“Issue Post Alert”: An Evangelical on Homosexuality
Just to help break myself of my ‘approval addiction’, I thought I’d throw some thoughts in on the recent debate about homosexuality right where we live…the Jordanian blogosphere.
Contrary to media-inspired conventional wisdom and some Middle Eastern conspiracy theorists, Pat Buchanan and Jerry Falwell do not wholly represent the Evangelical branch of American Protestantism. Theologians like John Stott, John Piper, and Albert Mohler do among the crowd I worship with.
American Evangelicals are often accused by Western media of only having two interests: the abortion debate and the homosexuality debate. This link ties the two together in an interesting weave. (I know there is a third interest, Israel, but this topic is quite enough controversy for me today, thank you).
As distasteful as it may seem to some Muslims (and Christians), Evangelicals and Muslims do have some common ideological ground. One of them is a scriptural basis for not accepting the practice of homosexuality; that God intended human sexuality to be expressed between men and women in marriage. Holding this opinion makes me “homophobic” in the eyes of many; one is not ‘tolerant’ unless one fully embraces and accepts the other view.
Evangelicals have been derided for a long time for this narrow and intolerant view. Contrary to popular belief, Western Media’s favorite whipping boy is not Islam, it is conservative Christianity. They are too scared of Islam to go after you like they do after us. So as you enter the fray of this debate, I thought you might like to read how one of our guys responded.
March 22, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Al Mohler is the ginchiest. The guy is sharp.
March 22, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Dave, ‘grinchiest’ I understand, ‘ginch’ is new to me…can you give me atranslation for an out-of-touch ex-pat?
March 22, 2007 at 5:04 pm
I like the article he is v good,(i would not agree with myself and would condemn myself).
March 22, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Kinzi i am referring to what albert mohler said.
March 22, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Thanks for clarifying!
March 23, 2007 at 12:25 am
Good article Kinzi. I was thinking, “Hate the sin, love the sinner” and then he even said it. Catholics believe the same things he said, and our church even adds that homosexuals are called to chastity. I have several friends that are homosexual and one chooses to live a chaste life, because of his Christian beliefs. It’s a beautiful thing and strengthens our “straight” friends. If he can be chaste, we can be chaste!
March 23, 2007 at 9:24 am
Kinzi, here is your answer: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Ginchy (see definition #1).
I originally heard it back in the 90’s while watching old TV shows on Nick-at-Nite (Leave it to Beaver or My 3 Dads, something like that). I thought it was funny so I occasionally toss it out there to throw people off. Apparently it’s become urban slang.
March 23, 2007 at 9:43 am
What if someone does not believe in God? Why should s/he follow what God desires?
March 23, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Ah, finally another issues post. Thanks for the thought-provoking link. Unfortunately, those who show hate rather than love give evangelical Christians a bad name. I do think that we, as Americans and Christians, are placing far too much emphasis on only one sin. There are so many that most of us fall into (lying, cheating, gluttony, etc.) at times, but we always seem to focus on the raciest ones, hunh? I definitely agree with Al that whether or not you were born homosexual does not influence your choice to sin. Just because I was born with fat genes doesn’t excuse my choices to eat too much and exercise too little :(. Ahh the things I do to this temple of His. One of these days… give me faith and strength Lord.
March 24, 2007 at 9:20 am
Yes, MB, and when Jesus said “They will know you are Christians by your love”, not loving the gay community is a HUGE failure. I have found though, that my gay friends couldn’t receive my love knowing I disapproved of that aspect of their lives, even if we NEVER talked about it…and it was a non-issue for me in loving them.
This particular sin I think is hard for some because of the ‘ick factor’ for heteros. And the shame of the stray thoughts that do pop through our minds. It’s easy to condemn them who act upon the sins that we battle in our own minds.
Habeebti, so right, not even to mention the biggest sin of all PRIDE!
Don’t be TOO hard on yourself over the ‘temple’ (…I mean, unless the Lord is speaking to you about it
you had TWINS! It can take years to regain the former shape, and as I know, never quite what it was :S.
I will pray for faith and strength for you in that area…I know as found myself there a few years ago and had to cry out for help. I was born with thin genes and spent some time being quite a bit heavier than I am now because I SO overindulged…no excuse, I didn’t have to battle genetic predisposition. Hang in there, in time it will come together. You are beautiful!
March 24, 2007 at 9:26 am
Hareega, absolutely. Without belief in God or desire to obey His commands, most people naturally default to themselves to be god of their lives and do what they want.
Even as one who endeavors to follow God closely, I find I often want to do what i want and have to make hard choices to follow and trust Him!
March 25, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Hi,
I don’t want to comment on the post or the article, but I think I learned something new, thanks.
its controvertial when we don’t talk about maths 1+1=2, disagreement is always there, but i like the idea of “disagree with what you think,but i love you”, i don’t know if i can call it “art of disagreement”.
God bless
March 25, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Dave, I forgot to thank you for the fun link! Now is that just the ginchiest!
Emily, great point!! I love the point that Jesus Christ was tempted ‘in all ways’ but did not sin…it is so powerful to know He struggled with singleness and unfulfilled sexuality, and overcame. Chastity is countercultural.
EYAD!!! HEY! you came back!! I was thinking of you when I saw Stephen Covey was in Amman. “Art of disagreement’ I like that…like learning to disagree agreeably. The concept is to disagree without contempt, and that is the key to loving people who think or believe differently about things we are strong about. We can still accept and love people we are disagreement wiht.
thanks for the blessing…He is pouring it out!
March 25, 2007 at 3:52 pm
they told me you came right just after I left the meeting yesterday, and worse yet you went to al day3a…
I wanted very much to have the pleasure of eating shawarma…*cough* i mean meeting you
no honestly, you are one of the people I wanted to meet badly, inshaallah next meeting I will catch some shawarma, I mean i will meet you
March 25, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Yee!! Ya Abed, you left at 9pm? Shu, inta urdani? Bakkiir! I couldn’t believe Khalidah left before I got there too…SHU HADA???? Thanks for wanting to meet me, ya ibni, it was very fun (and the shwarma…zaki, bu tI am pretty borign in real-life compared to shwarma!) to be in a small group and almost understand everything. Marral jayya
March 25, 2007 at 6:53 pm
kinzi,
Though we are from different relegions and cultures, I would like to see a massive migration of people like you to jordan
Not a forceful one though.
March 25, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Mohanned, that is a HIGH compliment. I thank you for it….and I promise not to send it on to the US military
April 3, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Thank you Kinzi for sharing the link…I think that Albert Mohler made
some good points. Although I personally disagree with the dominant
Christian evangelist point of view on this matter, I am thankful for
people like you and Albert who engage the Christian heart. I realize
that the Christian conservative community is marginalized in the U.S.
media and in some parts of the U.S. and for many the word
“conservative” is thrown around as an insult. I feel that is unjust
and unfair and I am sorry that you face discrimination because of
where you stand.
As someone who identifies as Christian and non-heterosexual, I am very
much aware of my place as a minority amongst Christians and non-religious liberals alike. I encourage people to read up on all kinds of religious analysis. At the end, one concludes what he or she will. Below are two links that I would like to share in order to present a different
Christian perspective.
I know that many in the Christian community are praying for me. I have
much to struggle against and I thank God for continually helping me
cleanse my soul of sin. Although I don’t believe that my sexual
orientation falls in that category, I am grateful to my Christian
brothers and sisters who care enough for me to want to save me from
what they believe in truth to be sin.
Right now I pray for those in the LGBT community who have rejected
Jesus because of their own persecution and I pray that they not become
consumed with anger and hatred toward Christians and others like I
once was not too long ago.
http://www.ucc.org/theology/acton1.htm
http://www.crossleft.org/?q=node/2916
April 3, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Sara, welcome to my blog. What a winsome way you have, and what a joy that the pain of your rejection is no longer consuming anger - that is a work of the Spirit.
I’ve likewise come through a similar journey, battling anger and betrayal. I’ve had three different Christian friends who were closet lesbians, and each attempted to seduce me after laying a foundation of strong friendship . My best friend was likewise led on by a pastor who later ‘came-out’ as a homosexual, and used her to try and prove his ’straightness’. I understand now, how very very difficult it is to be ‘real’, and who you believe you really are as a GBLT Christian. Livign two lives can tear people apart.
I didn’t get a chance yet to read the links, but I will.
I dont’ know if you follow the blogs in Jordan, or found me through a search, but I wrote this post over the debate among bloggers to welcome an outwardly homosexual blogger to an individuals’ aggregater
Blessings Sara, this day as you seek Him!
April 3, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Yes - I couldn’t have said it better - It truly was the work of the Spirit. I was freed in that moment. I stood in the Light for the first time in my life and my vision was no longer blurred. And here I was this person who thought I was a compassionate and tolerant person only to have a mirror held in front of me - to have realized that I had become the intolerant and hatred-filled person that I was reacting against. God changed my life in a way that no university degree or travel or anything else could have done.
I’m sorry to hear about the friends who took advantage of your trust and intimate friendship. Does that make it harder for you now to trust anyone? What did your experience with these particular individuals teach you?
I actually didn’t know about the debate among bloggers - what is that about exactly?
April 22, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Thank You
April 23, 2007 at 9:36 am
Alex, you are welcome…but thanks for what?