Nothing like kicking things off with an easy question…
“How does God really feel about gays?”
Have you heard of “Dear Abby”? Well, this is my very first “Dear Susan” post.
Sometimes they will be poignant, sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes tender, sometimes funny… but hopefully always worth the read. 🙂
Enjoy the very first “Dear Susan“…
Dear Susan:
Q Is this a joke? More importantly, is the bible given any regard in this article? I wonder how God really feels about gays – this majestic “LGBTQ”. Oh here is a text: “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust on toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:26-27. That is what God believes about the LGBTQ community.
Dear Friend:
A Well, hello there! I appreciate your passion. 🙂 I can tell you’re new to this conversation, because the Romans passage, along with the other “clobber passages” have been completely dismantled by Christian scholars, in books and blogs, for some time now. (Much of that work is on my resources page.)
First, let me share with you the simple truth about Romans 1. This passage is addressing a group of Christians who were giving up their focus on God. It is about idol worship. The key to the homosexual references is the word “natural” – Paul is referring to heterosexual people giving up their natural, god-given orientation and NOT worshiping God by exchanging that for “un-natural” behavior – for them. It would be exactly like asking a gay person to have heterosexual sex – it goes against their very nature, their identity, their orientation. There is much more on this in the books Bible, Gender & Sexuality and God and the Gay Christian.
I have a high view of scripture and take my bible very seriously, so much so that I won’t allow it to be autopsied, pulled out of context and thrown in pieces to reject and condemn people Jesus loves!
In addition, Romans 2 starts with “therefore, [referring to Romans 1], you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself…” Paul warns us that judging others is God’s business, not ours.
You see, you are looking at your bible like it’s a menu and choosing a passage like Romans, COMPLETELY out of context, to justify condemnation to a certain group of people – overlooking so many passages about judgment, about how unequipped we are to judge others, and that we are NOT to be sorting out what’s right and wrong, but following Jesus!
And to answer your question – “How does God really feel about gays?”…
He loves them, like he loves you – unconditionally. They are perfect to him, like you are. He guides them, like he guides you. His peace is available to them, as it is to you.
The question each of us must answer is: “Do I believe God feels that way about me?”
My dear reader, how would you answer that question?? I hope and pray your answer is yes,
— Susan
*If you have a question for “Dear Susan” please email it to freedhearts@gmail.com. Please put ‘DEAR SUSAN’ in the subject line.
[To read more from Susan Cottrell, visit www.FreedHearts.org]
[box type=”bio”]
SUSAN COTTRELL is a national speaker, teacher, and counselor with years of Biblical study and discipleship experience. Her books include: Mom, I’m Gay – Loving Your LGBTQ Child Without Sacrificing Your Faith
She is the Vice-President of PFLAG Austin, and her “Mom, I’m Gay” book has been endorsed by The Human Rights Campaign and others. Sharon Groves, PhD, HRC’s Religion & Faith Program Director says, “I often get asked by parents for resources that can address the struggles of raising LGBT sons and daughters without having to leave faith behind. Susan Cottrell’s book, Mom, I’m Gay, does just that. This is the kind of book that parents will love.”
She and her husband have been married more than 25 years and have five children – one of whom is in the LGBTQ community. She lives in Austin, Texas, and blogs at FreedHearts.org and here in IMPACT Magazine’s FreedHearts and Jesus Blog columns.
[/box]