Christianity and the Globalization of Homophobia

I vent frequently about the unvarnished hatred that seems to be the principal face of Christianity today as it becomes increasingly it seems a religion defined by those the self-anointed, "Godly Christian" set hate. And as noted many times, the list of those who are hated is lengthy. On the other end of the spectrum among self-identified Christians are the liberal denominations who while increasingly accepting of LGBT people - e.g., the Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran, and now Presbyterian Churches - continue to sit on their hands and refuse to condemn the rank hate and bigotry of other supposed Christians. I equate such Christians with the "Good Germans" who closed their eyes and in most cases did absolutely nothing to counter the rise of Hitler and The Final Solution. A column in Ekklesia looks at the phenomenon principally in terms of the United Kingdom, but the analysis applies on a much wider scope. The column also looks at the way in which the original teachings of Christ - to the extent we even know them - have been perverted and ignored by those who seek power and privilege. Special rights if you will. Here are some highlights:
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Many people identify Christianity with homophobia, misogyny, social control and sexual abuse. I can hardly blame them for doing so. All manner of evil has been justified in the name of Christianity. Much of the Church is, to one extent or another, homophobic. This homophobia is perpetuated by bigots who define their faith by their hatred of gay people and by liberals who fail to speak up for inclusion out of a misplaced desire for unity. The hypocrisy which often accompanies such prejudice has been exposed in its most sickening form in recent revelations about church-based child abuse.
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But there are also many inclusive Christians. Quakers, Unitarians and the Metropolitan Community Church are ready to carry out same-sex marriages. Within larger denominations, such as the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, there are individuals and groups who back inclusion.
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[W]e are now seeing the signs of a systematic backlash against LGBT rights. Certain groups - such as Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre - put much if not most of their energy into campaigning against the acceptance of homosexuality and bisexuality. . . . At the same time, there has been a rise in the promotion of so-called therapy to "heal" gay and bisexual people.
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[G]roups such as Christian Concern play a vital role in giving a façade of moral respectability to homophobia. That's why they are so frequently quoted in the Daily Mail.
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If we are to defeat homophobia, we must try to understand why some are so keen to promote it. This means understanding the role that disputes over sexuality have come to play within Christianity. And so here, please allow me to take you on a whistlestop tour through significant moments in the history of Christianity.
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We begin with Jesus, who practised radical inclusivity, challenged the powerful and taught forgiveness, nonviolence and love for all people, including enemies. He proclaimed freedom - freedom from social, political, religious and emotional oppression. They killed Jesus because he was too free. Jesus repeatedly broke the sexual conventions of his day. This point is constantly overlooked. He allowed women to make physical contact with him in a society that found it shocking. He redefined family, saying, "Whoever does the will of God is my brother, my mother, my sister". He condemned divorce in a society in which only a man could initiate a divorce, reducing his wife to social disgrace and often poverty. He socialised with prostitutes. . . . No wonder that Jesus has been such a profound embarrassment to Christianity.
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Today, those who talk loudest about "Christian values" are often those who pay least attention to Jesus' lifestyle and teachings. . . . As the Church became part of the establishment, it became much easier to attack the sexual sins of individuals than the structural sins of exploitation and war. Theologians such as Augustine developed the notion of "original sin", arguing that sex was the means by which original sin was passed on. At the same time, they abandoned early Christian pacifism in favour of "just war" theory. The combined effect was that the focus of sin was moved away from violence and on to sex.
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This was the beginning of Christendom . . . . The term "Christendom" describes a situation in which the Church gives moral sanction to the state and in return is privileged and protected by the state's laws and armies.
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Over the last few decades, Christendom has been fading in Britain as our country has become more diverse and multifaith. Far fewer people are familiar with Christianity. Some Christian groups, such as Ekklesia, see Post-Christendom as an exciting opportunity to move on from Christianity's compromise with wealth and power and look again at the subversive teachings of Jesus.
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Other Christians find Post-Christendom unsettling. People who are used to privilege find it hard to give up. Indeed, they are - almost by definition - generally unaware that they are privileged, seeing the request of others for equality as an unreasonable demand.
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Perhaps because social and legal attitudes towards same-sex relationships have changed relatively quickly, homosexuality has become a key issue for socially conservative groups such as Christian Concern and Anglican Mainstream. Indeed, it has gone beyond being a key issue. They almost define their religion by it.
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This is as theologically absurd as it is morally repugnant. Even if we were to interpret the Bible as condemning same-sex relationships, that would hardly make it the key issue for Christians to campaign on. The Bible says a great deal more about the use of money than it does about sex. Yet I've never seen Christian Concern and Anglican Mainstream campaign against the prevailing political ideology which sacrifices compassion and humanity on the altars of the free market.
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To challenge the homophobia that these groups promote, we must recognise that it comes from a place of fear about loss of status. . . . I'd like to suggest four ways in which I think it can be tackled.
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Firstly, it is vital that inclusive Christians stand up and speak out firmly against the exclusion and marginalisation of sexual minorities. As long as the anti-equality lobby can claim that they represent Christianity, they are able to give the impression of having a great many supporters while they misuse the language of rights and liberty to promote their agenda.
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Secondly, pro-equality Christians need to be prepared to work with people of other religions and of none to challenge homophobia, even when this means campaigning alongside non-Christians against other Christians.
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Thirdly, we must stand firm against homophobia without ever descending to the level of personal hatred for homophobes.
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Fourthly, we must recognise that homophobia is one of many injustices in our society, that LGBT people are one of several groups who continue to experience marginalisation. Homophobia has historically been a means of social control, that keeps people in structures that serve the interests of those with wealth and power. And the powerful are always ready to co-opt previously radical movements for their own ends. In recent years, many companies and corporations have seen so-called gay culture as a moneymaking opportunity.
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To follow Jesus is to stand against the dominant values of our society and to face the prejudices of those who try to make us conform. Following Jesus means standing up to the powerful and, sometimes, standing up to the Church.