Presbyterians Embrace LGBT People

On Tuesday May 10, The Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) joined the ranks of a number of Christian denominations who are shedding their age-old prejudice against the LGBT community by removing from their constitution the requirement of "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness." (Christianity Today, May 12, 2011).  This change, which will go into effect in July will open the door for local Presbyterian Church councils called Presbyteries to ordain LGBT clergy.

With this move, the PCUSA joins the ranks other so-called “Affirming Churches” such as the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

This is a tremendous step forward in the reformation of Christianity’s views toward the LGBT community, unfortunately it has met with a great deal of resistance, even amongst those described as “Progressive” Christians advocating for social justice, as many of these have opposed the move. 

Currently the Sojourners, led by Rev. Jim Wallis, a progressive Christian organization has refused to allow an ad on its website depicting a Lesbian couple and their son entering a church (InsideOut May 8, 2011).  That this move by the Sojourners comes merely days from the historic announcement by the PCUSA is no mere coincidence in the mind of this author.

There is also a great deal of resistance from within the PCUSA; over the last four years, sensing that this move would come eventually, over 120 PCUSA congregations have defected to more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian organizations, and several more PCUSA congregations are expected to leave the church in protest of the move (Christianity Today, May 12, 2011).

While most so-called Conservative Evangelical Christians remain overwhelmingly homophobic, the debate over the inclusion of the LGBT community in the so-called “Mainstream-Liberal”  Church continues to rage, and no consensus amongst progressive Christians has been reached.

This issue is important to the Party because I believe, as a Christian and a Marxist, that both are perfectly compatible, as I have previously written for Political Affairs, and that our efforts to include Christians and people of other major religious faiths will be of tremendous value in building a mass-people’s movement.

In terms of how we are to move forward on the issue of Christian inclusion and affirmation of the LGBT community, there are many arguments that “affirming” progressive Christians have made.  Many of which try to denigrate the absolute authority and verbal inspiration of Scripture, but as one who considers himself somewhat more conservative, and yet LGBT Affirming, I find these types of arguments unsatisfying.

In my estimation, the Scriptures never condemn homosexuality as we encounter it at all.  There are three passages in question: The first being Leviticus 18:22, but in context I think it clear that Israelites are being instructed to refrain from certain Canaanite rituals which included homosexuality, not homosexuality as such (NISB Commentary 172-173).  The second passage is Romans 1:26-27, but this is actually not a condemnation of anything, rather it is a statement that God, in response to idolatry, allowed people to indulge in what is not natural to them.  For some homosexuality is certainly not natural, but this passage allows for the possibility that for others who are by nature homosexual, heterosexuality is not natural either.  The point here is that each person has a certain independent essence or nature to which they must be loyal, not that homosexuality as such is sinful.  Finally we have 1 Corinthians 6:9, but the word sometimes translated “homosexuals” is better translated “Male Prostitutes” or “Sodomites.” In context this passage is probably referring to the practice of exploitative homosexual relations between men and young boys (NISB Commentary 2045).

It’s important for us, even those of us who are secular or atheists to understand these passages and these arguments so that we can dialogue with Christians and Religionists who may be potential comrades.  Again, until we can learn to relate to the religious majority, we cannot build a mass-people’s movement.

At any rate, we Progressive Christians have a long way to go on the issue of LGBT inclusion and affirmation, but the PCUSA’s recent move is a positive step.

References

Hayes, John H.  “Commentary on Leviticus,”  The New Interpreter’s Study Bible.  Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003.

Sampley, J. Paul.  “Commentary on 1 Corinthians,” The New Interpreter’s Study Bible.  Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003.

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  • Thank you for this article, Andrew. It is indeed important to interpret Scripture properly and take the cultural context in which it was written into account. There are also many affirmative passages, such as the narrative of Jonathan and David (1 and 2 Samuel) and Ruth and Naomi (Ruth) as well as all of the references to "eunuchs" in the Hebrew and Christian testaments, particularly in Isaiah. "Eunuchs" may be interpreted as the sexual outcasts, having a ritual function among pagan cults but being barred from the Temple in pre-exilic Israel. One must read the Bible from "below" to understand it. Unlike official history, which is written by the "winners," the Bible is a narrative of liberation written by history's "losers," those without the power of empire behind them. It has been misused to justify empire, imperialism, slavery, capitalism, sexism, heterosexism and exploitation of all kinds. These uses do violence to Scripture, but its power is the power of liberation, understood by those enslaved and oppressed who see God's hand in the movement toward peace, freedom and equal distribution of resources so that all may have life, and have it abundantly.
    Again, thanks!

    Posted by Pinkjohn, 05/24/2011 12:40am (13 years ago)

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