Can someone explain how a gay person can be a clergyman?

1. 86

   RJ Schwartzposted 9 years ago

   Can someone explain how a gay person can be a clergyman?
   
   The Bible generally teaches against any sexual relations except between husband and wife. The Bible specifically mentions sexual intercourse between persons of the same sex as among the forbidden acts. Homosexual acts are mentioned in seven Bible passages:
   
   2 refer to rape (Genesis 19:5, Judges 19:22)
   3 refer to intercourse between men (Leviticus 18:21-22, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:27)
   1 refers to intercourse between women (Romans 1:26)
   1 refers to prostitution and possibly pederasty (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
   1 is general in nature (1 Timothy 1:8-10)
   
   

   replyreport
2. 60

   Link10103posted 9 years ago

   I would imagine in much the same way women have any positions of authority within a church.
   
   They ignore it/say it doesn't apply anymore.

   replyreport
   1. 85

      gmwilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      THANK YOU!

      replyreport
3. 70

   lisavollrathposted 9 years ago

   The Bible says a lot of things that Christians seem not to emphasize in order to lead life in the modern world, so I suppose it's just a matter of where your church puts its focus.
   
   If your clergyman was divorced, or had remarried, would that disqualify him from serving? (Matthew 19:8-9)
   
   If he doesn't sell all his possessions, and give everything to the poor, does that mean he can't be a clergyman? (Matthew 19:21, as well as several others)
   
   I don't think it's up to us to decide who is called to preach. If a gay clergyman bothers you, you probably shouldn't join his church. It's not like there aren't a bazillion other places to worship.

   replyreport
   1. 85

      gmwilliamsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      A++++++!

      replyreport
4. 75

   jlparkposted 9 years ago

   There are 6 verses APPARENTLY admonishing homosexual sexual acts (not necessarily homosexuals), and over 300 against acts by heterosexuals - the use of any position aside from Missionary for examples. You don't ask all hetero clergy to follow it all.
   
   The first two you mention are about RAPE - not homosexuality - rape is about POWER over someone else - and as you can see in Judges, they don't care what gender they are, given they raped the concubine.
   
   Leviticus, like all verses, needs it's social, cultural and history context with it - rather than cherry picking. In Lev - they are trying to forge an existence in the desert - best way to increase the population is outlaw non-reproductive sex in the best way possible - punish it by death. Lev includes a LOT of instructions to do with heterosexuals as well - I don't see anyone INSISTING they follow those. Or the food rules (designed to stop food poisioning etc).
   
   Romans - Paul trying to turn people away from Pagan faiths by denoucing the more...enjoyable...parts of their rituals.
   
   Corinthians - translations of two words used by Paul that do not actually mean homosexual - one means effeminate (and hell, there are a lot of effeminate metrosexual straight men), and the other means soft. These verses are referring to the temple prositutes, and those who were given to the leaders/ (?gods...) of the time, and where not to be used by anyone else.
   
   Timothy - if you managed to get a Bible with the word Homosexual in it - take it back. Translation bias sucks. The word itself didn't exist until the early 1900s. If you meant "Sodomite" - doesn't necessarily mean homosexual - plenty of heterosexuals practice anal. This verse I don't know as well as the others, sorry.
   
   So, how can a clergyman be gay? Because none of these verses say that they can't.  It merely says that they shouldn't partake in the acts - in the OLD Testament - yet, we'll let clergy wear mixed fabrics, eat pork, cut their hair, trim their beards, have sex with their wifes in positions other than missionary, touch their wifes when their wifes are menstruating. Why? Because NONE of us follow Leviticus any more, since the NT. 
   
   The New Testament verses are against the Pagan community, not necessarily homosexual either. They also don't prescribe the "qualities" of Clergy.
   
   If there are gay clergy, they are obviously of a church who feels that they are just as qualified to do the job. Not one of us is without sin.

   replyreport