Christian questioned the existence of God, the divinity of Jesus, his death for our sins and his resurrection, I would question whether that person really understands what it means to be a Christian.

However, there are also a number of issues on which not all Christians agree. None of these issues are core to the Gospel, they're what I'd call peripheral issues. I learnt a wonderful word while I was translating a Christian book on ethics: irenic. Irenic means favouring peace and conciliation, especially in light of disagreements on Christian doctrine. How I wish Christians could be irenic when it comes to issues that are not core to the Christian message!

Some Christians believe God created the world in 6 days about 6,000 years ago, while some others don't see any contradiction between the scientific theory of evolution and the Bible (they believe God could have used and directed the evolutionary process). 

Some Christians believe that spectacular gifts of the Spirit such as speaking in tongues, prophesy, or healing only occured in apostolic times, while others think they still happen today.

Some Christians believe they should abstain from alcohol.

Some Christians believe women should not teach men in the church, whereas other churches let gifted women preach, teach and lead services.

Some Christians believe that those called to ministry ought to remain single, while others see no problem with married ministers.

Some Christians believe they should tithe (give 10% of all your income to charity), others believe they should just give what they have resolved in their hearts to give.

Some Christians are staunch pacifists while others feel in some cases, it is right and just to fight. 

Some Christians couples believe having children is a biblical mandate and that therefore, they should not use any form of contraception. Others believe there is nothing wrong with planning how many children, if any, they want to have.

... Some Christians believe that homosexuality is always a sin, whereas others believe that loving, committed relationships between two partners of the same sex are approved by God.

And there's the rub. This has become a non-negotiable issue for many Christians: believing anything else than the inherent sinfulness of homosexuality, whatever the circumstances, is seen as nothing short of heresy.

I think differently. I believe this is one of many issues over which Christians ought to agree to disagree. I believe we need to be irenic about it!

PS: The purpose of this post is not to defend my personal position on any of those issues, but to aknowledge the existence of doctrinal differences within the Christian faith that do not threaten or put into question the basics of the Gospel.

Coming out - and standing against evil

Today, I wish to share with you something I have been wrestling with for a long, long time, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.

Last September, I explained how I had become a Christian. Of course, understanding who Jesus is and what he did for us is just the beginning. Most churches spend time teaching believers what it means to live as a Christian. And a subject Evangelical churches like to cover is sexual ethics, which brings me to the main point of my post. I was taught early on that according to the Bible, homosexual behaviour is sin. Verses from Leviticus, Romans and 1 Corinthians are often used to back this up, as well as the general idea that God created humans male and female to enjoy a complementary relationship, and that human marriage reflects the relationship between Jesus and the church. So I took it all on board, which was easy enough since it didn't apply to me - after all, I am straight, right?

As it happens, the university I attended the following year seemingly had a significant proportion of people who identified as gay. As a consequence, I decided to investigate the matter further in order to understand them better. In my opinion, before trying to share the good news of God's love for humankind, one has to put oneself in the other person's shoes and have empathy with their plight, whatever it may be. I read Striving for Gender Identity, a book that adheres to the traditional view, but attempts to explain the underlying causes of homosexuality. In short, the book presents homosexuality as failure to identify with one's gender, and a resulting attraction for what is a mystery to one - one's own gender (whereas in heterosexual attraction, the appeal resides in the fact that the opposite sex is somewhat of a mystery). The book also claimed that homosexuality could be cured by first reconciling the person with his or her gender. Again, from an outsider's perspective, I thought that made very good sense, and so I began to see homosexuals as people who suffered from a psychological condition. In any case, people I ought to treat with kindness. It's also around that time that I began to realise no one chooses to be gay, not any more than I chose to be straight.

Years passed, and I met a variety of people, including people who identify as gay. They were real people, with their life stories and emotions. They were faces and smiles and tears; people I could relate to. I also met Christians who didn't consider homosexuality as a sin. This puzzled me somewhat, and I started reading up more about it. Over the years, I read many well-thought out arguments that claimed homosexuality was not necessarily a sin according to the Bible. I heard the voice of Christians who said this is an area where we ought to agree to disagree. I also read stories of people who were badly emotionally damaged by so-called "gay cures".

Then, last year, Christian singer Vicki Beeching came out. I knew her because she led worship at Spring Harvest one of the years I went. She is a committed Christian who loves God deeply. What moved me to my core was her honest recount of the suffering she went through, how hard she tried "not to be gay", and how she pleaded with God, in tears, to free her from her homosexuality. And he didn't. 

I couldn't help but think, "Hang on, if God loves us so much he actually died for us, why would he let his child beg him to deliver her from her own sin, and not free her from it?" Unless it wasn't a sin at all. 

Two days ago, Tony Campolo, a prominent evangelical speaker, spoke out in favour of gay marriage. He is one of a growing number.
 
So where do I stand now? I will give you my 100% honest answer. I do not know. I do not know whether homosexuality is a sin or not. I have read countless arguements for both sides and they make good sense - on both sides. So I am sitting on the fence. But maybe that is not the point.

Maybe I wasn't called to make a judgement on this. Maybe as Christians, we are called to love and welcome everyone just as they are, just as they stand, as Jesus did. Maybe, just maybe it's better to "err on the side of compassion", as Christian blogger Benjamin Corey puts it. 

What I do know, though, is that Jesus calls us to speak out against oppression and the dehumanization of people. In some countries, homosexuality is punishable by death, and, horrendously enough, this has been supported by Western Christians. In the US, homosexuals have been denied access to services on the basis of their sexual orientation. That, I believe, is wrong. That, I believe, is sinful. 

And so this is my coming out. I am an ally.

I may not be certain of what I believe on the issue, but I am an ally. I choose not to discriminiate against gays. I choose to support them in their plight. I do not believe there is a "gay agenda" trying to throw our society into chaos. I believe there are human beings who need the same thing I do - love and acceptance. I believe there are couples in love who simply want the right to live together, the right to visit their life partner in hospital, or inherit from him should the worst happen. Gays do not choose to be attracted to someone of the same sex. No one wakes up one morning thinking, "Hey, I think I'm gonna try this gay thing". Their sexual orientation more often than not sets them up for bullying, discrimination, or worse. 

Moreover, I think there are far more serious issues facing our world today, such as child trafficking or the exploitation of people by big corporations in order to make profit. 

Franklin Graham, the son of famous evangelist Billy Graham, very recently deplored the "moral decay" that he ascribes to the gay agenda, and has decided to move his money out of a bank that used a homosexual couple in their advertising. He says, 

"Let’s just stop doing business with those who promote sin and stand against Almighty God’s laws and His standards. Maybe if enough of us do this, it will get their attention."

Why, Mr Graham, I wholeheartedly agree. I hope, therefore, that you do not buy anything from big corporations (Monsanto or Nestlé, for instance) who make profit by exploiting human beings (who are bearers of the image of God) and destroying God's creation (that he gave us stewardship of). I hope you and your organisation put your money in banks that invest in ethical businesses, not in said human-exploiting corporations. I hope you strive to buy fair-traded coffee and chocolate to ensure no child has been enslaved to produce what you consume. Do use your power as a consumer to stand against evil. But do it thoroughly, and about the issues that really matter. You are strangely silent on blatant social injustice. People are enslaved and exploited so we, Westerners, can keep enjoying all our little luxuries. That, in my opinion, is a far more serious "moral decay" that people like you conveniently ignore.

As for me, I'll always try my best to be an ally to those who suffer. I will choose compassion over judgement.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Further reading on the issue of homosexuality and Christianity: Matthew Vines' book God and the Gay Christian;  blog series by Preston Sprinkle and Jeff Cook "Discussing Homosexuality: a Better Way".