Editor,
There are seven places in the Bible where we find ideas that today we translate as “homosexuality.” A quick scholarly search shows that none refers to anything resembling what we term “homosexuality” today. Jesus never condemned it. The Bible can be made to say just about anything we want it to, and in our recent past preachers taught that it was biblical to support slavery and segregation and women not being allowed to teach, preach, or lead other Christians, and these leaders could point to scriptures that supported their position.
To escape any misreading of the Bible I read everything through the lens of Jesus’ commandment to love. Do my actions or words lead to the furthering of this commandment or to its detriment? I understand that though God’s Word never changes, our understanding of it continually does as we grow and mature in the faith. Today we condemn slavery, abhor segregation, and welcome women into ministry – spiritually, we grew up a little.
Mark Golway is a terrific pastor and friend. I simply believe today’s religious obsession with homosexuality is merely a mask hiding our homophobia, just as our biblical justifications for segregation hid our racism and sexism. It’s time we grew up a little more.
Blake Lasater