Iain posed some interesting points. I'll try to respond.
He wrote: >>>(1) I still don't know how one is supposed to witness ones
faith to a
homosexual. With the example I gave of my past experience, I felt that I
could not pretend the verses in Romans and Leviticus didn't exist. If
I'm
to share my faith, I can't really cover up the points that I might feel
are
unacceptable to the other person. If I did just tell the essentials, and
they became a Christian, and then subsequently came across the Romans
verse
(for instance), then I think they might well feel a sense of betrayal
"why
didn't you tell me about this before?".>>>
No reason to "pretend." If you have my outlook on those 2 verses, no
problem. If you don't, then talk about them -- tell him of alternate
views to yours.
>>>(2) I think much of the reason for prejudice against homosexuals is
that
many people feel a strong sense of disgust at what they do. My wife is
not
at all a prejudiced person, but the idea of two women engaging in
intimate
sexual contact is one that disgusts her. She can't help the way she
feels
about this - it is inborn. I, as it happens, do not feel the same sense
of
revulsion about the idea of two men having similar intimate contact, but
I
know plenty of heterosexual males who do (my father used to be totally
revolted by such ideas). The point I would make is that the sense of
disgust is so common that it can't be just written off as a blind
prejudice - it is a violation and affront to what people regard as
natural
(i.e. the way they happen to be) - it is, using one of the translations
of
St. Paul "Inborn". >>>
I don't think it is "inborn" at all, but taught. Just the way race
attitudes are taught. We pick it up from the society we are part of.
>>> Having said this, the question also has to be asked as
to whether homosexuals feel the same sense of disgust at the idea of
male/female sexual contact.>>>
I really don't know about this. There may have been some surveys on it
though. I suspect not, because persons with a homosexual condition are
"taught" by society, as everyone else.
Some of the lesbian couples I know are older ladies who were married,
raised children, then after losing their spouses found a female partner.
I have never heard any of them express revulsion at heterosexual
activity, although none of them engages in it anymore.
>>>Many of the moral issues revolve around the
question as to whether homosexuality is "a condition" or a choice. Is a
heterosexual who could not tolerate the idea of a homosexual relationship
any different from a homosexual who could not tolerate the idea of a
heterosexual relationship? We should not let our sense of disgust turn
into
prejudice. At the end of the day, disgust is not a good indicator of how
to
make moral decisions.>>
Quite agree, of course. Personally, I find the concept of male-male sex a
"turnoff." That is what I was taught in my society, and that prejudice is
deep in me. That may be one reason I hesitated so long before taking a
stand as I have done (still getting interesting mail). I think I can
better understand the attitudes of those who supported segregation in our
society. That attitude was certainly not "inborn," but taught. I was
fortunate in that respect; I was not "taught" that skin color was an
attribute to hold in contempt.
>>>... if you remained silent on what scripture says about homosexuality,
and the person concerned
subsequently found the passage concerned, would they not feel
betrayed?>>>
Probably. That's why a discussion of the issues is probably needed.
>>> On the other hand - suppose they made a Christian commitment
believing (because you told them so) that it's OK to be a homosexual in
a monogamous and loving relationship, and it turns out that statement A.
is actually the correct interpretation of scripture - that ALL
homosexuality is
perversion. Then would you not be doing harm by hiding this
possibility?>>>
I think you are asking if you would be "leading them into sin?" I think
the answer must always be that we witness to Christ to others in order
that they may have a God-relationship. How that works out for them must
be between them and God. If they subsequently decide that their
homosexual activity is sinful, they will (I hope) stop.
In any case, I would not tell them -- on my say so -- that I have a final
answer. All I can tell them is how I come down on the issue at the time
of our discussion. That is why discussion id needed, and "hiding" is a
bad idea.
Thanks for the stimulus.
John Burgeson (Burgy)
http://www.burgy.50megs.com
(science/theology, quantum mechanics, baseball, ethics,
humor, cars, God's intervention into natural causation, etc.)
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Aug 15 2001 - 10:01:54 EDT