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Christianity Today, August, 2007 |

The Gay Shibboleth

Opposition to homosexual behavior may now be a bar to high office.

A Christianity Today editorial | posted 7/11/2007 08:36AM

As a member of the United Methodist Judicial Council, physician James Holsinger voted with the majority to affirm Methodist teaching that bans practicing homosexuals from ordination. Holsinger also wrote ...

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Rgordon

Posted: July 19, 2007 3:24 PM

It's disingenuous for religious leaders to fret that the big, bad gay agenda is limiting religious "freedom." The enormity of the discrimination that gays and lesbians have faced--and still face--must be very difficult to imagine for somebody born as a heterosexual into a majority religion. If you were that concerned about personal liberty, where was your outrage when Matthew Shepherd was murdered? Or Harvey Milk? Or when scores of gays in "Christianized" African nations are tortured and imprisoned for no other "crime" than that of being gay? No, I have a hard time crying over the terrible social barriers that must be endured by Christians in America.

JIM COONS

Posted: July 18, 2007 12:56 PM


So, now homosexuality is finally "normal" and those that disdain such behavior are "abnormal." The folks from NAMBLA must be very excited about their prospects. The decline is accelerating as “every man does what is right in his own eyes.”

Xeno77777

Posted: July 13, 2007 11:18 PM

The Greek Philosophers, living in a Pagan Society where Homosexuality was very prevalent, declared Homosexuality to be a Bad Habit! Meaning like Drug Addiction, Drunkeness, being addicted to Gambling, Pedophilia. Anal Intercourse spreads sexually transmitted diseases far more rapidly than normal intercourse. In Kenya, there are prostitutes who have been servicing customers for years, many customers have HIV/AIDS, yet these women remain free of HIV/AIDS. Often, young boys are raped by older male in Homosexual Recruitment Rites. Anal Intercourse is so dangerous, that no under age male is mature enough to rightfully consent, no matter what the Supreme court Says. Congress men and women, are simply being too cowardly, in not gearing up for a try at impeaching Supreme Court Justices who say or rule otherwise. Christians must withdraw their support from cowardly congress persons.

Hoist by your own Petard

Posted: July 13, 2007 3:42 PM

I hav enever been a supporter of Litmus Tests and I am not now. However, radical christian conservatives insured that this day would come when they forcibly legitimaized the practice of using Litmus Tests on political appointees in the 80's and 90's. At that time you, this magazine and most of those supporting this article and it's position today, thought that there was nothing wrong with intolerantly forcing your specific and narrow beliefs on any who wanted to hold public office. America was told by you that this was NOT religous intolerance on your part, it was just good family values. We told you then what the problem was with using temporal power to intolerantly enforce your religious beliefs: YOU would not always be in power and someday the tables could be turned. Well guess what; today is that day. And it will not stop here, the Atheists are feeling their oats and they are looking for payback for 40 years of dogmatic creationism. Welcome to the world that YOU created.

Dave	Posted: July 13, 2007 11:07 AM

"the gay life style kills also" Interesting that the only ones who truly believe that are right wing "christians" who must rely on unreliable and sometimes even fictional "facts" to prove their point. The claim that the right wing "christian" loves his/her LGBT neighbor is ludicrous in light of the millions, perhaps billions, of dollars that they sink into organizations that exist only for the purpose of fighting for discrimination and legal bigotry against said neighbor. Perhaps if you attempted to model the love of Christ, to do as he taught - not the manmade traditions that have built up over the centuries, you could have a major impact on the world. As it stands, sadly, the conservative church is just one more shrill hostile and confrontational voice in a world that truly needs the real Jesus Christ. If Holsinger can rise above his previous statements and show that he would truly represent all, then he should certainly be confirmed whether he accepts LBGT people or not. dav

Romero

Posted: July 12, 2007 1:10 PM

What many pro-gay activist fail to understand is that God loves the sinner but hates the sin. They really do not know the character of God. If they studied the Bible they would know that God is Love but also a consuming fire. God believes in tough love. Eventually all will have to come before God the judge. We will be judged based on whether we lived in obedience or rebellion to him. Currently we are living in a period of grace, but the day of Judgment is fast approaching.

Joy	Posted: July 12, 2007 12:58 PM

Knowing its God we want to please, let's examine ourselves through a gay activist's eyes. They may hear us claim we love them, but what proof do they have? They see us as the suppressor of their freedom and equality. Good parenting advice is to maintain an outwardly loving relationship with your children, so they will be more apt to see that your rules and discipline are based on love, not ignorant dictatorship. Gay activists see Christians (who are the more outspoken sector of our democratic society) as that unreasonable dictator for trying to enforce God's rules, when they have not experienced God's love. We should seek friendly relationships with gay people and shock them with the love and grace we show them! Jesus was called "the friend of sinners" yet he told them to "sin no more". Introduce them to God. Share your experience of chipping away at the log in your own eye. Be sure you're grounded in God's word and have a support system to help you if you get stumped. 2 Peter 3:15-18

John	Posted: July 12, 2007 12:56 PM


This article discusses Empire, the Bush administration, and biblical teachings. I know this wasn't the author's intention, but his article may cause an erosion of evangelical support for the Bush administration. Did the early Christian support the Roman Empires wars of Imperial conquest as evangelcals have supported the invasion/occupation of Iraq?

Ex-Gay Watch

Posted: July 12, 2007 11:24 AM

Contrary to CT's insinuations, the objections to Holsinger relate not to his detailing of the hazards of same-gender sex per se. The objections center around Holsinger's imbalanced portrayal of the hazards: Opposite-gender couples engage in the same hazardous forms of sex as gay men; Holsinger neglected to state the hazards for heterosexuals. Furthermore, Holsinger promoted notions regarding the causes and treatment of homosexuality that might have been OK in 1991 but have since been scientifically disproven. Were I him, I would have advocated for homosexuals to remain celibate; I would not have advocated for expensive politico-religious therapies that add to sexual strugglers' confusion and self-doubt. The nation needs a surgeon general who is grounded in sound science. Holsinger may indeed be such a person nowadays, but his 1991 paper suggests he would put health and life at risk through selective ignorance of the hazards of sexual behavior.

Alberto

Posted: July 12, 2007 9:42 AM

Let us cut to the chase. Homosexuality is an abomination. St. Paul says so. I would rather be looked down upon the world than by our good and loving Creator. I would rather pass on this life knowing that I defended the divine teachings of the Christian Church than pandered to the wishes of the populace. God loves homosexuals, but not homosexuality. The problem with today's society is that many Christians and non-Christians think that they are better than their Creator, and so they pick and choose doctrines that they agree on, thinking that God is right in some aspects and wrong in others. What arrogance. Remind yourself that you are just an unworthy speck of dust. God alone. Forever.

Mark	Posted: July 12, 2007 8:59 AM

Excellent article. I am not interested in bashing gays. I am interested in following the orthodoxy of my Christian faith. I can't think of a group of folks who have cleverly gathered more influence per capita than the gay community. The mental calisthenics involved in the re-interpretation of Scripture along these lines is astonishing. Better to simply say you disagree with Scripture. You don't need to be a literalist to see that Scripture never casts homosexuality in a positive light. It's simply dishonest to state otherwise. Where some Christians have fallen down and gathered criticism (even though much of it still unjustified) is in coming across as too narrow-minded and judgmental.

Don	Posted: July 12, 2007 8:04 AM

This is an excellent article. Unfortunately for Christians who stand upon and rely upon the Bible as the basis of their core spiritual and moral values, we are derided as bigots. Why is it bigotry and discrimination to accept homosexuals as equals in the public realm, but to refuse to endorse their homosexual behavior? It come down to this: Acceptance is not what they want. It is acceptance and endorsement and not just endorsement, but an active backing of their cause. And this is precisely what most of our current crop of gods within the Beltway are falling all over each other to do.

Anonymous

Posted: July 12, 2007 7:59 AM

In the next while Christianity will be getting better to grips with its role and its ultimate victory. The hard work towards those goals will be getting ALL its core values right. These include two clear and distinct values: Love AND Righteousness; i.e. proper provision and care for the poor on the one hand AND Righteous behaviour and moral standards. Too many times when Christians want to uphold good moral actions and principles we are accused, even within our own ranks, that we, thus, lack love. But, good loving relationships and clear moral standards are both sides of the same coin. We must thus brighten up on our act and make sure that when we correct people it is for their and our own good and is done in love and not from a judgemental point of view. We must also be firm on ourselves and clear inside each of us as to what the right morality for Christianity is. And two moral principles are equally important: Strong sexual morality and caring love. Non-judgemental love at that!

Mel Cade

Posted: July 12, 2007 5:37 AM

They will know we are Christians, by our LOVE, by our Love Yes they will know we are Christians by our LOVE! Although I feel that homosexuality is a sin and also feel that it IS addressed in God's Word-We must not judge those for their sins, least we be judged by God for our own. We should change the world by the Salt and Light that God has given us--The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, with all the might that we have, with every minute-every second And the second greatest as many of you know-Love your neighbor as you love yourself-who among us can honestly say we can do that? We can, but it takes the first commandment to do so. Let us be witnesses by loving our God and loving our neighbors as God loves us--after all God loves everyone the same--can we? Can we obey God? Let's leave the judgments to our Precious Father who loves us all very, very much--because Jesus suffered for us all, each and every one! Be known as Christians by your LOVE

Anna	Posted: July 11, 2007 9:56 PM

Oh, so the media and politicians are upset because a Christian is not pro homosexual. Well, neither is the majority of the general public. Whenever the public gets to vote on homosexuality in some form or another, homsexuality loses so the homosexuals get the legislature policians to make laws to force the general public to accept the physical act of homosexuality. Well, Christians live in a free country because democracy is based on the beliefs of Christianity. Homosexuals should be thankful for that but since they want to force everybody to accept their physical act they hate those who say since its a physical act, yes, they can control it. That's what the Christian teaching is saying. Control it like you can control any other physical act.

care for all with purity included

Posted: July 11, 2007 6:03 PM

Craig. The scriptures are clear,far back as the KJV of 1611, that sex when men-are-with-men is 'unseemly': Romans 1 (King James Version) "26...women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly". Still, the tone of this article (and of genuine Christians) is that of care for people's health and love for all. So sexual health for spiritual well-being is important. Thus Christians who are closest to the Lord Jesus know his policy, which we inherited through the scriptures and from the apostles i.e. that in-house there is to be no homosexuality. That does not mean we cannot care for those outside the church who are homosexuals and to share with them our food. But Ephesians CH5 (King James version). says of us:"3But fornication, and all uncleanness...let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints". No stones thrown!

Brenda

Posted: July 11, 2007 5:34 PM

"Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." -George Washington. Our Declaration of Independence proclaims that it is "evident" that "certain rights" are given to men "by their Creator". Our Creator issued a decree that a man should be united to his wife as one flesh and God forbade men to lay with other men. When looking at the anatomy (plumbing) of a man and woman, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that they were designed to enjoy love-making with the opposite sex. Homosexuals do not deny that they have special medical concerns, as a result of their behavior; they just don't want anyone to judge them for it, or to hinder their conquest to redefine marriage. I don't want God to condemn a person practicing homosexuality any more than I want Him to condemn me for behaving like a selfish weak-willed glutton! But, I don't call people prejudiced for promoting the benifit of exercise and a low-fat diet.

Craig

Posted: July 11, 2007 5:08 PM

Let us be hesitant in stating, "Christians feed the poor for the same reason they reject sex outside heterosexual marriage." This is not the most accurate statement. The fact is that the word "homosexual" or homosexual offender" did not even occur in any English translation of the Bible except within the last 50 years. Any brief research into the language of the Bible that is commonly used against homosexuality will lead one to see things in a different light. The Bible is vague at best in speaking of homosexuality as we Westernized American understand it today. Be careful before throwing the stone on this issue. Ultimately, whether homosexuality is right or wrong, any Christian should recognize his or her duty to uphold the rights of individuals. For someone who may be leading the nation as Surgeon General, I whole heartedly belief there is no tolerance for intolerance, even Christian intolerance.

t.h.	Posted: July 11, 2007 3:37 PM

Is a homosexual orientation hard-wired? But our behavior is what is important. Not the temptations and desires we feel. I am certain some people face deep homosexual temptation. But are they justified in saying they should be allowed to give in to the temptation and behave ouwardly in an ungodly way? Because we have lust should we act on it? Our faith and scripture tells us firmly, 'no!' Our actions are judged; righteousness demands self-control and demands bringing our lives into line with godly righteousness. Becoming joined to Jesus through faith is what enables us all to achieve self-control and to bring our actions into line with scripture. It is to be clearly stated in no uncertain terms that all sexual behaviour outside of godly marriage is to be firmly denied any Christian permission. We need core religious standards and this article sets these out plainly. Desire happens but our faith requires chastity and firm lawful standards. This isn't legalism but is godly righteousness.

Anonymous

Posted: July 11, 2007 3:10 PM

In principle I agree with your premise--no one should be barred from office becuase of their views on homosexuality per se--but this is more complex since the Bush Administration itself discriminates and puts litmus tests on people which you decry. This has been brought out very powerfully by the last Surgeon General Dr. Carmona, who said in testimony before Congressional hearings that the Bush Administration stymied his work and policy on the basis of ideology, theology and politics, and would not countenance the full spectrum of views and issues on controversial topics. In public health, in a religiously pluralistic society,ALL views must be put on the table to be discussed and sorted out. This is what no one wants to do--conservatives or liberals.The pot cannot call the kettle black!

Anonymous

Posted: July 11, 2007 2:51 PM

The problem that leads to a lack in peace and security in people's innermost being is when the Christian community does not universally stick to agreed core values and standards. This makes it hard for people who have to make up their own mind based on conflicting standards in the Christian community itself, as well listen to medical sex advice in secular society. This vagueness leads to lawlessness and purposelessness. Apostle Peter told scripturally that false teachings would come from a spirit of lawlessness: i.e. A lack of clear core standards which all people who believe in Christ follow. This article sets out to put forward a great number of core standards and practices, including bearing the cross of being denied high office when adhering to core scriptural standards. Everything we do should be salted by scripture and salted by the fire of the Spirit of God, so that we adhere firmly to the twin path of love and godly correctness. This makes us both generous and sexually moral.

http://merehumanity.wordpress.com

Posted: July 11, 2007 2:28 PM

i think there should be a much more thorough discussion of how then we are to "love one another". as accurately pointed out, the early christians were not picked on because everyone knew they loved all people. and that would be great if the evangelical americans were known for the same thing. instead, they are known for bigotry. i am not saying that we should say that homosexuality is not sinful. but we dont go around telling people that adultery is sinful(at least not as frequently). and more importantly, we shouldnt be known to be christians because we are against homosexuality, but because we love one another. so why arent we known for that? because we dont! we dont love one another. we fight amongst ourselves, and we dont show love to the world either. so instead of emphasizing homosexuality in the pulpits, let us emphasize love. peter

Diane Fitzsimmons

Posted: July 11, 2007 1:46 PM


Thank you for this commentary. This follows the dismissal of Robert J. Smith from the Washington Metro Board for his comments on same-sex marriage and a vote against re-appointing Fire Engineer Leo Childs in Truro, Mass., for signing a petition to oppose gay marriage. I imagine we will see more of this.

jf mckenna

Posted: July 11, 2007 1:41 PM

Holsinger is the one offering the science and his critics are the ones rejecting it on the basis of ideology -- the ideology that homosexual behavior must be the equivalent of heterosexual behavior no matter what the consequences or whether the human body can stand it. The human body cannot long stand the inhalation of smoke either, which means that society can permit the behavior but shouldn't promote it or hold back from warning people against it.

Caesar Warrington

Posted: July 11, 2007 1:36 PM


To paraphrase the great actor John Travolta (who has also recently been criticized by the gay community): "Sex habits are like bathroom habits. Do what you have to do and don't talk about it."

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