Yesterday, Jason Collins became the first active male player in the four major American professional sports to openly profess his homosexuality. And, while the response to this highly courageous act has been mostly supportive, Chris Broussard — an NBA analyst — expressed a very different opinion; a belief that is all too commonly found in the Christian community:

”If you’re openly living that type of [homosexual] lifestyle, the Bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that’s a sin … I think that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t think the Bible would characterize them as a Christian.” ~ Chris Broussard

As a Biblical scholar in my own right — and as someone who finds the Bible to be a literal treasure-trove of a Wisdom that is both practical & Kind, I find these comments extremely disturbing.

While I myself am not homosexual, many of my dear Friends are. And even if they were not, discrimination is discrimination, and it must be denounced — no matter what form it takes … All forms of bigotry have absolutely no place in the lives of those wishing to be “Good People”, much less those who truly desire to follow The Way of Jesus Christ.

Now, I have faith that Chris Broussard is not a “bad person”. In fact, I watched the video clip containing his comment above and Broussard made his claims without any hint of malice or anger in his voice (unlike the gay-bashing members of the Westboro Baptist Church and all their immorally militant cousins in all the ultra-conservative Christian congregations around the globe — God bless their fearful confusion!). To Chris, he was merely stating a fact about the Bible — and therefore a fact about Christianity — and therefore a fact about Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately for many Christians who believe similarly, this a misconception of the gravest proportions; a twisting of the teachings of Jesus to the point where they are creaking and fraying and ready to snap.

Yes, Leviticus 18:22 does condemn homosexual sex acts, and Leviticus 20:13 does seem to mandate the death penalty for the same, AND YET that same tome also mandates the death penalty for, among other things, drinking alcohol in holy places (Leviticus 10:9), cursing one’s mother or father (Leviticus 20:9), and acts of adultery (Leviticus 20:10) — three sins at least one of which every Christian I know has violated at least once.

Other portions of the Hebrew Bible (commonly called the “Old Testament”) are similarly troubling. Leviticus 25:44 advocates owning slaves (provided they are purchased from neighboring nations — like Mexico, maybe? or Canada?), Exodus 21:7 sanctions selling one’s daughter into slavery, and Exodus 35:2 makes it a capital offense to work on the Sabbath (which would include all modern-day preachers who earn a salary for their Sunday sermons).

And the list goes on & on … a list of laws that conservative-minded Christians must either accept in its totality, or not at all.

Fortunately for most Christians, Jesus provides a VERY DIFFERENT theology in the New Testament — a theology of “judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2), a theology of perfect forgiveness “seventy times seven” (i.e. everyone, completely, all the time … Matthew 18:22), a theology of “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:40-44), and a theology of a God whose LOVE knows no bounds & makes no exceptions (Matthew 5:48 + John 5:22).

You see, Jesus didn’t come to support the Old Testament, he came to “FULFILL” it — to REFORM its dysfunctional laws and to CLEANSE its hypocritical practices (Matthew 5:17-18).  In Matthew 26:31-33 he makes the Jewish laws related to food irrelevant, in Matthew 12:1 he amends the laws related to working on the Sabbath, and in Matthew 8:3 he flaunts an open disregard for the Old Testament prohibitions related to associating with lepers.

In fact, if we read the Bible closely, we see that Jesus’ ENTIRE MINISTRY was one, long rejection & restructuring of the Old Testament’s religious laws … There are literally HUNDREDS of examples of Jesus openly violating or vociferously amending the laws of the Old Testament, all in the name of LOVE.

So why would Leviticus 18:22 be any different?

In these times of rising intolerance and bigoted ignorance, it is time for caring Christians everywhere to rise and take a stand for their Savior — to take a stand for his perfect LOVE that knows no conditions; a perfect LOVE that is a humble verb given to ALL.

Jesus’ teachings & his message of Peace are being perverted by the dark agents of fear & hatred in almost every Christian church in the world.

So, my Christian brothers & sisters, what are you going to DO about it?

“As the Father has Loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my Love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my Love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his Love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: that you Love one another as I have Loved you.” ~ Jesus Christ (John 15:9-12)

Filed under: Questions for Christians by Scaughdt