Homosexuality and the church in America..the good, the bad, and the ugly

Part I-the good--(it was getting a little too lengthy to put into one post, so I'm breaking it up)

I suppose that when you become familiar with the political/social landscape of the country, there are three large areas that stick out where orthodox Christianity seems to speak out in united disagreement with some of their secular counterparts. They are abortion, evolution, and homosexuality. I know there are tons of other issues, but I call these the big three because they are hot button issues for many Christians in particular.

Once again this is not to be an exhaustive look into these three or even just homosexuality and the church, but more of a summary of some of the angles I see about it.

First, some of the good....
The church is right to the extent that they have stuck by their guns in defense of what is clearly taught in the scriptures. Homosexuality is considered an abomination to God. The scriptures have a singular place of authority within the Christian faith.

I appreciate people on both sides of the divide (Christian or secular) who choose to think through their positions about homosexuality. It is far to easy to get angry and frustrated when debates reach this level of emotional intensity, and this often leads people to accept ridiculous beliefs about all manner of things.

I am also glad when in regard to any of the "big three," Christians choose to at least try to educate themselves about what some of the latest information and research is about any one of the subjects. Homosexuality is no exception. Unfortunately, I think this area is sorely lacking in many cases. One example of a stunning level of misinformation that is still floating out there to this day is the "gay gene." In 1993, Dean Hamer, a scientist with the National Institutes of Health published some findings along with a new book called the Science of Desire. It was a matter of days before papers were publishing the discovery of the gay gene. Different papers published varying levels of wrong interpretations, but most were at least somewhat fundamentally flawed in their presentation of the data if not outright purposefully misleading about it. I read Hamer's follow up book called Living With Our Genes, and he regretted the ways his research was misused. It is also true that not only have his findings never been substantiated by a secondary research group, but his results have become a bit of a joke within scientific circles. In spite of all this, it is not uncommon to hear people on talk shows or in their writings refer to the "fact" that homosexuality has been shown to be a genetically predetermined path.

Finally, I think that many within the church are showing a proper balance of proclaiming a truth that brings freedom with the message of love that is to accompany that message. Essentially there is a right and wrong way to reach out to any and all lost. The ministries within the church that are specifically designed to be an open door to any homosexual genuinely willing to hear what is being said are catching serious flack from both sides. They are scoffed at and ridiculed by those who do not believe and often sadly berated by those who claim to believe as being to nice to them thar gays. We should not compromise the Bible to be politically correct, but one of the most obvious things about Jesus' teachings and His life was that he reached out to those who were outcasts to the self righteous hypocrites of His day too.