"It Is a Myth that Homosexuals Cannot Change"

Last month, a public letter called "A Solemn Appeal" was written by a group of concerned gay/lesbian Adventists (including some anonymous heterosexuals) as a means of increasing dialogue in the Adventist Church on the controversial topic of homosexuality. I saw this letter as more than "increasing dialogue."

As an open-minded Adventist, I have often debated in my own mind the issue of homosexuality. I fully supported Adventists Against Prop 8 on the grounds that the State of California had no business defining marriage as being only between a man and a woman by using a religious viewpoint. I stood with many other Adventists who advocate for a clear separation between church and state and who vow to protect the rights of others.

Then I read "A Solemn Appeal" and drew my line in the sand. I surprised myself, as a progressive Adventist, by doing so.

While I accept and embrace gays/lesbians with extended arms of grace to experience worship, communion, and fellowship in my spiritual community, I have uncharacteristically found myself having to question "how far am I willing to go before I call the sinner to repentance, as Christ did when he repeatedly told those He healed, 'go and sin no more?' "

So what did this come down to? I cannot in good conscience accept one of the points in their "A Solemn Letter." The moment this petition asked for my signature to advocate for a gay lifestyle (specifically sexual intercourse), I felt a spiritual tug in my heart that something just wasn't right. The last bullet point states,

We believe the same Jesus who said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” might say today in regard to this issue, “Marriage was made for humans, not humans for marriage.” We believe God wants homosexuals, as well as heterosexuals, to enjoy the many blessings of a monogamous, committed relationship – companionship, support of each other, a greater understanding of God’s love, and emotional and sexual intimacy – needs with which He created all of us."

I saw many of my friends, acquaintances, and those I engage with in conversation on other blogs who I admire and highly respect sign the petition. Many of those friends view the Bible as being silent on sexual behavior within a consensual, monogamous committed homosexual relationship. For them, Adventist gays and lesbians who love Christ and practice the two greatest commandments of Matthew 22:36-40 in a faithful marriage are safe under this hermeneutics.

This is the hermeneutics suggested by Christian activist, and homosexual, Justin R. Cannon. I wrote a review and commentary of his work here. Check it out for more background.

For a few days after "A Solemn Appeal" was posted, there was the strong familiar urging to join the groupthink of this thoughtful letter and sign the petition to advocate for rights and justice on behalf of our GLT community. I agree with my friend, the Loma Linda religion professor, who left a farewell message on his last blog posting stating that "the issue of sexual identity is not at the heart of the Gospel, but ... the issue of justice is." Dr. Nam further states, and I also fully agree that "God's high call for righteousness includes in our time to recognize the full humanity, dignity, and equality of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgendered children of God for the way God made them--both in society and in our church community."

Looking beyond these parameters that has caused so much divide amongst Jesus-loving Adventists, and allowing that last bullet point in "A Solemn Appeal" to speak on its own, I was forced to ask myself a difficult question: At what point do I dismiss the authority of scripture to accommodate my surrounding culture?

This time, I had to stand on my own two feet. I had to call a spade a spade.

I won't debate what the Bible says on homosexuality because it is an issue that I continue to discover new ground through careful Biblical study. I expect the saints will do a fine job commenting ad nauseam the usual proof text methods about abomination, fornication and make insensitive remarks about how God did not make "Adam and Steve."

At the same time, I don't side with religious conservatives who often interpret all of the Biblical passages that touch on same-sex activity as condemning homosexuality in all its forms. One needs to study the Bible responsibly, inspect the original language, context and attempt to understand precisely what the writers taught. It may reveal something else you've been brought up to believe.

I leave you with a lasting impression that comes from the personal view of a well-respected Adventist pastor who shares the conservative Biblical view. What makes his view different is that, if you must label this pastor, he's a loving progressive, not a Bible-thumping fundamentalist. With his permission below is an e-mail I received from him. It has been slightly edited to protect privacy. I'm using this to state the difficult position I find myself in, at the expense of outcries from the thoughtful liberal/progressive camp. If a "thinking pastor" feels this way, there is hope at least, for some in the GLT community to perhaps think the same:

Homosexuality is a big issue in the Adventist church. I have many of them attending [our church] so I know how sensitive we must be. A year ago, I preached [on the topic]. In that series I made it very clear that marriage is only between a man and a woman. God gave me the words to say it in such a way that I did not discourage the gays from continuing to attend. We have even had a gay man [participate] in the praise team. I had met privately with him to get an agreement that he was not practicing the gay life style. There are no sinless people on our praise team. So [our church] is an Adventist church where gays feel welcome.

I have some twenty books on homosexuality and have read widely and the myth that they keep presenting, even in this ["A Solemn Appeal"] statement, is that homosexuality is a born condition just like being born left handed. This is not the case. There is still a huge debate going on concerning the origins of the homosexual orientation. And even if we could prove that it was genetic that still does not mean it must be OK. There are many traits we receive that are genetic since we are all sinners that are not OK. Some great examples are physical deformities. We don't say they are OK just because they are genetic.

In a letter to the editor [of a Christian magazine] some years back I pointed out that the whole point of being born again was to overcome our cultivated and inherited tendencies to evil. Again it is a myth that homosexuals cannot change. In my own extended family there is a practicing homosexual, whom we love deeply and his partner, and a member who was a lesbian for a number of years and is now happily married [to a man] for many years. I have conversed with others who have changed as well. So again, when the homosexual group makes blanket statements in these areas they are not really helping their cause.

I end with a prayer. Because I do not have all the answers, I pray that I, and you, continue to set aside any instilled fears and prejudices and allow for the Holy Spirit to open up our minds in compassion to make truth known to us, just as faithful gays and lesbians continue to do the same. I share the same commitment as my friend Julius (who may not agree with my stance) that we need to work through these issues with much prayer, study of Scripture, patience, trust and humility in each other who make up the Body of Christ.

Note [edit]: Is homosexuality a condition that cannot be changed? I invite you to take the current reader poll located on the sidebar.