Wrestling with Faith and Homosexuality
President Obama made a comment this week to a reporter from U.S. News and World Report that discussed how he wrestles with his Christian faith and his "solicitude and regard and concern" for homosexuals. The President is not the only one that struggles with these internal conflicts, as even churches around the world struggle with how to address the issue of homosexuality. After all, it's not as if homosexuals are all atheists or even agnostics. A study by the Barna group shows that 60 percent of gay Americans rate faith as "very important" in their lives, and 58 percent have made a commitment to Jesus Christ.
Yet, despite the results of this study, Christian denominations seem to have different ideas of how to view homosexuals. Some have no issue with homosexuality, while others strongly condemn it. Still, others feel that homosexuality is a sin, but no different from the sins heterosexuals commit daily. Each denomination cites interpretations of scripture for their attitudes toward homosexuality, and those interpretations vary greatly.
So, what is the "right" attitude toward homosexuality? Most of us tend to adhere to the attitudes put forth by the denomination to which we belong. Yet, others change their attitudes over time and change denominations to fit our beliefs. In the end, though, many Christians continue to be very much like the President, wrestling between attitudes toward homosexuality and religious teachings.
Comments
A very good post; thoughtful, well written, and thought provoking. Generally speaking, much of the bias that exists today against homosexuals stems from the religious right and those who adhere to its precepts. Gradually an attitude of toleration, if not approval, is gaining ground. However, we have a long way to go. The truth is that a large segment of society still regards gay men and women as second-class citizens – or worse. That is the salient point of my recently released biographical novel, Broken Sant. It is based on my forty-year friendship with a gay man, and chronicles his internal and external struggles as he battles for acceptance (of himself and others, including fellow Mormons). More information on the book is available at http://www.eloquentbooks.com/BrokenSaint.html.
Mark Zamen, author