What about Homosexuality?

There was a recent controversy that has made the news here in Iowa.  You can read/watch it here: School Assembly Creates Controversy

It has reminded me of a question that we need to wrestle with: "How do Christians confront homosexuality?" There is a variety of different responses that I have seen in my life time.  There is the extreme hatred of someone like Fred Phelps.

     There is the other extreme where churches ordain homosexuals as ministers.  But there are a lot of responses in between these extremes.  I believe how the church responds to this issue could be the defining issue of our time.   

     Here are a few of my observations.  It seems like the movement towards "tolerance" is very intolerant of any differing viewpoint.  I saw a recent interview with Kirk Cameron.  He made this statement about homosexuality, "I think it is unnatural.  I think that it is detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many foundations of civilization."  The interviewer asked Kirk Cameron if this kind of statement was encouraging people to feel hate towards gay people.  Why is it that every time anyone says that homosexuality is wrong they are immediately accused of hate speech?  In fact, I know people that have said homosexuality is wrong and have received very "hateful" responses and even death threats.  That doesn't sound like a very "tolerant" response.    

     One of the first accusations of people who fight Christians who stand up against homosexuality is that they are not responding with God's love.  They always say that if God is love, why would his followers teach hate?  Why is telling someone that their behavior is destructive considered "hate speech?"  I believe that smoking is destructive behavior, does that mean that I hate everyone who smokes?  NO!  I believe that overeating is destructive behavior, does that mean that I hate everyone who is overweight?  NO!  

     It seems like we are quickly heading toward a society that will arrest anyone who dares to speak a differing viewpoint.  The interviewer even asked Kirk Cameron the question: "Why do you even talk about this subject and keep saying things that cause people such alarm?"

     But ultimately we need to follow the example of Christ who came communicating "Grace and Truth."  Jesus had this amazing ability to hold the tension between these to things.  He was very comfortable being with people who were immersed in what he would clearly call "Sin."  But even more amazing is that the scripture paints for us the picture that "sinners" were very comfortable around Jesus.  

     I believe that Jesus shows us how to speak truth about issues and still communicate grace to people.  Ultimately we can miss the mark if we spend too much time on either end of the spectrum.  I recently had a very interesting conversation with a couple of young men:  One who claimed to be a homosexual and the other who claimed to be an atheist.   The atheist spoke about a past church experience.  He said that it taught him that "the core of religion are people who care compassionately about one another."  

     That is the grace part of the spectrum that we as Christians cannot let go of.  But this atheist also said, "get with the times and drop this 'being gay is a sin' crap.  A smart church would just chuck the Bible into a wood chipper and talk about what LOVE really means."  While I applaud this young man's first statement, I must take issue with this statement.  

     He is exactly right that, "the core of religion is people who care compassionately about one another."  But the issue is that I cannot truly do that without the foundation of TRUTH.  As a Christian, the reason I love people compassionately is because I am following the teaching's of Christ.  If I throw them out the window I have no foundation for LOVE.