I had a chat with my friends today over coffee, chocolate and a lil whiskey in the chocolate :D. We were chatting about everything and nothing in particular. But then, the 'hot potato' of recent LGBT parades and demonstrations came up in the conversation.
There is no simple way to address this issue. A lot has been said and written about it already. I don't have the mental patience to articulate all my reflections coherently right now. But some of these words came up today, "Twisted, Broken, Mutated".
I want to clarify here that Jesus loves everyone and therefore, I really do try to do the same(actually I wish didn't have to clarify things. But then, this is a public blog). It's not meant to be a condescending gesture or statement. But just because God loves us ( and especially because God loves us), does not mean that we can re-tailor truths to suit our own feelings.
My friends asked, "So are you asking a person who believes they are born homosexual to 'suck it up' ? Isn't it cruel to deny them their chance at happiness? Shouldn't everyone be given an opportunity to pursue happiness?"
I thought for a while. This is what I answered, addressing a few things, like scientific research and findings, personal beliefs and the definition of truth. Bear with me, my thought as are all over the place. I have never been very structured internally, so this will be a hotchpotch of thoughts.
- There are going to be scientific 'findings' on either side all the time, depending on each side's bias, and limited amount of people surveyed each time. Therefore, 'research' has never been the be all and the end all to moral issues. It has always been an imperfect, ongoing process.
- I personally believe that there might be people who are born with homosexual tendencies,
- However, there are also those who are born with a tendency towards alcoholism, or tendencies to lie, or tendencies to be bi-sexual. What matters is whether we see these behaviors as dysfunctional or even more bluntly, is whether we define them as sin.
- WHO defines what is right and wrong. As Christians, we believe that only God has the right to define right and wrong. If humans define morality, then who's to say anyone's morality is better than the other?Of course, this then brings up the issue of which god is true, and why we believe in Jesus and the Bible. That will require another whole bunch of blog posts. Right now, I'm assuming that if you're a believer of Jesus Christ, you believe that God defines truth. He sets the standard of what's right and wrong.
- Truth doesn't change. If He said homosexuality was not what he designed for humans, and it is wrong, it is then wrong whether or not this is going to deny somebody born with that tendency their 'right' to happiness.
- To me, this is a heartbreaking, harsh thing to say to someone. But this principle holds true in the situation of a person who finds out their baby in the womb is born with a disability. If God says premeditated killing is wrong, then we have no right to take the life of the baby in the womb. Yes, it pains me greatly to apply that truth, or to tell someone to apply it. Some say, "Won't the baby be better off if we end his/her life now? They will suffer so much in this life and the people around them will suffer too". Well, in that case, are we saying that people born with any sort of disabilities deserve less of a chance to live just because they will 'suffer more'? Does it give us the right to end someone's life deliberately just because to us, they will be 'better off' unborn?
- I believe that we live in a broken world. In someways, a twisted world. A mutated world (to my knowledge mutation is not always a negative thing, but in this context, I mean it negatively) . Our genes have degenerated, due to this we get all kinds of physical/mental diseases and disabilities. We have people born with Down's, people born without limbs, or blind, or deaf etc. We have polluted our environment. We have sinned. We brought sickness into our world.
- I believe that we live in a twisted world not just physically and mentally, but somewhere along the line our souls got twisted too. We are, as a human race, broken and dysfunctional without God. Depraved. Perverted (As Kris puts it, "Perversion" is the "wrong version"). It should not be a surprise then if someone is born homosexual. But does it make it God's ultimate will for mankind? Does it make it right? I believe not.
- Someone also asked, if in the case two people who decided to divorce each other because they felt they made a mistake, and they did it without legitimate biblical reasons (infidelity, or immorality. I personally believe the immorality Jesus talked about also includes rank abuse), is that a sin? "Don't people have the right to pursue their happiness?"Yes, but whether people are "happy" or not is secondary to truth. Because I really believe that without the acknowledgement of truth and the 'right' for God, the ultimate Designer an law-giver to define morality, there can be no true, long-lasting happiness in this life and the next.
- Do I believe sin can be forgiven? Yes. Of course.
- Do I believe everyone is loved by God and should be embraced by the church, no matter what their dysfunction or sin is? Yes. Of course. In many ways, I have my own crazy dysfunctions and still God leads me forward.
But I cannot say something is ok when it is sin.. I cannot call what is wrong, as 'normal' or 'right'. It pains me more than anyone will know that I can't do it. Particularly in cases where people suffer physically or emotionally. But still, truth remains truth. God does not change. The Rock that we think is harsh and unyielding is the very Rock that is the only constant thing in this universe. The only thing that we can rely on. The Ultimate standard. The foundation of all things good. Without it, we will be lost.
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