Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Gays in the Church? Not Until They Clean up Their Act

Gays in the Church? Not Until They Clean up Their Act

Last updated on: July 3, 2014 at 10:15 am by Susan Cottrell

Gays in the Church? Not Until They Clean up Their Act 2014-07-03T10:15:22-05:00 Susan Cottrell

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Oh, not the gays – the church!

You’re not going to see many gays in the church until the church cleans up its act.

By church, I mean the ‘non-affirming’ church.

The church that doesn’t affirm people, but only affirms behavior. Behavior within a certain range is acceptable; other behavior is not. And they get to pick and choose.

And by cleaning up its act, I mean moving its focus to loving God and loving others – exactly what Jesus called us to do – instead of behavior-modification. This has been the problem with religion and churches over the millennia – all the way back to the Pharisees. Jesus told them then, as he tells us now: love God, love people, don’t worry about behavior.

And don’t think we have no Pharisees today. We certainly do. They are the religious leaders who decide what we should and should not do, who falsely interpret and use the Bible as a weapon to support their choices. They are the leaders, pastors, and others in the non-affirming church who focus on your behavior, instead of loving as Jesus says to love.

They don’t understand that behavior follows relationship.

Behavior comes from the heart, and only God can change the heart.

Jesus tells us to love God, love others – and let the Spirit work with each of individually for everything after that. Period.

Only God can ‘clean up’ anybody’s act. Or to put it another way, only God can help us to ‘live more godly.’

That is a trigger phrase, isn’t it? Be more godly, live more godly.

Well, what does it look like to live more godly?

Jesus said, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” Maybe to live more godly means to believe in the one he sent. Maybe it means simply to love God and love others. Freely, wildly, unconditionally, with limitless grace and forgiveness.

Churches that focus on that will be full of the godliest people you know.

Church & Religion

LGBTQ Support

The Real Jesus

can you be gay and christian

help my child is gay

help my daughter is gay

help my son is gay

homosexuality

homosexuality and the bible

Mom I'm Gay

to christian parents of gay children

what do you do when your son is gay

what to do if your son is gay

Previous Post

July 2, 2014

Come to the Dark Side – We Have Cookies!

Next Post

July 4, 2014 Life is Sweet, Bittersweet

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Church & Religion Dear Susan Family Support Gay Weddings & Marriage GCN Conference Jesus Blog LGBTQ Support Parenting Personal Stories Suicide The Real Jesus Theology Transgender Uncategorized X Archived Posts

Select a Month August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 June 2022 December 2021 May 2021 February 2021 November 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 May 2019 March 2019 January 2019 November 2018 March 2018 January 2018 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Paul wrote to the Philippians while he was imprisoned.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE

Support this
Column