IWU, along with all the other Wesleyan colleges but Bethany, is once again on the list of a certain group that treks across America yearly to confront various evangelical colleges on the issue of homosexuality. Last year this group stopped at Wheaton, Biola, Colorado Christian, Liberty, and Azuza Pacific, if I remember correctly. We were on the list last year as well but didn't make the final cut.
I'm speaking in chapel here on the 22nd to discuss what the Bible has to say about this issue. From what we've heard, I'm not actually convinced that this group really wants to discuss the biblical materials on the issue. The group seems to focus much more on the experiences of various individuals. For some, the argument is that since they believe God made them a certain way, it must be acceptable to God. For others, the argument is a testimony against the oppression they have experienced at the hands of Christians.
Of course I have little doubt but that many church people do exhibit less than Christ-like attitudes toward homosexual individuals. God wants all people to be saved, so to have an attitude that is anything but redemptive toward anyone else is not Christian. And I don't see how we could categorize the attitudes of some as anything but hateful.
But my task is not really to talk about these types of issues. My task is just to clarify what the Bible has to say about homosexual sex. Last year I blogged on this quite a bit for the same reason. I won't be as extensive this time. I only will have about 30 minutes.
It is beyond reasonable doubt that the Bible does in fact mention or allude to homosexual sex in a number of places. I should probably mention up front that there is an important distinction between homosexual sex and homosexuality. We hear of men raping men in prison in acts of violence that do not involve homosexuality. The rapist in these cases is not usually someone who would have male-male relations on the outside.
Similarly, there are child molesters, pederasts, who molest boys. But this is not homosexuality in the sense we are discussing any more than a male child molester who molests girls is heterosexuality.
In the sense we are discussing, a heterosexual is someone who prefers to have sex with someone of appropriate age in the opposite sex and a homosexual is someone who prefers to have sex with someone of appopriate age in the same sex. Notice that we today can speak of these categories in terms of desire, "orientation." This way of talking about the subject seems for all intents and purposes a fairly modern way of conceptualizing the issue. In other words, we are able to speak of a hetero- or homosexual apart from the act of sex. The desire can define the category. It would seem that in earlier times, the act defined the category.
More to come...
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4 comments:
Does this roadshow address just the question of whether homosexual acts should be condemned by the church, or does it also address whether the church should work to prohibit or discourage homosexual behavior for all people, regardless of their religious beliefs? Two different subjects. A staunch proponent of religious freedom could easily answer "yes" for the first and "no" for the second.
One hopes that you will endeavor to avoid problems of translation. Don't many of the oft-cited NT passages really refer to activities that are sinful regardless of the sex of the participants? Lust, rape, pederasty, and abuse are problems within heterosexual behavior as well as homosexual. It would be misleading to translate those as "sodomy".
The Gospel is pretty clear about the importance of intentions and purpose. See the parable of the Widow's Mite and also the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Actions are important but what matters more is what is in the heart. IMHO the anti-homosexual argument today is founded on the strict legalism that Jesus so often disdained. Imagine a new parable. On one side is a modern couple whose marriage is sanctioned by both church and state, but where the relationship is manipulative, objectifying, and hurtful. Contrast that to a mutually supportive and intimate partnership between two people who love each other intensely but happen to be of the same sex. Which relationship best follows the teachings of Christ?
My sense is that the group is mostly after publicity. I've been told that one of their main goals is to get in the newspaper and get clips for You-Tube. Let's say they interrupt a chapel while someone is speaking, walking down the aisle shouting out something or another. If the college has them removed, that will be the clip that will show up. Now whether this type of story is real or just scare lore, I don't know.
There is an interesting and very courteous discussion going on over at Faith and Theology, a Barthian (I think) oriented blog, by a guest 'poster' Kim Fabricus. Part of his argument is that gays are "real people" and even "nice" therefore worthy of acceptance, if not approval. There are some thought provoking and very articulate exchanges going on, if anyone is interested.
Thanks...
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