"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently." (Galatians 6:1)
This is a very divisive topic for me as a person who is gay and also Christian. I have struggled with homosexual desires for many years now and only recently did I confront those by coming out publicly. At that same moment, I made clear my intention not to pursue that lifestyle and instead turn my attention toward God. This is a very difficult struggle because I don't feel like I'm fully a part of either group. When I say I'm a gay Christian, the world only sees Christian; Christians only see gay. I am constantly being pulled both ways and straddling the divide between Christ and the world. I want to be involved with both; I want the acceptance and love of Christians and non-Christians, but neither one seems to accept me for who I am because of what they see in the other. I'm too religious for the world and too liberal for Christians. Where am I supposed to turn?
By no means am I trying to lump every person into these groups; I've had many Christians come forward in support of my decision to turn away from homosexuality, while the world is abrasive of me for turning away. I can't help but wonder though if I would be so loved by my Christian peers had I made the opposite choice and if the world would then love me for it. I can never really know, but this is all just lead up to my main point.
InterVarsity recently made the choice to declare its own, institutional beliefs (something I support). However, it came out firmly against gay marriage, which is not all that surprising. I myself don't agree with gay marriage, but I also don't believe it's my place to judge or inhibit another from doing what they want. What concerns me is the approach InterVarsity has taken in addressing this issue, which is by firing any InterVarsity staff member who publicly disagrees with the organizations statements. For information and the articles I read, find them at the bottom of the page.
I will credit InterVarsity for asking people to come forward themselves rather than performing a witch hunt, but I can't help but feel as though InterVarsity is lighting a fire under people's feet. It's true that people shouldn't be working for a place that they fundamentally disagree with, but by firing people over their positions on gay marriage, InterVarsity is intrinsically saying that this belief is more important than any other. It's saying that all other beliefs and desires to follow Jesus are trumped by this one issue of homosexuality, which is grossly misconstruing all I've learned about Christianity.
My Christianity says that all are welcome in the Kingdom of God and we're called to serve in love. We are to repent of our sins, yes, but never can we fully cast sin off. To me, InterVarsity's move is discriminatory by alienating homosexuals and their allies as somehow worse than any other sin. Newsflash, God weighs all sins equally. If we were truly follow every word of God, then InterVarsity would be firing any staff member who has had a divorce, committed adultery, or told a lie. By highlighting homosexuality specifically as the only fire-able offense, it comes across as hypocritical and hateful, at the very least to outsiders and even to those who support the organization, like myself.
Now, with all people who support gay marriage or who disagree with this move being fired, InterVarsity is taking way bridges to the LGBTQ community and then creating a hostile environment for the community. I understand standing firm in beliefs and refusing to budge doctrinally, but this move is anything but loving. We really should be trying to bridge the divide, not further it.
I learned this past weekend at InterVarsity's Fall Conference a lot about God and a lot about myself. I learned what I'm asked to do and who I'm meant to be. It gave me faith that InterVarsity was doing good work in the world and could actually change the world for the better, but then I see a move like this and I'm shaken again. Jesus called his followers and employed them knowing they would turn on him. Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him three times. He employed them not because they were perfect and agreed with everything he said, but because they were earnestly seeking Jesus. To fire employees who are imperfect and seeking Jesus just because they hold differing views is to abandon them and the people they would serve, which is just sad to me.
If I have any sway in this matter, I want to use it to do two things. One, to the InterVarsity staff of the world, tread carefully. Just because the organization is taking this stance doesn't mean you can't repair the damage it will cause. If anything, it will allow you to show your love even further to that community. It doesn't mean sacrificing your beliefs, it means reaching out to those of different beliefs and loving them. It's not your job to point them to the church or point them to beliefs (that's called politics people), it's to point them to Jesus. People don't change their beliefs and then love Jesus, they love Jesus then change their beliefs.
Second, to the InterVarsity organization, I'd just like to say I'm disappointed. I have been alienated by InterVarsity before precisely because of these issues and this move alienates me further. I get that you don't support same-sex marriage; neither do I. But I don't banish people from my presence because they do. I don't treat them any differently, or at least I strive not to. Many of my closest friends are in support of gay marriage and I couldn't care less because I believe that Jesus can heal anything. Changing your mission statement was needed, but you've just made a big mistake by furthering the Christian bubble of a singular viewpoint that so many of us are trapped in. And lastly, I will still support you because I do believe that you do a lot of good in communities and people's lives. I still believe in you despite my disagreeing with your action. But I guess that's just the difference between you and me: I won't cut people out because of a difference in opinion.
