Tolerance vs. Righteousness

There has been a controversy recently at the Christian university at which I teach. One of our coaches was suddenly removed from her position. A rumor got started (I don't know whether it is true or false) that she was removed because she is a homosexual. She and the university have both said that they had reached a mutual agreement for her removal. She has not officially said it had anything to do with her homosexuality, although in my opinion she has implied it. The university president made an official statement that homosexuality is not used in university personnel decisions.

As the rumor circulated on campus and also in the local media (it also got some attention in the national media) that she was removed because of her homosexuality, there was a great outcry from some of the university financial supporters, a large number of students, and some of the faculty. These people believe that at a Christian university, the ideals of love, forgiveness and tolerance should be applied and therefore we should be accepting and she should not be removed from her position because of her choice of life partner.

This, of course, got me to pondering. What is right? Should a Christian university allow homosexual faculty? (Incidentally, our university has no requirements on our students relating to sexual orientation, gender, race, nationality, or even religion.)

The first thing I always consider: What does the Bible say?

"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done." -Romans 1:24-28

"Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable." -Leviticus 18:22

So, it is pretty clear that the Biblical writers considered homosexuality wrong.

But, are those statements commands from God which he intends for us to follow today? That's not an easy question to answer, and would take a lot longer than a single blog post to address. A quick statement of my own view is that if we only believe part of the Bible and not all of it, then we're really making up our own religion, and there is, of course, no reason to believe that a made-up religion has any truth or validity. The Bible is the only source we have for determining God's will.

So, at least my viewpoint is that since the Bible says homosexuality is wrong, then God does not want us to practice it in the 21st century. I don't mean to speak for God - rather, I'm stating what I believe God wants us to do based on the available evidence. I can't say for certain what God wants - only God can do that.

It then follows that at a Christian university, in which faculty members are to provide Christian examples to the students, the faculty members should not be practicing homosexuals. Note that I said practicing, because I think someone who has homosexual urges and doesn't follow them is not sinning.

But, what about love, forgiveness and tolerance? They are important, VERY important! But, we have to be careful to follow the teachings of God and not the teachings of man. God has warned us of this many times:

"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight." -1 Corinthians 3:19

"If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing." -1 Timothy 6:3

"Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires." - 2 Peter 3:3

"But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, 'In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.' These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit." -Jude 17-19

"For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him." -2 Peter 2:18-19

"The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.' " -Isaiah 29:13-14

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." -Matthew 7:15

Issues relating to homosexuality are coming often to the forefront in our society, and each of us needs to ponder these issues with prayer, humility and study.