Being Gay and Staying Christian

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Introduction Homosexual! Deviant! Abomination! Sodomite! Pervert! Vocabulary such as this is used every Sunday in churches across the United States of America. While the majority of believers within a conservative congregation might proudly shout “AMEN!” each time one of these terms is spouted off from behind the pulpit, others cringe as they sink further and further down into their seats. These believers sit quietly and pray that their discomfort isn’t noticeable to others; desperately hoping that the person behind the mask they wear remains undiscovered. For these believers the mask they wear is essential for them to remain a part of a faith community. This scenario is played out in the everyday lives of gay individuals that feel as though they are forced to choose between who they are and what they believe. While some wear a mask and deny their sexuality, others walk away from their faith completely. Each individual that attempts to reconcile their faith with their sexuality has a unique journey, but unfortunately not all have a happy ending. It becomes a battle of spirituality or sexuality, but are these really the only choices for Christians that just so happen to be attracted to members of the same sex? Can one be both gay and Christian? This is quite possibly one of the most pressing questions within our society. It triggers on going debates that reach far into the depths of our country’s political system with our stance on social issues such as gay marriage and gay adoption being constantly challenged. Is gay marriage an equal rights issue that should be separated from any religious affiliation or is it a religious right issue that favors one denominational doctrine over another? This debate has created a great divide b... ... middle of paper ... ..., J. S. (1991). Rescuing the Bible from fundamentalism. [San Francisco, Calif.]: HarperSanFrancisco, pp.13-36. Spong, J. (2005). The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love. [San Francisco]: HarperSanFrancisco, pp.113-144. Yip, A. K. (1997). Attacking the attacker: Gay Christians talk back. British Journal Of Sociology, pp. 113--127. Jefferson, T. (1802). Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists (June 1998) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html [Accessed: 13 Apr 2014]. Wolkomir, M. (2006). "Be Not Deceived: The Sacred and Sexual Struggles of Gay and Ex-Gay Men". New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, pp.18-38. Lyons, K. (1993). Gay Christians. The Furrow, 44(6), pp.347-351. JSTOR. Retrieved from: http://proxy.sbc.edu:2095/stable/27662446

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