To many of us living in the Bible Belt, the term "Gay Christian" causes the brain to cease processing and turn to mush, therefore even a semblance of a definition for this phrase is unable to form and feelings of disease, disgust, fear, and/or anger arrives and settles in. This leaves the "Gay Christian" in a dangerous predicament, especially if we have lived and/or grown up in households where the environment is one that creates the same brain mushing sequence to happen when we hear it ourselves. To deal with such internal angst of "Being Gay is Wrong," and "I really love Jesus," and "Oh God, I'm a homosexual!" a split occurs. The newly self discovered "Gay Christian" feels he/she must choose Jesus, OR choose to live the stereotyped "Gay Lifestyle." Sadly, the stereotype of the "Gay Lifestyle" is reinforced in many Christian households with like terms such as "sodomy," because of the Bible story of Sodom and Gomorrah where Lot chooses to act hospitably to angels when they enter his home, and protect them from sexual passion/hate filled people of Sodom at the expense of his daughters by offering them instead of his gentlemen angelic visitors when the men outside beg Lot to bring his visitors out to rape them. Here is a question, why would Lot offer his FEMALE daughters, if the men outside were GAY? Wouldn't the more logical people he could offer be himself or his male servants if the men outside were gay? Food for thought. Along with this stereotype of the "Gay Lifestyle", many Christian households also throw homosexuality in with the term "sexual perversion", and classifies same sex attraction as solely "lustful". Therefore, since many "Gay Christians" who choose to be honest with themselves and their family find themselves ostracized by their Church family, and sometimes their blood family, why is anyone surprised that many find themselves in the welcome open embrace of the bar/club dwellers, and the sexually promiscuous? (Am I judging these people? Certainly not! They are often the most welcoming and non judgemental people I know - these two traits being ones that Jesus portrayed, hmm.) Oh, but for the "Gay Christian" who feels he/she is "choosing Jesus" over his/her "sin!" They choose "celibacy" which can work for some who agree with St. Paul that marriage is only a way to stay sexually moral, or sadly they choose to be straight in effort to be loved by their church family, blood family, God, and themselves and end up locking a piece of themselves-of their identity-into the dungeon of their self loathing while their partner and children wonder why they are not fully capable of loving and being loved.
So, here is my question to the ones who have experienced the "Gay Christian" brain mush sequence, and to my homosexual brothers and sisters who love Jesus, but want to be free to romantically LOVE a person they are naturally attracted to: Why can't there be another way? Can we not find the middle road? Can we not LOVE Jesus and LOVE a same sex partner? Can we not live the way Jesus taught us to live and love "1 Corinthians 13" style our same sex partner? Why not? Does it really bother the God of the Universe who needs nothing and is all powerful and LOVING for us to LOVE who we feel led to love? Are we really all that different from our straight Christian brothers and sisters when it comes to how we model our relationships? No my friends, we are not. Praise God that we have similar marital/financial/emotional/physical struggles, successes, and failures on this side of eternity. Praise God that we ALL have the capacity to LOVE the way God has taught us to LOVE: through his Son Christ Jesus. Praise God that God's divine love resonates in and through us all.
Hi Trish, you might be interested in this bloke in Sydney. Was an Assemblies of God preacher and came out as gay, wrote a book about it, and has reconciled his faith with his sexuality.
ReplyDeletehttp://lgbttraining.blogspot.com.au/p/lgbt-people-of-faith.html
I'm not religious myself, but those who do find identity in Christianity as well as being gay, may find it very useful :)
I can fully relate...I am a Christian who is gay. It was and sometimes still is.very difficult to feel like those two are synonymous and I have been looking for like minded people to surround myself with for a better understanding. I am married to a man and came out to him and he has never left my side and is actually the only support system I have. My family no longer talks to me and my church family that I associate with now doesnt know. I had to leave the church I grew up in because it became too unbearable to continue to attend after the ridicule I experienced when I came out. I have always had a very long personal relationship with God since my childhood, but I have.also known since childhood that I love women. It wasn't until my 19th birthday that I could no longer contain my feelings. I had been unhappy my entire life because of how homosexuality what talked about in my home and church. I had noone to talk to about my feelings. When I went away to college I start exploring my feelings but got involved with Christian groups on campus and started feeling the same way I did back home. So long story short this has been an ongoing battle and it just feels nice to know that there is someone else out there that feels the way I do.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Peter for sharing that website. Love Joy, Thank you for sharing your story. I feel the same way as you that it is indeed nice to have someone who understands what I'm going through. Praise God we're never alone. I feel like if we keep sharing our stories maybe we can give confidence to others to do the same and show others that we are indeed capable of loving our Creator and someone of the same sex. But until then, I'm glad this can be a safe place to feel a bit of community. I miss community the most. Thanks again!!
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