A Better Perspective

Where We Are

There is so much controversy these days about homosexuality, gender identity, and self-identification, in the secular world and also in the church. Most have a good idea of what the view is Biblicaly or according to Christians, and certainly most know how that is received by those outside the Christian community.  Many Christians are afraid to engage this topic because of that reaction being so charged up. They worry the emotion will overrun and  prevent an adequate explanation. People on all sides of the issue are extremely prone to letting emotion take over.

In the current political climate, it is difficult even to find language that communicates the intent. For example, if homosexual behavior is claimed as a sin, it is automatically assumed there is hate toward those who commit that sin. This doesn't make sense. If someone is called a liar, it is assumed that the desire is to admit, recant, discontinue the lies, not that there is hatred toward the person who lies. Why should the response be any different for any behavior deemed unacceptable?

How would this play out for a different scenario? A person claims to have impulses to steal. Immediately this person is labeled as a kleptomaniac or a thief, and is assumed to be hated by anyone who doesn't accept stealing as a valid way to live life. They conclude that there is no option for them in life but to take on the permanent role as klepto, embrace that lifestyle, fight for it, resist efforts to leave it, make stealing their identity.

How obviously foolish this appears once the political overshadowing is removed!

I found a discussion on this topic that refreshingly avoids these defense ruts and keeps the conversation perhaps where it should have been all along.


How Christians are Wrong in the Way they Deal with Homosexuality

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ82wVfO5qs

A Different Approach

First of all, the speaker keeps his cool, doesn't get rattled and begin spewing out arguments without thought, and doesn't become lured away form the actual topic.

Highlighted comments

  No sin should be treated differently than any other sin.
  Whatever specific sin is being discussed, that's not as big of an issue in play as deciding what the highest authority is and surrendering to that.
  Our sexuality or urges should not define who we are.
  A lot of sin issues are secondary.
  Especially Christians (who by definition have realized God and His Word are the highest authority)  should be concerned with surrendering to whatever our best understanding of what God wants, no matter how we like it.
  We have to understand the difference between the Creator, and a created being.
  We may make mistakes, we may (and should) alter our position as our understanding grows.
  Following Jesus is more about agreeing to make your body your slave, not doing things you very much want to do, and doing things you don't want to do.
  We don't need to jump directly to the sin issue before addressing the underlying issue of identifying our supreme authority.