Is the Church Homophobic?

General Theme: There is a perception by many outside of the church that the church is homophobic and does not demonstrate the love of Jesus toward the homosexual community. If we hold a conservative theological position on the practice of homosexuality, then we must:
• Know from the Scriptures why we believe what we do (and be able to respond to the recent alternative viewpoints of the Scriptures about the practice of homosexuality
• Determine if we are subtly (or not so subtly) not loving the homosexual community as Jesus would

Primary Texts

Genesis 19; Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13;
Romans 1:26–27;
1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10

Introduction

• This is another topic that causes a lot of tension within the church on several levels. Issues include not only the question of practicing homosexuality but how homosexuality and homosexuals are addressed in and by the church; celibate homosexuals; and the covenant of marriage.

Overall, the church has historically not acted too Jesus-like about this issue.

• Several things to avoid:

—Oversimplifying the theology and Scriptures about homosexuality and not being ready to intelligently and lovingly explain from Scripture what we believe or don’t believe.

—Forgetting that we are talking about people who are created in God’s image and who he deeply loves

—Putting homosexuality in a category that is unhealthily focused on more than other sins

—Not understanding that this is a very complex issue and how we address it as a church is critically important

1. Homosexuality and the Bible

• Scriptures should be our starting place: what they say or don’t say about homosexuality


2. What Did Jesus Say about Homosexuality?

• Overview of Jesus’ teaching on marriage. Though Jesus never spoke of homosexuality per se, what he consistently did was give the positive example of man and woman in marriage. For someone who was breaking taboos, Jesus never tried to break a taboo of homosexual practice.

• Overview of the entire biblical narrative and view of sexual relationships and marriage. Throughout the entire Bible there are no positive examples of homosexual practice being endorsed or approved of by God.

• The actual biology of man and woman is a case for original intent of sexual design.

3. Some Critical Questions to Highlight

• Do people “choose” to be gay? We must understand that people really don’t “choose” to have same-sex attraction. We choose what we do with that attraction. But it is incorrect to make a general statement and say people choose to be gay.

• Can you be homosexual and a Christian? There are many Christians who have same-sex attraction—that in itself is not the sin.

4. How Should the Church Respond?

• Ask someone to share: If possible, ask a Christian who has same-sex attraction but not practicing homosexuality to share at this point of the teaching, or perhaps someone who was formerly practicing homosexuality.

• By evaluating our attitudes, words, and personal jokes we may make—and repenting if we have been callous or unloving toward homosexuals

• By evaluating whether our church is a safe place where a person who has same-sex attraction feels they can talk to someone about it. Is the church prepared to direct people to those who can adequately counsel and walk with someone who has same-sex attraction? (See Karen’s comments in the book They Like Jesus but Not the Church, pages 157–159).