I couldn't believe it when I saw it, but best selling Christian singer Ray Boltz has come out and admitted that he is gay. He has admitted that:"I’d denied it ever since I was a kid. I became a Christian, I thought that was the way to deal with this and I prayed hard and tried for 30-some years and then at the end, I was just going, ‘I’m still gay. I know I am.’ And I just got to the place where I couldn’t take it anymore … when I was going through all this darkness, I thought, ‘Just end this.’
And end it he has by officially coming out of the closet and agreeing to preform at the Jesus Metropolitan Community Church in Indianapolis and Metropolitan Community Church in Washington, DC. Both churches are supporters of (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community. To me, this is a clear indication of where he intends on taking this issue.
However, he has made it clear that he does not want to turn this announcement into a debate over Scripture. Regardless of what he hopes, it will become that. He points out:
"This is what it really comes down to, if this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live. It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be … I really feel closer to God because I no longer hate myself.”
I want to briefly deal with the comments above. As I have recently pointed out, there is no evidence that we are born gay. Boltz wants to believe that God made him this way. I believe that Boltz believes this with all of his heart. However, both Scripture and scientific evidence reveal that no one is born as a homosexual. Though many want to believe this with all of their heart, it just isn't true.
I am not saying that Boltz is really struggling, I believe that he is. I am not surprised that this struggle as ended in this way. However, as Christians, we must both love persons like Boltz while at the same time stand firm on Biblical truth. Let us love everyone, homosexuals and heterosexuals to the cross. All of us are struggling with sin, and Boltz is not the only one. Shame on any Christian for turning Boltz into a punching bag. At the same time, let us not overlook such a "coming out," as insignificant.
Here is yet another reminder that the culture we live in can and will still infect the Church. The Church must stand up, defend the truth, and love the world to the cross.
3 comments:
Firstly, thank you for encouraging your readers to pray for Ray Boltz, and to refrain from clobbering him during this time of truth and authenticity. Ray is a child of God, like you, and like me, and he deserves nothing but love and support right now. Please do keep him and his family in your prayers.
By the way... I have an insiders perspective, and you need to know that Ray's family is OK... and his ex-wife is his biggest ally. She, as a Christ-follower, has chosen to act like Jesus, and love Ray no matter what, and she loved him enough to set him free to live his truth.
Assuming you are heterosexual, I'd like you, for a minute, to imagine what it would be like if you had to lie about being heterosexual for 30 years. During this time, you could not tell anyone about your spouse, your kids, etc. You spent 30 years hiding your heterosexuality, till it nearly killed you. You heard the messages from the church saying, "Heterosexuality is sinful and you must confess your sins, turn from this sinful life of heterosexuality, and live a life of homosexulity." You knew you were heterosexual since a very young age, but because of the teachings of the church, you didn't dare tell anyone. If you told someone you were hetero, they might condemn & oppress you, they might reject you. You might lose your job. You might be denied housing. You might be killed. But you realize the lie is killing you from the inside out, and your real desire is to live your truth, to live authentically, to live out your life as God created you... a heterosexual. Nothing would make you happier and more at peace with God and life than to live fully as who you know yourself to be... a heterosexual... regardless of the condemnation from the church and society.
It is obvious that you have not done your Scriptural or scientific homework as it pertains to homosexuality. There are, in fact, MANY studies, both scientific and psychological, that point to a fairly clear concensus that homosexuality is not chosen. You are correct in your statement that we still aren't entirely sure what causes human sexuality... but studies strongly suggest that it derives from a hormonal 'bath' in gestation, and depending upon the concentration of hormones (from the mother) and the time at which the hormones are exposed to the fetus, dictates whether a person will be heterosexual or homosexual.
When did you "choose" to be heterosexual? You probably didn't. You probably just became aware of a certain attraction to the opposite gender at some point in your adolescence. It's the same with us.
Please don't water down the Scriptures and use weak theological arguments to make your point. Please respect the Bible by using correct hermeneutics and responsible exegesis of Scripture. To do anything less is blasphemous, helps no one, but hurts many.
Like Ray, I have been a Christian for a very long time - some 35 years or so. I have been active in the evangelical church for nearly that long as well. In addition, I spent a couple of years studying Bible overseas, and spent many years teaching adult Bible classes and singing on worship team. For 18 of those years, I knew I was lesbian, but lied, hid, and denied my true self... till 2001 when the lie got too heavy, and I considered suicide to be an option... UNLESS I could understand that God loves me just as I am. I spent a year studying and consulting with theologians, pastors, and Bible scholars. Thank God, I chose life, because it became very clear to me that many in authority have used their interpretation of Scripture to abuse, condemn, oppress and discriminate... and that's not OK with me. 200 years ago it was the killing of Native Americans because religious leaders said they were savages. 150 years ago it was slavery... 100 years ago, it was the subjugation of women, denying them the right to vote... and 50 years ago, it was denying interracial couples marriage equality. We all (or at least most of us) agree now that those things were horrific... and how could we have done such harm to other people?!?! ...so WHY were they done? Because some people in authority used their interpretation of Scripture to justify all of it... and went even so far as to say, "It's clear in the Bible that God created different races on different continents for a reason... and it is sinful and against God's word for them to intermingle, especially in marriage!"
So... the same thing is happening today. Some people in authority are using their interpretaion of Scripture to justify their belief that we are sick & sinful, should be denied equal civil rights, and should be denied marriage equality. LET'S LEARN FROM HISTORY! Do you want to be a part of the group in 10, 20, 50 years to look back and say, "How could we have done that to people who are homosexual?!?!" Or would you rather be a part of the loving, caring, accepting group of Jesus people who embrace diversity, and welcome us into the kingdom, accepting us just as we are?
As a Christ-follower, I agree with Gandhi when he said, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."
May the Spirit of God touch you and open your heart and mind, to help you to see more clearly, and bring you to a place of writing and speaking about God's unconditional love for ALL people, rather than abusing and discriminating against us with your misinterpretation of Scripture.
rylee-
You're awesome. Confused, but awesome. I love that you are forthright and articulate in your argument. You are unashamed and you want to make certain that you are heard. I applaud you.
However, you are wrong.
First off, I have a great many tendencies toward sinful activities. I sometimes want to yell at my wife... sometimes I want to kick my dog... sometimes I find myself attracted to other women besides my wife (don't worry, she knows about this)... sometimes I want to forsake the fellowship of the saints so I can sleep in... sometimes I want to gossip about others so I can look better... sometimes I want to beat a student of mine with a literature book...
These are, I admit, my natural tendencies. But, I've read Paul. I know what he says about the sinful nature of man. Yep, we all want to sin. The argument that "because it's feels natural, it must be OK" is sadly out of line with Scripture. In fact, Scripture says the opposite. Our natural selves want to sin, but we beat it into submission (not that it should be a self-mortification thing.) Anyway, take a read of Romans 5, 6 & 7 and I think you'll see what I mean about the sinful nature.
All that being aside, I love how you say, "Please don't water down the Scriptures and use weak theological arguments to make your point. Please respect the Bible by using correct hermeneutics and responsible exegesis of Scripture." This is soooo fascinating to me. I was so interested in so called "pro-gay theology" because it seemed oxymoronic. I'd be curious about your theology that somehow finds that homosexuality isn't sinful. Wow, I am still amazed about that!
Of course you most likely dismiss the reference to one of the sins of Sodom as "inhospitality." Yes, ahem, let's see here. That sounds like it must be the 25th commandment. "Thou shalt not be inhospitable." Yet, turn around in the same breath and say that the men of Sodom simply wanted to "get acquainted with" the guests of Lot. Whoever is feeding this to you might take a second look at the truth. YOU might take a second look.
Of course, then you will probably point to the laws of Leviticus as being hopelessly outdated and culturally bound. Right you are with some of those laws, but it's pretty important that you distinguish between the moral law and ceremonial/dietary law. Give a read of Mark 7 and you'll see what I mean.
And of course, you'll want to argue that Paul was not speaking in Romans about homosexuality per se, but rather about being "untrue to yourself." Just don't act unnaturally to your inclinations. Tee hee. You really need to read Paul.
Just open your bible, without any pre-conceived ideas and read Genesis 19, Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13, and Romans 1. See what they would lead you to believe.
Anyway, I don't mean to come off as condescending. There's my natural tendency towards sin again! Arghh...
I still do think you're awesome. You are a child of God. Sinful just like me.
Peace,
Paul
I am enjoying the conversation we are having here. One thing is clear: we are dealing with real lives, not subjective realities. The arguments laid out in this post and in the comments are dealing with real people and real sin. I am encouraged to see such honest discussion, and yet at the same time, an emphasis on Scripture.
I pray that we all agree that homosexuality is a sin. An honest look at Scripture demands we affirm that reality. But what about the issue of whether or not we are born a homosexual. I remain that such a reality does not exist and I have laid out that argument in various other posts on here and the other blogs on this website.
Regardless where one comes down on this issue, let us remember that we are dealing with real people struggling with real sin. The only cure is the blood of Jesus Christ. Let us, at the very least, agree with that, and point sinners to the cross, just like we had too.
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