Bullying Gay Kids

Saw this video today:

And read two responses. The first is more liberal leaning. The second is a conservative response to the first:

• “If my son or daughter were gay…” by Rachel Held Evans
• To Rachel Held Evans, RE: “If my son or daughter were gay…” by Dr. Joel McDurmon of The American Vision

Be warned. This video is troubling.

While I intellectually and Biblically side more with Dr. McDurmon, there’s something that just troubles me about this. It’s as though something was missing from his analysis. There’s a whole scope of reality is out there that we seem unable to do anything other than turn a blind eye to.

Evans’ article does a good job of pointing out that the video doesn’t really need to flip the gay/straight script to make its point. Even if this had just been a well done dramatic portrayal of the bullying experienced by gay kids, it would still make a crisp point. These things are not mere intellectual discussions at the Supreme Court level about what the government defines as marriage. There is a hatred ingrained into our culture that, unfortunately, the Church does nothing to counteract.

I do not agree with Evans’ position that gays should just be welcomed and accepted with open arms. Like McDurmon, I agree that the Bible clearly denounces homosexuality as sin and calls us to repent. But this is only half of the story. There’s far more at stake here.

What really troubles me is this: What kind of callous does it require for us to coldly stand by and recite doctrine while a child is bullied to the point of suicide? So they’re a sinner. I remember reading somewhere “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!”

Be honest, when you hear someone talk about gay kids being bullied, you have trouble feeling compassion for them because you fear that doing so will somehow imply that their sin is legitimate. I know because I have felt the same way. There’s a name for that: Pride, also known as Self-Righteousness. It was on display all throughout that video. If you can’t overcome it and feel compassion for them anyway, then shame on you. Shame on me that I still struggle with it!

Have we become the Pharisees? There has to be a middle ground where, without compromising the truth of God’s Word, we can stand firm in solidarity with those who are mistreated. For oppression under any flag, for any reason, is wrong. The answer is found in the example of Christ himself who ate with the tax collectors and the sinners, saying that he came as a physician to the sick, not to the healthy. Perhaps this world needs fewer Pharisees and a few more Christians!

Where is the voice of Christ when the self-righteous attack the weak? It’s supposed to come from the Church. Evans, like may others, goes to far in saying that the church should adjust its position on homosexuality, but to simply thump the pulpit in response and quote chapter and verse is devoid of any kind of Christ-like compassion.

Sure Jesus said, “Go and sin no more,” but that was the Spiritual equivalent of “Rise, take up your bed, and walk!” It was said in response to faith and was accompanied by his enabling power. It was never a prerequisite for coming to him, eating with the 5,000, or even being healed from sickness!

In what sick twisted world do we think that bullying is justified because someone is a sinner? How can we possibly twist the grace of the gospel to justify it from God’s word?

If you agree that bullying is wrong, please join with me in making your speech against bullying and mistreatment of homosexuals at least as loud as your speech confronting homosexuality as a sin. We need to show both the truth of God’s Law and the compassion of  Jesus Christ.