I’m not a fan of Christians who say they’re allies of the LGBT community while refusing to admit homosexuality (acting on it) isn’t a sin or, more importantly, that they would support same-sex marriage.
So it’s good to see a real Christian LGBT ally, John Shore, call one of the more-well-known middle-grounders out on it (emphasis his):
Like so many of today’s “progressive” Christian “leaders” who have mastered the fine art of making Happy Christian Sounds whilst never actually articulating — let alone committing to — anything that might in any way alienate anyone, Andrew Marin makes his living dancing around in the middle ground between pretending to say and actually saying that it’s okay to be gay… Marin trades in the fuzzy, non-committal language that allows Christians to feel better about maintaining their conviction that homosexuality is a sin.
They had a conversation on Twitter (hence, the shorthand) that I’m posting here only because I love how Shore ends it:
John Shore: Tell me homosexuality isn’t a sin, and we’ve got ourselves chat. Don’t, and we don’t–cuz then I already know who u r.
Andrew Marin: Tell me when 2 grown men must hv a prerequisite agreement before they can hv a simple convo? U nervous to talk instead of type?
John Shore: Why would I be “nervous” about talking to you? You play the middle for your own gain. Hardly intimidating.
Andrew Marin: All I want to do is have a real life conversation. Too much scapegoating online w/140 characters; not sufficient.
John Shore: “It’s no sin to be gay.” That was 21 characters. See how easy?
It’s that easy. Marin’s argument is that by taking a “side” on the issue, he risks alienating the other side. There may be some strategic value to that, but when the sides are bigotry and tolerance, why should we keep supporting anyone who thinks the middle ground is an acceptance place to be? Why is he trying to appease the bigots?
Actually, I see one problem with Shore’s suggestion. There are Christians who believe that being gay isn’t a problem… but acting on it is. So let me make a revision to his Tweet:
It’s no sin to be in a homosexual relationship. I support same-sex marriage.
64 characters. Enough for the Tweet plus the hashtags of your choice. Let’s see Christians spread that around.
Just to be clear, I don’t really care if Marin believes homosexuality is a sin. He would be wrong, of course, but his personal beliefs don’t bother me as much as his public stance on whether or not LGBT individuals deserve equal rights when it comes to adoption, marriage, etc. Would he support same-sex marriage if it were on a ballot? That answer means more to me than what his imaginary god believes about the imaginary afterlife of gay people.
Dialogue and conversation is fine to a point, but not when it gets in the way of saying something that actually has substance to it. The more Christians who avoid voicing their support for LGBT rights, the longer it’s going to take for the bigotry to fade.
It’s no longer ok to just sit on the sideline. If you’re not openly supporting same-sex rights, then you’re part of the problem, not the solution.
So if you see gay people “apologizing” to the gay community during your local Gay Pride parade, don’t thank them without first getting them to state (on record) their own beliefs about homosexuality.
Don’t support people who can’t publicly state the obvious: gay relationships are not sinful and gay couples deserve the same rights as straight ones.
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