Making Peace

You may wonder how a person such as myself; a straight, Christian, married, mother of a one year old, can be okay with the idea of Gay people being Christians and coming to church with the rest of us. How, you may ask, would that even be possible? Well, I think we need to make peace with the idea within our own hearts and to do that we need to look at the Bible and see what it says, and talk to people who are Gay, and look at the research that is out there, and put it all together while prayerfully considering all you have read and heard.

I made Peace with the idea of a person being both Gay and a Christian when I realized that the people I knew did not CHOOSE to be gay but had definitely shown signs throughout their life that they were gay. They eventually embraced the fact that God made them this way and He loved them as He created them. Then they realized they should embrace that part of themselves instead of denying who they were and feel free to love God back and accept the gift of salvation He offers. I also read the verses that are so often used against homosexuals and realized it was describing people who turned away from God and were given over to their lusts to lust after both men and women and just go crazy in their sexual sins. And the verses that actually have the word "homosexual" in it are mis-translated as that word (very sad because its used by many Christians to tell Gays they are going to Hell). It isn't the person who describes themself as homosexual that is a sin, it is the actions of a person that is sinful. Just as a heterosexual person is still a heterosexual, even if they aren't actively having sex with anoyone.

So what is sin described in all those verses? Basically it boils down to this, sex outside of marriage in ANY context is considered sin, so therefore everyone Straight or Gay is in the same sinful boat together. One group has no right to point at the other as being more depraved or less deserving or less capable of salvation. As far as when the sex act between two same-sex people is okay? Well, the Bible doesn't talk about what we know today as same-sex partnerships, so its hard to just make a definate statement that in the case of any two people (Gay or Straight) as long as they are married its okay to have sex. But think about this, even if same-sex partnerships aren't the "ideal" Biblical model neither is divorce. And those that remarry after their divorce Jesus himself called adulteres, and the church accepts those people into their pews. God doesn't consider what they have done as the unforgivable sin, and neither is being a homosexual the unforgivable sin. I ask then, "Why not?" Why not accept Gay partners in the church, even if we see that its not the "Biblical Model" of marriage?

Is it better to be celibate if you are not heterosexual? Perhaps, I am not sure what God would say about that, since that isn't a subject even talked about in the Bible. But also, I am not Gay... this is what I say to my Gay brothers and sisters in Christ: I think only you can answer the question as you listen to the Holy Spirit within your heart. Is He calling you to celibacy? Its definitely not a gift everyone has (Jesus and the Apostle Paul both recognized that). Is God okay with you being with a life partner as long as you don't have sex (if its just the act that is "abominable")? Or is sex okay as long as you are only participating in that act with your life partner? The answer lies within you, as it is up to each of us to work out our own salvation and listen to the small quiet voice of the Holy Spirit within our hearts and to be obedient to Him.

I cannot judge my Gay brothers and sisters for their answer to that question. I will support them all as they work it out and find the answer for them self. That is what I know for sure... that I am to Love my neighbor as myself and to Love God with all my heart, mind, and strength. So I will always love my fellow Christian brothers and sisters, Gay or Straight... no matter what, just at Jesus himself called us to do.