January 25
A response to Brian McLaren's blog about sexuality
By E. Daniel Martin[Editor’s note: This is a response to Brian McLaren’s blog post.]
In the beginning God gave to humankind the gift of sight, a very good gift. But over the centuries following the “fall,” some have been born without sight and some have lost their sight. All types of issues have contributed to the absence of sight. Although the absence of sight very significantly affects life, it must not be allowed to define a life. The person without sight is first of all a person with an identity separate from the blindness. He/she is a person who happens to be blind, but the blindness is not allowed to define or ultimately limit the meaning and significance of his/her life.
In the beginning God created the Earth and said, “It is good this way.” Then God created man and woman in his own image and said, “I want man and woman to cleave to one another as one flesh in marriage and to produce offspring.” Then God added, “It is very good this way.”
Over the centuries following the “fall,” some have discovered that they are not attracted to the opposite sex; rather, they are attracted to the same sex. This attraction to the same sex appears to be caused by varied biological, psychological, social and spiritual factors. Some experience this as a very early awareness so that they feel they were born this way.
But whatever the cause, we do not define a person by his/her attraction to the same sex or to the opposite sex. We see each person as a human being with purpose and meaning and destiny. And we do not celebrate a person’s same-sex attraction any more than we celebrate blindness. Rather, we say we will walk with that person and assist that person in every way to have a joyful and purposeful life. We would no sooner reject a person with same-sex attraction than we would reject the person who is blind. Rather, we hold these persons closely and support them with our love and relationships.
God intends sexual intercourse to be between a man and a woman, a husband and a wife in a lifelong monogamous marriage. God says premarital, extramarital and homosexual behaviors miss his desired plan and are sin. These behaviors are “not good.”
But God shows to all that the sexual desire must be controlled. The married person must not have sex outside the marital relationship and must honor the desires, needs and preferences of the spouse. The person with opposite-sex attraction who is not married must seek God’s grace to lead a celibate life unless God provides a marriage partner. The person with same-sex attraction must seek God’s grace to lead a celibate life unless God should give to them a desire for the opposite sex in which case they could enter a heterosexual marriage.
It is the devil’s deception that if you cannot have sexual intercourse you cannot have a fulfilling life. Sex is elevated as a god that must be served at all costs. But God’s word says, “Stop thinking about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature; rather, clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ and think about how to please him” (Rom. 13:14).
So whether you have same-sex attraction or opposite attraction, your focus is not on how to gratify your sexual desires but on how to please the Lord within the context of your sightedness, your blindness, your opposite sex attraction or your same-sex attraction.
And above all, we celebrate the Gospel which proclaims that “we are all more wicked than we had ever believed but at the same time more loved and accepted than we had ever dared hope.”
E. Daniel Martin is near the completion of a practical text for local church leaders and their congregations called Not Ashamed: Homosexuality and the Power of God.
Comments
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I am disappointed that the MWR has chose to given a voice to this kind of hateful speech regarding our gay brothers and sisters in Christ.
My specific concern is with this section: "But whatever the cause, we do not define a person by his/her attraction to the same sex or to the opposite sex. We see each person as a human being with purpose and meaning and destiny. And we do not celebrate a person’s same-sex attraction any more than we celebrate blindness. Rather, we say we will walk with that person and assist that person in every way to have a joyful and purposeful life. We would no sooner reject a person with same-sex attraction than we would reject the person who is blind. Rather, we hold these persons closely and support them with our love and relationships."
Gay people don't need this kind of "support." Telling gay people "yes we love you and support you, but we will only affirm your actions if you are willing to either (a) cure yourself of having attractions to people of the same gender, (b) be lonely and single even if you want to be married, or (c) lie and fake it that you are attracted to the opposite gender.
This is not "support." This is hatefulness.
Also I object to the statement that says: "God intends sexual intercourse to be between a man and a woman, a husband and a wife in a lifelong monogamous marriage. God says premarital, extramarital and homosexual behaviors miss his desired plan and are sin. These behaviors are 'not good.'"
God did not say these things. These statements are rather Mr. Martin's interpretation of a set of scriptures that are complex, nuanced and rooted in the culture of its day.
James M. Branum Minister of Peace & Justice Joy Mennonite Church Oklahoma City, OK (speaking only for myself)
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After reading Brian McLaren's blog post (at http://www.mennoweekly.org/blog/2012/1/25/what-i-would-tell-children-about-sexuality/ ), I can better understand what MWR was doing when it published Mr. Martin's blog post.
Still, I think we should be up front about what this kind of commentary is. While this kind of commentary doesn't say we should hate gay people, its practical consequences are still the same... that gay people are taught that they are broken and need to be fixed, and will not be accepted until they negate how they were created.
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Daniel, thank you for your response to McLaren’s blog.
The Biblical truth you shared is threaded throughout the Bible. To those who understand this, no explanation is needed. To those who don’t understand, no explanation is possible.
I find it interesting how quickly James, Minister of Peace & Justice accuses you of hate for responding to the blog from a Biblical perspective. Apparently James thinks he has a corner on truth that differs from the Bible. I wonder when he will identify his source of ‘truth’.
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I see nothing hateful in Daniel Martin's writing. I may not agree with all the nuances, and especially his parting declaration that "we are all more wicked than we ever believed," since in many decades of observation in the legal field I've witnessed "wicked," and then I've also seen people professing to struggle with their sinful nature (mostly Christians who are over-inclusive), and there is no comparison. But I'm glad that MWR continues to provide a forum for different voices from a broad range of Mennonite traditions and communities.
I am troubled by James's responses because I have repeatedly witnessed the "gay" community and its supporters calling for tolerance but not extending the same attitude of tolerance to voices dissenting on the "normative" nature of same-sex relationships. I do not discount the hurt that can occur when people are frank with each other, but the idea that principled dissent -- about anything -- should be called "hate" should never be acceptable in the Mennonite church. As for those who truly believe that they are in God's will by engaging in same-sex sexual conduct, they should be no less willing to "bear their cross" than others who have opted for "the road less taken" amidst controversy about their choices. Nor in the final analysis do we allow the biblical message or Christian proclamation to be delimited by what people of any given era or persuasion identify as their "needs."
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