What Have We Done?

Ever get to the place where you ask yourself, “What have I done?”  I am kinda there right now, writing this post.  Before I read the syncroblog topic list I decided I wanted to participate.  The first topic I wrote about–immigration–left me feeling ignorant.  But as feelings go ignorant was not too bad.  The bigger picture of the same-sex marriage debate feels like a stomach punch by comparison (These syncrobloggers do not exactly ease into things).  Even knowing it was coming for well over a month has not softened the blow.  You see, a while back I decided to let my WordPress blog post directly on my Facebook page.  Prior to that, I had carefully protected myself (and my family) from the opinions I spewed forth on my blog.  I wrote anonymously.  I commented on other people’s posts anonymously.  I disconnected my public life (especially within my Christian circles) with my private blogger life.  My decision to “go public” with my blog thoughts came after a long and sometimes painful emerging within my own immediate family, a road we actually have not quit walking.

All that is to say this, the big picture of the same-sex marriage topic, opens a door to my life I am reluctant to share with any but a few select individuals.  At the same time, I have wanted to confront some of these issues within the Church for a long time now.  Thus my dilemma–do I or do I not participate in this syncroblog?  And if I do (which obviously I am) do I let this piece automatically post on FB?  Humm…I could go off on a tangent and talk about what that says about my faith and my Christian circles but I would be doing so only to avoid the actual topic so I will refrain.

The question I asked myself at the beginning of this post is a question I long to ask the Church as a whole–What have we done? Have we, because of our own self-righteousness, insecurities, and inability to comprehend a God who loves everyone unconditionally, caused hundreds of thousands of people to live sin-filled, secretive,  isolated, fear-filled lives?  Have we created a situation in which our prejudice and power forces others to choose between a monogamous love relationship or the Church’s approval?  When we refuse to protect homosexual relationships through marriage and as a Body label individuals immoral because of their sexual orientation are we not in truth forcing homosexuals to behave immorally?  Who can blame  a homosexual for thinking “to stay with any one relationship too long could be dangerous” especially when the people who would judge them as immoral because of that relationship also have the power to harm them–to take away an individual’s job or deny him promotions, to stop homosexuals from buying homes in “nice” neighborhoods  or keep her from gaining custody of her biological children?  And those examples are not even the most frightening, dangerous, or emotionally traumatic experiences homosexuals have had to face.

I can no more say all homosexual sex is bad than I can say all heterosexual sex is good.  And frankly, neither can you.  In the first place none of us are God.  We were never meant to discern between good and evil.  That was God’s job in the beginning and He would like it back!  Our job is to love. Love.  In the second place, despite our misquoting scripture the “abomination” is a word against unbridled behavior associated with orgies not homosexual sex per se.  God gave us that admonition because such behavior is not loving or honoring or healthy or safe–for anyone!

I would be the last person to tell a pastor he must, against his moral conviction, marry a gay or lesbian couple or even welcome them without reservation into her fellowship.  At. the. same. time. unless God Himself visits me with a word to the contrary I will not believe of my God that He supports the condemnation, hate, anger, violence, bigotry, and harm done to others in His name with regard to the issue of homosexuality.  Don’t fellowship with homosexuals.  Don’t invite them to your small groups or into your homes.  The homosexuals will not be missing much because you choose prejudice and ignorance over relationship.  But in American do not pretend that just because the Founding Fathers believed in God(as most of them confessed) you have the right to shackle others based on your religious tenets.

I didn’t have these links when I originally posted so I’m adding them now.  Check out the other posts which are a part of the syncroblog for October:

Kathy Baldock at Canyonwalker Connections – Marriage “I Do” For Who

Dan Brennan at Faith Dance – Sexual Difference, Marriage and Friendship

Steve Hayes at Khanya – Same Sex Marriage Synchroblog

Sonja Andrews at Calacirian – In Defense Of Marriage

John C O’Keefe – Exactly What Is Gay Marriage

Liz Dyer at Grace Rules – Nobody knows why or how same-sex marriage is harmful

Herman Groenewald at Along The Way – Same Sex Debate

David Henson at unorthodoxology – ban marriage

Erin Word at Mapless – Synchroblog: Legalizing Same Sex Marriage

Joshua Jinno at Antechurch – The Church Is Impotent

Kathy Escobar at The Carnival in My Head-It’s Easy to be Against Equal Rights When We Have Them

Tia Lynn at Abandon Image–Conservative Christians and Same-Sex Marriage