Some of my best friends, like me, are white, heterosexual Christians. It may well be the case that their versions of the Christian faith differ from mine, as I am an adherent of postmodernism and understand the Christian faith to be man made. Therefore I consider the bible to be of human origin entirely and not a meta-narrative inspired by a metaphysical entity. But everyone to their own beliefs.
Two matters in the past few days have exemplified clearly the problem some Christians have with homosexuality.
A cleric has written that homosexuals are 'not normal'. When challenged on this, his response was that homosexuals did not use their genitalia in the way it was meant to be used, by which I assume he meant procreation. I don't believe being opposed to contraception forms part of the teaching of his church and there was no answer to the question: is genitalia to be used solely for procreation? The Church of England and the Anglican Communion is riven in discord over the issue of how its teachings and rules should reflect the fact that there are many homosexual Christians. In the eyes of this writer the Christian teaching is simple: charity demands that we do not discriminate on any grounds.
The second matter relates to an article in today's Observer which claims that Philippa Stroud, a committed Christian, has said that homosexuality is an illness. Philippa is the Director of the Centre for Social Justice think-tank. She issued the following statement:
“I make no apology for being a committed Christian. However, it is categorically untrue that I believe homosexuality to be an illness and I am deeply offended that The Observer has suggested otherwise. I have spent 20 years working with disturbed people who society have turned their back on and are not often supported by state agencies; drug addicts, alcoholics, the mentally ill and the homeless that I and my charitable friends in the public sector have tried to help over the years. The idea that I am prejudiced against gay people is both false and insulting.”
Two matters in the past few days have exemplified clearly the problem some Christians have with homosexuality.
A cleric has written that homosexuals are 'not normal'. When challenged on this, his response was that homosexuals did not use their genitalia in the way it was meant to be used, by which I assume he meant procreation. I don't believe being opposed to contraception forms part of the teaching of his church and there was no answer to the question: is genitalia to be used solely for procreation? The Church of England and the Anglican Communion is riven in discord over the issue of how its teachings and rules should reflect the fact that there are many homosexual Christians. In the eyes of this writer the Christian teaching is simple: charity demands that we do not discriminate on any grounds.
The second matter relates to an article in today's Observer which claims that Philippa Stroud, a committed Christian, has said that homosexuality is an illness. Philippa is the Director of the Centre for Social Justice think-tank. She issued the following statement:
“I make no apology for being a committed Christian. However, it is categorically untrue that I believe homosexuality to be an illness and I am deeply offended that The Observer has suggested otherwise. I have spent 20 years working with disturbed people who society have turned their back on and are not often supported by state agencies; drug addicts, alcoholics, the mentally ill and the homeless that I and my charitable friends in the public sector have tried to help over the years. The idea that I am prejudiced against gay people is both false and insulting.”
I take the statement at face value. The problem though is that many regard Christians as being homophobic simply because they are Christians. Indeed, many Christians are homophobic, not because they think it is an 'illness' or 'not natural', but as a consequence of a particular kind of biblical interpretation.
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