Homosexuality's Heightened Profile

by PRASHER, G. | Category: Focus | Oct 2003

Over recent years there has been a steady trend in many nations of the Western world towards toleration of homosexual minorities, and recognition of their claims to social rights. Taking advantage of this more favourable climate these minorities have become more vocal and demanding in pressing their claims.

This has had its political repercussions, democratically reflecting the groundswell of changing public attitudes. Hence such proposals as lowering the age of gay consent, allowing gays to adopt children, legalizing marriages between same-sex partners, and giving them the same pension rights as heterosexual married couples.

A landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court this summer overturned a Texan State law outlawing gay sex. In effect this decriminalized homosexuality in the United States. A professor of constitutional law at Yale University commented: "The court legitimised and endorsed a cultural consensus". In her written opinion on the case, Justice Sandra O'Connor made the point that 'diversity is essential to the dream of one nation'. Justice Anthony Kennedy said that homosexuals are entitled to dignity and respect for their private lives. Such considerations underlie the thinking of what has been described as 'the vast sensible centre of American politics'.

Pressures resulting from this secular trend have had repercussions also in the religious scene. The Roman Catholic Church has recognized the implications of the secular cultural drift. Three months ago the Vatican reinforced its known concern by issuing a Document denouncing same-sex relationships as 'deviant'. It called for gay marriage laws to be blocked, describing legal provision of such rights for cohabiting homosexuals as 'legislation of evil'. This was seen as a warning to Catholics generally that their Church regarded it as 'gravely immoral' to vote in favour of these innovations. The reaction of the liberal secular press was predictably dismissive. As one UK columnist wrote: 'The whole tone of it [the RC Document] is hopelessly out of step with contemporary mores'. Another stressed the view that 'at some point the Vatican will have to accept that the faithful aren't really listening to it on this issue, as is already the case with contraception'. Yet another commented: 'if the Church is going to have any real future, it will have to be in tandem with the future of the wider society'.

The Anglican Church has this year grappled with two serious crises over the appointment of gay men as bishops. First in England when the Bishop of Oxford appointed a gay, but celibate, canon as Bishop of Reading. Intense pressure by English Evangelicals, and threat of severance from the Anglican Communion by the Nigerian Archbishop, finally influenced Dr. John to withdraw his acceptance of the bishopric. This was closely followed by controversy in Minneapolis, USA, where American Episcopalian bishops voted Gene Robinson into office - the first actively gay person to be elected as an Episcopal Bishop. Members of the conservative American Anglican Council immediately protested that they regarded the election as 'invalid, null and void', and the vote as 'a shattering of the Episcopal Church as we know it'. There followed an announcement by the Archbishop of Canterbury, calling for a meeting of the thirty-eight Anglican primates from around the world to consider the action of the American Episcopalians - a very exceptional measure, reflecting the seriousness of the crisis.

Believers in the plenary inspiration of the Bible find it hard to see how its message could be misunderstood on this subject. Homosexuality is clearly stated to be sinful in God's sight (e.g. Rom.1:26,27). Theological arguments to the contrary seem to distort Scripture rather than elucidate it. There were Christian disciples in New Testament churches of God who had been practising homosexuals. 'But,' wrote the apostle Paul, 'you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God' (see 1 Cor.6:9-11). Wonderfully the gospel of God's grace is offered to people just as they are. This should be reflected in the Christian's attitude to homosexuals; not judgemental animosity, but concerned desire for their liberation through the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet always remembering the caution of Jude verses 22,23: 'And on some have mercy, who are in doubt; and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.' (RV)

PRASHER, G. | Oct 2003
Focus