I don't normally make many political/social statements public, but this comment really upset me today. It wasn't necessarily because I feel one way or the other toward homosexuality or homosexuals. The place where I found this quote was problematic.
The results of a three-year study challenge the idea that homosexuals cannot change their sexual orientation and that attempts to do so are harmful. But an opponent of "ex-gays" dismissed the findings as the result of "a deceptive sham" perpetrated by "right-wing therapists." -- Randy Hall
I had gone onto www.crosswalk.com to look up a Bible Passage because it is one of the few online bibles that offers the NRSV as a translation! Imagine that! Anyway, I was disappointed to see they had changed their format with a new place to click for quick bible references. As I tried to find the appropriate link, the above story came up on the page.
I take issue with this statement because I feel it provides a shaded look at the issue. Regardless of what you think about homosexuality, its relation to the church, this statement seems unusual to be highlighted on a Bible Reference Page. Maybe it is applicable. I'll have to do my own research to find out. However, it bothers me to see the hermeneutical lens which it takes. Not only is there factual "glossing" and conclusions about homosexuality, but also about psychology/genetics, politics, and its relation to Christianity.
While some, like the local Columbus mega-church leader Rod Parsley, whose book I just finished, would criticize homosexuals and call them to a Christian renewal, I don't believe I can judge like that. If I am grateful for one thing, it is the quality of my Augustana education which has taught me to look beyond the objective and ask questions to form your own opinions. I was provided with a variety of perspectives, from Dan Spencer's to some of my friends to the work of Jim Childs and the ELCA's packet on sexuality, and able to soak in the information and figure out the context in which each perspective is rooted.
It bothers me that this story was considered news-worthy for the Crosswalk feed. Maybe, just maybe, there might be a better "evocation of grace" from the heart-inspired service to the poor or homeless, a missionary who devoted life and luxury to share the gospel in the heart of Africa, or a message of peace.
Just a few musings. I don't mean to take a political stance or say one thing or another, but rather vent my frustration with how we view the world of news, how we are indoctrinated in how to think and what to think, and often don't hear "Paul Harvey's" "The Rest of the Story."
What does this mean for family systems...You'll find out in my next blog!
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