Things like this make me cringe. As a 'Christian', I object strongly to being represented by such an individual, or organization. It's similar to how I imagine most Muslim people feel about being represented by Al Qaida. A big old 'thanks a bunch' to you, sunshine.
What does this have to do with discipline, you might ask? Patience, young grasshoppers...
This may be controversial, and even scandalous to my church buddies, but I'm gonna go there, because I think maybe some people need to hear that not all 'Christians' play the same tune on this one. I, for one, find it difficult to reconcile my feelings on gay marriage with the Church that I know and love. I find it hard to accept that the church, which is called to be the very seat of grace on Earth, is capable of being such a great source of pain to a whole group of people who don't only feel unwelcome there, but actually reviled. I believe in the church, but I hurt for people who feel that the blessing of being in a church family is contradictory to the very fact of who they are. And for that, I want to say that I'm sorry.
The Bible teaches that homosexuality is not God's plan, His best for humanity. It teaches the same on divorce, but you'd rarely see a divorcee copping the same dose of express hatred and disdain that seems to be reserved for gay people these days. I'm not suggesting that the Bible needs a re-write - far from it. Do I believe that a homosexual relationship is a sin? I do. I also believe that gossip is a sin, but I have no problem allowing myself and others plenty of grace there. The Bible commands us to have joy, to not worry and to 'be anxious in nothing', so I guess that makes depression a sin, too. 'Thou shall not covet' is one of the Ten Commandments, for crying out loud, and yet the very fabric of our society is designed to make us covet, so that we will spend, because capitalism makes the world go round. So 'wanting more stuff' is a sin, too, but you won't see many Christians vowing to abstain from a life of coveting because it's what the Church requires of them, in order to be in harmony.
My Pastor once gave a great, non-hater explanation of why the Bible classes homosexuality as a sin. Not because it's disgusting, or hideous. But because by design, man was given to woman and woman given to man. The two together represent completeness - the two sides of God (who is neither man or woman) brought together. So only in the man-woman relationship can physical intimacy fully reflect the character of God. Which despite what some bigoted God-botherers will try to tell you, is actually the point of an existence that pleases him: reflecting who He is. Not trying to smash the image of anything that doesn't, with hate and angry words.
I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that having the definition of 'sin' right should change the way we think about homosexuality. 'Sin' means to 'fall short'. To not quite live up to God's ideal plan. We none of us are doing that... we gossiping, depressed, coveting 'normal' folk. Is it beyond our control? Sure is. I'm sure that I will have those urges right throughout my life. Sometimes, I will have the discipline to overcome them, sometimes not.
I can say this: the discipline that it would take for a gay person to live in abstinence from homosexual relationship if THEY believed that that was the right thing to do, would be incredible. Its possible, but it would be a huge, all-consuming commitment. I doubt if it was me (given my poor track record with tooth brushing and Bible-reading) that I could manage it. Without personal conviction, then, who would want to? Marriage or no marriage, no law can put a stop to something so motivated by deep desire, conditioning, nature and - dare I say it and upset the Christians - love?
Allowing gay marriage doesn't erode marriage - it erodes our confidence in the structures of society that we cling to to give our beliefs a solid grounding, in the absence of real faith. To that end, is it bad if I say that if Australia legalised gay marriage, I wouldn't be too horrified? After all, I barely even flinch at divorce now, and that is legalising the end of marriage altogether.
I hope I'm never going to feel smug, self-satisfied and certain of my opinion in the gay marriage debate. It shouldn't be easy, because truly Biblical stuff might be simple, but it's never easy. I don't know quite where I stand, but at least I'm not standing somewhere just because it's where someone told me to stand. If you find it easy to have an opinion on the matter, then maybe you haven't agonized over every perspective and soaked yourself in compassion for all involved first. We should never take lightly what others feel is sacred.
M xx
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