In the email she said she didn't know who else to talk to, so I was elected. She was dealing with massively discombobulating news: her son had recently told her he was gay.
His homosexuality was not a total surprise, but neither had it been obvious before he opened his heart to her. She and her husband loved him. His sexual identity was not going to change that. He was still their son. She was not writing me for help in dealing with her son. Her mother's love gave adequate wisdom for that. She didn't need help persuading her husband—her son's step dad—to be kind. His father's heart was quite up to that. What she wanted to know was what to do about the lock on heaven's door.
Her son was welcome in their home. But according to the Bible and the church, God would not allow her son into heaven. She didn't put it this way, but what I heard was this: Mom and Dad were nicer than God. At least that the way she had been taught to understand the Bible.
So what should we do when it turns out we're nicer than God? Reexamine our faith.
“Who of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Fatehr in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. . . . So you, be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:44-48.
When we discover that our hearts are larger than God's heart according to the teaching of the church and even of the Bible, it's time to take another look. Maybe the church is wrong. Maybe the way we've been reading the Bible is wrong. Maybe we have focused on the wrong texts.
If being god-like means loving our enemies and praying for our persecutors, then certainly being god-like means loving people whose sexual identity is different from ours, even different from “normal.”
If one way we “become sons of our Father in heaven” is by loving our enemies just as he loves his enemies, then loving our homosexual children—accepting them as they are—cannot be an affront to God. Instead, it is one more way we act like our father in heaven.
If we, though we are evil, know that it would be evil to “cast out” our homosexual children, how much more certain is it that our Father in heaven—their Father in heaven—will not only refrain from casting them out, but will welcome them joyously into the eternal dwelling?
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5 comments:
I wish I could have been there for the discussion. I like where you are trying to go, but actions speak louder than words.
When I read the Bible I see God condeming Adam, Eve and all their children's children to death for stealing a piece of fruit.
First at the flood, then later when Israel is taking over Cannan, he commits genocide on any one who won't worship him by killing animals.
Even in the New Testament Jesus has to accept crucifiction before he can convince his "father" to accept ANYONE. Even then God consigns to the fire anyone Jesus can't rehabilitate adequately.
It also seems pathetic that Jesus has to point to OUR compasion to try to convince us of God's compasion. Why isn't God's compasion self evident?
It looks to me like the evidence for the "father's" love is pretty thin, but I hope you made your case.
I also wish I could have been there for the discussion. In response to "Anti..." What I have seen of the world of sociopaths - it seems to me that there is a point where people and cultures are best stopped before they continue evil - maybe a point where even children are not born innocent. My daughter is taking this drug course in college that is telling her about how drugs even attach to DNA and affect future generations... There is so very much we do not understand about heredity.
The question of why there is evil if God is omnipotent and omniscient - you can take college level courses on that one. For me, maybe it was better that I was not indoctrinated by the Adventists as a child but found EGW and the great truths in her writings as a young adult seeking for wisdom and knowledge. I was about 20 and had just taken that class when I read the Great Controversy and suddenly history and a whole lot of other things made sense to me - not to say I fully understood, but my mind was satisfied that there were reasons why things were as they are.
For me, who has needed many prayers to be answered, God's compassion has become self evident. Part of that is evident (to me) in a universe that is so cold and inhospitable and this little planet where there are people who can pray for and nurture each other - we can create compassion. If you had walked a mile in my shoes you would understand what I am saying - but maybe you could fine some of the understanding in my words.
I do believe that God has put compassion for children into our hearts - just as he has put an awe of creation into our hearts so that we spiritually perceive Him in a sunset or a mountaintop vista.
John, I totally agree with you. I would add that, since God's ways are higher than ours, why should it be strange that we have to stretch our understandings of Him as we contemplate situations that do not fit into "canned" theology? The great men of God in history constantly wrestled with deeper understanding of God and his relationship with man.
I agree with that way of thinking, some people are born a certain way, its just how they are, and it also says in the Bible that the most important command that God gave us is to love him and other people. Also what i have come to beleive is that people don't understand how it says in the bible that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, we are so incredibly made and more powerful than any one really understands. I think that is why people can't come to terms with sins and with having a relationship with God because they forget the incredible incredible ammount of power and love God has given us, he has given us sooo many gifts that people take for granted and don't even notice soetimes, and he has given us the most peowerful gift of all the freedom of choice, we choose where we want to go and how we want to beleive and everything he loves us sooo much its almost unfathamable, thats where people get scrooed up. they don't understand it or don't beleive it, if they did they would trully follow him. Plus and when it comes to going to hell hell is absolutley man made not God made it was formed from people making their choice of not listening to God, and we choose where we want to go, because we have that power, and God also says he doesn't wish for anyone to go there so he gives us guidleines to follow and he says it clearly and loudly sometimes beacause he loves us sooooo much and doesn't want us to get lost hello, but if we continually don't listen then and go our own way then he God who is love has know choice but to let us go because we have that power, love doesn't force, love is what it is and very powerful to. so my understanding is if someone is homeosexual and thats just how they are born, who are we to condem them and how coulan all loveing God throw them into hell, noo he absolutely would not, it also says in the Bible that God doesn't wish for any to go to hell but to come to the truth and come to him, so that means whatever your sin may be he is willing to work with you, and love is the most powerful force of all because God id love and when you invite him to live in you with his love he can transform anyone, whatever the sin may be, thats how i beleive :)
You use our acceptance and love of homosexuals to suggest that God also loves them, but that argument doesn't work in reverse. People who try to follow God's example in the Bible become extreemly intolerant and un-loving. For example I am told that the ethics teacher at Andrews University kicked his daughter out of the house when she became pregnant, and she spent several years living out of her car with a new born infant.
Again, the Bible says God is love, but if you try to follow his example, it will turn you into a monster.
People seem to think that evoltion is somehow heartless, but at least if evolution is true, when you are dead, you are just dead, you don't have to come back again and get slow roasted too.
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