God is Still in Control

Same-sex attractions and love have been throughout the course of world history. Today, we have become a religion worshiping scripture heralding the exclamation of "But the Bible says, or does not say..." as the primary modus operandi in which to judge someone different than us.

If we use the gathered writings for judgement of individuals for having same-sex attractions, we should remember the story of Jesus of Nazareth and healing the Roman Centurion's lover. First off, Jesus is interacting with a Gentile, a Roman who rules over the Jews with impunity. No good Jew at the time would willingly choose to give compassion to a Roman or a Gentile. Secondly, the Roman asks Jesus to heal his lover. Having a younger male lover was a common occurrence in that time. Did Jesus scoff and say "Be gone with thee, heathen!"? Nope, he recognized the faith that this Roman had had in him, and chose to heal the male lover.

If this were such the scandal, then why did the early Church historians choose to keep this passage in the gospels? They chose many other passages and books not to include. Is it because same-sex attractions were not the scandal then as it is with modern day Christian Extremists who have chosen to make against same-sex attractions and love?

Christ had the greater mantra of which we often fail miserably, "You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself." And also God challenges us with Micah 6:8, "O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

How can we do that by condemning other human beings for whom they have been designed to be, denying them the complete human experience? All the while, Christians are not being forced to enter into same-sex relations; nor are they being forced to marry such pairings just as they are not being forced to officiate weddings of divorced couples, inter-racial couples, or any other people they deem not worthy.

Through it all, God is still in control, the United States government balance of power with checks and balances has not been destroyed, and the apocalypse is not arriving solely because of marriage equality being granted to gay couples.