I’ve never hunted ducks,
and I’ve never watched Duck Dynasty, so I didn’t rush to defend Phil Robertson last month after the bearded reality TV
star sparked an uproar with his comments about homosexuality. I do
believe everyone is entitled to their opinion about religion, so I was
amazed that people were calling for Robertson’s head just because he dared to
quote a Bible verse that says homosexuals (along with adulterers, fornicators,
idolaters and swindlers) won’t go to heaven.
The Duck
Dynasty hullabaloo proved many
things: (1) A lot of people in America today love to make fun of conservative
Southerners; (2) conservative Southerners might need some coaching on how to
express their views in the media; and (3) if you dare to say that gay sex is
contrary to God’s moral law, you’d better be ready to hide in a Louisiana bayou
because people are going to get really, really angry.
Phil Robertson made his remarks in his own backwoods
way. He said: “It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable
than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s
got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey,
sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”
OK, so maybe it’s not
the most sensitive way to say that gay sex is not God’s plan. But I’m glad
Robertson and GQmagazine opened this can of worms. We need
some honest dialogue about this topic.
I counsel men and women
who struggle with same-sex attraction.
Most of them are Christians who know homosexuality is not God’s
will for their lives, and they want the Holy Spirit’s help to live in purity.
They want to please God, and they don’t want to live in gay relationships. But
they crave spiritual guidance and loving acceptance as they learn to resist
temptation.
As a minister, I owe
them respect and compassion—and if I really love them, I will tell them the
truth. When I talk with guys, I always address the gory details about gay sex
that many Christians today won’t mention. (WARNING: These points are not for the
squeamish.) If we don’t talk about this stuff in church, more people with
same-sex attraction are going to assume we have no answers.
1. Gay sex is against
nature. People who believe in
God also believe He created human bodies. He designed every part of us,
including our genitals. The first chapter of Genesis is clear that God created
male and female and that He not only did this for procreation (v. 28) but also
for sexual pleasure (Gen. 2:24-25). Even the most amateur biology student knows
that a penis was made for a vagina and that the act of heterosexual intercourse
is the only form of sexual activity that results in conception. The only way to
make a baby is with a sperm and an egg.
When a man has sex with
another man, or a woman with another woman, they will experience bonding, deep
affection and intense physical pleasure. But nowhere does the Bible say pleasure
alone is a sign of God’s approval or blessing. Some pleasure is outside God’s
boundaries. This is why Paul warned Timothy that in the last days, people would
be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:4, NASB). Just
because it feels good does not mean you should do it!
2. Anal sex is very
unhealthy. Doctors will tell
you that the anus is very different from the vagina. Penetration of the anus by
a penis can lead to tearing of rectal tissue, bleeding and infection. Because
the anus is full of bacteria, anal intercourse spreads the human papillovirus
and can result in anal warts, anal cancer, HIV and other diseases. It can also
result in bowel incontinence. When anal sex is combined with oral contact,
disease is even more likely. Yet despite these concerns, about 90 percent of
male homosexuals participate in anal intercourse. Condoms can offer some
protection, but they aren’t foolproof. Anal sex is high-risk behavior.
3. Any form of immorality
separates us from God. The
apostle Paul was blunt in his description of homosexuality in the first century.
He wrote in Romans 1:27, “Men also abandoned natural relations with women and
were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other
men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error” (NIV). God
offers mercy, forgiveness and healing to anyone who wants to be free from
immorality. But those who continue to live in sexual sin will become slaves to
that sin—and in the end they will be eternally separated from God.
God is not homophobic.
He understands why people feel confused or broken in their sexuality. He offers
the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to anyone, no matter their sexual
history or their sexual inclinations. He invites us to join Him in a journey
toward healing. But those who want a relationship with Him must, like all true
disciples, deny their own desires, take up their cross and follow Him.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of the Mordecai
Project (themordecaiproject.org).You can follow him on Twitter
at @leegrady. He is the author of 10 Lies Men Believe and other
books.
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