Hey Christians, What If We're Wrong? Is it Possible Being Gay isn't a sin? / A.J. Hendry

What if I told you that the issue of whether being gay was a sin, or whether a gay couple can lead a church service, isn’t foundational to your beliefs as a Christian?

What if I told you that Gay Christian’s exist?

That Gay couples lead churches, and trans people serve as leaders in their local worship service?

What if I told you, it was ok to Love and accept someone from the Rainbow community, without being afraid that your love for them was going to put them in danger of the fires of Hell?

Chances are you wouldn’t believe me.

You might say I’ve sold out.

That I was ‘distorting’ the gospel.

That I had ‘caved to culture’.

Perhaps, you’ve been taught to believe that the scripture is clear on the issue of sexuality.

That if someone is Gay, and in a relationship, that they are actively rebelling against God, and so must be in danger of the fires of Hell.

It’s likely that if you believe this, that you also believe that Folau was right in taking the stand that he did.

That it was the only thing he could do.

That, in light of eternity, he had no other choice but to warn those from the Rainbow community about ‘their fate’.

But, what if you’re wrong?

What if the Christian Scriptures aren’t as clear as Folau and others have made them out to be?

Homosexuality is mentioned in just three places within the English NT.

And even then, there is debate amongst scholars about whether that is even the right translation of the original Greek word.

On top of that, the concept of sexuality – as we understand it today – was likely non-existent in the ancient Greco-Roman world.

Human sexuality wasn’t split into these binary categories of Gay or Straight.

Instead, sex was about power. And in the ancient Roman world – which frames the context of the passage in 1 Corinthians which Folau quoted – men were the ones who held all the power.

And so, it was not unusual for men of status to demand sex from boys or younger men of lower social standing.

These relationships were, more often than not, abusive, and more akin to paedophilia and rape, then the loving, consensual and healthy relationships we might refer to today.

If this interpretation is correct, then this passage in 1 Corinthians, isn’t referring to two loving and consenting adults, but is condemning sexual exploitation and the abuse of young men.

Obviously, there is more complexity to this argument, and it is also not the only way to interpret this passage. There are others, and even these could turn out to be wrong.

The point is that there is debate amongst scholars on this issue.

And so, with debate surrounding the issue amongst scholars, how is it that the Christian community have become so unmovable in our stance towards God’s Rainbow children? Which brings me back to our first question. What if we’re wrong?

What if being Gay isn’t the sin we were told it was?

As a Christian myself, I get how daunting that question is.

I used to hold a similar view to the one Folau has expressed.

I didn’t think of myself as hateful or homophobic, nor did I hate gay people, or have any desire to do them harm.

But, I’d been taught that being gay was a sin, and that those “in sin” were going to spend eternity burning in Hell.

I was taught that it was love to warn them of their impending doom.

And then I got to know people from the LGBTQ community. I came face to face with the trauma, and spiritual abuse they had suffered at the hands of well-meaning people living out the theology which I held.

I realised the fruit of my beliefs was not the Love and Life contained within the message of Jesus.

But, death. Mental illness, exclusion, rejection, and in some cases… suicide.

It was this reality that forced me to begin questioning the interpretation which I had been given.

And as I’ve examined the texts, I’ve realised that, though there may be debate on the question of whether “being gay” is a sin or not, there is one theme within the Christian Tradition which holds a lot more clarity and weight within it.

It is the message of Jesus. The message that we are all one humanity. That the walls of division that we create to separate ourselves from each other have been torn down. That God is not a being of immense anger and wrath but is a God of Love and compassion.

A God who Loved so radically, and so recklessly, that he was willing to step into His creation, and become a human being in order to reveal that Love to His children.

I do not doubt that Folau is sincere when he says he meant to convey love through his recent comments.

But, regardless of his intent he has caused real harm.

You may wonder, why that is the case? Perhaps, you might say that if one didn’t believe in God, why would his comments even matter?

Well, mainly because of all those who do.

Think for a second about all those Christian kids who – even now – are struggling with their sexuality and are hearing the conversations that are happening around them.

Imagine what Folau’s words have done to them?

Imagine hearing from a man you respect and admire that God has ordained that – unless you change – you will spend eternity burning in hell?

Imagine not being able to change. And then imagine the shame, the guilt, the self-hatred, and self-loathing that you might feel, after having done everything you could to just… stop… being… gay… you hear adults, parents, even youth pastors, you love and care about, defending Folau’s stance.

Is there any wonder that so many Rainbow kids suffer with depression and are at risk of suicide?

Israel wasn’t simply sharing his opinion; he was lobbing a grenade into a community that are already the victims of constant abuse and discrimination.

And sadly, his ‘good’ intentions won’t repair the damage caused by his words.

So, coming back to our question. What if we are wrong? What if we have misinterpreted the Bibles stance on the Rainbow community?

We got it wrong with the place of women in the church, with slavery, even at various points in history, with science, could we be wrong in this too?

The possibility most definitely exists. And so, in light of the heartbreak and pain which has been caused by a conservative approach to the scriptures, are we not obligated to seek interpretations of the text which bring life. Interpretations which align with Jesus’ message of love, compassion and acceptance?

And for those who remain convicted that a conservative approach to scripture is correct, in the face of the ongoing dialogue amongst academics, is there not room for us to hold our beliefs with humility.

To prioritise love for our neighbour, above our own convictions or beliefs?

The Christian tradition runs deep, and Israel’s interpretation is not the only interpretation of these passages which needs to be held in order to remain faithful to the Scriptures.

Love is the way. And so, when reading the scriptures, and when sharing our faith, let us hold love for one another above all else.

Because, at the end of the day. What matters most – is not how right or wrong we might be about some obscure Greek texts – but how faithfully we hold to the words of Jesus.

Love one another, apart from this Law there is no other.

A.J. Hendry