I’m glad you mentioned Nicodemus and the idea of being born again – do you recall the rest of that exchange? There was confusion about how a man could be born again, because clearly he could not physically return to his mother’s womb – at which point, Jesus pointed out that this rebirth is a spiritual thing. Over and over in the gospels, people don’t get this concept, insisting that the physical is what matters, rather than intangibles like faith and the work of the spirit. I think we’re running into the same issue today with regard to homosexuality – an obsession with the physical aspect of the behaviors condemned in Leviticus (anal sex) rather than the motive for such an action (in the context of that society, either idolatry, rape/dominance of an enemy, or degrading somebody as being less than a man). The spirit of an action is often what gives it moral significance, and that is the case with sexual behavior, straight or gay.

As you say, Jesus never contradicted scripture – but he did often clarify it. You actually contradicted yourself above, by implying that Jesus changed the law by raising the standards – not only was it wrong to murder, but also to hate. Thing is, it was always wrong to hate – the hatred imbued in murder is what makes it wrong. Same with homosexuality – it was the motive behind the actions that made them condemned in a lot of contexts – but unlike murder, it is possible for two people of the same sex to be intimate with pure hearts… and it is that intimacy I’m defending as never having been condemned.

Finally – I believe it is absolutely possible for somebody who is gay to be born again and to remain gay… because I’ve been blessed by God to have done so. In many ways, my previous self has died, and my life has changed. I know what it feels like for the Spirit to convict me of sin, even sexual sin… and I also know what it feels like when God reminds me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made in His image… and that includes my sexual orientation. Many straight people have been born again, and recognized that their sexual behavior was improper – so they change their behavior, but it does not change their orientation. The same thing happens with gay people – our attitudes toward sex can change, but the object of that desire does not. That does not mean the old life has not died – it only means that the orientation is not what Christ is changing in me. There is no need.

I implore you – for the sake of argument, imagine what it would mean if I’m right, and homosexuality is not a sin. What does that tell you about God, that the homosexual is also made in His image? What do we discover about God in the loving bond between two men, or two women? Isn’t there something divine about a relationship of love and mutual sacrifice that nobody can ever claim is just “nature’s way of fooling us into breeding”? Something supernatural about the choice of such couples to make homes for the rejected children of the world, adopting them into their families freely, in a way that mirrors God’s choice to adopt us all? Think about it. Pray. Then respond – I’ll be waiting.

In Him,
Kelsey

I really appreciate you allowing me to dialogue with you and I hope we can continue.

In Him,
Kelsey

Throughout the Gospel, Christ begins or ends his parables with “those who have ears to hear, let them hear.” His audiences included those who had read scripture, who knew the words of God in their bones… but clearly implied here is that not everybody will understand, and that some previous understandings have been flawed. The entire Sermon on the Mount has Jesus saying “you have heard it said, X, BUT I say to you…” – implying that what men have been teaching about God is not what Christ meant to be taught. Yes, God is unchanging – but our understanding of Him and His prayers for us grows as we come to know Him more, as we are molded to be more in His image.

Do you believe the same about God now as you did in your first Bible study, your first encounter with Him? Probably not – you’ve grown wiser, discovered more about the culture into which Christ was born, its history and symbolism… you’ve experienced more of life and perhaps have learned that much of the beauty of our faith is that it is a faith, and not a science… there is much we do not know, cannot know, even with the Bible in front of us. I would dare say it asks more questions than it answers, and does so for good reason. This book, like the challenges of our lives, point us toward God… they almost compel us to our knees to say “God, why?” – and through asking, coming into relationship with Him.

You’ll recall how one day, people asked Christ “who sinned?” to cause a man to be born blind. Surely, it is logical to believe that blindness is sub-optimal, as bad for humanity as, say, confusion about scripture. But Jesus answered that nobody sinned – the man was born blind so that the glory of God might be revealed in him. How often did the blind reach out to Christ in ways that those with sight did not? They knew they needed God – and in much the same way, we who are hated for being glbt are driven to cry out to the Father for His love. We know our need, we know that there are things beyond our control (how better to know that when “your own” body betrays you?)… we know in a way that is unique, how powerful God is, and how weak we are. We know how amazing is His grace. But the point here is, God uses things human beings find flawed to achieve great things. He uses the weak to lead the strong.

As a gay person, when I became a Christian, I had to struggle with the question of why a good God, a God that I knew loved and accepted me as I am, created me as I am… why that God would allow His church to be so cruel to His gay and lesbian children. Such cruelty could not be the ideal for the church, same as blindness could not be the ideal for humanity, I thought. But eventually, it came to me, like my beloved’s voice whispering in my ear… the power of our God is most clearly seen in His power to redeem. Humanity breaks things – we divide ourselves one against the other, we oppress, we are confused, we sin – but the glory of God is revealed when He takes our brokenness in hand and redeems it. By this, I do not mean His glory is revealed when God turns gay people straight – the shattered languages of Babble were not reunited at Pentecost; the Spirit spoke to all in their own tongues, transcending division in a way which continues to impress people to this day. I mean that God uses our brokenness for His purposes. When the day comes that the church embraces GLBT people, transcending the sexism, privilege, pride and fear that underlie homophobia, it will bear witness to the love and greatness of God, and His promise of welcome to all – and the glory will all be His. Until that day, I will patiently endure, tell my story, and pray that His kingdom come.

Blessings to you,
Casey

Since you haven’t done any of that, I appreciate it and I think our conversation will go well.

You stated: How can Scripture truly remain the Word of God, if it is left up to the ever-changing interpretations of man to validate it? You said you believed that Scripture is unchanging, which i would take a step further to say that God Himself is unchanging. How could He then give such conflicting “revelations” between the ages of men, both being “right”, and yet remain unchanging in His ways? It just doesn’t add up.

Yes, I do believe that the Word of God is unchangeable, but exactly how do you view the Word of God? Is it literally the words on the page or something more? If your answer would be that the Word of God are only the words on a piece of paper, then I’d ask you to look deeper and caution you against idolatry. The Bible teaches that the Word of God is, indeed, Jesus Christ himself. In the Gospel of John, Scripture says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

So then, we come to learn that the Word of God is much, much more than simply words written on a piece of paper. Indeed, the Word of God is Christ himself.

So… That means that the Word encompasses more than just those words and the language on that paper; it encompasses both the life, the teachings and the spirit of our Christ.

As human society has grown we have come to realize, through the renewed learning and re-thinking of the Bible and with the help of God and the Holy Spirit, that some things sanctioned in the past (even by the Bible and, supposedly, God himself) are not right and are, in fact, morally, eternally wrong.

A thousand years ago people believed that God condoned slavery and you can certainly find passages in the “Word of God” (i.e. The Bible) to support such a claim. You can find certain passages in the “Word of God” (i.e. the Bible) to support a claim that says a woman is merely a man’s property. The good news is that Christ has set us free… which also means that we know certain things once seen as sanctioned by God are wrong. We see that human love triumphs over hate and exclusion. We see that gay and lesbian people, yearning for nothing more than a stable, loving and committed relationship that is no different than the love experienced within straight couples.

I took great offense to the panelists’ assertions that my love for another man is “counterfeit.” My love is just as valid as any others.

I don’t believe the real Word of God changes and I believe that every generation must take a look at the world around them and question what is right and what is wrong, using the our Christ as the guide. In recent times we have done that, leading to the end of slavery, the end to the subjugation of women and so many more wrongs. Hopefully, we will come to see that Christ’s love also sets free from hate & exclusion those faithful, Christ-seeking gay & lesbian people currently left out of God’s fold (as managed by humans here on this earth).