By Joe Perez
Don't miss Rev. Kristi McLaughlin's touching story and compelling case for embracing gay people within the Christian Church. She serves at Mitchell Congregational United Church of Christ in Mitchell, South Dakota, a city of about 14,000 in population. She writes in an op-ed for The Daily Republic:
I’ve heard the argument that while they can “remain gay,” they should not seek lifetime partnerships because God wants them to remain celibate. And I’ve heard the statements “I don’t care if they are gay. I just don’t want to talk about it. Why can’t they just keep it to themselves?” To which I’ve thought, “Do you keep your loving relationships to yourself?” It’s all so dehumanizing and arrogant.
Scripture has been used to support this dehumanizing behavior (and others), and yet Jesus does not even discuss same-sex relationships. Paul does, but not Jesus. In fact, Jesus speaks more of money than anything. And the Gospels do quote Jesus talking of divorce, but not samesex relationships. Jesus talks of love, non-violence, generosity. Jesus brought in the marginalized of his era and was accused of breaking God’s laws (Mark 3.1-6, Matt. 12.9-14, Luke 6.6-11).
As I write this, I know there are Bible passages that do condemn homosexual behavior; however, I also know the importance of understanding these texts in the proper social and historical contexts. Furthermore, I know that there are many other portions of Scripture that we choose to dismiss due to them being only for that era. Who decides what “laws” of the Hebrew Bible are relevant or not? (See Lev. 18.19, 15.19-24; Duet. 21.15-17, 22.11-12, 22.22, 22.13-21, 23.1, 25.11, 22.1; 2 Sam. 6.20; and Isaiah 47.3) Levirate marriage was polygamous and sexual organs were referred to as a “thigh” or “foot,” and nudity was “reprehensible.” There are 613 Torah laws of which the one many have chosen to rise above all others is “You [masculine] shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
Moreover, there are Bible “norms” that we today find inappropriate: slavery, prostitution, inequality between men and women, women considered as property, concubines, sex with slaves, marriage of young girls and more.
Is this an issue of biblical authority or interpretation? Is it an issue of basic human rights? Morals? Values? All those catch phrases that same sex-relationships seem to acquire? For me, it’s an issue of God’s love. For me, it’s an issue of us, all of us, gay or straight, being on a journey toward our fullest sense of humanity based in love, respect and life, and for some, this sense of humanity is found through a loving, committed relationship with someone of the same sex. I believe that becoming fully human in the love of God is our journey whether gay or straight. I also know that I will be condemned by other followers of Jesus for my words, but I would rather err on the side of love, justice and humanity standing before condemnation than on the side of intolerance, inhumanity and injustice.
Read the whole op-ed here.
Spiritual mentor, author, poet, and scholar. Joe is best known for his 2007 book Soulfully Gay. one of the first memoirs in the tradition of World Spirituality based on Integral principles. Scholar-in-Residence at the Center for World Spirituality, where he works with Director Marc Gafni in providing leadership to the think tank. He also blogs at Gay Spirituality. Arctophile and ailurophile. A little bit country and a little bit "part and whole." Follow Joe Perez Facebook and Joe Perez Twitter.
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