The Gay Debate

Iowa is now right in the middle of the gay marriage debate. The Supreme Court of Iowa said that marriage cannot be denied to gay couples. The traditional conservative mantra has been, "Homosexuality is a sin; If you will change your lifestyle, we will let you in." The extreme right even boasts with clever slogans that proclaim, "God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve." But is this the response Christ would have if he were walking bodily on the earth today. I must admit my struggle with how traditional Christianity has approached this topic in the past. Recently, Tim (our Lead Pastor at Ashworth Road) and I hosted a Pastor's Roundtable where we asked the question, "What should the church's response be to the Gay and Lesbian Community?" Our first meeting was beneficial. Several local pastors, ministers and priests attended. We all quickly realized we were in the same boat. We agreed to meet again in a month to discuss the book, "Love Is an Orientation" by Andrew Marin. This book is incredible. I highly recommended it for any Christian looking for answers on how to talk with gay friends and family members. This book is insightful and answers the questions that seem to end discussions between gay and straight people. Questions like, "Do you think homosexuality is a sin?" and "Do you think gays and lesbians are born that way?" Andrew Marin, after immersing himself in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) community in Chicago's Boystown, tackles this difficult subject head on and gives believers something to think about in how they deal with the gay topic. By elevating the conversation beyond the closed questions above, Marin reminds us that the most important thing we can do is help others, whether they are gay or straight, in their, "spiritual growth while trusting Jesus to commmunicate to an individual his heart and will through a growing relationship with him." The primary theme of the book is love. Regardless of someone's sexual orientation, Christ commands us to love. As Billy Graham once said, "It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love." This is an excellent book. I highly recommend it.