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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
Engaging With People
and
Thinking About
Same Sex Relationships
St. Paul’s Research Team
February 2014
John Gray: MTC BTh, DipMin, UNSW MA (History – hons)
Ros Kearsley: BA USyd., MA USyd., PhD, Grad Dip (Humanities) UNE, CertTheol (Moore
College), DipMin (Morling)
Andre Meyer: BEng(Mech) LLB MIP; Registered Patent Attorney; Solicitor of the
Supreme Court of NSW; Attorney of the High Court of South Africa
Jonny Robinson: BTh (hons), BPhil, MMus, MRes (Philosophy)
Olivia Tsang: BCom and BA(Specialisation Marketing)
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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
The Long Story Short
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
All men and women are loved by the Creator, God.
All men and women were created to live in community with the Creator God.
Tragically, men and women turned their back on God. The Bible calls this sin.
Practicing homosexual acts is included in lists of sin in both the Old and New
Testament.
Like all sinners, persons practicing homosexual acts can be forgiven and reconciled to
the Christian God.
All sinners are called to turn from a life of independence from the Christian God and
to live a life of dependence on Him
There may well be an ongoing inner tension/struggle for persons practicing
homosexual acts after conversion– much like there is for other people with other
struggles.
The ordination of persons practicing certain lifestyles, for example, drunkenness,
pedophilia, adultery or homosexual acts, is not an option.
Marriage of same sex couples is a contravention of the Christian Bible.
This paper will consist of:
1. An initial comment
2. An explanation and rationale for The Long Story Short
3. Some coaching in how to address this sensitive and complex issue
An Initial Comment
It is interesting to note that the Bible talks about homosexuality as an action and not a
defining (or permanent) state- homosexuality (homosexual acts), not homosexuals. That
people with same-sex attraction are labelled as homosexuals in a holistic sense makes
disagreeing with it much more difficult. The Bible, though, does not define people as straight
or gay but rather as male and female. Such distinct labels do not exist and do not seem very
helpful. To define a person entirely by their sexuality is restrictive and reductionist. Sexuality
is one part of a person’s life and need not be a permanent thing. In fact, it is quite possible
that many people will experience same-sex attraction at some point in their lives but would
never label themselves because of it. Sean Doherty, a Christian minister and lecturer who
experiences same-sex attraction says, ‘I came to realise that labelling myself as a gay person,
albeit a celibate one, wasn’t actually helpful because it restricted me into this identity.’1 This
is a sentiment echoed by Vaughn Roberts, the minister of St. Ebbe’s Oxford who remains
celibate because of same-sex attraction, ‘All of us are sinners, and sexual sinners. But, if we
have turned to Christ, we are new creations, redeemed from slavery to sin through our union
with Christ in his death and raised with him by the Spirit to a new life of holiness, while we
wait for a glorious future in his presence when he returns. These awesome realities define me
and direct me to the kind of life I should live.’2
J. Brierley, 2013, A Different Kind of Coming Out, Christianity, accessed 7 February 2014
http://www.christianitymagazine.co.uk/Browse%20By%20Category/features/A%20different%20kind%20of%
20coming%20out.aspx
2 J. Hardyman, 2012, A Battle I Face, Evangelicals Now, accessed 7 February 2014
<http://www.e-n.org.uk/p-6028-A-battle-I-face.htm>; This is a position he maintains in
Distinctives, though he does not go into his personal struggle there: V. Roberts, Distinctives (Cumbria: Authentic
Lifestyle, 2000).
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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
All are sinners; sexuality is ruined3 by sin. All will struggle in different ways. It is possible that
we will all be attracted to a person of the same sex at one stage in our lives. Perhaps some of
us never will. And some of us will only experience that. But we must all work to keep our
sexuality in line with God’s plan for the world. This will not be easy for anyone. An unhelpful
way to proceed, then, would be to talk as if ‘gays’ need to ‘change.’ These are not only ‘gays’ or
‘homosexuals’ but rather people created by God. The church must treat people as more than
their sexuality.
Hollywood has perpetrated the idea that ‘true love’ and following your every desire is the
only way to be fulfilled. Christianity offers something more than this. The church needs to
show that remaining celibate or fighting same-sex attraction does not mean losing yourself.
Instead, Christianity offers a far more attractive identity in Christ: forgiven, restored, child of
God. Christianity cannot only say no to same-sex attraction, it must say yes to the greater
realities and find a way of showing how they shine brighter. It offers a bigger and better
identity. Roberts goes on to say, ‘No one battle, of the many we face, however strongly,
defines us, but our identity as Christians flows rather from our relationship with Christ.’
Explanation for the Long Story Short
1. All men and women are loved by the Creator God.
John 3:16 makes this very clear:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in
him would not perish but have everlasting life.
The Christian God loves the ‘world.’ That is, he loves all of human society in all its
permutations: the socially good, bad and ugly. This by definition includes loving his enemies.
Romans 5:6-10 makes this clear:
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the
ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good
person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love
for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now
been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath
through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him
through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be
saved through his life! (Emphasis added)
That he loves us is left in no doubt. It was while we were sinners that Christ died for us. The
love God has for humanity meant he was prepared to pay whatever price was needed to save
us from perishing (i.e. from an eternity experiencing the wrath of God, 2 Thessalonians 1:8–
9). Perishing is a severe end for those who sin (Romans 6:23).
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Everything is affected by sin because it is so pervasive and intrusive. There are moments when we see the
breathtaking wonder of creation, or being male and female. On a more intimate level, there is one verse in Song of
Solomon that indicates a good and healthy relationship between a man and woman can be almost a "reliving" of
life in the Garden. This we see in Songs 7:10 which reads, "I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me". The
last phrase reverses Gen 3:16(c) when the Lord speaks to the woman saying, "Your desire will be for your
husband and he will rule over you". Unfortunately, sin continues to contaminate everything.
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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
God who is rich in mercy paid the full price for our redemption: the blood of his one and only
Son. That is an extraordinary love. It is a point made very clear in Romans 5:7–8:
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person
someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in
this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Emphasis added)
2. All men and women were created to live in community with the Creator
God.
The Macro Level
The Bible makes it crystal clear that all men and women, boys and girls are created in the
image of God. Genesis 1:26 – 27 states:
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they
may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the
wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God
created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and
female he created them.
As we read through Genesis 1 and 2 we learn that being created in the image of God means
we were created for community: deep and significant relationships with each other across
the sexes. The full expression of the image of God is, from verse 27, ‘male and female.’ Note
that these words are not speaking about marriage. This comes later in Genesis 2. The focus in
Genesis 1:26–27 is that humanity is created in the image of God and that the image is male
and female. We were created to enjoy community with each other. This is underscored for us
in Genesis 2:18-21:
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper
suitable for him.”19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild
animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would
name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild
animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the
man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs
and then closed up the place with flesh.
Up until Genesis 2:18 everything created was either ‘good’ or ‘very good.’ In Genesis 2:18,
though, we are told that ‘it is not good for man to be alone.’ God makes all the other creatures
and brings them to Adam. Genesis 1:26–27 makes it clear that from the beginning, God’s
image would always been shown in man and woman. God brings all the animals before Adam
for Adam’s education. He was shown that nowhere in all the other creatures was a fitting
helpmate. At the conclusion of the passage, after no suitable helper among the animals is
found, God creates woman. He takes her from man. She is like him. She is of the same order as
him. She and he are made to live together. The image of God is created across gender for
community.
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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
The Micro Level
On a much smaller stage, when a man and woman marry they form a very specific kind of
community. If the image of God is seen in the creation of men and woman as a whole, in
marriage we see a very specific manifestation of this. One man and one woman come together
to show the image of God in covenant relationship. As the image of God is displayed across
gender, the marriage relationship between one man and one woman is the chosen vessel to
convey God’s image at a micro level. Adam got onto that rather quickly as we see in Genesis
2:23 -24:
23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be
called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father
and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
More than this, as the image of God we were created to enjoy community with God himself.
We see a glimpse of this in Genesis 3:9 where God walks in the Garden of Eden in the cool of
the evening. The indication is that man and woman (Adam and Eve) would ordinarily join
him.
3.Tragically, men and women turned their back on God. The Bible calls
this sin.
Reading on into Genesis 3 we see that life was significantly damaged by sin’s entry.
Relationships between the man and woman were shattered:
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so
they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Genesis 3:7
Relationship with the Creator was ruined:
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the
garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the
garden. Genesis 3:8
Relationship with creation was destroyed:
22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good
and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of
life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of
Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man
out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword
flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:22 – 24
A serious and evident result of the breakdown in community is sexual sin. The expression of
sexual intimacy was to be found in the micro community of man and woman, a husband and
wife. Reading Genesis 2:23 again we see the very first words uttered by one human being to
another were that of pure delight:
The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called
‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
This song is followed in Genesis 2:24 by an explanation of how the micro community was to
work:
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they
become one flesh.
This is followed by the stunning statement that they felt no shame even though they were
naked:
Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 2:25
Reading on into Genesis, however, we discover that this ideal was contaminated by sin. One
expression of sin is sexual intimacy outside God’s intention: that between a husband and wife
who are the micro expression of community for which God created us all.
Soon after Adam and Eve, the ‘sons of God’ marry the ‘daughters of men’ (Genesis 6:1-2). As a
result, God says that he will not contend with humanity and pronounces a judgment on
humanity set for 120 years hence (Genesis 6:3). Soon after, in Genesis 19 the men of Sodom
surround Lot’s house demanding that Lot’s visitors be brought out so they could ‘have sex
with them’ (Genesis 19:5). In the flow of Genesis 19 this sin ‘so grievous’ that God had
determined to destroy the city (Genesis 19:20ff). Further on in the Bible we read of other acts
such as adultery, fornication and incest identified as sexual sin.
Because of sin’s entry, it is therefore possible for any person at any time to fall into any of
these sexual sins at any time. All sexuality for all persons is affected by sin. And yet, this is no
excuse before the Creator God. All sexual sin is deemed evidence of a breakdown in
community: sin against both community and God.
The end result of all sin is death. God makes this clear early in Genesis 2:17:
But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you
eat from it you will certainly die.
This fact is underscored by Romans 6:23(a) in the New Testament:
For the wages of sin is death…
It is not simply physical death. It is also the death which comes from being separated from
God himself. It is the eternal death described as ‘hell’ or ‘hades’ or, as in 2 Thessalonians 1:8–
9, it is being cast out of the presence (or favour) of God:
8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the
presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
To be a sinner is to face a very serious and catastrophic existence.
4. Practicing homosexual acts is included in lists of sin in both Old
Testament and New Testament.
Early on, Genesis 19:1-11 and Judges 19:22-30 discuss homosexual rape. It would be a stretch
to maintain that this was a theological reflection on homosexuality instead of an account of
violence but here is the first mention nonetheless. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 are a part of the
Israelite laws and are written alongside many other laws against sexual transgression.
Deuteronomy 23:17-18 prohibits male prostitutes. Again, this is not a theological reflection
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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
on homosexuality but more a condemnation of pagan temple practices and prostitution. 1
Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10 list those who will not inherit the kingdom.
Homosexual offenders (‘those who go to bed with males’- RT France) are among them. Paul
writes in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11:
9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who
have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor
swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But
you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
The most explicit biblical text is found in the New Testament in the book of Romans. Here
Paul is uncompromising in his denunciation of homosexual acts. Commenting on Romans 1,
theologian RT France explains:
In [Romans 1:24] there is a broad statement about their “uncleanness and
dishonouring their bodies among themselves”, which is not expressed in specifically
homosexual terms. But in vv. 26–27 Paul it is quite explicit. The terms he uses are
heavily loaded (“Natural”/”Unnatural”; burning with desire for each other”,
“Committing shameless acts”; “due penalty for their error”), but his target cannot be
mistaken. He is describing same-sexual activity, and uniquely in the Bible he specifies
female as well as male homoerotic behaviours. There is no qualification in terms of
whether the relationship is one of love and consent of exploitation and violence. It is
the “unnatural” sexual activity which is itself evidence of the “God-forsaken” state of
such people, and of their liability to God’s wrath.4
5. Like all sinners, persons practicing homosexual acts can be forgiven
and reconciled to the Christian God.
Thankfully, God will not leave us in this state. He set out from Genesis 3 to pay the full price of
re-entry into community with him. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth to offer the full,
perfect and atoning sacrifice for all sin, for all males and females, for all time. He
accomplished this when he was both crucified and raised from the dead in the 1st century.
Now he offers complete forgiveness to all who would turn from sin, accept his payment and
follow Christ as his disciple.
6. All sinners are called to turn from a life of independence from the
Christian God and live a life of dependence on Him
Having paid the full price for our sin and thereby becoming the substitutionary sacrifice for
all sinners, Christ now calls all sinners (including all who commit any sexual sin) to turn from
their life of independence and to live a life of dependence on him. In other words, God calls all
men and women to turn away from a life of sin and to live under his Lordship. Read the
following words from Ezekiel 18:23 and then Ezekiel 18:32:
‘Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?’ declares the Sovereign Lord.
‘Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?’
‘For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone,’ declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent
and live!
R. T. France, A Slippery Slope: The Ordination of Woman and Homosexual Practice- a Case Study in Biblical
Interpretation (Cambridge: Grove Books, 2000) 17-18.
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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
7. There may well be an ongoing inner tension/struggle for persons
practicing homosexual acts after conversion– much like there is for other
people.
All of us have ongoing struggles and inner tensions with a sin. Alcoholics, gamblers, sex
addicts, liars, thieves and slanderers, for example, may continue to struggle with their
particular sin for the rest of their lives. There may be times when this sin does not worry
them. There may be other times in life when it is a great struggle. These tensions do not mean
that a person is no longer a Christ follower. It simply means they continue to struggle with
sin: a matter common to all. Given that homosexual behaviour is found in a list of other sins
such as immorality, adultery, stealing, drunkenness and slandering, it is understandable that
it, too, will continue to be a battleground for a Christ follower.
8. The ordination of persons whose lives are characterized by certain
practices, for example, drunkenness, paedophilia, adultery or
homosexual acts, is not an option.
Since homosexual behaviour is considered sinful by the Bible, it is not appropriate for a
person who actively promotes that lifestyle (whether by word or deed) to be ordained in
ministry. The same would apply to the promotion of any sin listed in the Bible, e.g. adultery,
drunkenness, lying etc.
9. Marriage of same sex couples is a contravention of the Christian Bible.
In the current debate, a growing voice argues for the legalisation of same sex marriage.
Various countries (New Zealand included) and an increasing number of states in America
have legislated for this. As the debates are taking place right now in Australia we may
consider what has been written so far. It is also worth adding some further reflection.
First, given that the image of God was created male and female and that male and female finds
particular expression of community in marriage between the genders, to support same sex
union is to support idolatry, i.e. it is a willingness to support something that is not the image
of God.
Secondly, when the New Testament teaches about the Church and Christ it calls upon the
union between a man and woman to make the point. Picking up the teaching from Genesis 2,
Ephesians 5 shows how the micro expression of the image of God (marriage) is a teaching
tool reminding us of the union between Christ and his bride (the church). A change to the
definition of marriage which includes same sex couples would fundamentally change a Godordained tool aimed at helping humanity understand God’s relationship with his people.
Does this mean that those involved in same sex union are to be stripped of
common rights such as property matters, inheritances etc.?
Absolutely not! We live in a democracy and must protect those who have chosen a particular
lifestyle. We protect those in prison from losing their inheritance or beneficiations should a
loved one/lover pass away. Similar protection does/could exist for same sex couples without
calling for a change in the definition of marriage.
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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
Ideas for talking with those who practice or support the
practice of homosexual acts.
First, we must remember that all of us were once dead in sin. All of us were once enemies of
God. All of us were once aliens with respect to God. We were not a people obedient to God. All
were doomed and destined to judgment and an eternity in hell at the hands of an angry God;
and all this because of our sin. We are, therefore, simply beggars who know where the bread
is. We have received grace not because we deserve it, but because God is rich in mercy. This is
to shape how we speak to everyone– including those who practice homosexual acts.
Secondly, pray that God will soften the hearts and open the minds of those struggling with
particular sexual sins.
Thirdly, as with everyone, speak to those practicing homosexuality about the Great and Good
Shepherd, the one rich in mercy, who came to save sinners– all of us. Tell them the Gospel of
Christ; his love for us, the ugliness of sin which destroys the human soul, and the grace and
mercy of God; a love demonstrated while we were still enemies of God. Call people to repent
and warn them of the coming judgment, for God is the God of justice as well as mercy.
With this in mind learn a good Gospel outline so you can share the Gospel with clarity and
confidence. Such an outline is 2Ways2Live available from the App Store. Search ‘Two Ways to
Live’ and download it for free.
Fourthly, where possible, walk with those who practice homosexual acts. Do not shun them if
they reject the Gospel on the first or ninety-first hearing. Do not shun them because they
practice homosexual acts. Jesus never shunned you or me because of our sin. We are to be like
him.
To this end we offer the following on the Christian duty to fight oppression and injustice in all
forms: We often speak of the Quartet of the Vulnerable and our responsibility to them. (The
poor, orphan, widowed and alien. The Quartet of the Vulnerable is a shorthand expression to
speak of those being oppressed and/or exploited). It is a sad fact that rates of suicide and
rates of bullying among gay teens is higher than in their heterosexual counterparts.
Homosexuality, while enjoying broad support in Hollywood and the media, is not always so
welcomed in schoolyards and homes around the world. Bullying and threats are common and
this, in many cases, can lead to depression and suicide.5 While Christians may not agree with
those who habitually practice homosexual acts, our duty is to love and protect them from
such trials where possible. As well as preaching the gospel, our pastoral role must also
include defending homosexual persons from slander, oppression, physical violence and
discrimination. As people called to love, we must recognize that many gay teens (and adults)
will face trials for their orientation and that, as Christians, we must help them any way we
can. We will continue to speak the truth in love, yes, but we will also oppose persecution and
injustice on behalf of all people.'
5
K. Gilbert, 2011, Study: Gay Teens Five Times More Likely to Attempt Suicide, LifeSiteNews, accessed 7
February 2014
<http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/study-gay-teens-five-times-more-likely-to-attempt-suicide/>; Gay Bullying
Statistics, Bullying Statistics, accessed 7 February 2014
<http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/gay-bullying-statistics.html>; J. Welsh, 2011, Homosexual Teen
Suicide Rates Raised in Bad Environments, Live Science, accessed 7 February 2014
<http://www.livescience.com/13755-homosexual-lgb-teen-suicide-rates-environments.html>
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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
Fifthly, when they come to Christ keep walking with them as the Holy Spirit begins to work in
them and as they struggle with the sin of ongoing sexual activity. Do we not want someone to
walk with when we ourselves fall into sin?
What if someone who practices homosexual acts baldly asks if homosexual acts
are a sin?
Tell them the truth with grace. Yes, it is a sin. Yes, Jesus calls for repentance. But this does not
mean he does not love us. In fact, he proved his love for all sinners when he died on the Cross.
He wants us all to be a part of his saved people that we might glorify and enjoy him forever
What happens if someone else gets worked up about our stance on those
practice homosexual acts?
Take a deep breath. Pray for wisdom. Listen. Ask them what it is about our stance that causes
them to be angry. Listen.
They may simply be caught up in the spirit of the age and they are not, therefore, clear
on why exactly they are angry. It would serve them well to talk it through. There could be
many reasons. As you help talk things through, you will have numerous opportunities to help
them get to know Jesus.
They may be concerned for justice. If so, there is an opportunity to explore what
justice is, its basis and God’s justice (this will take you into a conversation about the gospel).
If they are concerned that individuals’ rights be protected, you could say all their rights are
currently protected by the law of Australia.
They may ask, “Well, who does it hurt?” You could say that for some parents of those
who practice homosexual acts, there is a deep pain. These parents may grieve over what
might have been. They may be concerned by their son or daughter’s life choice and its
implications for their family. It is also possible that siblings or the adult children of someone
practicing homosexuality could be hurt as the roles (and possibly gender) of their parents
change. More significantly, the practice of homosexual acts causes our Heavenly Father deep
grief. In order to pay for sin he sent his one and only Son to die in our place. Jesus took the
penalty for our sin and all sin so we would not have to. However, those who wilfully and
knowingly continue to sin against this God will eventually pay the price themselves. We get
an idea of this from Hebrews 10:26–29:
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the
truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of
raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of
Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much
more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the
Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that
sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
This is a stark and confronting passage. But we must understand sin is offensive to our God.
To walk all over Jesus’ death (trample his blood under foot) is, therefore, a great offence to
God. God is hurt, pained, distraught and angered by such action. One day, when God returns,
justice will follow.
The trick is to enter into these kinds of conversations with grace and patience and not to lose
your cool. As we enter into these conversations, we can go on learning from others with more
experience, by reading books and articles and by talking with staff at St. Paul’s or other
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Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
churches. Together, we can improve our ability and capacity to speak graciously with all
people.
In all this, St. Paul’s is to be a safe place for all sinners who are beginning to engage with the
God who is rich in mercy. This includes those who practice homosexual acts. This is a safe
place to hear a dangerous message that transforms lives.
What about the Gay Gene Debate?
There are people searching for a gay gene. It may or may not be there. But regardless of this,
there does not seem to be a great resultant difference between being ‘genetically gay’ and
being ‘born gay.’ In both cases there appear to be significant factors outside of one’s control.
‘There is widespread acceptance in the scientific community of the claim that the homosexual
orientation is established so early in childhood that gay people have no remembrance of ever
being other than they are.’6
Daniel J. Levitin describes how a child may acquire musical ability.7 It is not simply genetic. A
child, he says, may be born with skilled motor movements. A child may be born with a good
memory. The parents of this child may enjoy music and encourage their son to pursue it. His
natural skills (motor movement, memory, etc.) combine with his environment (music-loving
parents, etc.) and lead to his musical ability. Something similar might be possible for samesex attraction. A boy may be born with certain emotional inclinations or personality. This is
genetic. The family he is born into and his early experiences (the way his father is, the way he
is treated, what he sees, and so on) may combine with these emotional inclinations and result
in same-sex attraction. The boy has no more control over this than if he had been born with
an explicit ‘gay gene.’
Whether or not a solely genetic basis is discovered, it does not seem that a gay person has
complete control over their sexuality. This is not to say that they do not have any. And it is
certainly not to say that a person therefore has no responsibility for it. But social and
geographical determinism combined with the genetic personality of a person play a large role
in everything.
The church need not focus on the origins as if by doing so we will change the game. There
must still be a reason to fight same-sex attraction. There must still be something to change for.
Do we imagine that by proving there is no such thing as a ‘gay gene’ we will see gays
renouncing their ways by the thousand? This is not to say that searching for such a thing is
useless. The point is that the church need not spend its time there today.
What role can we play in Australia?
We live in a democracy. This means we can and ought to express our opinions. It is one of the
great aspects of democracy. Consequently, when debates are had in parliament, be it State or
Federal, we can contact our local Members to express our view. Do so with grace. Remember
we are beggars who have found where the food is. Do so intelligently. You may find the
arguments outlined above helpful in this.
Why would we do this? In part, because the practice of homosexual acts is a sin and all sins
affect community. Much like lying, cheating, adultery and murder affect community, so the sin
of the practice of homosexual acts affects community.
6
7
T. Campolo, Red Letter Christians (California: Regal, 2008) 89.
D. J. Levitin, This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession (New York: Plum, 2006) 194-195
12
Engaging With People and Thinking About Same Sex Relationships – St Paul’s Castle Hill
A more significant reason is found in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10. Those who practice sinful acts will
not inherit the kingdom of God, i.e. they will face an eternal death. They will not enjoy God
forever. They will not see his glory, majesty or experience the community he has in store. If
we are to love people who practice homosexual acts we will, therefore, work at introducing
them to Jesus so that they will be able to enjoy God and his community, forever.
To be sure, preventing same sex union legislation passing in our country will not bring people
into the kingdom of God. Only the Gospel of Christ is the power of God to transform a human
being’s life. However, having the laws of our land remain as they are on marriage preserves
the Bible’s teaching and promotes the image of God in this specific relationship. Further, we
must oppose any conscious practice of sin that will exclude a man or woman from an eternity
with God.