Friday, September 16, 2011

LGBTQ theological conundrums

It's the B and T part of the acronym that really complicate things for the gay affirming, yet somewhat conservative Christian theologian. Those theologians do exist. But some of the Biblically based gay-affirming argument is an appeal to 1 Corinthians 7:9 But if they do not have self-control, let them get married. For it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire. (NET) Therefore, it is acceptable in their understanding of the Bible to support gay marriage so that their gay members do not fall into sexual immorality, intercourse outside of marriage. But what can they offer to the bisexual member? They may be married, but still burn with desire for another gender. The argument is that they were born that way, so God must have wanted them that way, and God wouldn't want them to burn with unreleased passion. Is polyamory the solution? Or is the application of this verse the problem? Similarly, what should the theologian say to the man who is convinced he is really a woman. Every cell in his body testifies that he is male, because almost every cell has a "y" chromosome. What is God communicating in that situation?

The more conservative Christian theological position is that we are all conceived in sin, in agreement with David, (Psalm 51:5) and sin stains everything in different ways. In regards to the satisfaction of passion, 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 tells us there is only one way acceptable to God, between a husband and his wife. Anything else is not an option. Thus it becomes a life of sacrifice. Because any other arrangement for intercourse corrupts the picture of Jesus's relationship to the church as portrayed in marriage, see Ephesians 5:22-32; Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 19:6-10; Song of Songs,Hosea 2-3 and Genesis 24. Jesus and his bride are not the same, they are different, "hetero" in Latin. Jesus has one bride, his church. Any other marriage option out there dishonors Jesus.

The excuse for passion does not justify adultery. In the same way, it cannot justify any marriage that corrupts the image of Jesus and his church, a husband and a wife.

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