Christian Lesbians

Today I came across this story in Christianity Today about Ray Boltz, a famous gospel singer who recently came out as being gay.  While he is NOT a lesbian, he definitely articulated many of the same struggles I have encountered in my own life as one.  One such quote states:

“I’d denied it ever since I was a kid, I became a Christian, I thought that was the way to deal with this and I prayed hard and tried for 30-some years and then at the end, I was just going, ‘I’m still gay. I know I am.’ And I just got to the place where I couldn’t take it anymore … when I was going through all this darkness, I thought, ‘Just end this.’”

Reading some of the comments on the Christianity Today article, I was exposed to many of the arguments I have heard before.  Some of them I think have been around for decades and are pretty……well, let’s just say weak - at least in my opinion.  I wonder sometimes if churches have conferences to come up with one liners to ridicule homosexuals?  It seems that way sometimes.  I would like to address some of these views.

View #1 : “God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” Reason tells us that the body parts do not fit. Same-sex sex, among humans at least, does not and cannot produce children.

Okay, I am NOT disputing that God created Adam and Eve - the Bible says He did and so He did.  But, Christ could have spent days noting that homosexuality was wrong, and He never uttered a word regarding the subject.   Taking the creation and using it to prove homosexuality is wrong is not cool.  Further, what about heterosexuals that practice anal sex, oral sex, or the like?  Are you saying they are sinning, or just homosexuals that practice the same thing?  Finally, are you suggesting that heterosexuals that CANNOT or CHOOSE NOT to have children are sinning because they are not procreating?  Come on, I have always cringed with this statement even when I was sure I could fight the fact I am a lesbian.  Think of a better argument okay?

View #2 - My heart is crying for Ray Boltz. I too have things that I have struggled with since I was little, like anger. I too went through a period of self hatred over my sins. It wasn’t until I learned that I have the authority over Satan and all his schemes to try to bring me down did I receive victory over these things.

So, Ray and I are homosexuals, resigned to our sin because we allow Satan to have authority over our lives?  What about hugely overweight people, should we accuse them of gluttony and say they have resigned to Satan in their lives?  What about drug addicts who struggle in their recovery and fail?  What about you when you get angry at your wife (or, are you suggesting you no longer get angry now that Satan has no authority?).  We ALL sin, we ALL will have failures.  I hate when, in our sinful state here on earth, Christians throw the card that says, “well, you obviously are ruled by Satan because, well, you are living in your sin” like they are sin free.  I am not stating homosexuality is a sin, but let’s be real here.  We all sin people - even you.

View #3 - you choose to be homosexual

Okay, this can be touchy, even with homosexuals.  Many claim they HAVE chosen to be homosexual.  However, both Ray and I would probably tell you that we have always been attracted to the same sex and fought it for years.  Even before becoming a Christian at the age of 16, I knew it was not an easily accepted attraction and was “wrong”.  Once I became a Christian, this was a huge area of focus (that apparently remains today!).  I spent YEARS sobbing and praying to God to change me, to take away this “sin”, to make me “normal” and save me.  Let me be clear, He DID save me the moment I accepted Him; His blood covered all my sin.  Yet, too many times churches today say you have to be perfect to really be saved.  That will have to be another post!  Alas, I can tell you without hesitating - I would LOVE to be what society calls normal!  Yet, I am not.  I tried to live the hetero lifestyle - was married nearly 20 years - and tried to ignore everything that is really me.  Even after falling in love with a woman, I hid it!  Let me tell you, this was never pleasant - either cases - and the angst and pain was there.  Now that I have accepted who I am, I can say I still struggle with the dogma of what churches usually teach about homosexuality.  But my faith is not in church, but the saving blood of Christ.  No sin is worse than another - sin is sin - and I believe Christ when He says I am saved.  Am I broken?  Yes, just like you are.  Am I perfect?  Only due to the blood of Christ.  So stop telling me I CHOSE this struggle - I did not - just like you did not choose to be heterosexual.  And, by the way, you have sinned today my friends, like it or not.

View #4 - It boils down to one premise: We Christians reject gay lifestyle (as much as we reject adultery) because it is sinful. 

I beg to differ!  The Bible clearly says that if someone divorces (except for specific and narrow reasons), and remarry - they are an adulterer.  Excuse me - every church I’ve ever belonged to and every Christian firm I ever worked for NEVER made a big deal about a person who was divorced for remarrying!  So don’t give me that argument!  Further, I have a real story here.  My relative and his girlfriend had THREE kids out of wedlock and were living together.  When the time came that they decided to get married, they approached a church and the church was SO EXCITED that they had seen the light and accepted what Christ really wanted them to do!  They proudly had the ceremony there!  However, another member of my family who wanted to perform a commitment ceremony (yes, they were homosexuals) were turned away and told they had “habitual sin” in their lives.  Hello, tell me that having three kids out of wedlock and living together for several years is not habitual?  Why is one sin treated differently than another?  Why can one be forgiven and not the other?  So please, don’t try to say churches treat homosexuality like other sins!

In coming posts I will be addressing the “homosexual hot buttons” of the Bible!  So stay tuned!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS