*Disclaimer:
1. I am a mere student of Theology/Psychology and not an expert by any means.
2. I am not a Homosexual Male so my experience is very limited.
3. These are thoughts pertaining to Homosexuality and Christianity, not simply Homosexuality.
*Credit: this topic was presented and studied further by a classmate of mine... these are simply my thoughts and reflections. I also thought it important enough to share with others.
Many of these ideas have been articulated/originated in "Washed ans Waiting" by Wesley Hill
There has long been discussions on the "source" of homosexual attraction; some state is genetic while others environmental, nature vs. nurture if you will. I am NOT going to venture here, what can be established is that some people are attracted to others of the same gender. Thus making there sexual identity "homosexual."
(Unless someone can show me otherwise) Homosexuality as a sexual identity is not described as wrong or sinful in scripture. Acting on that identity on the other hand is (1 Tim. 1:10). In fact, this list includes many other "options" of sinfulness, like "sexual immorality," but since sexual immorality is committed within the confines of a "normal" sexual identity it has not been ostracized in such an extreme way. Similarly, murder is not rooted in such a solid cultural identity as sexuality (though murder can very much be an identity) yet it is included in the list in 1 Timothy. Perhaps most sobering is "Liars" is stated after "Those practicing homosexuality," there has to be at least one person in church who WAS a liar but now finds their identity in Christ. (Please perceive my sarcasm)
Logically then, can there be a homosexual who WAS "practicing homosexuality" but now finds their identity in Christ? I would have to say YES.
This would lead to several implications:
1. This would mean that a professing homosexual christian would need to undertake a sort of celibacy, that is go without the experiences of sexual intimacy. This may sound harsh for the heterosexual who has never surrendered their sexuality to the authority of Christ; but as a Christ follower ones identity is first and foremost in Christ, so to give that up is the cost of following Christ. Hill describes it as his "Cross to bear." Is it not unlike the unmarried woman who longs for the intimacy of a husband yet abstains from "sexual immorality?" Or else the church needs to fear/hate the unmarried adult as much as the homosexual. <--- Not a real suggestion.
2. Homosexual Christians then will not be welcomed by the homosexual community because they won't act upon their sexuality. Unfortunately, in the vast majority of situations redeemed homosexual Christians aren't welcomed into the Christian community; leaving the homosexual Christian with no community what so ever, which is horribly wrong.
3. Work needs to be done in establishing that sexual identity and sexual intimacy are not absolutes for all of mankind and even these seemingly necessities to humanity can be submitted under the kingship of Christ. Again, most comparably to the unmarried adult who can either act on their sexuality and be "sexual immoral" or redeemed in Christ.
4. Finally, because the deep rooted sexual identity, the Homosexual Christian has the opportunity to experience the power, redemption, sustainability and intmacy of Christ on a level that most will never know.
There are many questions left unanswered and this is not a definite answer to the relationship between Christianity and Homosexuality but it is my mere thoughts and reflections.
Please give me feed back and start a conversation so that a change can begin.
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Cullen,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I admire your courage to approach it, as there are many who would not. I agree with you-- my understanding is that it isn't a sin to be attracted to the same sex, however it is to act upon that urge. I think this is a fact that is not stressed enough in popular culture, along with the fact that so many other sins are just as horrible in God's eyes.
For example, my own struggles with pre-marital sex... it is simply unpopular to save yourself for marriage but more importantly, it is a sin not to. In my world view before marriage, there was no man that would stick with me long enough to get married if I didn't make myself available sexually. In retrospect, I was wrong. But at the time, it seemed to me an impossibility that someone would invest the rest of their own life without first testing the waters. This, along with the fact that I had my own urges to contend with made the idea of entering into marriage as a virgin an impossibility in my mind.
I believe Homosexual's have an even harder segue of thoughts to overcome in order to resist the temptation. The world is against them, and the subculture that is for them, the group that accepts them with open arms, encourages them to act.