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Top 7 claims for why homosexuality is "unnatural" refuted

by Lynette Cowper in Christian Issues, LGBT

Anti-LGBT groups routinely claim that homosexuality is “unnatural.” Let’s look at the seven most common arguments offered in support of that claim, shall we?

1. Only humans engage in same-sex relationships, so it must be unnatural.
False. Over 1000 species have been shown to engage in same-sex mating and pair-bonding.

2. Reproduction is the purpose of sex; same-sex intercourse cannot produce offspring; ergo, homosexuality is unnatural.
Based on an incorrect assumption. While reproduction is one function of sexual intercourse, it is far from the only one. Many animal species, including humans, engage in non-reproductive sexual behaviour. Among humans, the benefits of regular sexual intercourse are myriad. Various studies have found that it: improves one’s ability to deal with stress; lowers blood pressure; boosts antibody production; burns calories; reduces the chance of a heart attack; improves self-esteem; deepens intimacy; builds trust; makes one more generous; raises pain tolerance; reduces the risk of prostate cancer; reduces incontinence; improves sleep; stabilizes the menstrual cycle; improves bone and muscle health; keeps one’s skin looking more youthful; promotes longevity; improves tissue repair; reduces cholesterol; reduces depression; increases creativity; improves flexibility; relieves nasal congestion; heightens the sense of smell and taste; slows tooth decay; protects against osteoporosis; protects against… [Read more…] about Top 7 claims for why homosexuality is "unnatural" refuted

Something needs to change here

by in LGBT

Over on the Unfundamentalist Christians Facebook page, a student at Wheaton College shared with us the above photo of a sheet of paper he found stapled to a campus bulletin board. What’s typed on the paper is below.

Does the person who wrote this sound like a deviant moral reprobate, a danger to our nation and our children, an offense to God? Or does he just sound like a reasonable, good-natured, decent guy who only wants to be treated with the care and respect with which anyone living in a civilized society should expect as their natural due?

Being Gay at Wheaton: A Summary of my 9 months out of the closet
The following list includes examples of things that I have experienced as a gay male at Wheaton, and that other gay men might experience too. …

Guys will stop touching you. I’m not just talking about hugs. This includes handshakes, high-fives, and even squeezing past someone in a crowded area. Guys will also stop smiling at you, since it’s well-knwn that all gay people are innately attracted to all members of their gender.
Any guy that is seen hanging out with you on multiple occasions will have their sexuality questioned. For this reason, many of your friends might stop hanging out with you.
Your roommate’s friends will stop visiting their apartment, simply because you live there.
You will be extremely lonely.
You will have to sit through a New Testament class where the professor decides to spend an entire class period discussing his… [Read more…] about Something needs to change here

Are not the Bible's "laws" on homosexuality unbiblical?

by in LGBT

As proof that God condemns homosexuality, anti-gay Christians commonly point to the laws prohibiting homosexuality found in Leviticus.

“But,” comes the counter-argument, “Christians today blithely ignore all the other Levitical laws, such as ‘Don’t eat shellfish,’ ‘Don’t wear mixed fabrics,’ ‘Kill adulterers,’ and so on. And the whole point of Jesus was to establish a new order; that’s why it’s called The New Testament. Paul himself was very clear about saying that following Jesus meant no longer following the Laws of Moses. Therefore it is specious to use Leviticus to condemn gay people.”

“Jesus was willing to let go of things like eating shellfish and wearing mixed fabrics,” rejoin the anti-gay Christians, “because those are ceremonial laws. But Old Testament laws such as the Ten Commandments are moral laws, which Jesus insisted on upholding. And since the Old Testament prohibitions against homosexuality fall into the category of moral law, they are fully supported by Jesus.” To buttress this point, Matthew 5:17-19 is typically utilized:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
So let’s think about this.

The first thing to note is that nowhere in the Bible are moral laws distinguished from ceremonial laws. Those are man-made designations. It is up to Christians, in other words, to decide which Biblical injunctions are moral rules that need to be upheld, and… [Read more…] about Are not the Bible's "laws" on homosexuality unbiblical?

To a Gay Anti-Christian Activist Who Suddenly Converted

by in LGBT

A friend of mine is a gay artist who, up until a few days ago, was a tireless and fairly high-profile opponent of Christianity. His world recently changed when he realized that, despite his “hard-won atheism,” he was rapidly becoming a Christian.

“I’m sitting here listening to Jars of [bleeping] Clay and weeping,” he wrote me. “Mother[bleep]er! Where is this [bleep] coming from? And why am I okay with it? God[bleep] it.”

Knowing my history (see I, A Rabid Anti-Christian, Very Suddenly Covert), my friend asked for some advice about the phenomenon he was experiencing. That advice (which he was kind enough to encourage me to here share) was/is:
Hey, buddy.

Up until my freakish conversion experience I, like, you, basically loathed Christianity; I considered it at best appallingly stupid. Same as you thought!

That God. S/he sure is … seriously intrusive.

Anyway, yeah: I have some idea of where you’re coming from, and perhaps a bit of what you’re experiencing.

I’m certainly aware of your concern that becoming a Christian will mean having to give up aspects of yourself that you hold dear. Please put that fear to rest. Of all the things that becoming a Christian means—or issupposed to mean, anyway—one of them is not getting absorbed into the giant Borg of Christian Conformity.

Exactly the opposite is true, in fact. God desires you to be more of who you are, not less. God made you exactly the way you are. And God is… [Read more…] about To a Gay Anti-Christian Activist Who Suddenly Converted

Of Cakes and Christians

by in Christian Issues, LGBT

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Jesus was accused by the Pharisees of being a friend to sinners and to drunkards and to despised tax collectors. He made gallons of wine at a wedding. He treated women of ill-repute with respect. He made a Samaritan–a member of the neighboring race and sworn enemies of the Jews–the hero of one of his most profound parables. He praised a Gentile Roman Centurion–part of the occupying imperial force–for having great faith. He touched lepers. He spoke forgiveness and grace to those who beat and crucified him.

His followers continued the trend: Philip baptized an Ethiopian eunuch who was barred from Jewish temple worship. Peter participated in a religious revival among the Samaritans and then a Holy Ghost outpouring in the home of a Roman Centurion. Paul poured out his life traveling the highways and byways of the Roman Empire with a vision of Jews and pagan Gentiles together becoming the people of God; his fellow countrymen tried repeatedly to kill him because of it.

Last week I heard about two separate instances of Christian bakers–one in Oregon and one in Colorado–refusing to make wedding cakes for same-sex couples. In both cases, the bakers had turned away gay customers more than once, citing their Christian faith as the reason (the baker in Colorado will, however, happily make a cake for a dog wedding). In both cases, the actions of the cake-bakers brought public disapproval and official anti-discrimination investigations upon them. In… [Read more…] about Of Cakes and Christians

Why The Not All Like That (NALT) Christians Project works

by in LGBT

On behalf of the small but passionately dedicated team responsible for The NALT Christians Project, I want to thank everyone who has helped make our first week such a tremendous success. Most of all, I want to thank the (as of this writing) seventy-five people who have taken the time and effort to make a NALT video. One of the craziest things about ushering this project through its first whirlwind week is that neither I nor my partners have even had time to personally respond to those good people who, throughout the week, continued to make us cry through the sheer power of their NALT video testimonies.… [Read more…] about Why The Not All Like That (NALT) Christians Project works

My dog in the fight for LGBT equality

by in LGBT

The day before yesterday the Not All Like That (NALT) Christians Project launched like a space shuttle. It’s already been written about by TIME, The American Prospect, The Advocate, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post and others.

Which means that in the last two days I’ve done … I dunno, six interviews. (And this Monday morning will be discussing The NALT Christians Project on MSNBC [!].) Throw in the fact that since Tuesday I’ve been at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Resort and Synapse-Frying Universe (the view from my window of which I just snapped the photo below, because holy cow have I quickly learned how to use my iPhone), and I’m having myself quite the week.

One of the things I’ve been asked a couple of times now is the question that a radio host yesterday put to me in this way (and I’ll let you know when that show is airing): “John, what’s your dog in this fight? You’re not gay. Why do you care so much about the issue of LGBT people and the church?”

I care for two reasons. First, I care because I’m a normal, moral human being, and it’s flat-out wrong for a majority population to victimize a minority population. Everyone with a conscience is morally obligated to defend anyone who is being persecuted and bullied. Defending the unjustly victimized is what it means to be a moral person.

Secondly, I am a Christian. And that makes me loyal to the Bible. And I’m tired of the Christian right forever claiming that LGBT-affirming… [Read more…] about My dog in the fight for LGBT equality