Today I read in the Picayune Item that for the first time in our cities history, a same-sex couple has filed an out-of-state marriage license in a local court here in Pearl River County. I want to share a few thoughts regarding homosexual/lesbian relationships.
1. Homosexuality is a sin. Period. A close examination of 1 Corinthians 6:9 in the Greek as well as a casual reading in Romans 1 (as well as many other passages) reveals this to be true. Marriage has from the very, very beginning been between a man and a woman. Too many mental/theological gymnastics are required to justify homosexuality in light of the Scriptures. I have read an entire book that was devoted to doing such a thing, and in the end, it drastically failed due to a gross oversight and lack of consideration for the original Greek regarding 1 Corinthians 6:9.
2. No matter who, what, when, or where, a Christian is called to display/demonstrate the love, kindness, compassion, truth, and heart of Jesus Christ toward ALL people, including those of a different sexual orientation. In other words, anger, hatred, hate speech, or a simple cold shoulder is anti-Christ. One can love the sinner ad hate the sin (thank you St. Augustine for this distinction).
3. In Genesis 1 and 2 (two different variations of Creation), God created a woman and gave her to the original man. Marriage from the very beginning has been between a man and a woman. Now, I understand that if a homosexual/lesbian is not a Christian, then they understandably will reject this creation narrative. So, I suppose, what I am writing is more for Christians. However, I find something to be true of almost every same-sex relationship that in my humble estimation, serves as extra-biblical support for the truth of God’s word. What truth? That God’s design from the very beginning is that marriage is only between a man and a woman. So what is the “something to be true” that I am referring to? Simple observation reveals that in almost every homosexual/lesbian relationship I have every come across, one person in the relationship always assumes the male role and the other assumes the female role. Of course, this itself has been challenged in our day. The basic idea is that there are no moral, spiritual, or natural distinction to be made between a male and female. In other words, gender-roles are nothing more than a social construct. The word of God reveals that there are two genders, distinct from one another, that are meant to reflect God in different ways. In a male same-sex relationship, usually one man takes on a more feminine posture. In a female same-sex relationship, usually one woman takes on a more male posture. I understand that this is not a politically-correct observation to call attention to, but the truth is undeniable. There is a bit of irony in this. In order for two people to try and make a same-sex relationship work, they have to, to some degree, mimic God’s design. In rebelling against God’s revealed order for marriage, they incidentally affirm His design.
If you are a Christian, you are not allowed to take the moral position, “To each man his own.” Or, “Whatever makes you happy.” Or, “Whatever is right for you is right for you.”
Note: I would have spent more time analyzing 1 Corinthians 6:9, but for the purpose of this blog, I didn’t.
B.J. Condrey, Ph.D. 
Not necessarily. Asking which is the masculine one in a lesbian couple is like looking at chopsticks, and asking which is the fork.
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Your comment is a little too short for a developed response. No doubt I am making generalizations, but, based on my experience, it does not seem that difficult to pick which person in a same-sex relationship is assuming each gender role. How ironic that even among same-sex relationships, you still find, although perverted, God’s pattern.
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“Perverted” is a horrible word. That is not my impression of the gay relationships of my friends at all. Loving, supportive, generous, beautiful, yes. Perverted? Really? Is that what you think? How awful for you!
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You should have asked me what I meant by “perverted.” By ‘perversion’, all I mean is that it is a perversion of God’s original design. I obviously would NOT put this into the same category as child molestation, pornagraphy, or rape. The reason I say this is that these are very clear examples of perversion. However, any sin is a perversion of God’s original design. No doubt that there are gay people and gay relationships that exemplify wonderful virtues such as kindness, servitude, compassion, etc. I do not disagree with you there. As a Christian, anything that Satan offers is a counterfeit to what God originally intended. A counterfeit is a perversion of the original. It is sin. If you are not a Christian, I expect us to disagree. But if you are a follower of Christ that believes in the authority of God’s word, then sin is a perversion of the truth and what God intended. It would benefit you to take a breathe, ask what I actually mean by a particular term, and then thoughtfully respond.
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“Exemplify wonderful virtues”, you said, and I thought- how lovely! We are not being compared to paedophiles for a change! Then you spoiled it all by saying our love comes from Satan.
I use words in their ordinary meaning, and expect you to do the same.
I am a Christian, secure in the knowledge that “Christian” arguments against equal marriage are as worthless as the beautifully wrought Evangelical reasoning of Thornton Stringfellow.
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Of course I am not comparing a gay person to a paedophile. However, sin is sin. And all sin is a perversion of what God has originally intended (i.e. designed). You claim be a Christian. Can a gay person exemplify some admirable trait? Absolutely. We are all created in God’s image. However, sin has marred that image as well as other parts of our existence, including relationships. Same-sex marriage is clearly defined as sin in the Bible. Any sin is what Satan is offering as an alternative to what God calls ‘righteous’. You cannot embrace sin and walk in the purposes of God. Struggling with something is one thing, but to fully embrace/accept, that is another. You mention “Christian” arguments. I do not know why you put this in quotes. I have set forth Scripture and you have yet to counter on those grounds. A true follower of Christ cares about what is revealed in God’s word. It is a guide to aid us in following God’s way, not something to be minimized when it does not fit our fancy. I am sorry that I detect defensiveness on your part. I have strove to remain respectful in this conversation. If you are a true Christian, then you cannot call ‘sin’ beautiful. Thank you for your input.
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Have a look at Thornton Stringfellow. He makes exemplary Evangelical arguments, with lots of Biblical quotation and closely reasoned argument from it. And yet what he says is wicked and repulsive. Similarly, some Christians make arguments from a few isolated verses in the Bible, ignoring, say, 1 Samuel 1, Ruth 1, “It is not good for the man to be alone”, and that God is Love. They will cease this. Sooner, perhaps, than you imagine.
So I say “Christian” arguments because they are not properly Christian at all. Just like Stringfellow.
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The problem with the verses you mentioned are twofold:
1. The ones I used speak directly to the topic of homosexuality and is very clear.
2. The Scriptures you referenced above are very general and do not at all, not in the least bit, support a gay lifestyle.
The passages I used speak clearly against a gay lifestyle, calling it sin. However, the two passages you mention do not at all, in context, approve or disapprove. So here is the problem. You reference passages that do not answer the question one way or the other. The passages I use do. Ambiguous passages taken out of context cannot be used to refute other passages that clearly define a particular lifestyle/act/orientation as sinful.
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I glanced at the first three, passages I have looked/studied before, and the conclusions drawn are not complete. Genesis is clear that it is a man and a woman. The argument used from the Leviticus passage is insufficient. It speaks of sexual sin as well the lack of hospitality. It makes the either/or error. This is a both/and situation. Your examples are ones I have looked at before. In each case, great liberty has to be taken to arrive at the conclusions you and others have arrived at. These are not “Arguments from the Bible”. These are contrived and manipulated interpretations. I’m not posting this last one because it is misleading and based on poor interpretations of Scripture. The gay lifestyle is a sin and it requires a significant stretching as well neglecting to make the Scriptures say otherwise. You interpretation of Scripture is engineered to justify a lifestyle you have chosen. This saddens me.
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I have no more “chosen” a “gay lifestyle” than I have chosen to be left handed, and I do not live a “left handed lifestyle”. I am just left-handed. If you said that this is of the devil, and I should be made to use my right hand, it would become the most important thing in the world for me, but as it is I am just left-handed.
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There have been numerous psychology studies with identical and fraternal twins demonstrating that one is not “born gay.” I will admit this. I do believe that there are people born that are biologically predisposed to a gay orientation, but nature (as opposed to nurture) is not the full story. Biological predisposition is very different than biological predetermination. Anyways, that being said, the Bible is clear that when Adam and Eve sinned, all was corrupted. As the saying goes, we live in a fallen world. Romans 8 speak of creation groaning for the day of redemption. Things are not as they are suppose to be. This means that just because something is ‘natural’ does not necessarily mean that God made it that way or intended it to be that way. In a fallen world, “natural” does not necessarily mean it is morally right. If we were not in a fallen world, then ‘natural’ would be synonymous with ‘morally right’. To say you are born gay brings up a host of problems. For instance, what bout the man that says he is attracted to small children? He could just as easily say he was born that way. That obviously does not make his choice to follow through with such an act morally permissible. In a fallen world, things go wrong. That is where the redemption of Jesus Christ comes in. Redemption from sin includes a reorientation when needed. I tell you what, I appreciate the dialogue and I will let you have the last word. Respond whenever convenient and I will leave it at that. Have a good day.
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