I spent a lot of time wrestling with this years ago. It began with my fascination with Truman Capote, whom I now regard as the greatest writer of this generation. I was taught as a child not to support the lifestyles of those whose lifestyles we disagreed with. So Christians should not go to movies, buy books, listen to music, etc, created by people who would use that money to live sinful lives.My first step to tolerating homosexuality was to divorce the action from the agent and be able to enjoy a creative expression on its own terms without regard to who created it and why he or she did when not writing, acting, composing, etc.
That didn't solve the problem, but it allowed me to compartmentalize it and define it.
Some years later I was teaching adult Sunday school and wanted to touch on creation and evolution. I asked a cousin, who participated in a primarily Christian listserve frequented by scientists, if he would ask the question and give me some insight. He did, and they did, and although I didn't find it as helpful as I'd hoped, I joined the listserve myself and simply read the threads.
One of the recurring subjects was homosexuality; a prominent contributor was a retired minister, John Burgeson, who links to his own position and many resources here http://www.burgy.50megs.com/more.htm#10
It's a complicated issue (if you start with a complicated ethic), and I encourage you to read all the materials he did. Two parts that stuck with me: 1) New Testament references by Christ to homosexuality may have referred to pedophilia, and 2) that if there is any doubt on what a Christian should and should not tolerate, he'd rather, after careful study, make a choice that does no harm.After careful consideration and a lot of niggling conviction, I was able not only to take the same step John Burgeson did, but tolerate homosexuality as an acceptable expression of Christian affection.
(BTW, I doubt very much I'd be welcomed as a Sunday school teacher in many churches anymore.)
No comments:
Post a Comment