Don’t Be a Sucker in the LGBT Debate

Condone or condemn. Those seem to be the only two options. Over the past few years the LGBT debate has moved to the frontline of the evangelical world. From Chick-fil-a CEO Dan Cathy’s comments about traditional marriage to the Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing gay marriage to the recent terror attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, LGBT rights and the LGBT lifestyle have become front and center in today’s cultural landscape.

And with that debate, Christians are seemingly given two options to choose from: condemn or condone. Take the recent tragic mass shooting in Orlando. A pastor in Sacramento, CA praised the killings and the killer, stating, “Are you sad that 50 pedophiles were killed today? Um no. I think that’s great. I think that helps society. I think Orlando, Florida, is a little safer tonight. The tragedy is that more of them didn’t die.” That’s the definition of ‘condemn’.

On the other end of the argument you have an open letter to straight people posted on the Huffington Post and shared over 60,000 times. It reads, “If you are a person who believes ‘tolerance’ is enough, you are contributing to the problem. . .’Tolerance’ isn’t a real thing; anything but acceptance is just gross indifference or suppressed hatred. Loving Neil Patrick Harris, but finding gay sex “gross” is not acceptance.” That is the definition of ‘condone’.

Here’s the problem: our society has offered only two ‘legitimate’ options on this debate, complete acceptance or complete condemnation. We’re suckers if we fall for the world’s options. The logical term for that is ‘false dichotomy,’ when only two options are offered but in reality there are many more. When the world offers you two options, take option three. Jesus himself said to be as “shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Look at how many times the religious leaders tried to bait Jesus into jumping in on a controversial topic that was lose-lose, and look at how many times he refused to do so. Christians must be vigilant and smart as well as loving and compassionate on this issue.

So don’t be a sucker. Don’t allow the debate about LGBT rights to be lumped into the same conversation as acceptance of the LGBT lifestyle. The rights of LGBT people (including marriage) is the jurisdiction of the government. We do not live in a theocracy. We live in a democracy, governed by elected officials. They make the rules, it’s our duty as citizens to be subject to that authority (Romans 13:1). But just because LGBT rights are the law of the land doesn’t mean Christians have to compromise our biblical convictions and completely embrace the gay lifestyle. It’s not an either/or option. When the world offers you two options, take option three.

And that in no way means that because I don’t approve of the gay lifestyle that somehow I’m an intolerant bigot incapable of love and compassion. How can I know that? Because I walk the line between condemning and condoning every week. I preach at a church filled with people engaged in sinful lifestyles: some have broken God’s covenant of heterosexual marriage, some are still married but having affairs, some are engaged in unethical business practices, some are addicted to alcohol or drugs, some are just plain jerks. All of those are lifestyles contrary to what the Bible teaches. And yet I show them love and grace. Why? Because it’s God’s job to judge. It’s my job to love and point people to Jesus.

What I do know is that this debate isn’t going away anytime soon. In fact, my prediction is that the LGBT debate will become the defining issue of my generation of church leaders. So let’s be smart. Let’s get on the right side of this. Let’s not fall for the notion that there are only two options in this debate. Don’t be a sucker.