Homosexuality and the Church

Scripture:
- To understand the arguments, here are the standard verses pointed to by churches who oppose having homosexual ministers, etc.:

• Leviticus 18.22
• Romans 1.26-27
• 1 Corinthians 6.9-10

- 1 Corinthians 12.4-11
- Matthew 7.1-5
- 1 Samuel 18.1-3; 20.16-17

Articles:
- Excerpt from Dean Sam Wells' book Speaking the Truth: Preaching in a Pluralistic Culture
- Views on Theology and Gay and Lesbian Issues
- Summary of above by UMC

We began our discussion with a summary of Dean Wells' sermon on homosexuality. He lays out four possible approaches to the issue taken by Christians. The "holiness" approach focuses on the supremacy of scripture, which, according to this approach, condemns homosexuality as an abomination. "One cannot seek a holy life while being unfaithful to the biblical text," and therefore, homosexuals are excluded from God's kingdom. The "kingdom" approach reminds us that there are only a handful of references to homosexual acts in the entire Bible, none of which are in the Gospels. This approach believes homosexuality is a distraction from the more important issues of poverty, war, the environment, etc. Rather than dealing with homosexuality and the church, advocates of this approach would say "Can we talk about something else?" The "pastoral" approach focuses on how gay people are unjustly treated by the church. Emphasizing the fact that all have sinned, this approach teaches love, compassion, honesty, and tolerance. The final approach, the "liberation" approach, believes the way the church has treated homosexuals is pure and simple discrimination. Often connected to secular pro-rights campaigns, adherents to this approach have a deep concern for justice and a reading of the Bible that is aware of the culture of that day. Dean Wells proposes that each of these is a legitimate approach. The point is not our conclusion on whether or not homosexuals should be married or ordained but on how we come to that decision. He says, "What we have to offer the world is not a book full of answers but a way of continuing a conversation with God and with one another." That premise is what this entire study is based upon.

After discussing Dean Wells' sermon, we shared where we see ourselves in his paradigm. In this, we also discussed what we discovered about our denominations' stances on homosexuality. What does the way church members treated Bishop Gene Robinson say about the state of the Episcopal Church? Is the Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco's Blue Book project in keeping with the denomination's view of homosexuality? Will the United Methodist Church ever really have open hearts, open minds, and open doors when it comes to the issue of gay clergy? There is often a tension between denominational stance and an individual's views. Sometimes, individuals' views are shaped entirely by what their denomination has to say on a matter. Other times, an individual might be wholly at odds with their denomination's position. This latter situation can impede an individual's ability to feel included or even welcomed at a congregation, particularly when members of your Sunday School disagree with most of what you might have to say.

In discussing the issue of gay clergy, we turned to 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. This passage states that the Spirit activates certain gifts in us. There is a sense in which, if you are called by God, you cannot help but eventually give in. This holds true in many clergymembers' call stories, in which they initially resisted the call but gradually succumbed. If this is the case, how can we as the church deny an individual's God-instilled gifts for ministry merely on the basis of her/his sexual orientation? In addition, many churches welcome professing homosexuals into their congregations, even if they deny them ordination. However, gay clergy stand as leaders for gay Christians, who so often have been marginalized and ostracized by the church. To deny gay Christians representation in church leadership is harmful to both the church and its members.

The issue was raised that the Bible is a heterosexual book. In reality, the idea of homosexuality as a sexual orientation is very new. Consequently, Biblical authors had no concept of homosexuality as we understand it today. They only understood homosexual acts, which they viewed as being the result of an excess of libido. These individuals were so uncontrolled in their lust that their sexual appetites were unsatisfied by members of the opposite sex so they resorted to homosexual acts. The problem is not an issue of sexual orientation but of sexual moderation, something that is true of heterosexuals as much as homosexuals. In addition, Paul was concerned with gender and social norms of his day. A man should always be dominate and a woman should always be subordinate. Consequently, for a man to be subordinate or a woman to be dominant in a sexual act was contrary to his cultural understanding and therefore viewed as unnatural. The Bible is not a heterosexual book because these categories did not exist as we understand them today.

Another interesting issue that was raised is the way in which pro-gay rights Christians often use the Bible to support the inclusion of homosexuals. In turning to verses like Matthew 7.1-5 or Romans 3.23, they are implicitly (though often unwittingly) saying that homosexuality is a sin, something they would generally disagree with. How then are pro-gay rights Christians to use the Bible to defend their position?

The church is at a critical point. Its legalism borders on being Pharisaic, but when it welcomes all, does it compromise the Biblical text? In the debate over the sacredness of marriage, are Christians willing to weaken Christ's marriage to the church through denominational splits? Are they willing to deny the God-given gifts of another? We must strive to continue the conversation, building relationships with those who are "other," whether in terms of sexual orientation or ideology or both.

Questions for further reflection:
- If you view the Bible as condemning homosexuality, how do you deal with the fact that Biblical authors had no concept of homosexuality as we understand it today? If you do not view the Bible as condemning homosexuality, what verses will you point to in order to support the inclusion of homosexuals in the church and clergy?
- Should the church focus as much on homosexuality as it does or should it be dealing with more important issues?
- Is dialogue enough at this point or do more concrete actions need to be taken?