Homophobic Response

I have done quite a bit of reading and have put a lot of thought into the subject of homosexuality recently because the topic keeps popping up everywhere. It has appeared in lessons at church, in conversations on Facebook, and on the national stage (gay marriages approved in NY). In my reading, I admit I was troubled by the widespread acceptance of the gay lifestyle by people who claim to be Christians. I am equally troubled by the hatred of homosexuals by people who claim to be Christians. As Christians we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, and as part of that love, we are called to expose the darkness so that God's light might be seen. If we have faith and believe in what God has said then we as Christians must condemn the act of homosexuality (Lev. 18:22, 20:13, Rom. 1:26-27, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, 1 Tim. 1:9-11) while loving those who claim homosexuality as their sexual orientation. Every one of us is friends with people who sin, and even people who have accepted something sinful as a regular part of their lives, but we don't hate them or disassociate ourselves from them. So why do so many Christians treat homosexuals that way? Why is a homosexual couple ushered out the back doors or ignored while the adulterous husband is prayed over and comforted and promised help?

I believe there are two main reasons. One of these is our societies inability to separate the doer from the deed when it comes to homosexuals. This is the direct result of what gay activists have been pushing for. They have been working for a long time to get homosexuality to be perceived as something they are and not something they do. Because of this, people automatically assume that if I condemn the practice of homosexuals then I am condemning homosexuals themselves. It is ingenious on their part because we cannot condemn homosexual behavior without people responding by calling us bigots or haters. However, liars, fornicators, adulterers, thieves, and more, flood through the doors of church buildings every week and are welcomed with open arms. The church clearly speaks out against the sins that these people are involved in but bigotry and hate do not seem to be present. The sins that they are caught up in are not condoned and yet they are loved. The problem is that many Christians, based on the false perception that has been accepted by society at large, believe that they must either fully accept both the sinner and the sin or reject both the sinner and the sin. As Christians we must fight this false perception and let the world know that this is not a package deal and that we can love someone even as we openly disapprove of what they’re doing.

I believe that the second reason why homosexuals are treated different is because we like our churches to be safe comfortable places where we can shelter ourselves and our loved ones from the world. Homosexuals are not the only group of people who fall into this category. If I tried to invite a murderer or a sex offender to church it would definitely cause a stir. I understand the risks of welcoming someone who has murdered people, or someone who has served time for raping little children into our buildings. I even understand why some people are afraid of letting homosexuals in. I would be lying if I said it wouldn't make me a little uncomfortable. But since when was being a Christian supposed to be safe or comfortable? Our fight to stay safe and comfortable contributes to a picture of the church as a bunch of haters and bigots. We are looked upon as hypocrites because our actions do not model the actions of our Lord and Savior.

It is my prayer that as Christians we will not let society control our actions and that we will start living a little more dangerously, being true models of Jesus Christ!