More Christian Opinions On Homosexuality
Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:03 am
1. What would you do if your son or daughter came to you and told you they were gay?
My future husband and I would tell him or her "Welcome the Club!"
2. Do you believe that these "gay christian camps" can really change the child's sexuality?
Not at all. In fact, given what I've heard from friends who have been forced to attend such camps, the child's sexuality, self-esteem AND religiosity all suffer as a result from such an experience. I did not attend a gay christian camp myself, but my four years at an undergrad institution that's all-male, and predominated by conservative evangelical people and ideas resulted in similar damage, which took a few years to repair.
3. What do you think about the gay civil rights movement?
It's well-intentioned, but badly misguided on the best way to resonate with the people. Framing issues like marriage equality in terms of a moral right will almost always lose. The smart approach -- like the one taken in New York -- is to focus on the economic benefits to the people for allowing SSM, and relating gay rights to individuals in a person's own life.
4. Do you think that homosexuals should or could go to church without people telling them how wrong they are?
I believe homosexuals can and should go to church without people denouncing or condemning them, and in many churches in my denomination -- Episcopalian, they do so every week.
5. If you were to pray for a homosexual, what would you pray about?
For God to protect and comfort the individual, and to instill in the person the strength needed to put his or her God-given talents to good use for self, family, and country.
6. What do you wish would happen to the homosexuals?
That they receive full acceptance as people from greater society, and begin to adopt the social norms of that accepting society.
7. Do you think that the increase of people "coming out of the closet" is going to be a downfall of our society, or do you think that it is okay and just part of an emerging cultural group.
The increase of people coming out of the closet has no possibility of causing a downfall of our society. The real issue is whether America and other countries will allow gays the legal protections and economic opportunities to live fully normal lives - a failure to allow gays to do this probably means a great many other people in society are also being denied their full potential, and over time, that CAN lead to the downfall of great civilizations.
8. If I walked into church holding the hand of another man, say my lover, what would you think?
I'd think "Good for them!" You'd be about the 12th gay male couple at my church.
9. Do you think churches will ever accept homosexuality as just being human and embrace homosexuals in the church without telling them that they are sinners? Or saying things like, "We are all sinners?" Because by saying that, as a Christian, you are really just saying that the homosexual lifestyle is a sin, albeit in a less agressive fashion.
In time, the liberal wing of Christianity will likely conclude that a broad divine prohibition on homosexuality does not at the present time exist. Some gay-related activity will find disfavor with God -- such as the "Down Low" phenomenon, as it involves liviing a lie and harming others.
10. When the church tries and change an individual from being a homosexual to a straight person, does the church take into account the psychological impacts that would affect the "gay Christian" individual.
My church doesn't try to change people from gay to straight -- there's too many real problems in the country and world to deal with over wasting precious resources on a folly.
11. Finally, how should one who is a Christian but gay as well have unbiased fellowship with other Christians.
There's a choice in airlines, and a choice in churches, too. Stick to the more liberal Christian denominations for the time being.
My future husband and I would tell him or her "Welcome the Club!"
2. Do you believe that these "gay christian camps" can really change the child's sexuality?
Not at all. In fact, given what I've heard from friends who have been forced to attend such camps, the child's sexuality, self-esteem AND religiosity all suffer as a result from such an experience. I did not attend a gay christian camp myself, but my four years at an undergrad institution that's all-male, and predominated by conservative evangelical people and ideas resulted in similar damage, which took a few years to repair.
3. What do you think about the gay civil rights movement?
It's well-intentioned, but badly misguided on the best way to resonate with the people. Framing issues like marriage equality in terms of a moral right will almost always lose. The smart approach -- like the one taken in New York -- is to focus on the economic benefits to the people for allowing SSM, and relating gay rights to individuals in a person's own life.
4. Do you think that homosexuals should or could go to church without people telling them how wrong they are?
I believe homosexuals can and should go to church without people denouncing or condemning them, and in many churches in my denomination -- Episcopalian, they do so every week.
5. If you were to pray for a homosexual, what would you pray about?
For God to protect and comfort the individual, and to instill in the person the strength needed to put his or her God-given talents to good use for self, family, and country.
6. What do you wish would happen to the homosexuals?
That they receive full acceptance as people from greater society, and begin to adopt the social norms of that accepting society.
7. Do you think that the increase of people "coming out of the closet" is going to be a downfall of our society, or do you think that it is okay and just part of an emerging cultural group.
The increase of people coming out of the closet has no possibility of causing a downfall of our society. The real issue is whether America and other countries will allow gays the legal protections and economic opportunities to live fully normal lives - a failure to allow gays to do this probably means a great many other people in society are also being denied their full potential, and over time, that CAN lead to the downfall of great civilizations.
8. If I walked into church holding the hand of another man, say my lover, what would you think?
I'd think "Good for them!" You'd be about the 12th gay male couple at my church.
9. Do you think churches will ever accept homosexuality as just being human and embrace homosexuals in the church without telling them that they are sinners? Or saying things like, "We are all sinners?" Because by saying that, as a Christian, you are really just saying that the homosexual lifestyle is a sin, albeit in a less agressive fashion.
In time, the liberal wing of Christianity will likely conclude that a broad divine prohibition on homosexuality does not at the present time exist. Some gay-related activity will find disfavor with God -- such as the "Down Low" phenomenon, as it involves liviing a lie and harming others.
10. When the church tries and change an individual from being a homosexual to a straight person, does the church take into account the psychological impacts that would affect the "gay Christian" individual.
My church doesn't try to change people from gay to straight -- there's too many real problems in the country and world to deal with over wasting precious resources on a folly.
11. Finally, how should one who is a Christian but gay as well have unbiased fellowship with other Christians.
There's a choice in airlines, and a choice in churches, too. Stick to the more liberal Christian denominations for the time being.