When half-truths reign

10.OCT.08

Editor: We must tackle the thorny issue of homosexuality. Clearly, space does not permit, yet it is helpful to reflect on the biblical notion of homosexuality and love in light of the experiences of the past century. We need to rightly caution against “bibliolatry, the worship of the Bible”. One may wish to highlight the importance of the Holy Spirit and Experience as helpful tools to reflect on the issues surrounding homosexuality. Some claim, “The real issue here, then, is not simply homosexuality, but how Scripture informs our lives today.{{more}} The point is that both Jews and Christians must reinterpret the received tradition in order to permit it to speak to believers today”.

Clearly, such persons interrogate the Bible using modern social and cultural sexuality assumptions. Such assumptions are portrayed as superior to those within the scriptures. So much more could be gained by a dialectic approach, whereby the church through its theological reflections interrogate sexuality, while sexuality interrogates theology and strive for a synthesis that speaks the truth about the revelation of God and the Church’s proclamation of the Gospel through Scripture, liturgy and art.

The interrogation of the Bible takes several forms. Yet the most prominent is the isolation of verses or pericopes. This approach must be called into question. Since it leads to blatant inconsistencies, relying on “proof text.” This approach can easily lead one to take a text out of context and make it pretext for what you want to assert. Such inconsistencies are used to discredit biblical authority as well as that of the church. Hence, some can speak of the apparent disparity between biblical teaching on sexual morality and modern standards of church discipline and suggest that the only credible approach will be to rely on the Holy Spirit. This is only half of the truth. There is the question of discernment and what effective processes are in play for discernment. Furthermore, reference to Holy Spirit, must not be used as an attempt to escape rigorous engagement with the issue at hand; instead one must perceive the presence of the Holy Spirit in and through the unfolding of events.

Clearly, the variety and inconsistency in response point to the complexity of life and span of the biblical accounts. Yet more alarming is the lack of a sense of the canonical nature of Scripture. We need to always view Scripture as a whole – aware that the whole does not negate the parts. The church holds a creative tension between the whole and its parts knowing that to elevate either will do damage to its witness. Conscious, as well that there are times when the whole has to be foreground, and there will be times when the parts do. One has to caution against using scripture to interpret itself. Even if we were to grant this might have some merit, the Bible itself declares that the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3: 15).

Several persons assert that the Bible has no sexual ethic, but a love ethic, and draws this love ethic from the biblical portrayal of Jesus. This is only half of the truth. We cannot separate love and grace. Grace is not knowledge of the right, but God’s power to make us right. Those who identify themselves as homosexuals can bear witness to the wider church of the true nature of grace, reminding us that simply knowing what is right does not mean we can do it in our own power. The good news of God’s amazing love in the gospel, therefore, challenges the church to be the community of love. Yet “love” can be misunderstood or falsely portrayed. Yes, love may be boundless (in its depth) but it not entirely shapeless, for then it would lack meaning. Hence, it is regrettable that some analysis depends on a separation between law and love, faith and works. Moreover, a detailed exploration of the different expressions of love in Scripture has to be recognised. Perhaps, showing awareness that sex and love are not synonymous will clear up some of the confusion surrounding homosexual relationships. Furthermore, we know that sex is enhanced with love, but love is not a prerequisite for sex. It is so easy to transform “love” into self-gratification. Experience has shown this to be true. Can love stand on its own as an ethic?

Another prominent argument is the one from experience. This incorporates the distinction between homosexuality as orientation and behaviour. Smedes states: “…whatever the link between genes and environment, gays and lesbians did not choose to be what they are. They only discovered what they had always been”. Thus proponents advocate changes in the church’s attitude and policy on the issue of homosexuals by reflecting on the biblical injunctions of love and justice and homosexual experienced identity as discovered rather than chosen. There is still much debate. Since, leading scientists, biologists, psychologists and theologians are reluctant to make this claim and warn others not to do so based on their preliminary work. Yet, the presentations assume the existence of a stable homosexual identity as a social and biological construction. One has to question whether identities such as homosexuality, heterosexuality, maleness and femaleness are as relevant and stable for the church’s reflection.

Furthermore, we must also consider all experience is ‘true’ in the sense that it exists, but all interpretations of experience are not ‘truth’. There must be a standard that exists outside the experience by which the experience is judged; it must be articulated. Unfortunately, such standards when they exist are muted.

Even if we grant that homosexual activity is harmless, that sexual orientation is innate and unalterable and that attempts to change sexual preferences are costly, psychologically damaging and doomed to failure, the argument for change of church policy fails on utilitarian grounds.

We must acknowledge failures in the way in which we have dealt pastorally with issues of homosexual practice. This may have unwittingly led to unhelpful attitudes towards homosexual individuals. We are aware that issues of injustice, oppression and domination are unchristian regardless of the recipient. Hence we must listen, seek to learn, struggle with and critique gay practice, as we would any other sinful conduct. Christian homosexuals can “help keep the church honest about human nature as fallen”. The church must seek to manifest the biblical truth that we are saved by grace alone through faith working itself out in love. When half-truths reign we all loose.

O.Samuel Nichols
ctk39@msn.com
P.O Box 439