CHURCH TEACHING CAN EVOLVE
Jim Green, M. Div. DAPA, LPC
The Holy Spirit is guiding us to a deeper understanding of homosexuality
Recently the Presbyterian Church USA's General Assembly voted to allow the ordination of homosexuals to the ministry. Responding to this, a number of Presbyterians have said to me, "How can the Church change what has been taught for hundreds of years? If homosexuality was a reason to consider a person disqualified for ministry in the long history of our Church, how do we have the authority to change what was always our belief?
I have responded to those sincere questions by reminding my friends that the institutional Church is not to be confused with God. I have noticed that people with a strong denominational identity often do feel their Church is God's representative on Earth. Churches, however, are human institutions. They often do great good. On occasion their humanity shows, and they make mistakes and harm is done. Recently the pope apologized for the Church's violation of human rights, the torture, and the murder of the Inquisition. If it could be criticized for being an apology much delayed, I still commend the pope for the apology. It is healthy for churches to admit their human failings.
Ask thoughtful ministers of any Christian denomination, and they will be able to cite examples of the harm done to individuals and groups by their own denomination. The Church can err.
Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be with the Church to guide it. The implication is that the Church has to develop as history evolves. Sometimes Christians disagree about how the Spirit is guiding the Church, and thus we have many different denominations. It is hard to make the case that the institutional Church does not make mistakes.
A vivid example of evolving Church teaching is the issue of slavery. A literal reading of the Bible reveals that God told the Israelites to enslave their neighbors. So how could one argue that God told the Israelites to do something immoral? Furthermore, 1,800 years of Christian tradition supported the view that enslaving others is acceptable. Yet, the issue of whether slavery was moral or not tore apart churches from 1800 until 1865. Finally, it was seen that the greater scriptural message of love overrides arguments in favor of slavery, and now all denominations teach that to enslave another human being is a sin.
Most theologians would say the Holy Spirit guided this movement, which caused the development of a new, deeper understanding of the issue to evolve.
I believe the Holy Spirit is guiding the Church to a new understanding of the issue of homosexuality. Leading theologians have addressed the issue with prayer, study, thought and by looking at the real lives of homosexuals. Many have concluded that they have been led to a new understanding. They support changing the traditional teaching of the Church on homosexuality. They recognize the immense suffering homosexuals have endured over 2,000 years of Christianity, and they see the injustice of it. It is a fact that homosexuals have lived lives of silent agony, afraid to tell anyone of their deepest capacity to love, for countless generations. Homosexuals have been tortured, imprisoned and executed with the approval of the Church, for no other crime than having a same-sex orientation.
As a psychotherapist, I see patients every day who are suffering from depression and anxiety as a result of the conflict they feel between their church's condemnation of homosexuality and their natural inclination to fall in love with someone of the same gender. Many are unaware that a significant number of denomination, congregations and church leaders now hold a gay-affirming theology. For these patients, cultivating a deeper understanding of their relationship with God leads to a healing of depression and anxiety.
Many Christians resent the fact that they even have to hear about or deal with the homosexual issue. They feel it has nothing to do with them. Yet, today the homosexual issue is at the core of church life, and I believe it is there for a good reason. In fact, the issue impacts every Christian. Homosexuals are our family members, friends, neighbors and fellow Christians.
The overriding scriptural message of love has a place in this discussion. I trust that the Holy Spirit will continue to lead churches toward what Jesus called a "Thirst for Justice.