Similarly, the Christian teaching that God created human beings male and female does not mean Christians must turn a blind eye to people who struggle with gender dysphoria (the persistent condition of identifying with the gender opposite one’s biological sex). In a sex-obsessed culture, celibate gay Christians can live out the truth that God fulfills human needs better than sexual desire, whether heterosexual or homosexual. I heartily recommend David Bennett’s excellent book, A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus. Same-sex attracted Christians who choose celibacy to follow Jesus have extremely powerful testimonies.
The Bible does not uphold the Westborough Baptist Church’s “God hates f*gs” rhetoric. This does not mean that people who are attracted to members of the same sex are inherently condemned. That does not mean that same-sex sexual relationships do not involve love and self-sacrifice, but they also involve sin. Homosexual activity is consistently denounced as sinful (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13 Romans 1:18-32 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 1 Timothy 1:8-10). The male-female definition of marriage is not just a lifestyle in the Bible - it is a mystery that prefigures the marriage between God and His church (Ephesians 5:31-32). The Bible is clear that God made humans male and female (Genesis 1:27, Mark 10:6, Matthew 19:4) and that marriage is between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24). It is possible to treat people with respect while disapproving of their sexual activity or their cross-sex identity. That does not mean that Christians should celebrate LGBT lifestyles, however. After all, every Christian is a repentant sinner.
They need to preach the gospel, encouraging non-believers to repent, but they need to do so “with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good name in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15-17). They were excluded from bars and businesses, their lifestyles were penalized by law, some of them were put through crackpot treatments like shock therapy (not to be confused with psychologically sound treatments like reparative therapy), and too often other Americans looked down on them.Ĭhristians need to love everyone, including their enemies. People who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender have been mistreated in the past, and still are mistreated in some parts of society. Some schools, cities, and governments have flown these flags in order to show support and compassion for LGBT people, but in doing so they also proclaim a message that Christian beliefs are stigmatized and will not be tolerated. The problem is, LGBT pride flags represent the antithesis of many things conservative Christians believe, and every so often this symbol is thrust in their faces. Why do conservative Christians have a visceral reaction to LGBT pride flags? Can’t they just get along with LGBT people? What’s the big hangup? Why are they “triggered”?