a page of theology that deals with sexual issues

I am an enthusiastic member of the Uniting Church in Australia. And we have been in the news lately for several reasons that, as Hirohito famously declared, are not necessarily in the UCA’s favour.

We have a problem. Many Christians, myself included, see same-sex unions as posing problems of various sorts. Many others, myself included, see the Church as a place in which people who choose to be in these unions should feel safe.  

And most Christians seem to have decided that these two positions cannot be reconciled. At least we are in agreement about something... except, I think that this is wrong, obviously.

It’s similar to the Creation Science debate. Both sides have concluded that the Bible and Origin of Species contradict each other. Both sides have concluded that one of these is true, and that therefore the other must be false.... often without reading either, and almost never having made a serious attempt to read and understand both. 

In a polarised debate, often the best sign that you’re on the right track is that both sides reject your position equally. If that is true, then on many issues I’m on solid ground! Including this one.

It has its humourous side. Some years ago I looked at the websites of the pro-gay Uniting Network and the anti-gay Reforming Alliance, and found that, to my great amusement, in terms of their policies, goals, objectives etc. as put forward on their websites, I could in good conscience join both groups. But I didn't.  

The solution

As with most Church divisions, the first requirement to sorting this out is repentance.

There are several things we need to repent.

Persecution of gay people in the past is the biggie. The Church has such a rich tradition of this that we have lost almost all authority in related matters. And we won’t get this authority back while we continue to deny that we’ve lost it.

But the Church needs to be a safe place for me too. More recently, in some churches people who have sincere and well-founded reservations about homosexual practice have found ourselves persecuted too. Sauce for the goose perhaps, but not good.

And if we are to invade the bedrooms of gay and lesbian couples (and of heterosexual singles for that matter... another big and sensitive topic) with our judgements of what is good, we should surely give heterosexual couples the same treatment? Many Christian wives (certainly not all I must add!) would love to be freed of certain demands made upon them... shall we understand what I mean without needing to be more explicit? And yet no church gives them any help whatsoever.

We have much to repent!