gaychristadelphian's Xanga

Christadelphian misquoting scripture?

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:56:31 GMT

Its been more than a year since I posted my review of Michael Ashton's booklet Homosexuality and The Church.

When I did the review the thing that really shocked me was Michael Ashton's misquoting of the Bible - see the section "Sodomites" in Kings? But nobody seems to care about that. Nobody seems to have any comment on an 'official' Christadelphian booklet that misquotes scripture. I did email Michael Ashton about it, but he declined to talk to me unless I gave him personal details.

So do mainstream Christadelphians just not care about this? If I misquoted scripture, you'd be all over me.

"Homosexuality and the Church"

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:14:12 GMT

I have published my review of Michael Ashton's booklet "Homosexuality and the Church".

It begins

Michael Ashton's booklet, Homosexuality and the Church, published by the Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Association, sets itself a high standard. The second paragraph mentions the "Bible's clear and absolute rejection of homosexuality", and says "the Bible says that homosexual behaviour is so wrong". The fourth paragraph says "In discussing the subject of homosexuality and the church, therefore, we must seek to discover God's assessment, and be guided by His Word". Sadly the booklet only has a very superficial analysis of the relevant passages. Shockingly, it misquotes scripture.

Have a look and let me know what you think.

Rebuttals and Rejoinders

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:59:10 GMT

A while ago, I published a review of the Caring Network's information on homosexuality. At the moment, I'm working on a review of Michael Ashton's booklet "Homosexuality and the Church". Are there any other Christadelphian books or booklets on homosexuality that I should review or respond to?

There is Chris Maddocks' site, which was reviewed elsewhere. The last section of that review is quite funny.

Homosexuality and the Caring Newtork

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:19:24 GMT

I just published a new article on the Gay Christadelphian Network:

The Christadelphian Caring Network is a Christadelphian group that provides pastoral support. Their resource manual "Scriptural Wisdom & Practical Help for Surviving Troubled Times " has a chapter on sexuality , which includes an eight page section on homosexuality . This document takes the view that same-sex relationships are wrong, and encourages gay Christadelphians to change. Unfortunately, it is based on a flawed understanding of what homosexuality actually is, and its analysis of relevant biblical passages is weak.
Read more...

What do you think of the article? Add comments here.

Should I try to change?

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:58:28 GMT

There is an organisation, Exodus International, that offers "freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ".

Suppose one of the Christadelphian pastoral groups, like the Caring Network, or perhaps an ecclesia, offered to pay for me to go on one of their courses, should I accept?

Translations of Arsenokoites and Malakos

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:38:01 GMT

It has been said that there is no consensus among Bible translators when it comes to arsenokoites and malakos. I have collected together 26 different translations of 1 Co 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10, and published them on the Gay Christadelphian Network. If you think I'm an malakos, please tell me if I'm a prostitute, or merely effeminate....

Openly Gay and Stumbling

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:41:18 GMT

In a comment, peaceforjerusalem paraphrased Romans 14 and said:

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food (or by being openly gay or another disputable matter). … .. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.

Is being openly gay something that is likely to make someone stumble? To me it seems much more likely that, if you are gay, hiding your sexuality is much more likely to make someone stumble. Realising I was gay was a traumatic experience for me. I thought I was destined to have a lonely life, burdened by personal problems I could never share for fear of disfellowship. I felt completely alone, and I nearly stumbled because of that.

If you are gay and from a conservative religious background, you might think that being gay and being religious are incompatible. You might try to discard your sexuality - but that's a very difficult thing to do, and very few of us ever achieve it. In many cases, because you have no gay Christian role model, it is easier to discard your religious beliefs, or at least your religious practice.

In chapter 1 of "Sex and the Sacred: Gay Identity and Spiritual Growth", Daniel A. Helminiak tells the story about the time he met a gay man called Richard:

"When the question of my occupation came up and Richard learned that I was a priest, the conversation turned to religion. Again I was confronted with that phenomenon I never could and perhaps never will Understand

"Here was this fine young man who thought he was doomed to hell because he was homosexual and who had decided that that was the way it would have to be. He did not think himself particularly guilty of anything. He was just being himself. There wasn't much he could do to change things. He had already tried denying and avoiding his homosexuality, but it would not go away. He simply had to accept it. But his religion had taught him that homosexual people could not be saved. He also accepted that! Then he threw himself into the gay sex scene with abandon."

Richard stumbled because he thought there was nothing else he could do. If there had been even one openly gay man in his church he might not have stumbled. In my own case, my spiritual isolation lasted nearly a decade. By the grace of God, I did not stumble, but sometimes I felt very close to falling.

One of the reasons why, with the help of another gay Christadelphian, I set up the Gay Christadelphian Network was to reach out to other gay Christadelphians and let them know that they are not alone. By being openly gay it seems to me that I am helping prevent people from stumbling.

Offline for a bit

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:42:29 GMT

I've been offline for a bit, and will be offline for a while longer. Normal service will be resumed eventually.

The Rainbow Flag

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:14:29 GMT

"You know me Marge, I like my beer cold, my TV loud and my homosexuals flaming."
Homer Simpson

"I also think it is extremely unhealthy to be parading your sexuality like this. I'm not just talking about the fact that young people will see this xanga site, or that a lot of people will be plain revolted. I am talking about you focussing on your sexuality to such an extent that you have a xanga site dedicated to it, your avatar is the gay pride flag, and you think this is about letting your light shine before men."
rickymorgan

So, I've been meaning to explain my avatar - the rainbow flag - for a while. Part of me thought just those two quotes would explain it, but part of me also knows that out there someone is outraged that I just compared rickymorgan to Homer Simpson. (I didn't - I contrasted them - but the first commenter who expresses outrage on this blog on rickymorgan's behalf will be forever remembered.)

Why do I use the rainbow flag as my avatar? Why is my username "gaychristadelphian"? Because this is what my blog is about. Rather than writing a general blog about all sorts of things, throwing in the occasional gay-type post, I make it completely clear and up front about what my main topic is here. I'm not going to establish a circle of friends here on Xanga and then open up to them about being gay. I don't want to enrage people, like Homer Simpson was enraged when he found out his friend John was gay.

I've had other blogs and internet presences in the past. A couple of my more vocal critics on this blog know me through my other internet personas, and they have praised my stance on various issues, and even asked my advice on occasion. Kind of funny to think that I'm respectable, isn't it?

Being Openly Gay

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:57:54 GMT

One day, less than a week after setting up this blog, I was browsing the other sites on the Christadelphian blogring. I found one Xangan had blocked me from his blog. At that time I hadn't said anything controversial on my blog, except that I was gay. This wasn't that surprising really. if people know that you are gay, then there will always be some who want to have nothing to do with you. Being blocked from one Xanga blog isn't that much of a hardship. Someone I don't know doesn't want me reading their blog - big deal.

Just before last Christmas, I got an email from an old friend. We had been out of touch for some time, but back in the day we had been really close. He asked me if I was single, and I replied that I was. I also mentioned I was gay. That one comment was enough to end a friendship that had gone on for nearly 15 years. As soon as he heard I was gay he wanted nothing to do with me. Now that hurt. [Aside: after writing this post, but before posting it, my friend got back in touch with me again. I didn't realise how hurt I was until I realised how relieved I was that we were friends again.]

There are some people who will want nothing to do with you if you are gay. It doesn't matter if you have known them for 5 minutes or 15 years. You avoid so much pain if those people reject you after 5 minutes rather than waiting for 15 years. That is one of the reasons why I am openly gay.

If you are gay, people make assumptions about you. Most of the time those assumptions are wrong, and sometimes they are quite offensive. People assume your sex lives are based around promiscuity, or a particular form of sex. People assume that your relationships are based on sex and not love. If you are a gay man, people assume you are effiminate, if you are a gay woman people assume you are butch. That's another reason why I'm openly gay. I am a "normal" person. By being openly gay and normal I challenge the assumptions that people make about gay people.

On this blog I am openly gay, but I'm very restrictive about other personal information. You can't even tell what sex I am from what I have said on Xanga. That is another way of challenging assumptions. People have to think carefully before they say anything about me.