Honestly, We Already Ordain Homosexuals

Last updated on: September 17, 2014 at 2:27 pm by Mark Sandlin

Honestly, We Already Ordain Homosexuals 2014-09-17T14:27:45-05:00 Mark Sandlin

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.

gay, homosexuality, ordination, church, cross, flag

(Mark is a member of Salem Presbytery, PC(USA), which will be voting Saturday, April 9 on Amendment 10-A to “The Book of Order” concerning ordination standards. [UPDATE: 10-A passed in Salem Presbytery: 186-107-2. UPDATE #2: PC(USA) passed Amendment 10 making it possible for local governing bodies to ordain LGBTQ members.)

Here’s the thing. There are gay ministers. Always have been, always will be.

Surprisingly, at least if you listen to the Anti-Gay Minister Movement (yes, that’s a name I just made up), the church hasn’t gone to Hell in a hand basket because of it.

The thing that confuses me, to a degree at least, is the fact that the very people who want to keep gay minsters silent (effectively living a lie in order to follow the call which God has put upon their heart) would also recognize how important it is to live a life that is real and honest if you ever hope to grow closer to God. Some of them may even go as far as to agree that the ability to fully be who God made you to be and to be fully loved at the same time is a gift of the grace of God. Yet, they are not willing to extend that same grace for a specific group of people: gays called into ministry.

No single group is as marginalized in the Christian church, particularly in relationship to ordination, as the gay community. Interestingly enough, the only thing Jesus ever said about homosexuality was, “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Oh wait, that wasn’t about homosexuality at all, was it? Come to think of it, that was about all of us, wasn’t it? Well, food for thought nonetheless.

At some point, those who stand against ordaining people whose sexual orientation happens to be homosexual are going to have to admit that they believe two things that most of the rest of the Christian community do not see as core values in the teachings of Jesus: 1) that God’s love comes in degrees; that God loves some people more than others; that if you are gay you are less worthy of that love and hence less capable of being called into ministry and 2) they personally know better than the individual who feels called into ministry whether or not God is actually calling them into ministry.

Personally, I have to say, I’m completely over the archaic arguments of “it’s a sin” or” it’s a choice that can be ‘cured.'” To even engage in these arguments is to accept that they are rational, reasonable and have some hint of the truth in them. I suspect, but would never presume to say I know, that God laughs every time we do engage in those arguments. Well, maybe not every time. The way biblical texts are contorted and misused for the express purpose of marginalizing this specific group of people probably comes about has close to ticking God off as I imagine God might get. If these same people had fought to keep me out of ministry (I’m divorced; but they wouldn’t do that being that many of them are also divorced) and were picketing Red Lobster every Friday night with “God Hates Shrimp Lovers” signs, I might feel a little bit differently, but they don’t, so I don’t.

For that matter, why aren’t we already ordaining lesbians? Out of some 31,000 verses, the Bible only has one verse that is even remotely judgmental about two women having a loving relationship and Leviticus alone has multiple verses condemning the consumption of shellfish. It just may be that this is less about biblical perspectives and more about personal preferences. Kind of ironic isn’t it? People who claim being gay is a choice are making the choice to condemn begin gay in the face of a largely missing condemnation of it in the Bible particularly when compared to other ‘sins’ which the Church has, in large part, chosen to overlook. Just a thought.

My argument for ordaining homosexuals into ministry? We already do it and many of them are among the wisest, hardest working, nurturing, insightful, creative, inspiring, spiritual and loving people in ministry. They do it even though many in ministry want them out, profess to “hate their sin” (but love the sinner – how nice), criticize them, judge them, marginalize them and use them as scapegoats for everything that goes wrong in the world (particularly those things insurance companies call “acts of God.”). I submit, as my main witness in this debate, the works of already ordained gay ministers. We straight ministers should be as forgiving, loving, positive, giving and hopeful in the face of criticism, accusations and judgment as they are. What a wonderful world that would be – Kingdom of God like, even.

I’m not asking you to agree with me or disagree with me. Your choice is your choice. I’m just a bit weary of the hypocrisy in the Church over this particular matter and needed to say it out loud. It’s time to stop the divisive infighting. It’s time to turn outward to the world and get to worrying about the things about which Jesus actually did have something to say: loving our neighbors, advocating for the marginalized, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, healing the sick, mending up the broken hearted and proliferating peace. What a wonderful world that would be – Kingdom of God like, even.

Previous Post

March 15, 2011

A Prayer for the People of Japan

Next Post

May 3, 2011 Bin Laden's Death Weapon Destroys Christians

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Advent Afterlife agnostic America atheist Bible bourbon Brad Pitt Brokeness Christianity Christmas Church Civil Rights Confessions Congress Conservative Christianity Crucifixion Easter election Elections Equality Facebook Feminism Ferguson Fiction Following Jesus Foodie Gamers God GOP Gospels Gun Control Health Care Hell Heretic Heritic Holy Week Humanism immigration Inclusiveness Innovation Institutionalized Church Intellectualism Islam Jesus Job Justice Lectionary LGBT Life Love Matthew 11 Minister MLK Mother's Day Movie Review Movies Music Nones Obama peace Political Pope Francis Poverty Prayer Prison Progressive Christianity Prophetic Question Mark refugee Resistance sex shooting Sin Spirit Thanksgiving The 10% The Christian Left The Walking Dead Theology Trinity Trump Uncategorized unChristian Unemployment United States violence voting war Women's rights workers rights

Select a Month January 2017 July 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 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 October 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz