Warning, there are mature topics on this page that are not meant for younger audiences and that may be alarming to others! Reader discretion advised!
There is an ideological war between Christians and the LBGTQ community that has been going on for years!
On one side there are Christians who mistakenly see gays as the abominable people who commit the *exclusive* sin that got Sodom and Gomorrah hit with a Final Fantasy VII Super Nova attack. On the other side there are LBGT groups who mistakenly consider the Bible to be a document of “hate speech“ and Christians to be closed-minded, cattle-herded hypocrites that are programmed to be intolerant of anything different.
But the drama doesn‘t stop there! This war even emerges in fast food! We have members of the gay community boycotting Chic-Fil-A and Christians boycotting Chipotlé for their involvement with their respective communities.
We have Christians who do not want to sell cupcakes to buyers who are gay.
We have LBGT couples seeking to persecute and destroy Christian business owners for declining to serve at an event they feel is a sinful environment (e.g. gay weddings).
It is starting to get ridiculous on all sides! When it comes to this topic, to use today’s vernacular…
ERR‘BODY NEED TO GET WOKE!
To Christians
The Bible says if we break one part of the Law we are guilty of all of it (James 2:10). So, technically, that means a church board member who only ever told one little lie (bearing false witness) is just as guilty as the lesbian atheist with a gay-pub membership. That means we should show *LOVE* to the LBGTQ community and EXTEND THE SAME GRACE we received, even when we do not agree with some of their actions.
God‘s *goodness* brings men to repentance (Romans 2:4), not His stern truth about condemnation. You don‘t have to water–down the message… just sweeten it with the honey that is already there!
Now, if you are a Christian who thinks it is ok to deny a gay person from buying a cupcake, let me ask you something… If Target or Wal-Mart were “Christian” stores, should they be able to have signs that say, “no divorcees or fornicators?“ What about a “We Don‘t Sell to Sinners“ sign? …and if they did, would you be able to shop there?
It is completely unGodly and discriminatory to tell someone, “because you are GAY we will not sell you something!” You might rebut, “they may take the cake I sell and use it in a gay weeding!” Consider this. Even if someone did do something sinful with a product you sold them you are not accountable for their sin no more than Hobby Lobby would be for selling Elmer’s to a glue-sniffer. Similarly, the person who sold the gun to the Florida school shooter was rightfully not convicted for the shooter’s acts of murder.
Let us be quick to listen to the concerns of the LBGT community when it comes to interacting with, and selling to them, that we may show love and not condemnation! (Matthew 5:44-46 & 7:1-5). But does this mean you should be forced to perform acts of sin or participate in sinful environments simply because your client requests you do so? Absolutely not! There is a fine line. Let the church pray for wisdom and discernment not to cross it!
Now, to the LBGT community…
Can we have an honest conversation about the Christian business stuff?
Let us say you own a sign making business and someone comes in requesting 500 posters that say, “Sometimes, it’s ok to sexually harass athletes.“ If you feel strongly that sexual harassment should never be tolerated is it not within your right to reply, “I’m not willing to make that sign.” Athletes around the world engage in sexually explicit conversation, from crude homophobic insults to prison rape metaphors. Since this behavior is widely accepted among athletes is this refusal to work discrimination toward athletes?
What if the customer wanted to have you make a seemingly homophobic picket sign to hold at a gay parade? Would you be a bigot if you told them, “I am not comfortable making this sign?”
No sober-minded person mind would say, “you are discriminating against Athletes!” or “you are discriminating against Christians!” for the denials above. Rather, these are cases that, reasonably, violate your moral standards.
Now, knowing that many Christians uphold biblical teachings, why do many consider it “discrimination“ for a Christian to deny performing services that violate their moral consciences?
Admittedly, Christians can be weird. Some can easily spread the Gospel outside of a strip club while others can’t even drive within a few blocks of a bar for concern that they may fall back into old drinking habits. It is similar with business services.
Some Christians may have no problem taking pictures at a Gay wedding, but others may feel uncomfortable being hired to do so; just like they might be uncomfortable doing the same at a Satanist convention, a nudist’s birthday, or even a Blood Rave (which Blade would do! 🙂 ). It’s not about disrespecting your values, but rather respecting their own.
So please know, it is not typically personal if a baker refuses to place a second man on a wedding cake. Rather they feel doing so would be contrary to Jesus’ definition of marriage (Matthew 19:3-6; Mark 10:5-12) and they simply do not want to contradict or dishonor God in their own eyes.
On behalf of Christians everywhere, I am so sorry if you have ever felt abused, condemned, or discriminated against by our behavior! Please forgive us and show us grace.
Now, to tackle the elephant in the room…. homosexuality and sin. (Please hear me out! This is NOT a message of condemnation!)
To get it out of the way, yes, the Bible does depict homosexual acts, and even cross-dressing as sins. …but so is a man simply looking at a woman lustfully. Show me a straight man that’s never done that and I’ll show you a mannequin! …or a blind man, if you want to be literalists….
Sin is not a *gay problem*, it’s a *people problem*. In fact, the idea of homosexual acts being considered sins (post-Jesus) is *NOT* something the Bible uses to push the LBGT community away from God. Actually, it is written to do the opposite! … to show they are eligible for eternal life too (1 Corinthians 6:11)!
The intended tone is to suggest NO MATTER WHAT sins we have done, Jesus was sent to heal ALL!
As Jesus said, the doctor doesn’t come for the healthy but for the sick. Well, it turns out we ALL were born with this genetic disease of sinfulness. But the good news is that Jesus has the cure to give ALL PEOPLE eternal life!
Whether you are a struggling gay stripper / prostitute, a questioning closet-transsexual, or a bi-porn addict, THE TREMENDOUS LOVE OF GOD IS MEANT FOR YOU! No matter your sexuality or faith background you are not too far-gone to receive God’s love! JESUS IS FOR YOU!
In conclusion
The church and the LBGTQ community may never see eye-to-eye on a grand scale. They may never collectively agree on who they want to run their countries or what laws to vote for. But it is this writer’s hope that one day it will be common–place for Christians to show a special sensitivity in the way they convey God‘s love to the LBGTQ community. And I also pray that the LBGTQ community would commonly know and feel that God (and His people) are not against them, but that they are welcome with open arms if they want to know their Heavenly Father Who so lovingly sacrificed His only Son for them too!
Have more questions? Want to know God? Struggling to communicate God’s love to a gay neighbor? Trying to walk the tight-rope between a Christian and LBGTQ life? Not sure if you are going to Heaven, but want to be sure? Please reach out any time at connect@swordsharp.com!
Play Hard. Stay Sharp.