Homosexuality and Christianity

by m_benavides (student)

University Degree Social studies

Prazak

Ali Prazak

Dr. Vandergriff

Christian Ethics

20 October 2011

Homosexuality

In society today there are topics that are not considered acceptable and are very controversial. Homosexuality is among those topics. According to Barnhouse in her article “Homosexuality”, “Homosexuality will be defined as an adult adaptation characterized by preferential sexual behavior between members of the same sex” (107). She uses “adult” because the adolescent stage of life is usually more of a transitional period of sexual identity confusion. The definition of the word homosexual from the Merriam Webster Dictionary is, “of, relating to, or characterized by a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same sex.” Society has different opinions on whether this is considered right. Every person has different self-beliefs and then there are people who go by what the Bible says. Everyone has a right to believe in what they want, but there has to be a limit to the way their feelings are expressed.

For hetersexual people to discriminate against homosexual people is the same as racial discrimination. America has gone through the times of slavery and segregation. This may not be segregation of color, but it is segregation of people and their sexuality. Who is to say who can marry whom? Is the Bible really what dictates people’s beliefs and choices? Is God the only person that can say what people do with their lives? If God is the creator of all, then if He does not accept homosexuals, why did He create them? There are only twelve places in the Bible that mentions homosexuality. If it were so controversial in society you would think that there would be more to go from in the Bible than only twelve mentions. It is in the same category as abortion, which is not even mentioned in the Bible, but is a huge controversy in the world. As for same-sex marriage there is no mention of it in the Bible at all. How can people bring religion into that when there is nothing to go off?

In Christianity the idea that a couple has to be male-female started with Adam and Eve. In Genesis 1:26-27, the beginning of life starts with Adam and Eve, male and female. They are there to be caretakers of everything on Earth and to increase the number of humans. Today, people take this from the Bible and believe because that is how God made the world, that is how it must be. They do not believe that there can be any alterations, such as homosexuality. The main reason that God made both male and female is for sex and reproduction. If there are men with men or women with women they cannot reproduce. According to “The Journal of Pastoral Care”, it says that Thomas Aquinas gave the reason why homosexuality is condemned: because the possibility of propagation was ruled out. The Bible says that the only reasons to have sex are propagation, completion, mutuality, and enjoyment (The Journal of Pastoral Care, 5).

Generally, Christians believe that one is not born homosexual. They believe that it is not predetermined, but it comes from life situation conditions after the birth. Christians say that a homosexual who has a desire to change is able to do it, but he or she has to go through a vigorous process of psychotherapy. One has to go back to the very instance that caused the individual to become homosexual and rework it so that he or she was not responsible. To them this proves that science was right and that homosexuality is a condition that is brought by life conditions (The Journal of Pastoral Care). The Bible does not say the word sin when talking about homosexuality. However, Christians seem to have got the idea that a person must change who they are through psychotherapy just so they can be called a man or woman and be accepted and not be looked down upon by the rest of the Christian community.

Similarly, Mainline Protestant leadership in the 1960’s was making a distinction between homosexual practice and homosexual orientation. “Along with this distinction, they began to view homosexuality as a disease” (Balch 23). Because homosexuality was considered a disease it could be cured, either through hormonal therapy or through counseling. Homosexuality being a disease was now categorized with something like alcoholism and homosexuals were being shown sympathy. In the 1970’s the American Psychiatric Association said that homosexuality was not a mental disease but a disorder because it “related to a natural design of God’s creation.” Now that it is classified as a ...

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Many people that are Christian who have admitted to being homosexual to their churches have been asked not to return or have been “defrocked by the church of God” (Wilcox). There is a man named Troy Perry who announced his homosexuality to his bishop who asked him to leave the church. Perry decided to create the first Metropolitan Community Church (UMFCC) in 1968 that would “minister to gay and lesbian Christians” (Wilcox). The “denomination’s mission statement still defines it as ‘a Christian Church founded in and reaching beyond the Gay and Lesbian communities’.” It also says that “ We serve among those seeking and celebrating the integration of their spirituality and sexuality” (Wilcox). It is said that the denomination “moves in the mainstream of Christianity.” This statement includes seven points. “These include belief in the trinity; the divine inspiration of the Bible; the dual human and divine nature of Jesus; the presence of the Holy Spirit as God’s love in the world; justification by grace through Christian faith; the special power of grace to save humans from ‘loneliness, despair and degradation’; and the evangelistic mission that mandates regular worship services as well as ‘edification through the teaching and preaching of the world’” (Wilcox). These statements define the so-called Christian way. (18) These statements also leave a lot of room for the individual to take what he or she wants, such as how they interpret the Bible.

According to “Coming Out in Christianity” people could have been exposed to the idea of homosexuality as morally wrong because of their religious upbringing. It says that they might have been “raised within religions that exposed them to negative teachings about homosexuality.” Statistics say that “the vast majority were raised as Christians; 12 percent of these were raised in conservative Protestant denominations; 33.3 percent in mainline Protestant denominations, and 6 percent in liberal denominations. Just under 30 percent of the survey respondents were raised Catholic.” Wilcox explains that the children’s grasp on homosexuality would have been easier if the children attended services instead of either not attending or attending many different religious things. He is trying to say that homosexuality is not necessarily a bad thing and that the reason why many Christians believe that is a bad thing is because they are brought up with negative religious attitudes towards homosexuality. Wilcox’s view is more for homosexuality because he writes about the “converging and diverging roads” of the churches that believe in homosexuality and those that do not. (47)

I believe that every person should be able to choose whom he or she wants to be with and whom he or she wants to marry whether they are the same sex or not. That is their choice. There should be no laws against same-sex marriage. No individual should be forced to be unhappy because he/she cannot be with the one that he/she loves. If heterosexual couples can express their love through marriage, it is only fair that homosexuals can as well. Jesus believed that there should be no hate and that all people should be loved, be equal, and be treated with compassion and kindness. If there is supposed to be no such thing as hate, then how can anyone in a religious community show their dislike or hatred for homosexuals? In Lev. 18:22 homosexuality is said to be an “abomination”. In 1 Cor. 6:9-10 it says, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” If this list is a list of sins and homosexuality is not called a sin, then should homosexuality really be in this list? They have not hurt or deceived anyone.

I do not think that there is a big difference between homosexual tendencies and homosexual behavior. Homosexual tendencies are feelings that one might think they are having for the same sex, but no actions are taken. Homosexual behavior is the action that that is taken toward another person of the same sex. Homosexual tendencies are accepted, but homosexual behavior and homosexuality in itself is looked down upon. According to Christians the feelings or tendencies of someone struggling with their sexuality should be recognized but no actions should be taken toward another person. (Ball) I also think that if you are homosexual you should be able to show that, you should not have to hide it. One should not have to get rid of their homosexuality especially if a person is born with it. I disagree with the Christian opinion that a person becomes homosexual because of society and therefore has to psychologically get rid of whatever moment made them homosexual. Homosexuality is not a sin, or a disease, or a problem.

There are children in school that struggle with their sexuality and those who believe they are gay or lesbian have a harder time in school because of what other children are taught and believe. Kids are bullied and injured in school just because of their sexuality. According to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center (LGBT), “20 percent of all respondents fear for their physical safety because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 51 percent concealed their sexual orientation or gender identity to avoid intimidation. Every two years the Massachusetts Department of Education conducts a survey of the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, exploring the health-related attitudes and behaviors of high school students. The 2003 Survey found that LGBT students, when compared with their heterosexual peers, were over 5 times more likely to have attempted suicides in the past year, over 3 times more likely to have skipped school in the past month because they felt unsafe at or en route to school, and over 3 times more likely to have been threatened or injured with a weapon at school in the past year” (Ball). No student or person should ever have to go through any fear of hatred acts such as these.

I do not understand how some Christians can act in negative ways and say negative things about homosexual people, when they commit actual sins themselves. If some Christians believe that homosexuality is a sin, then how can they live being a true Christian and call themselves faithful when they commit adultery, have pre-marital sex, steal, cheat, abuse, and covet? Those are all considered sins, but everyday there are Christians that commit all of these. I do not think that it is right that one can call himself/herself a Christian just because he or she go to church on Sunday and pray and ask God for forgiveness for the sins he or she has committed. I am not Christian, but I believe that to be a true follower of any religion one must follow all of the rules and guidelines. It is understandable that people make mistakes and deserve forgiveness, but when a person repeatedly makes the same mistakes that person is no longer trying to be the best Christian he/she can be. For example, it should be unforgivable if someone repeatedly cheats on their significant other or abuses his or her child. Those are harmful acts. Being homosexual is not a harmful act.

From my experiences, I believe that men and women have different views on homosexuality. From what I have seen, women are more in favor of acceptance for both gays and lesbians. Men, on the other hand, seem to be totally against it when it is two gay guys, but when two lesbians are together they approve just for their own satisfaction. They do not mind seeing two girls together. It should not matter whether people are gay, lesbian, or bisexual. If a woman has feelings for another woman or a man has feelings for another man they should be accepted by all. I think it also depends on maturity levels. It is said that women mature in some areas faster than men. Men tend to stick to their childish habits of liking to see two girls together. Women I do not think go through a stage where they like to see men together or woman together as men do. Therefore, it seems easier for women to accept homosexuality in any form because they do not like it for their own pleasure.

I think that people are born gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual. I think there is the question in whether people are born that way or if it is from society because it takes many people years or even most of their lives to realize or accept that they are homosexual. It is hard for people to realize that they are because society frowns upon it so much that sometimes people will hide it for so long that they may actually think that that changed slightly. This is where I think you get more bisexuals. In my opinion, people can be born bisexual, but I think more people become bisexual when they see that society unfortunately does not accept then as a gay or lesbian. They turn to what is more or less in the middle. When a person is bisexual, they are attracted to both men and women. I think that it is either easier for them to admit to being bisexual or easier for them to avoid saying they are either gay or lesbian. If you are kid in school, and you are being harassed by other students about being gay or lesbian and someone makes comments about you liking a certain person it is easier for you to say that it is not true, if you have been with both male and females. This, I am sure is not the case more the majority of bisexuals, but I think that is a certain circumstance that has been come across. This falls into the topic of nature vs. nurture. Is it genetic and was someone born homosexual or is it really because of society? This is a major topic of controversy.

I have heard stories from friends that I have who are homosexual about being harassed by Christian police officers in public areas for holding hands or kissing. Being homosexual is not illegal. Police do not have the authority to harass homosexuals. If anything should be considered a sin, the harassment by the police officer should be. The police are supposed to be there to stop whatever harassment or violence is going on, not be the ones who create the problem. How can there be people like that in our country’s police force? Police officers and government officials should not be taking his time to argue against homosexuals and same-sex marriage when there is war, poverty, starvation, and other world problems that affect more people’s lives negatively than homosexuality.

There are many different views about homosexuality. There are religious views, such as the Christian view, and then there are people’s personal views. No view is right or wrong, but there are certain limits to the actions that come from those views. I have a different opinion on homosexuality than many of my friends and many of the articles that I found about the Christian view. I am not Christian, and it did surprise me on how strongly some Christians feel about homosexuality and how many are strongly against it due to what the Bible says or does not say. I think, overall, it is good to have contrasting views, but I do not believe that people should be suffering from being homosexual because of some of the views.

Balch, David L. Homosexuality, Science, and the "Plain Sense" of Scripture. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2000. Print.

Ball, Andrea. "Statistics." Cape Western Reserve University. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.case.edu/lgbt/safezone/statistics.html>.

Barnhouse, Ruth Tiffany. "Homosexuality." Anglican Theological Review (1976): 107-34. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.

Crowley, Paul G. "Homosexuality and the Council of the Cross." ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. EBSCO, 2004. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.

Fairbanks, Rollin J. "A Christian View of Homosexuality." ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. EBSCO, 1949. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.

Haldeman, Scott. "A Queer Fidelity: Reinventing Christian Marriage." Theology & Sexuality: The Journal of the Institute for the Study of Christianity and Sexuality 13.2 (2007): 137-52. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.

Jung, Patricia Beattle. "Blessing Same-Sex Marriages." ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. EBSCO, 2003. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.

King, Michael A. "Biblical Ethics and Homosexuality: Listening to Scripture." ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. EBSCO, 2000. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.

Stahlberg, Lesleigh Cushing. "Modern Day Moabites: The Bible and the Debate About Same-Sex Marriage." Biblical Interpretation 16.5 (2008): 442-75. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.

Wilcox, Melissa M. Coming out in Christianity: Religion, Identity, and Community. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2003. Print.