Last week I observed Pastor and author Joel Osteen on The View talking about Christianity. When questioned about gays by co-host Whoopi Goldberg, Osteen declared that his church welcomes them but that he felt the lifestyle was wrong and we should give to God our best. I'm not sure what he meant by that. Was he saying homosexuals were not God's best creation or that gay people should become straight to give their best to God?
Either way, as a gay Christian, I am offended. I believe that I am a child of God and that I was born a lesbian. Therefore, by being true to my self and my nature, I am giving my best to God.
I know Pastor Osteen would like to believe it is a choice to be gay. I disagree. Did he choose to be straight? Maybe for him it feels natural to be with a woman. For me it also feels natural to be with a woman. This is not a taste I acquired.
I was attracted to girls since the fourth grade. They say your true desires and instincts come out when you are young and innocent before the world tells you what you can and cannot do. I was also very interested in writing, a talent I have come back to later in my life. It was my first love even before music.
I digress. When I found myself dreaming about a third grade girl who played a mean piano I didn't suppress it or think of it as wrong. That is until I told my mom that I liked this girl and she said: "You mean you 'admire' her." That was my first clue that these types of tingling feelings for someone of my own sex were not the norm. It took many years and a lot of soul searching before I came out to myself and the world.
So what is normal? Speaking of nature, there are 1,500 species of animals that have practiced some form of homosexuality. Is all of nature sinful? Did not God create all creatures, great and small? Why doesn't Pastor Osteen go break up two female giraffes engaged in heavy petting and tell them they are sinning? While at it, he can tell them they are welcome in his church as long as they repent and change their bad behavior.
I would say no thank you, Pastor Joel. I would rather celebrate God with nature in all her glory.
Rev. Patrick S. Cheng, Ph.D.: The Spiritual Significance of Pride
Sin -- defined as turning our backs on who God has created us to be -- can also take the opposite form of inordinate self-hate or shame, something that many LGBT people experience from a very early age.
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Answer: absolutely not. Neither should we.
Pastor Osteen must think it's okay to ignore Christ's example of unlimited, inclusive, and unconditional love. And I suppose it is okay so long as he doesn't label himself a Christian.
Homosexuality is well documented in biology as well as human history. Tying these observations into some logic related to "God" is an exercise in futility. Religion does not subsist upon rational logic but upon true belief.
Perhaps Nobel laureate Stephen Weinberg phrased it best:
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion."
As far as homosexuality in animals goes, I suppose Pastor Osteen would not condemn animals, since they are unaware of sinning.
I feel that what adults do in their bedrooms is their own business, as long as there is no force and no children are involved.