What's The Big Deal About Gay Inclusion?

(Image found at Queer New York.)

(This post is part of The More Excellent Way's December blog topic.)

Seriously, who cares? I’m not gay, so it doesn’t affect me in any way. Besides, if they want to be that way, then that’s their problem. Give me one good reason why I should care about gay inclusion in the Church?

Well, I have a few reasons:

Tyler Clementi

Seth Walsh

Raymond Chase

No doubt many of you recognize these names from the news. But if you need a refresher, these are just some of the many gay teenagers who have committed suicide.

Yes, I know, suicide is a horrible thing, no matter who it is. But what does this have to do with the Church?

Because if the Church cannot be a refuge for these kids, if our theology says they will never be a part of the Kingdom of God, then something is horribly wrong!

I know that “radical inclusion” gets tossed around way too much by us progressive Christians who are trying to look hip and cool, so I’ll spare you all the bad clichés. But I will say this: if the Church truly is the Body of Christ here on earth, then it’s high time it open up its doors to the LGBTQ community. No, not so we can preach at them and try to get them to “convert” to our proper straight values. Instead, we should recognize and celebrate our queer brothers and sisters in Christ.

Oh, great, another liberal acting like Thomas Jefferson and cutting out pieces of the Bible he doesn’t like.

On the contrary: I’m open and affirming because of Scripture!

Throughout the New Testament we see how several people on the outside of Judaism are now welcomed into the Kingdom of God. There is, for example, the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8. Being both a foreigner and a eunuch, he would not be allowed fully participate in temple worship, according to the Law of Moses. In Isaiah 56:1-7, however, we read that God will eventually open the gates to His Kingdom to both foreigners and eunuchs. We’re not told what exactly Philip says to the eunuch, but if the eunuch wanted to be baptized immediately I’m pretty sure Philip told him about Isaiah’s prophecy. (Hat tip: A New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren)

Then there’s the Samaritan woman at the well. We’re told that Jews did not associate with Samaritans (John 4:9). Yet Jesus, a Jew, not only carries on a conversation with this woman, but also reveals Himself as the Messiah to her.

So if Jesus can extend His hands towards African eunuchs and Samaritans, you think He can also extend His hands towards the LGBTQ community, too?

Yeah, but what about 1 Corinthians 6:9? Doesn’t look like gays can enter the Kingdom to me.

I don’t have enough time to deconstruct all of the infamous “clobber passages” at this time, but after doing some research I have come to believe that those particular verses have been mistranslated and taken out of their historical context. For more info, click here.

Queer people have been second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God for way too long now. And since there is no class system in the Kingdom, I think it’s time we did something about it.