Hey Kids,
There has been a lot of hullabaloo in the news lately over same sex marriage. Many people–even some Christians–are lauding the recent Supreme Court ruling as a triumph for equality. The slogan “Love Wins” is, basically, everywhere. Those who oppose gay marriage are responding, at times with malice. In most arenas, sober, mature discussion has been blasted aside by venom and sarcasm. At the ripe old age of sixteen, you may find it tough to navigate your way through a society that so strongly disagrees with what you’ve been taught.
Maybe I can help.
It will come as no shock to you that I don’t have all the answers.
But I do have a few.
Maybe four.
Here they are.
- God says that homosexuality is wrong.
Yes, he does. As people of God, you can’t back away from that fact.
Now, there are three kinds of folks you might find yourself in a conversation with on this subject. The first is the Christian who agrees with you. Don’t argue with this guy. He’s already on your side. The second is the person who doesn’t believe in God, or who doesn’t trust the Bible. Frankly, there’s not much you’re going to say that will convince him that homosexuality is sin. At the moment, he has bigger spiritual fish to fry. We’ll talk more about him in a bit.
It’s the third guy you need to be ready for. He is under the deception that homosexuality isn’t really a sin. He may have weak contextual arguments from Scripture; he may simply argue that God is a fan of love in any and all forms. This guy is dangerous. And he is wrong.
Genesis 19. Sodom and Gomorrah. You know the story. It’s the text that most people go to when addressing this subject, and for good reason. God destroys two entire cities for rampant sin…the sin of homosexuality. Jude confirms this in his letter to the believers, and 2 Peter addresses it as well. In Romans, Paul declares homosexuality to be unnatural, and a result of Man’s abandonment of God. And, of course, in Leviticus God clearly calls homosexuality “detestable.”
Yes, there are people who will argue with all of these examples, but frankly their arguments don’t hold up to a straightforward reading of the text and the application of some good old common sense. Don’t take my word–or anyone else’s–for it–study the Scripture for yourself.
Let God be true, and every man a liar (Romans 3:4).
- The World doesn’t want to hear it.
When I was in college, a buddy and I decided to campaign for the office of God. We argued that there should be term limits on deity, and that the time had come for fresh ideas.
We were joking…mostly.
The fact of it is, though we didn’t realize it, we were demonstrating a pretty ancient mindset. In Genesis, God said, “Let us make man in our image.” For the rest of history, man has been saying, “Let us make God in our image.” You see, most people don’t really believe that God exists–not as an actual person. They see him as a philosophy, a societal construct that we use to teach right and wrong. As such, God can be reinvented, or thrown out entirely, to suit the current fashion. That’s why you hear phrases like, “Well, I could never believe in a God that…” Seriously, can you imagine any real person you would discuss like that? “I could never believe in a Grandmother who was a terrible cook.” Really? I had one. Your lack of belief did not make your great-granny’s Imitation Crab Casserole any less nasty, or my indigestion any less uncomfortable.
In the absence of a God who is a real person, people are free to make up their own rules. Society becomes one giant game of Calvinball.
- Following God will not make you popular
If you choose to believe the God of the Bible when it comes to the issue of homosexuality–or any other issue, for that matter–you will encounter grief. Just gird your loins and get ready for it. I don’t say this lightly. You are my kids, and I would love to protect you from every hurt and have the world adore you. I would choose to see you lauded for your strength and grace and intelligence and Godly character. But if you stand for truth–and I pray that you do–that ain’t gonna happen.
People will laugh at you.
People will call you hateful.
People will insult your intelligence.
People will ignore your arguments and attack your person.
It will hurt. It will be frustrating. It will make you want to back down, to make nice and let everyone think you’re spiffy. But you can not. You must not. Because…
- You have an enemy…but he isn’t gay.
When someone ignores the truth, when someone mocks God, when someone attacks you for your beliefs, it is easy to see him as an enemy.
But he’s not your enemy.
He’s the guy you’re here to rescue.
Look, I’m no fan of the “victim” mentality, but the fact is that homosexuals are victims. They have been lied to and preyed upon by society, by politicians, and by the Father of Lies himself–Satan.
What lies, you ask? Well, one of them–that God does not call homosexuality sin–we’ve already talked about. But there is another, even more prevalent issue you need to be ready to address, and it goes like this: Homosexuality is not a choice; people are born that way. You can’t condemn people for doing what is natural for them.
Two things: First, the evidence is still not conclusive–not even close–that homosexuality is genetic, so that argument doesn’t hold as much water as it might. But what if it is? What if, just for the sake of discussion, we say that homosexuality is genetic? Well, then we get to Second. Second: just because something comes naturally does not make it right, moral, or good. We live in a fallen world. The effects of the fall reach even to the genetic level. There is an established genetic predisposition towards all sorts of addictions, but we don’t encourage the alcoholic, the meth user, or the gambler to “do what comes naturally” to them. In fact, we encourage them to stand firm and fight their addiction, to transcend the grip of sin in their lives. We call them, with the help of the Holy Spirit and their brothers and sisters in Christ, to overcome.
A Christian who is caught up in homosexuality just might be convinced by biblical arguments to leave the lifestyle. The unbeliever? Highly unlikely. So how do you rescue those who don’t see a need for rescue?
You pray for them. Not at them, not about them, but for them. You stand up for them against the rulers and powers of this dark world, against the true enemy of whom they are unaware.
You listen to them. Each is a person, not just a sinner. Each has his or her own story, their own personal struggle. Treat them accordingly.
You stand with them. Don’t lower the bar of righteousness, but don’t beat them with it, either. How would you respond to a friend who was cutting, or drinking, or cheating, or skipping out on God? You would tell them the truth, wrapped in love.
You know, kinda like Jesus did.
I know I’ve droned on for a while here, and there are still plenty of questions I haven’t addressed. But, like with every aspect of this Dad thing, I’m doing what I can. Frankly, I would rather wrap you both up in bubble wrap and keep you from all that is dark and warped and icky in the world. But that’s not what I signed on for when I promised God to raise you for Him. And I know that is not what would bring you real joy. Instead, I pray that you will continue to grow, confident in your faith and in your ability to share that faith with a sad and aching world.
I love you.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14).