Pastors’ Conference and the Issue of Homosexuality

     Perspective On Homosexuality. This month of February I would like to focus on the home as it was set up by God. We, male and female mankind, were designed by God at creation in two distinct genders that were meant to complement each other. Neither male nor female people were meant to be alone, but to be together. Homosexual relationships were not envisioned by God--you will note from Genesis that we were designed to be male and female. So where does that leave our society which purports to have a large proportion of gay and lesbian individuals impacting many families across the US? (For simplicity purposes, male and female homosexuality is lumped into the term “homosexual” for our purposes in this discussion.) How should we as Lutheran Christians understand the homosexual dilemma which is whitewashed in our media and glossed over as just another kind of “normal” behavior?

     General Remarks. Why even talk about homosexuality? Here's how we get to the topic. As many of you know, I returned from the AFLC Pastors’ Conference which took place January 17 through 19 in Wisconsin. The theme of the conference was, “Lord, Teach Us to Pray!” Looking at the program, there were twelve different hours concentrating on some aspect of prayer! The emphasis on prayer was featured in the Bible study focus by Pastor Dr. Francis Monseth and Pastor Dr. Tim Skramstad. Bible school Dean Pastor James Johnson discussed Lutheran Free Church founding father Sverdrup and his understanding of the spiritual gifts in the church. Then there was Pastor Glesne who discussed a current "hot topic" in the church world. He was invited for one brief hour, an hour filled with much godly wisdom.

     A More Detailed Report On The Homosexuality Issue For Lutheran Congregations. Pastor Dr. David Glesne from Fridley, Minnesota, and Redeemer Lutheran Church, discussed homosexual issues in the local congregation. The Redeemer congregation recently gave Pastor Glesne a sabbatical to study the issues which resulted in his just published book, Understanding Homosexuality: Perspectives for the Local Church (Minneapolis: Kirk House Publishers, 2005). Redeemer Lutheran Church is a member church in the ELCA which has been visibly struggling with homosexual issues for some time, as you have read in the press.

     Homosexuality is an issue that pastors and lay people really wish would just go away. We would prefer not to address the topic. It is emotionally laden as well as being a matter of bias. Pastor Glesne, brave pastor that he is to address the topic, especially in the ELCA, pointed out several things that we as Christians need to know, particularly since healing and hope for the homosexual is possible, just as is healing and hope is available as a general goal for all people in the local church.

     Misinformation. There is so much smoke in the media that we have to really work to discover the truth concerning homosexuality. Pastor Glesne addressed four common myths that have penetrated and are consistently perpetrated by the media at large.

     Incidence. The media presents the incidence of homosexuality at about 10% of the white male population. This faulty statistic is based on Kinsey’s studies of the 1940s and 1950s. It was not challenged until the 1990s. Every recent study shows that homosexuality occurs in only 1% to 3% of the population--and this is a world-wide phenomenon.

     Genetic Aberration. The media has consistently described the homosexual life style in terms of fatalism, “They are born that way!” Or, the media links homosexual behavior to science in terms of organic genetics, “Scientists have shown ...!” What science has demonstrated is that there is NO gay gene. Cited genetic researcher Dr. Dean Hamer himself has stated unequivocally that “there is no master ‘gay’ gene” that has been found. Despite brain structure studies, there is no brain structure proof for some kind of “gay difference” in gay brain tissues. All brains are malleable, but “no one is born gay.”

     Gay Happiness. The gay life style is portrayed on TV as being a happy and well-adjusted life style. Pastor Glesne is quick to point out that some homosexual people may be happy with their lives, but the vast majority are unhappy and pained. They ask, “Who would choose to be gay?” Life style aside, this gay population has fear, fear of being found out, fear of a variety of sexual diseases, fear of violence. “Straight violence on gays” certainly does exist, but what the media does not present is the pervasive fear of violence, “gay on gay,” much more common than violence perpetrated by the straight population on gay people. Homosexual people fear aging in a way that straight people may not understand. A gay lifestyle is dead-end at the conclusion of life with lost family and lost relationships with family. Perhaps what is most tragic in the fear category is fear of God which is a deep and penetrating conscious awareness of sin against our Heavenly Father.

     Locked Into A Dead-End Lifestyle. The media would have us believe that “homosexuals cannot change.” Indeed, the media denies any hope or even need for hope for this “hopeless population.” And there is a sense of hopelessness in the gay population. The incidence of suicide is very high compared to the general population. The media would suggest that there is no way out of homosexuality, yet there are data which reveal that one does not have to remain locked into the homosexual lifestyle. The testimony of the Bible is strong and sure--THERE IS HOPE IN CHRIST! The testimony of former homosexuals is sure--there are hundreds of homosexual people who have experienced a redeemed life, a non-gay life, AFTER life in the homosexual mode. Scientific studies show that psychoanalysis works to change gay behavior and former disbeliever Robert Spitzer himself states that “change can work.” There are a variety of ministries to homosexuals which advocate leaving the dead-end lifestyle behind, including Exodus Ministry.

     A Biblical View On Homosexuality. Is there a Biblical world view in this matter of homosexuality? We certainly seem to have churches taking up positions on the acceptability of the homosexual lifestyle, but where is God in this discussion? There are really two issues that relate to homosexuality and the church. The first is this: Is homosexuality contrary to God’s will? The second is a corollary: What should the church’s attitude be toward homosexuality?

     The Bible And The Homosexual Lifestyle. We in the church talk of new Bible translations shedding light on the issue of homosexuality. These translations are often considered “revisionist” because they challenge the historical understanding of God’s Word. It seems to be so clear in some Bibles, but so confused in others, doesn't it? The Bible is obviously a translation of primarily Greek and Hebrew. Words relating to homosexuality are pretty clear in context, but a translation suffers when an existing bias takes words out of context and actually reinterprets them in a way that the original Greek and Hebrew did not intend. The Book of Genesis presents normal human sexuality as part of human relationship. A perusal of the Old Testament demonstrates that the understanding of marriage in the Bible prohibits homosexuality and cannot justify homosexuality. Sexual relationships are to be “male and female.” And there is hope, as St. Paul notes in his letter to the Corinthians when, in talking of the Corinthian rejection of homosexual behavior, he notes that “such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)

     A Church Perspective. What is the church’s attitude to be if the historical view of the Scriptures is the correct view, the Biblical view in context? The gay lifestyle appears to result because homosexual people are in some sense “broken.” Gays will tell you that they did not choose to be gay. Research is suggesting that something was missed in normal human development which results in gay behavior. Given the pervasiveness of social issues relating to homosexuality, how can the church address the needs of this broken element of the population, even if it is only comprised of one person in a hundred?

     It must begin with a congregation’s willingness to discuss the subject. Homosexuality is a sin, but the church is a collection of sinners. The church recognizes that everyone is battling something in life, and we all need the love and support of other believers. There needs to be a freedom to share with the pastor. And there needs to be assurance that fellow believers can be trusted.

     Attitude Adjustment. Lutherans and many other Christians understand repentance. All churches need to cultivate a spirit of repentance in their congregations. We all understand that we have sin in our lives. New life in Christ is a call to new behavior. It is interesting that there is no Biblical word for “homosexual.” All relevant Bible words relate to behavior. And isn’t behavior what sin is--ungodly behavior which fails to honor God and one another? We often talk about loving the sinner but hating the sin. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can accept other people but we can disapprove of their sinful behavior. This is true of the homosexual lifestyle, is it not? Life is full of our biases and preferences, but believers are called to agape-love. Perhaps this kind of love might be called compassion. The families with homosexual members in them or our congregations with homosexual people in them--all deserve compassion and our prayers for the Lord’s healing.

     Needs Of The Homosexual. What works? Pastor Glesne suggested three things that will enable a person to exit the homosexual lifestyle, three things that have worked in his congregation: 1) a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; 2) a therapist or counselor who understands the issues; and, 3) a loving church fellowship.

     A National Church Position. A number of national churches have taken a position on homosexuals in ministry and in the church. A Biblical and godly position is really very simple and consistent with the Lutheran Confessions. We are all sinners--we have different kinds of sins. We have a fellowship in Jesus Christ Who came to save sinners. The church is not to love sin, but to love sinners. It is a mistake for a church to support sin just to love sinners. Yes, let us love those who sin, those “who miss the mark,” but let us reject sin. Bottom Line? Love “them,” but not what they do.