Gay people and christianity
Can You Be Gay and Christian?
One night I was reading the stories of people who had left the church because they thought God hated them simply because they were attracted to the matching sex.
I was so overcome with emotion that I put the book down, got alone in another room, fell to my knees and wept. The pain of these men and women for whom Jesus died was palpable and heartbreaking.
Could it be that we have been misinterpreting Scripture when it comes to their salvation? Could it be that there is some fresh understanding of the Bible that would allow us to affirm committed, gay relationships?
If not, does that mean that we say a 15 year-old young woman who identifies as sapphic, “If you want to follow Jesus, you will have to be celibate for the rest of your life, never enjoying the companionship of a spouse and abstaining from sex for life”? Execute we tell her, “If you do want to be married, you’ll acquire to find a way to be attracted to men”? Is that the good news of the gospel?
A spate of books and videos and article and blogs would inform us that, indeed, that is not the gospel and that the wonderful news of Jesus is that you can pursue Him and enjoy a committed, homosexual relationship to
What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?
What Does The Bible Declare About Homosexuality?
Introduction
For the last two decades, Pew Investigate Center has reported that one of the most enduring ethical issues across Christian traditions is sexual diversity. For many Christians, one of the most frequently first-asked questions on this topic is, “What does the Bible state about attraction to someone of the same sex?”
Although its unlikely that the biblical authors had any notion of sexual orientation (for example, the legal title homosexual wasn't even coined until the late 19th century) for many people of faith, the Bible is looked to for timeless guidance on what it means to honor God with our lives; and this most certainly includes our sexuality.
Before we can jump into how it is that Christians can maintain the authority of the Bible and also affirm sexual diversity, it might be helpful if we started with a brief but clear overview of some of the assumptions informing many Christian approaches to understanding the Bible.
What is the Bible?
For Christians to whom the Bible is God’s very written word, it is widely understood that God produced its content
The Bible and same sex relationships: A review article
Tim Keller, 2015
Vines, Matthew, God and the Lgbtq+ Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same Sex Relationships, Convergent Books, 2014
Wilson, Ken,A Letter to My Congregation, David Crum Media, 2014.
The relationship of homosexuality to Christianity is one of the main topics of discussion in our culture today. In the fall of last year I wrote a review of books by Wesley Hill and Sam Allberry that take the historic Christian view, in Hill’s words: “that homosexuality was not God’s original creative intention for humanity ... and therefore that homosexual practice goes against God’s express will for all human beings, especially those who confidence in Christ.”
There are a number of other books that take the opposite view, namely that the Bible either allows for or supports same sex relationships. Over the last year or so I (and other pastors at Redeemer) have been regularly asked for responses to their arguments. The two most read volumes taking this position seem to be those by Matthew Vines and Ken Wilson. The review of these two books will be longer than usual because the topic is so contested today and, wh
The Gospel for a Gay Friend
Josh had always known he was different. From his earliest memories, he looked at some boys as more than just peers. His parents knew he was “special,” but they loved him for it. He learned to wear a mask and compete the part of a “normal” kid until he graduated from high school.
In college, Josh decided it was occasion to be who he really was. He made friends with other lgbtq+ people and place out on sexual explorations. Josh establish a refuge in his gay society and developed bonds that ran much deeper than sexual flings. Though his parents distanced themselves and old friends turned a icy shoulder, Josh felt that he was finally free in his new persona as a male lover man.
Josh is no caricature. His experiences and story are true, and they are common.
What if Josh were your neighbor or your co-worker or your son? How would you give the gospel to him? How would you tell him about the forgiveness of sins, the collective of believers, and true identity in Jesus?
In one instinct, there is no difference in the way we’d divide the good news with Josh compared to any other person. Just because Josh is sexually attracted to people of the similar gender doesn’t form him foundation