One of the most important things we’ve learned in this election is that women and African Americans have come a long way in their fight for equality. There’s still work to be done (as we saw in the treatment of Sen. Clinton and maybe even Gov. Palin, and certainly in some of the hatred spewed at President-elect Obama); however, it may be time to look for the next driving force of the civil rights movement.
After the disappointing votes “defining marriage” in Florida — and even California — it seems clear to me that the gay and lesbian community is being treated unfairly. People hide behind the Bible to claim that God views homosexuality as a sin. I once heard a minister say that gay marriage is an abonination of God.
Finding that hard to believe, I was compelled to do some research to more clearly understand where they were coming from and to justify what I already believed to be true.
I go to a Christian church — the United Church of Christ — and our church is about to go through the process of becoming an “open and affirming church.” That means that we don’t discriminate — welcoming anyone, regardless of race, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and so on into the life of our church and our ministry. It’s a foreign concept for many churches — particularly conservative denominations, like Catholics, Baptists, etc.
The UCC is very different than the churches that most people are used to going to. But, we believe that God is still speaking. God spoke to us through Jesus in the Bible, but it’s not like he stopped talking to us. Homosexuality and gender identity issues were so far off the radar screen during Biblical times — no one would have ever thought to “come out” as their true selves. As such, this isn’t an issue honestly dealt with in the Bible. So, how do we really know what God and/or Jesus would think about it?
Most Christians like to point to the absolute literal meaning of that that verse in leviticus about not laying with a man as you would lay with a woman. I find it hard to believe that we all of a sudden believe that we should take everything the Bible says to be literate. (Wouldn’t we also have to stone to death youth who don’t agree with their parents, and murder adulterers?) it’s important to remember the cultural context of the Bible. When it was written greatly influences what was written. Which is why my chuch believes that God continues to speak to us and to guide us in our daily lives.
Bottom line: Marriage and family is supposed to be a union based on love and faithfulness. In fact, recently in church, there were two women sitting in front of me with their son. They looked like a lovely family. And, the week before, in the pew across the aisle, there was another couple of women and their three adopted children. I think it’s great that these women have found love and are sharing that love with children. I bet God would be happy about that, too.