Homosexuality and Adventist Community

"For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."- Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Catholic Hymn

Christianity is more than the sum of its parts. It is more than the denominations that separate and divide, more than Papal edicts, more than doctrines, and traditions. Christianity is a religious philosophy as much as it is a way of life. The Christian seeks to live a life modeled after the great moral teachings of Jesus Christ. For Christians, Christ is the center of their religious experience – being both divine Creator and loving Savior. It is through the Christian's testimony that others are made aware of the love of Christ and God; that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life is the undertone of the great redemptive act.

While attending university at a "Christian" institution, I have encountered such hate and bigotry toward homosexuals that, at times, it is hard to emotionally bear. As a follower of the great moral teachings of Christ and the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, I have understood God to be a God of love. All of Scripture points to a God of love, a God of inclusion, a God of compassion, and most of all a God who cares about His earthly children. 1 John 4:16 states, "And we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." Ergo God is love. Why then do we who serve such a God, one of love, have so much hate toward our GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered) brothers and sisters in Christ? When will Christians understand that God is love? When will Adventists lead the Christian community, as the remnant and chosen that they claim to be, to a love-centered approach to homosexuality and homosexuals?

Rev. Desmond Tutu writes, "We struggled against apartheid because we were being blamed and made to suffer for something we could do nothing about. It is the same with homosexuality. The orientation is a given, not a matter of choice. It would be crazy for someone to choose to be gay, given the homophobia that is present." Yet even the words of this convicted man of God fall on willfully deaf ears. John continues to write in verse seventeen of chapter three, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

Some Christians feel that it is their divinely appointed duty to hate "faggots," such is the claim on the website www.godhatesfags.com. Apparently Matthew Shepard's death wasn't a wakeup call to the Christian community and neither is the countless suicides and hate crimes that take place everyday across this sin-stricken planet of ours. When GLBT teens end their lives in an emotional struggle for acceptance – whether for societal, religious, or familiar reasons – there is something to be asked of Christians, when they are often the individuals to provoke such actions. "Have mercy on us and on the whole world."

Byrne Fone in Homophobia: a history (I wish such a book need not have been written) writes, "Homophobia is the last acceptable prejudice in an age when racial and ethnic bigotry are viewed with distaste, hatred of homosexuals remain rife." Christ spoke, "By this you will know that they are my people if they posses and act upon their hatred of homosexuals." No! Our loving Savior spoke, "By this you will know that they are my people, if they have LOVE for one another." The Black-Eyed Peas, a musical group asked the poignant question in one of their songs, "Where is the love?" I pose that same question to the Christian community in general and the Adventist community in particular. One of the founders of Adventism, Ellen White, wrote in Testimonies to the Church, Vol. 7,

Seventh-day Adventists have been chosen by God as a peculiar people, separate from the world. By the great cleaver of truth He has cut them out from the quarry of the world and brought them into connection with Himself. He has made them His representatives and has called them to be ambassadors for Him in the last work of salvation. The greatest wealth of truth ever entrusted to mortals, the most solemn and fearful warnings ever sent by God to man, have been committed to them to be given to the world."

I believe that Seventh-day Adventists have been called to be a peculiar people. A people who display the love of Christ for all of humanity and who proclaim the dignity of all of God's children, GLBT persons included. It is therefore the duty of Adventists (for as it is written, "to whom much is given, much is required," and much has been given to the Adventist Church) to lead Christendom in Christ-like love. When professed Christians, such as Pat Robertson, speak with biblical authority and divine appointment and say such things as, "When lawlessness is abroad in the land, the same thing will happen here that happened in Nazi Germany. Many of those people involved in Adolph Hitler were Satanists. Many of them were homosexuals. The two things seem to go together," we must rebuke it as hate-speech and unchristian ranting.

Such language is the same kind that empowered those who killed Matthew Shepard, the genocides in Rwanda and Darfur, the "ethnic cleansings" in Bosnia, the Holocaust, apartheid, slavery, the oppression of women, and religious fanatics. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, writes that, "It is unfair for homosexuals to be rejected by society. We cannot place them on the same level as criminals." I concur with that opinion whole-heartedly. When we sanction any one group to be separated and able to be hated we do ourselves a great harm regardless if we are a part of that ostracized group. John 4:8 reads, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." The Rev. Dr. John Shelby Spong writes,

I think that we have in recent years entered a "New Dark Age" in the Western world. It is marked by the rise of religious systems that seek to build security by encouraging prejudice against a designated victim....the homosexual has become the religious hysteria of our day. This kind of behavior is always a response to fear and to a rapidly changing world. Security-providing religion, which always requires a victim, is like a drug that carries us over the rough places of life. It is certainly not the wave of the Christian future.

We don't choose to be white or black, male or female, left-handed or right-handed, gay or straight. We awaken in each instance to the reality of what we are. Nothing external to our humanity activates our self-understanding. It simply is. Alcohol distorts life for the alcoholic. Homosexuality does not distort the life of the gay person. Your pastor's understanding is simply one more version of the idea that homosexuality is a sickness or addiction that needs to be cured if possible and if not possible, it needs to be suppressed. Wholeness never came to anyone who tried to suppress his or her deepest identity.

More Christians need to read Spong's book The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love.

I am trying very desperately to remain a Christian in this environment. My love for humanity and my belief that man is, at his core, essentially good is being tested. I cannot help but cry out to God to "have mercy on us and on the whole world." That the Lord may have mercy on those who persecute homosexuals, that He may lead them to His love. It is my belief to "take a chance on God" and believe that a God of love would not punish someone for simply loving another human being and committing him/herself to that person. If we demote God to such a state as those who advocate His condemnation on homosexuals do, we lose a great deal of what and who God truly is – love. "For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

I shall remain an ambassador for Christ as Ellen White writes. I will continue to live a life that promotes and upholds the dignity of all of God's children, regardless of sex, creed, sexuality, race, orientation, religion, and nationality. God is love, and I seek to be like Christ who was God, therefore I must love and live a life of love. I can be comforted to know that I am not alone on this journey, for Christ states, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." And I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It is my hope that Christians head Christ's direction in Luke 6:36-38, "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." I pray for the day when my GLBT brothers and sisters will have their human dignity recognized by the Christian community; a day when we can fellowship together and be one in the body of Christ.

"Eternal Father I offer You, the Body and the Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

Adventist Doctrine Reconsidered

The fundamental tenets of Protestantism as I understand them are as follows: a rejection that tradition alone supercedes biblical teachings, a belief that all doctrinal teachings come from sola scripura, that the Pope, contrary to Catholic teachings, is not Christ's vicar on this earth and is, just as you and I are, fallible, that the Jewish Torah and Christian Gospels with the New Testament writings constitute the "Word of God," and that Christ is our sole advocate and means of salvation; no man, institution, works, or doctrine can lead to salvation, only Christ. Seventh-day Adventist, I believe, pick up the progression of the philosophies of Protestantism from the sixteenth-century in the nineteenth-century. Adventist's beliefs constitute a progression of Protestant biblical thoughts on religion and theology. The Adventist movement has added a great deal to Christianity as a larger philosophy and in a completely opposite vein has also frustrated believers and distanced Christians from their Heavenly Father and loving Saviour.

Adventism Reconsidered is not a renunciation of Adventist beliefs as much as it is a rebuke of alleged and self-proclaimed "Christian Adventists." I will tackle some highly contested and debated theological issues, but my primary focus is to challenge my fellow Adventists to act like the Christ they claim to follow after. I understand that these are harsh words and statements like this make one quite unpopular, but I am not concerned about my popularity as much as the future of my beloved church; I desperately want to see the church of my youth, that taught me of the great love of Christ for the world, make progress and grow into a denomination of healthy, loving Christians eager to heal humanity as the hands and body of the Living Christ within us.

Here I will go through each "Fundamental Belief" and briefly discuss which statements assist in alienating progressive Adventist believers and which parts I find not compatible with the philosophies of Christianity and the great moral teachings of Christ. Sections in bold will indicate direct wording that I will comment on in green text. Belief statements that are without contention, on my part, will be intentionally omitted.

1. Holy Scriptures:
The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, are the written Word of God, given by divine inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. In this Word, God has committed to man the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are the infallible revelation of His will. While I believe that the Scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit, there are clear injections of the author's and compilers biases and prejudices. It is my conviction that God, in His infinite wisdom, permitted man to define and grasp the Almighty in contemporary terms that the people of the time of authorship could understand. This is evident in symbolic language, customs, practices, and beliefs that do not stem from a God of love, but from a church structure centered on control and organization. It is through this politicking and selective authorship that "texts of hate" can be found throughout Scripture. Examples of such passages can be seen with the condolence of slavery or deep racial tensions between Jews and non-Jews, sexist practices, portions of Scripture invoking a more hateful and vengeful version of the loving God at the core of the Christian philosophy, homophobic edicts, and beliefs and practices contrary to what research and scientific knowledge has proven anachronistic. They are the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God's acts in history. (2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Ps. 119:105; Prov. 30:5, 6; Isa. 8:20; John 17:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 4:12.)

14. Unity in the Body of Christ:
The church is one body with many members, called from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. In Christ we are a new creation; distinctions of race, culture, learning, and nationality, and differences between high and low, rich and poor, male and female, must not be divisive among us. It would be appropriate to add that heterosexual, bisexual, transgendered, homosexual, and asexual are all one in the Body of Christ. We are all equal in Christ, who by one Spirit has bonded us into one fellowship with Him and with one another; we are to serve and be served without partiality or reservation. Through the revelation of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures we share the same faith and hope, and reach out in one witness to all. This unity has its source in the oneness of the triune God, who has adopted us as His children. (Rom. 12:4, 5; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Matt. 28:19, 20; Ps. 133:1; 2 Cor. 5:16, 17; Acts 17:26, 27; Gal. 3:27, 29; Col. 3:10-15; Eph. 4:14-16; 4:1-6; John 17:20-23.)

17. Spiritual Gifts and Ministries:
God bestows upon all members of His church in every age spiritual gifts which each member is to employ in loving ministry for the common good of the church and of humanity. Given by the agency of the Holy Spirit, who apportions to each member as He wills, the gifts provide all abilities and ministries needed by the church to fulfill its divinely ordained functions. According to the Scriptures, these gifts include such ministries as faith, healing, prophecy, proclamation, teaching, administration, reconciliation, compassion, and self-sacrificing service and charity for the help and encouragement of people. Some members are called of God and endowed by the Spirit for functions recognized by the church in pastoral, evangelistic, apostolic, and teaching ministries particularly needed to equip the members for service, to build up the church to spiritual maturity, and to foster unity of the faith and knowledge of God. This includes WOMEN and HOMOSEXUALS. When members employ these spiritual gifts as faithful stewards of God's varied grace, the church is protected from the destructive influence of false doctrine, grows with a growth that is from God, and is built up in faith and love. (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:9-11, 27, 28; Eph. 4:8, 11-16; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 1 Peter 4:10, 11.)

18. The Gift of Prophecy:
One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is prophecy. This gift is an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen. G. White . As the Lord's messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth which provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction. They also make clear that the Bible is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested. The writings of Ellen G. White have served to enrich and strengthen my Christian experience. I believe that Ellen White had the gift of prophecy, but do not believe that EVERYTHING she had to write was inspired. Her writings are not to be used for doctrine or as a replacement to biblical, theological understandings on the nature of God. Her writings are not to be used as a litmus test for "true Christians" and are not to be used for disputing arguments by a "thus saith Ellen White." She is not the last word on faith, God, theology, spirituality, life, ect., but is an additional Christian source whereby we can be lead to a deeper faith experience with Christ. The writings of Martin Luther, I believe were inspired by the impetus of the Holy Spirit, however not everything Luther wrote was a "thus saith the Lord" on the matter. Max Lucado is an inspirational Christian author and I believe is lead by the Spirit, he might not be a "prophet," but is a man that is lead by the same Sprit of the prophets of old. It is time that a new, practical approach must be made to Ellen White and the Adventist church. Adventism's doctrines stand without Ellen White and so does one's spiritual life with Christ, similarly exist free of Ellen White quotes and literature. Adventists do a disservice to their understanding of God when they limit their reading to the writings of Ellen White exclusively. This is a terrible practice and, in my view, lazy and complacent. We must always explore, further define, question and seek out answers, these things are a life journey and so too is an experience and relationship with Christ. (Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:14-21; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 12:17; 19:10.)

22. Christian Behavior:
We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with the principles of heaven. For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things which will produce Christlike purity, health, and joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and entertainment should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty. While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit. It also means that because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well. Going to see and enjoy films, theatre, sports games, ect. are not "evil" things. Celebrating our God-created humanity and the creativeness that God instilled in each and every one of us is a healthy activity and in and of itself morally neutral. If these things begin to replace Christ in one's life then there is an issue at stake. Furthermore one need not worry about "outward adornments" so much, makeup is not wrong, jewelry is not bad or of the "Devil"; these beliefs are silly at best and just plain stupid at worst. "Christians" who make such a fuss as to what is "appropriate" to wear need to, quite frankly, GROW UP and realize what experiencing a genuine relationship with Christ is all about, it is NOT about telling others what to and what not to wear, that's offensive and quite arrogant and Christ was neither, get the picture? Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness. (Rom. 12:1, 2; 1 John 2:6; Eph. 5:1-21; Phil. 4:8; 2 Cor. 10:5; 6:14-7:1; 1 Peter 3:1-4; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 10:31; Lev. 11:1-47; 3 John 2.)

23. Marriage and the Family:
Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in loving companionship. For the Christian a marriage commitment is to God as well as to the spouse, and should be entered into only between partners who share a common faith. Marriage is a public and spiritual affirmation of the commitment between two people to love and honour each other for the entirety of their lives. Marriage and, more importantly, love know no gender boundaries. There exists a Christian love that lesbian women and gay men have for persons of the same gender and this should be respected by the church and social communities. Such is also the case between persons of two different faiths or no faith at all, both can have and share a loving relationship that edifies one another and strengthens their commitment to each other. Mutual love, honor, respect, and responsibility are the fabric of this relationship, which is to reflect the love, sanctity, closeness, and permanence of the relationship between Christ and His church. Regarding divorce, Jesus taught that the person who divorces a spouse, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. To believe this is to make marriage a tyrannical institution whereby men and women are forced to stay with their partner for the rest of their lives regardless of what complications and problems may arise. This is an unchristian teaching and has no significance in the Body of Christ which chooses to understand and accept the fact that people make mistakes, even with marriage. Although some family relationships may fall short of the ideal, marriage partners who fully commit themselves to each other in Christ may achieve loving unity through the guidance of the Spirit and the nurture of the church. God blesses the family and intends that its members shall assist each other toward complete maturity. Parents are to bring up their children to love and obey the Lord. By their example and their words they are to teach them that Christ is a loving disciplinarian, ever tender and caring, who wants them to become members of His body, the family of God. Increasing family closeness is one of the earmarks of the final gospel message. (Gen. 2:18-25; Matt. 19:3-9; John 2:1-11; 2 Cor. 6:14; Eph. 5:21-33; Matt. 5:31, 32; Mark 10:11, 12; Luke 16:18; 1 Cor. 7:10, 11; Ex. 20:12; Eph. 6:1-4; Deut. 6:5-9; Prov. 22:6; Mal. 4:5

What Jesus Meant & Why Christians Fail to Follow Christ

Jesus didn't come to start a new religion. He was not a Christian, nor would he be one today. Isn’t it interesting that the religion that claims so violently to follow after Christ, the "Prince of Peace," shares only a name with him. Values, commitments, theology, politics, and the such that typifies Christianity bear not the mark of God, but that of man.

It irks me to see that so-called Christians are perceived by other believers of faith traditions to be the very embodiment of Christianity, for they are not. It is interesting how vastly different the Christ of the Gospels is to the Christ portrayed by the evangelical community and radical Religious Right.

For some reason I cannot see Christ calling upon the likes of Pope Benedict XVI, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, or George W. Bush to be his disciples; disciples of a message of compassion, tolerance, peace, and love. How can it be that these fundamentalists have highjacked our beloved Savior? When did moderate and liberal, so-called Progressive Christians, loose Christ to these fanatics?

Christ has been captured by the Religious Right, which for the most part is neither. When was hate such an honoured tradition? Christ spoke, "I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly!" How does a "Christian" bombing an abortion clinic accomplish that? How is a "Christian nation" following Christ by bombing the nation of Iraq and killing thousands of innocence, is that what Christ meant by "life more abundantly?" Or what of fanatics who bar religious service to men and women who refuse to remain celibate, is that "life more abundant?" Better still, what of barring women from the ministry, is that a part of Christ's message? Sometimes I wonder what Christ the Religious Right and evangelical community read about.

Every Christian knows that “God hates fags,” immigrants, liberals, ‘secular’ music, dancing, Jews, Muslims, Al Franken, the Clintons, Democrats, basically everyone other than the Religious Right. When did this happen?

When did God register as a conservative Republican? When did love stop being at the core of our message as Christians? It is truly a shameful time in the history of Christendom when Christians have become the persecutors they so diligently tried to escape in the early history of the church. There is a Catholic Hymn the Divine Chaplet of Mercy that goes, “For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” And I hope that God would have mercy and those of us who have permitted this maligned, polluted version of Christ’s message to be the definition of Christianity. There is much work to be done to restore Christianity to the faith of Jesus. May we seek to rescue Jesus from the prisons of the doctrine of hate of the Religious Right.

A New Generation of Adventist Youth - LOVE

Seventh-day Adventists are a special people; I have come to know this from being a part of this vibrant faith community. At times Adventists can be taken by fundamentalism and literalism, but most Adventists, at least such is the case with my friends, live a more practical Christianity. My generation of Adventism is more progressive than previous ones. We do not accept the traditions of the church, but rather test all things and hold fast to that which is good. It is our position that, as is the case in Adventist heritage, in particular, and the Christian movement in general, we should always be progressing forward to a better understanding of God and His role in our lives.

This generation is not focused on church dogma, manmade doctrines, or conference traditions, but seeks to hearken back to a more tangible, genuine Christianity spoken of by Christ. He is our great moral teacher and our focus is on a relationship with Him and the Father. Our Christianity is not exclusive, but inclusive for all peoples, regardless of anything that might separate believers.

Too often have oppression and exclusion been represented through acts of hate in Christendom. Whether this is through acts of intolerance, bigotry, racisms, sexism, homophobia, exclusionist theology, close-mindedness, brash conservatism, ignorance, or any of their various deviants – we aim for a higher goal, a more nobler goal, one that seeks Christ and His church, not that of man. Man has limitations in his church; his church is based on control, indoctrination, and built upon the intolerance of mankind’s feeble minds. This generation refuses to join previous generations who have so often been on the wrong side of history. Science is not an enemy of the church, faith, or truth, but another means at reaching ultimate truth and understanding; as science improves on understanding the world that we live in, so too must Christianity reflect those Divine insights and Spirit-lead discoveries.

I love being a part of a faith community that incorporates a strong sense of family and closeness, but I refuse to be a religious exclusionist. I proclaim to Gospel of Christ to all peoples. My church is one centered on love, not doctrines; Christ is the test of our faith and our relationship with God, not our adherence to the doctrines of the church. Doctrines will change as the education of believers improves as time progresses, but Christ is always and forever; our doctrines may fail, our traditions may change, leaders may come and go and their plans and initiatives with them, but Christ will always remain. He must be central to our spiritual experience. Exclusive religion continues to promote division and inaction in the Body of Christ. Too often do our battles over dress policies, women’s ordination, the God-given dignity of GLBTI Christians, worship styles, or other wasteful issues to fight over take center stage.

Christ loves us no matter what we wear; individualism need not be suppressed, men and women are beautiful creatures and are fully capable of dress that reflects their conformability with the beautiful body that God has given them. Women are just as able and willing to serve as are men, God directs the blessing, who are we to put limitations on what means he uses? GLBTI Christians are Christian and loved and saved by the same Savior that died for you and me; they deserve nothing less than our deepest love and acceptance into the fold of God. Worship styles reflect cultures, ages, spiritual heritage, and traditions not holiness or righteousness. These are not issues focused on Christ, these are issues focused on mankind, our rules, our traditions, what we believe is acceptable. God doesn’t see things like we do, He is accepting, He is loving, He is inclusive, He is worshiped in many ways, let Him lead. We must humble ourselves and let God take over.

These are some thoughts I have about the church that I have grown up in and loved for so many years. This is the church that I care about and seek nothing more than a continual improvement in the ability to affect positive change is the lives of our fellow humans through Jesus Christ – that is our mission, that is the Gospel, LOVE. One word, LOVE. May we live LOVE. May we practice LOVE. May we preach LOVE. May we be a church of LOVE.