God loves homosexuals

This post has been in the workings for longer than I've had my blog.  I'm nervous to write this because I don't think there is a possible way for me to write about this subject without offending somebody, and I don't generally enjoy confrontations.  Especially when it is a highly-charged subject.  However, I've recently learned that I feel like I want to stand up for people who are swept under the rug, and I have decided that a blog is a great way to do it because if you are reading this, it is your choice.  I appreciate it when people do read what I say, but please realize that I am not trying to force my ideas upon you.  I am merely sharing my thoughts and findings as I go about life.

The topic of homosexuality was a point of struggle for me for years.  My church experiences as a teen taught me that homosexuality was a sinful choice made by a person, and it was somehow considered a "more serious" sin.  The kind that can keep you from being a pastor.  The kind that cause you to be considered a "false believer" if you claim to be a Christian.  There was honestly a sense of disgust amongst the people.  I don't think most people would admit disgust, but you could feel it.  Of course, we probably all know that some people are willing to admit more than disgust.  We see the people in the news holding the signs saying, "God hates gays."

I don't hear these words enough: God loves gay people.  Immeasurably.  As much as He loves me.  He is not disgusted by these people any more than he is disgusted by me.  He loves them, and He wants what is good for them.

Unfortunately, I think that part of the reason that some parts of the church get to avoid difficult discussion is because people still hold onto the belief that homosexual individuals choose to be homosexual, and, with God, they can choose to be heterosexual.  I used to believe this, too.  It was the only way that it really felt right to condemn them so strongly.  However, I think that there is significant evidence that for many people who label themselves as homosexual, it is not a choice.  Although the causes seem to be complex, it appears that just like something in my brain makes me attracted to men, something in their brain makes them attracted to the same sex.  This has forced me to rethink and gain a better understanding of my beliefs.  It is a big deal to tell a person that if he or she ever has sex it will be a sin against God.

I know that the urge is to cling to the Bible verses that we repeat to ourselves over and over again.  The ones that "make it clear" that homosexuality is "an abomination."  However, I have pored over those verses and read different translations, and I have read about the process of translating them.  I am not ready to accept the mainstream interpretations.  There is compelling evidence that translators are not conveying the messages intended, whether intentionally or accidentally.  There is also compelling evidence that we might not understand  the intended meaning of the passage, regardless of correct translation, because we do not understand the context and the culture.  This is why some scholars decide that committed homosexual relationships are not condemned by God.  They are not trying to make things convenient for themselves.  They are trying to understand the intention of the text so that they can make decisions in their lives accordingly.

That's what I want to do as well.  I have written before about how I approach the Bible, and I know that it's not always what people want to hear from me.  I promise that I am not making my decisions lightly.  I want to believe the truth as well, and I'm working to find that.  My decision regarding homosexuality is to take a position of support for these human beings because that is what these people are first and foremost: human beings.  I don't want to make a decision for them about sexuality.  I don't want to condemn them.  I would like to share life with them just as much as with anybody else.  Regarding a homosexual Christian, I would encourage him or her in the same way that I encourage a heterosexual Christian: Love God, love people, be open to whatever path you are lead on, and seek the truth.  God loves each person, and I trust that we are all guided onto a good path if we ask to be.  Regarding a homosexual non-Christian, it is absolutely no right of mine to judge this person anyway.  All I am required to do is pour love and goodness into his or her life.

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I want to give a website that I found really helpful to hear points-of-view that aren't given their fair share of the attention: http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bibl.htm
I enjoyed perusing through the links, and I think that they do a nice job of sharing all sorts of points-of-view.  One paragraph, found on this page, that really hit home was:
"At the time of Martin Luther, "arsenokoitai" was universally interpreted as masturbator. But by the 20th century, masturbation had become a more generally accepted behavior. So, new translations abandoned references to masturbators and switched the attack to homosexuals. The last religious writing in English that interpreted 1 Corinthians 6:9 as referring to masturbation is believed to be the [Roman] Catholic Encyclopedia of 1967."
To put this into context, "arsenokoitai" is the term that Paul seems to coin in 1 Corinthians.  There is no written record of the word being used prior to this book, and as such, people have struggled to translate it.  This humbles me, and it reminds me of how careful we have to be as we seek meaning through text.