If You Seek to Be Understood, Seek to Understand

I found this article in the Huffington Post today, and the title intrigued me: Black, Gay Christians Do Exist, And It’s Time You Hear Us. While I have never endured the persecution and heartbreak that this young man describes, I nonetheless believe that he has drawn the wrong conclusions from the experience.

First, I was born and raised in Hollywood. So as you might imagine, my education in these matters began at a very early age, long before my juvenile brain knew how to process the information. Yes, I know you exist, and nothing in this article is new. I heard these arguments over 40 years ago.

.
He says that his family owned a church. How does that work? I don’t get it..

I will pass no judgment on his lifestyle, which he fights so hard to defend. And I will certainly not deny that God loves him. And yes, I'm painfully aware that cruel religious hypocrites abound, all over. But does God’s love for us, mean that he approves of all that we do? That’s a very different question.

I am intrigued by his comment, “The sanctity of a church is not in danger because of the personal lives of its congregation.” Very well, then, Mr. Whiteside; from whence cometh said sanctity? Surely it rests not in the building, or the pews, or the trappings of religion. Clearly, in the record of Scripture, the holiness of a church absolutely depends on the holiness of its people. Both Old Testament and New.

This young man demands to be heard and understood, and I couldn't agree more. Now, in all fairness, he must strive to understand the motives and intentions of those who disagree. We’re not all haters.