I often cringe when a so-called "leader" of Christianity makes a disparaging comment about homosexuality.
Among the most ridiculous claims: gays were responsible for the 9/11 attacks, SpongeBob is gay (despite the fact that sponges are asexual) and, thanks to the Teletubbies, 5-year old boys will soon be seen toting red purses, inviting their friends to high tea, and frolicking about in daisy-laden fields. Outlandish as these claims may seem, it is far more shocking that some churches are preaching the imminent damnation of homosexuals.
These anti-gay actions and behaviors are not only disparaging and dangerous; they are irrefutably unchristian. As a Christian, nothing I see in the messages from these leaders concerning homosexuality has anything to do with the gospel message of Christ that they purportedly preach.
The Biblical story about Mary Magdalene, who was caught committing adultery, is illustrative. When Mary was about to be stoned by the Pharisees, Jesus drew a line in the sand and said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
Unfortunately, some of these Christian leaders remind us of those Pharisees -- ready to condemn and stone others, but not willing to express love, kindness or forgiving.
The message that church leaders should be instructing is one of universal brokenness -- in other words, that everybody is broken, imperfect and in need of redemption. The gospel makes it abundantly clear that we are all sinners. Nowhere does Jesus say his message is relevant only to a certain segment of the population, or that ministers have the authority to condemn gays to hell.
Likewise, Christian groups shouldn't find it necessary to protest at every gay event that they can find. If they want to purge the world of wrongdoing, they should apply their obsessive standard to all of the other Biblical sins just as fervently. It would be interesting to see Christian groups stage protests against the vast proportion of our population that is obese. After all, gluttony is a sin.
Of course, this would never be the case. More so than any other sin, homosexuality receives an undeniably notorious status with conservative Christians. However, it would be interesting to see how they would react to a new, revised story of the Good Samaritan: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ... A Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
"'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?' 'The one who had mercy on him,' Jesus [said]. 'Go and do likewise.'" Samaritans, being a mix between Jews and idol-worshippers, were considered by Christians to be ungodly pagans. They were deemed the worst of sinners and blasphemers. Yet, Jesus pointed to them as good people, as models for society. He looked past his disapproval for their way of life.
Perhaps leaders like Pat Robertson needs to be reminded of this story. We can learn much from this Samaritan, facing years of exclusion and hate from his more "religious" and "righteous" peers, still willing to humbly show his hand of love. This is a message of inclusion regardless of race, creed or orientation. Before stating this parable Jesus was articulating the importance of "loving thy neighbor." Thus the pertinence of this parable becomes all the more clear when it is in response to the question, "Who is my neighbor?"
--Kane Kim is a junior economics major from Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
