Thursday, October 14, 2004
On Lesbian Daughters - The Gospel’s Good News for Lesbian Daughters and Gay Sons
After the hubbub over the Mary Cheney comment in the 3rd 2004 Presidential Debate, I was forced to ask, as a Christian, how do we share the good news of Jesus without telling people to be like us up front?
I, like many of you, was surprised that Kerry brought up Mary Cheney last night. Now let’s be clear, just about everyone knew Ms. Cheney is a lesbian. Her sexual preference is not news. The question is, what does her sexuality have to do with the candidacy?
I, like many of you, was surprised that Kerry brought up Mary Cheney last night. Now let’s be clear, just about everyone knew Ms. Cheney is a lesbian. Her sexual preference is not news. The question is, what does her sexuality have to do with the candidacy?
Clearly, Kerry had two purposes in mentioning Mary Cheney last night. One was to make his point with a personal anecdote that would take the question of homosexuality and homosexual rights out of the ethereal and in Bush’s face. Second, I submit, it was an effort to try to pull down evangelical Christian support for Bush. Both are at least somewhat fair actions in a presidential campaign, especially when you believe, as the Democrats do, that this election must be won or, to quote Michael Moore (which you will never see done again on this site), “the end will come.” But were Kerry’s actions right? And, more importantly, is it appropriate for someone who claimed early on in the election to be a Christian?
Homosexuality has strangely risen to a hot button issue in America, especially among churches.
The most reliable statistics tell us that 2-3% of the population is gay (sorry folks, it is not nor has it ever been 10%). That means that this is an issue that impacts millions of Americans. How do we love people in a way that both affirms who they are, as Kerry put it, “Children of God,” while still affirming that God might have something bigger and better in mind for them?
Friends (including gay friends) often ask me if they can be Christians if they are gay. The answer is yes! But what about their sexual orientation? Do they have to become celibate in order to enter into relationship with the Triune God? The answer from far too many evangelical Christians is yes, not realizing that they are falling into the subtle trap of salvation by works. None of us ever is engaged by the God revealed in Jesus Christ with a clean slate. None of us is instantly perfected in that first meeting. But the Spirit of God comes and dwells in us, not only creating a whole new person, but tossing out all of the furniture that is there to create a whole new world.
That means that anyone who is being invited into the presence of the Triune God must be willing to everything in their lives rearranged. Everything. From injustice, to greed, to gossip, to sexual activity (my heterosexual lifestyle took quite a bit of reformation when I answered the call). So, to the gay person or to the sexually active heterosexual, we must say, “Are there any things that you would never be willing to give up?”
Now, few of us are really willing to say yes to this… we must taste and see. But I think it is important to be honest with ourselves. Now, for the gay person who enters into relationship through Jesus Christ with the Triune God, that may happen at some point in the future. It may be years from now. God, in light of God’s wisdom, may have other things that need to be “tossed” first - who are we to say. But, we must hold out hope and the reality that God will want to transform their (and mine) sexuality at some point. Until then, come and walk with us as a community who is all undergoing the transforming work of the Spirit.
We do not negate or lie about God’s desire to transform any and all parts of our lives. As a community of faith, we are moving towards the likeness of Christ. Come along with us.
So, back to the main issue, is the raising of Mary Cheney being a lesbian appropriate? No, because she is not the issue. Dick Cheney already stated he personally is against the Marriage Amendment, but that he supports the President because that is his job. President Bush knows and has interacted with Barney Frank - why didn’t Kerry use him instead? If Kerry asked Mary’s approval beforehand, great! But he didn’t. And as someone who talks about privacy a lot, it is not appropriate to bring her into it without her approval.
As for the effect on Christians of this move, I doubt it will have the effect of the publication of his DUI in 2000. That act showed that Bush lacked integrity, on which he ran in 2000 (in the same way that Kerry ran on Vietnam for the month of August). The DUI was about Bush, and was an appropriate fact to be brought up. Cheney having a lesbian daughter is not about Cheney. So, no issue.
There are some things that Bush can or might have done that will impact Christians in the last days of the election.
