I came across something that has me seething a bit right now. Michael-In-Norfolk shared how the American Family Association is sending out robocalls to people across the nation, promoting a documentary which the call describes as showing “how the radical homosexual lobby has silenced Christians while labeling us a bigots in order to push their agenda across America.”

You can listen to the recording here.

Here’s the text

Hello, this is Tim Wildmon on behalf of your American Family Association, calling to sincerely thank you for your faithful support. With the help of friends like you, we’ve produced a new, one-hour documentary called “Speechless: Silencing the Christians”. It details how the radical homosexual lobby has silenced Christians while labeling us a bigots in order to push their agenda across America. It will air on cable as well as network affiliates nationwide, so be watching for it. Your support makes this television program possible, so on behalf of your AFA, thank you again, and God bless.

As someone who is gay, and a Christian, I am continually appalled by how un-Christlike organizations like the AFA are. This type of propaganda and, yes I will label it as such because that’s what it is, bigotry is what will continue to pull friends, families, and nations apart. This is not the kind of society that Jesus Christ would have us live in.

Consider this. One when the Pharisees were trying to catch Christ in violation of the law of God, which they attempted to do often, they brought to him a woman whom they Pharisees claimed has been found engaging in adultery. They actively pursued this woman to both shame her, and place Christ in a precarious position. They asked Jesus what should be done with the woman. By the letter of Jewish law, she should have been stoned. Did this happen? No! After pausing to either reflect, or to remind the men surrounding him of their sins with writing in the dust on the ground, Christ looked at the men and commanded that whoever among them was without sin, let him throw the first stone. One by one the Pharisees left, leaving Jesus alone with the accused woman. He told her that he did not condemn her, and commanded her to go and sin no more (See John 8:1-11).

Christ recognized that all men have faults and sins, and that none are perfect. He refused to be cornered by the Pharisees into commanding that the woman be stoned by the men who surrounded her. He prohibited one man punishing another for their sins. This from he who also said that we should not judge others, unless we be judged by the same measurement (See Matthew 7:1-5).

Of course, Christ also told the woman that she should go and sin no more. The idea being that she must repent of, or turn away from, her sins in order to take advantage of Christ’s forgiveness. For the gay Christian, reconciling this with their sexuality can be difficult. Unfortunately, the answer to this does lie in one’s understanding of the history of the scriptures and one’s interpretation of them. A plausible argument can be made both for the justification of homosexuality, and also for its condemnation.

In short, I note that only two men in the Bible ever mention homosexuality. One is Moses, and the other is Paul. Moses’ mentioning of homosexuality is most clearly described in the account of the destruction of Sodom. However, the actual causes for the destruction of the city are many; and the connection to homosexuality is inference, rather than clearly described. Paul’s apparent mentioning of homosexuality is a bit clearer, but Paul’s disposition was such as to preach against even heterosexual marriage, or at least marriage should only be considered if a person can’t keep their lusts in check (See 1 Corinthians 7).

What is absolute is that all three synoptic accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and in addition the account given by John, have no mention of homosexuality, and very little to do with sexual morality. It doesn’t seem to have been a significant issue for Jesus, or the earliest of his followers.

What Christ seemed to be focused on was how we lived with and treated each other. He waved off the pettiness of one man trying to punish another for disobeying God’s law, when the accuser himself was not without sin. He taught that we should care for our own problems first, before attempting to help others with theirs. In addition, he instructed his follows to separate the government and their faith, saying, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (See Mark 12:17). Christ didn’t ask his followers to push their beliefs, in his name, onto the government. He called for a separation.

Overall, accepting oneself as being gay and retaining one’s Christianity is a matter of faith. I fought my own battle with this, pleading with God to change this part of me. I came the realize that I am no less a person because of my sexuality, and am no more in need of salvation than any other person, gay or straight. While I know that there will be many who disagree with me, I don’t believe that living my life as a gay man is in itself a sin; however, I also believe that if it is, I am at the mercy of the Lord. This too is a matter of faith.

I call on groups like the American Family Association to recognize the fundamental requirement to be Christ-like in order to call themselves Christians. Fighting to continue oppressing minorities, like homosexuals, is not Christlike. These groups are no more worthy to throw the first stone than the Pharisees of old. They do much more damage than good in their quest to demonize others.

Remember, “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God” (See Matthew 5:9)

Related posts:

1. God and Being Gay
2. Gay marriage, equality, politics, and religion