The gay debate the bible and homosexuality online video
REBUTTING a Pro-Gay Documentary About the Bible
What if the word homosexual was never meant to be in the Bible? That’s the question a new documentary called 1946 is asking, and it’s part of a long-running effort to misinterpret the Bible to say that it never condemns sexual relationships between people of the matching sex. There have been a lot of liberal and self-described gay Christians in the past 40 years who have practiced this kind of Biblical revisionism, and the arguments made in this production follow the same drained pattern. Let’s see what they get wrong.
The documentary follows its director, Sharon “Rocky” Roggio, a self-described gay Christian who interviews people like Ed Oxford and Kathy Baldock who defend the idea the Bible was misunderstood and thus mistranslated on homosexuality. The primary story in the film deals with the 1946 Translation Committee of the Revised Accepted Version of the Bible, or RSV, and their decision to include the word homosexual in First Corinthians 6:9-10, which says the following, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the immoral, nor idolaters,
The Great Debate: Justin’s View
Back in 2003, my friend Ron and I wrote opposing essays about the Bible and homosexuality. I think that God blesses same-sex marriage (“Side A”); Ron believes that gay Christians are called to celibacy (“Side B”).
We posted our views side by side as “The Fantastic Debate” so that people could gain both perspectives and compare them. My authentic essay is below; you can locate Ron’s essay on his website. This online “Great Debate” got way more trendy than either of us ever expected.
It’s been over 15 years since we wrote these pieces. We both contain the same basic perspectives—I still sustain same-sex marriage, and Ron still supports celibacy—but some of the nuance of our views and arguments may own changed, so we plan to upload updated versions soon. In the meantime, we’ve kept our original articles online by popular demand. Below, you can read my argument for same-sex marriage as I expressed it as a young man in 2003.
(For a more updated view, review out my book Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate or any of the other resources on the Bible and Ho
The Bible and Homosexuality
I assume every Christian should explore for themselves what the Bible has to utter about gay Christians. There are three primary views in modern Christian circles:
- The Ex-Gay View. This view argues that being male lover is a choice or can be changed through prayer or therapy, and that gay Christians must become straight (attracted to the opposite sex) in order to be right with God. It is sometimes referred to as “Side X.” Many Christians believed this in the past, but with the widespread failure of “ex-gay” ministries, this view is becoming less and less popular.
- The Celibacy View. This view argues that organism attracted to the matching sex may be a lifelong temptation, but queer sexual behavior is a sin. It is sometimes referred to as the “Side B” view today, although traditionally that label also applied to the Ex-Gay View.
- The Affirming View. This view argues that God blesses marriage for same-sex couples just as for opposite-sex couples. It is sometimes referred to as the “Side A” view.
So which is my view? Well, I used to hold the first view. Then I held the second view. Now I hold the
Transcript:
Alright, I’d just fancy to start by saying thank you to everybody for coming tonight – I really value it – and for being interested in learning more about this subject. I also wish for to thank College Hill United Methodist for graciously agreeing to host the event. My label is Matthew Vines, I’m 21 years old, and I’m currently a learner in college, although I’ve been on leave for most of the last two years in order to review the material that I’ll be presenting tonight. I was born and raised here in Wichita, in a loving Christian home and in a church community that holds to the traditional interpretation of Scripture on this subject.
Just to offer a brief outline for this presentation: I’ll start by considering some of the broader issues and divisions that are behind this debate; and then I’ll move to a closer examination of the main biblical texts that are involved in it; and then I’ll offer some concluding remarks. The issue of homosexuality, of the ordination of gay clergy and of the blessing of same-sex unions, has caused tremendous divisions in the church in recent decades, and the church remains substantially divided over the issue today. On the one hand, the
Homosexuality & the Bible
TRUTH
In the handouts we see how both sides of the debate interpret scriptures. We watched a video of the strife of a gay evangelical man looking at scripture and debating whether he should be celibate. We found new meaning in scripture by looking at Romans 13:8-10 on how Love fulfills commandments. Then, we saw positive Biblical examples of same-sex relationships and how Jesus and his Disciples treated sexual minorities with love, empathy, and even great honor. God ensured that we are represented and uplifted by the Word. What a special gift from God.
RESOURCES:
Books:
Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians by Candace Chellew-Hodge.
See Handouts from the Bible Investigate here: bpfstudyguide
Videos:
http://matthewvines.tumblr.com/
Check out the video “The Bible and Homosexuality: How the Scriptures Changed my Mind” from the church office.
ONLINE:
http://mccchurch.org/resources/mcc-theologies/
http://whosoever.org/bible/
http://www.gaychristian101.com