First published in the Chicago Free Press on February 6, 2008
David Kinnaman has seen the handwriting on the wall: "As these new generations begin to make up a larger share of the public, homosexuals will gain greater rights and protections-and widespread acceptance-in our culture."
Kinnaman is not happy about this. Kinnaman, who heads the Barna Group, which conducts survey research on and about evangelical Christians, is the author of Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...and Why It Matters (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2007).
Kinnaman focuses on young people 16-29, particularly those he calls "outsiders"-atheists, agnostics, adherents of other religions and the "unchurched." Those now make up 40 percent of young people, he reports. Just a decade ago Christianity had an overwhelmingly positive image among the young, including outsiders, he says. But no longer.
"Our most recent data show that young outsiders have lost much of their respect for the Christian faith." They hold several negative images of Christianity: it is judgmental (87 percent agreed), too involved in politics (75 percent), hypocritical (85 percent), and out of touch (72 percent).
But the predominant negative perception is that Christianity is "antihomosexual." Fully 91 percent of "outsiders" say Christianity is anti-gay. Remarkably, 80 percent of young churchgoers agree:
"In our research, the perception that Christians are 'against' gays and lesbians-not only objecting to their lifestyle"-i.e., sex-"but also harboring irrational fear and unmerited scorn toward them-has reached critical mass. The gay issue has become the 'big one,' the negative image most likely to be intertwined with Christianity's reputation." In short, "A new generation of adults ... now accepts homosexuality as a legitimate way of life."
Kinnaman's book is meant to warn Christians that their political influence on the issue of homosexuality will ebb and that they need to undertake a "kinder, gentler" approach to gays such as getting to know them, engaging them in conversation, showing compassion, and talking about Jesus instead of initially taking a moralistic approach.
I am not sure that "compassion" is what gays expect these days. Acceptance is what most expect. But given the reiterated condemnations of "the homosexual lifestyle" (i.e., sex) by Kinnaman and his commentators in the book, evangelical Christians cannot offer that. It is their bottom line, their obsession.
But the Jesus of the gospels said nothing to condemn homosexuality. So the Christians eventually have to stop talking about Jesus and talk about "the Bible" (including the Old Testament), or even a rather amorphous (and manipulable) "biblical perspective." Bait and switch.
So the Christians have nothing to offer gays by way of sexual relating. Kinnaman asks, as if uncertain, "Is it still true that homosexuals have deep sexual needs, just like the rest of us?" But all they offer is celibacy. As one commentator writes, "What if we could provide intimate Christ-centered community and accountability for him or her in that pursuit? We believe that community is the answer to everyone feeling loved and human." Somehow it just doesn't seem the same.
Kinnaman moves inconspicuously from inoffensive "first statements" to more offensive "repetitions." He first says Christians oppose "church-sanctioned weddings for same-sex couples," which is part of their freedom in a civil society. But later referring to legislators, he says it is important to affirm that "marriage is between one man and one woman." So he thinks that not only churches should bar gay marriage but the state as well, a very different matter.
And Kinnaman refuses to engage the strongest gay arguments. For instance, asserting that a child needs a mother and a father, he opposes gay adoption. But-putting aside the research on same-sex parenting-there are many children in foster care and innumerable orphans worldwide with no parents at all. Are they better off with no parents or with two loving gay parents? Kinnaman refuses to reply.
Perhaps the most offensive Christian claim is that, as one commentator says, "There is not a special judgment for homosexuals (nor) ... a special righteousness for heterosexuals." Or as a pastor Kinnaman quotes puts it, "The struggle of gays in being attracted to the same sex is not different than my struggle in being attracted to the opposite sex."
What effrontery! All Christians know that loving heterosexual sex within marriage is perfectly legitimate and has a "righteousness" according to their God (Gen. 1:28). The unnamed pastor's attraction to his wife-a member of the opposite sex-has a legitimate mode of sexual expression, so the desire ("temptation") can be acted on. But his doctrine allows nothing for gays. Ultimately, one has to doubt these people's honesty or their intelligence.
Corvino, John
{ 105 comments }
← Previous Comments
As for going back to my church and telling them what I’ve said here, I already have and they agree with me.
You might want to read again what I actually asked you to do, Zeke.
Now, go to church and tell all your friends there that they deserve every bit of this vitriol hurled at them by gays and lesbians, and that they should just shut up and take it because it’s all their fault for being such awful and unaccepting people who, because of their mental illness, support a facist(sic) ideology that promotes mass murder, torture, and evil.
And I cited quotes from gays and lesbians that supported exactly that.
Since you want to blame all Christians based on the website you didn’t even cite correctly, I see no reason why you can’t be held accountable based on the statements of your fellow liberal gays and lesbians.
I’m pretty sure that most gay people’s animosity toward the church is defensive rather than offensive; more in response to the church’s homophobia than spontaneous disdain.
Ah yes, “homophobia”.
Where have I seen gays and lesbians using that as a weapon before?
A homosexual foster couple were left free to sexually abuse vulnerable boys in their care because social workers feared being accused of discrimination if they investigated complaints, an inquiry concluded yesterday.
Craig Faunch and Ian Wathey were one of the first homosexual couples in the country to be officially approved as foster parents.
They looked after 18 children in only 15 months.
In reality, they were paedophiles, who repeatedly abused the children in their care.
Even when the mother of two of the children reported her suspicions to the council, officials accepted the men’s explanations and did nothing.
Instead of banning children from staying with Faunch and Wathey, they sent youngsters with more serious problems to them. Between them, the couple abused four boys aged between eight and 14.
In a scathing report published yesterday, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council was condemned for treating the men as “trophy carers”.
The children’s charity Kidscape said those in charge of overseeing the safety of children in the care of Faunch and Wathey had allowed political correctness to override common sense.
The report, following an independent review of the case, said: “One manager described the couple as ‘trophy carers’ which led to ‘slack arrangements’ over placement.
“Another said that by virtue of their sexuality they had a ‘badge’ which made things less questionable.
“The sexual orientation of the men was a significant cause of people not ‘thinking the unthinkable’.
“It was clear that a number of staff were afraid of being thought homophobic.
“The fear of being discriminatory led them to fail to discriminate between the appropriate and the abusive.”
Or this situation:
Some of the most unlikely attendees of Sunday’s kinky leather fetish festival were under four feet tall.
Two-year-olds Zola and Veronica Kruschel waddled through Folsom Street Fair amidst strangers in fishnets and leather crotch pouches, semi and fully nude men.
The twin girls who were also dressed for the event wore identical lace blouses, floral bonnets and black leather collars purchased from a pet store.
Fathers Gary Beuschel and John Kruse watched over them closely. They were proud to show the twins off…..
Father of two, John Kruse said it is an educational experience for children. He said there were conservative parents against having kids at the event.
“Those are the same close-minded people who think we shouldn’t have children to begin with,” he said.
So you see, Zeke, according to gays and lesbians, it’s “homophobic” to investigate gays for child molestation. It’s “close-minded” to say that people should not dress children in slave gear and take them to a sex fair. Furthermore, according to gays and lesbians, religious people are all “mentally sick”, “fascist”, since they put humanity as secondary to a “imaginary character”, and claim that Christianity is an “abomination”, that Jesus’s sacrifics of Himself for us is proof that it is “evil”, that the Bible is an “evil” book, that Christians all support murder, torture, polygamy, and incest, and those that don’t are lying.
Do you think that’s justified, Zeke?
As for the remainder:
Are you really arguing that the church has nothing to be ashamed of in its history?
Of course not. My entire denomination exists because of a massive screwup on the part of the Catholic Church. Jesus Himself said there were always going to be tares in among the wheat.
Do you really think that they have done nothing wrong in their dealings with gay people?
Of course not. I’ve had first-hand experience on that one. But again, tares; are you tossing out the rest of the wheat because you find one?
Do you really believe that gay people’s anger with and fear of the church has NO justification?
Let’s see; you go to church without a problem, I go to church without a problem, Ash goes to church without a problem.
What exactly am I supposed to be angry and fearful over?
Now, let’s reverse the questions. Do you think the gay community and gay people have nothing to be ashamed of in their entire history? Do you really think that gay people have done nothing wrong in their dealings with religious people? Do you really believe that the attitude of many religious people towards gay people has no justification?
Because right now, what I’m seeing is this; you claim you go to church with no problems, but you fully endorse, support and justify the screaming fits of gays and lesbians who claim your fellow congregants are “mentally ill”, who claim they’re “fascist”, and who claim that they worship an “evil god” whose “evil book” endorses and supports torture, murder, polygamy, and incest — and that any of your fellow congregants who claim otherwise are lying.
Were they telling the truth, you’d have been burned at the stake several years ago. But for some reason, you can’t criticize these people, even though your own experience demonstrates that they’re flat-out lying; instead, you have to make up and spin excuses for them because they’re LGBT.
Where you and I differ is this; you are far more willing to justify attacks by your fellow gays and lesbians upon your fellow Christians, who you claim are supportive of you, than I ever will be. I have no problem telling religious people off when the need arises, but I am not going to automatically assume someone else is always right and justified because of their sexual orientation.
I cannot understand the standpoint of evangelical Christianity. The mainline denominations have much greater strides with a alot of grace allowing gay and lesbians into their congregations. Let’s be real here—everyone that lives on this Earth is a sinner. Everybody that is involved or uninvolved with the Church is a sinner. Evangelicals (some, not all) like to make such distinctions as to attack gays–I never hear them attack unmarried heterosexuals living together, children out of wedlock, heterosexual premarital sex etc, etc. If they do attack the aforementioned activities—they do it fairly quietly and not with the virulence placed upon homosexuals. Allowing gays and lesbians into the Churches is what the truthful, loving Christianity and Jesus and God are all about. Jesus sat with prostitutes, tax collectors and Samaritans–that is what being Christian is all about and Jesus was Jewish no less!!! Gays and lesbians should go to Church—remember it’s all about worshipping God and not worrying about evangelicals ( and others) and what they think—who cares what they think!! They are not the Final Judge and Jury!!!!
Interesting website with alot of different viewpoints!
To Ash–I do not deny that there are problems within the gay community that you suggest–drugs, older men etc. But it seems like you are taking a narrow view. Why does the US have the highest rates of children out-of-wedlock? Biologically, not a gay issue. You say that older men prey on younger men—do not older men prey on young girls—prostitutes, call girls etc.–they are seeking younger women. Globally, HIV/AIDS is dominantly heterosexually transmitted—-especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America. There was even a newspaper article in India—many did not believe that HIV/AIDS was homosexually transmitted because it is so rampant amoung heterosexuals–married and unmarried. Drug use—are there not heterosexuals that are addicted to drugs? Look at the reality TV programs devoted to it. You make great comments but you need to look overall rather than narrowly.
To NorthDallas— Again you make valid points but agian, you are viewing narrowly. The example you cited is good–both the gay couple and the social work agency are liable and should be jailed, fired, etc. But, you only cited one example. I can cite many, many cases that heterosexual couples abused children–in my state, the police arrested and jailed a Pentecostal minister for sexually abusing two little girls. Having worked part-time in a social work agency–I have seen it firsthand–I have had to pull kids out of homes for abuse, drugs, etc—all by heterosexual couples and singles. This is not to deny or condone what the gay couple did–this is to make a more balanced and look OVERALL at things rather than take a narrow view.
Thank you
I’d just like to make note that their are 3 abominations against Homosexuals in The Bible, but there are over 300 abominations against Heterosexuals. I’ve asked many Christians to prove to me that The Bible says homosexuality is wrong. All of their examples were in the Old Testament. I’d simply tell them that I could not take the laws and rules in the Old Testament too seriously because The Bible also says in Deuteronomy 23:1 “Any man who’s penis is cut off or whose testicals are crushed, may not enter The Assembly of the Lord.” That would normally leave them without too much of an answer.
-Lauren, Age 18, Pennsylvania.
← Previous Comments
Comments on this entry are closed.