Isaiah Thomas is an openly gay freshman. At Messiah, he's been brutally harassed, called an "abomination" by a professor, and received a death threat on Facebook.
I graduated from Messiah in 2006. I know several former classmates who've "come out." I think what happened to Isaiah Thomas is inexcusable, sinful and serious. As Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount:
"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, Raca (an Aramamic term for contempt) is answerable to the court. And anyone who says You Fool! will be in danger of the fire of hell."When I think about how cruelly Isaiah Thomas was treated, I am sad and even embarrassed. The few hateful students who abused him have tainted the whole school.
Thousands of already skeptical, Christ-doubting people are reading Isaiah's story and being affirmed in their distrust and dislike of "religion" (as they say). Isaiah's story is fueling rebellion against God and driving readers further and further away from repentance.
This includes Christians.
In recent weeks, I have discussed Isaiah Thomas' story with people (including former Messiah classmates) who identify themselves as Christ-followers, and yet believe the Bible's strong words about homosexuality are outdated, wrong, evil, and even anti-Christian. A common viewpoint is, "Jesus loves us. He loves homosexuals, therefore, homosexuality is acceptable in His eyes."
I could say a good many things about this... a good many. But I want to boil it down to one underlying, root concern... my generation is losing its belief in the Bible as the authoritative Word of God. Romans 1:18-32 talks about homosexuality as "God's Wrath Against Mankind":
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and the wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness...
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened...
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural relations. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another..." (Romans 1:18;21; 26-27)My generation reads this and we deny it. We say, "God wouldn't condemn homosexuals," even though Romans 1 says God is already actively condemning them (and it should break out hearts!).
Or--we say, "Paul's letter to the Romans is prejudiced and old-fashioned," which denies that God's Word stands forever and at the same time, undermines God by saying He wasn't loving, wise or omniscient enough to give us a timeless Bible.
Unfortunately, I see a dismal slippery slope looming ahead. If people of my generation cannot wholeheartedly believe the Bible, can they ultimately believe or trust in salvation?
People do believe, of course, I know. Somehow, they live with contradiction. Somehow, they think God was shortsighted enough to leave behind antiquated books, but longsighted and powerful enough to conquer Death and rule the universe.
Somehow, they believe God didn't mean it when He called homosexuals "offenders" (1 Corinthians 6:9), but they do cherish Him as "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6).
As you can tell, I'm troubled by the contradictions. In conversation with Jeremy, he reminds me that there's sin on both sides of the "gay issue." The actions that took place at Messiah are proof enough. Both sides are guilty of sliding the biblical standards back and forth to justify sinful thoughts and behavior, whether its practicing homosexuality or hating homosexuals.
As true Christ-followers, our heart's desire should be to adhere to the biblical standards and let Christ transform us to them. As Jeremy says, we're called to move, not the standards.
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