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About Jesus Steve Sweetman Homophobia There are a few issues
facing Christians these days that will test both our trust in Jesus and
our confidence in the Bible. I
don't particularly like writing about homosexuality, but I'm afraid it's
an issue we cannot avoid. It's
coming at us from all directions. It's
changing long-standing values in government, law, education, and even in
that which is called church. We
have no choice but to address this issue in a spirit of love,
understanding that Biblical love is filtered through the lens of Biblical
truth. Love has boundaries,
and these boundaries are the source of the present conflict that results
in Christians being labeled "homophobic".
The
word "homophobia" is derived from the words
"homosexual" and "phobia".
We know what "homosexual" means.
The word "phobia" is a transliteration of the Greek noun
"phobos" and the Greek verb "phobio", which as
Wikipedia rightly states, is translated into English as "fear".
"Homophobia" in the strictest sense of the word is the
"fear of homosexuality". Wikipedia broadens the
above definition of "homophobia" that fits the general consensus
today. It defines
"homophobia" as "a range of negative attitudes and feelings
toward homosexuality or
people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
transgender". Wikipedia
also says that the late Martin Luther King's late wife, Coretta Scott
King, a civil rights leader in
her own right, says the following.
"Homophobia is like
racism and anti-Semitism and
other forms of bigotry
in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny
their humanity, their dignity and personhood".
I wonder what Martin Luther King would think about this if he was
alive. Wikipedia continues by
saying that "homophobia is observable in
critical and hostile behavior such as discrimination and violence on
the basis of sexual orientation that
are non-heterosexual".
The clincher to what Wikipedia says is that "in clinical
psychology homophobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a
persistent fear". According
to Wikipedia, which I believe states the general social consensus, I have
a "clinical anxiety disorder" that causes me to have "a
range of negative attitudes and feelings" towards those who consider
themselves to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender".
Along with this, I'm a "racist", a "bigot", a
"dehumanizer", and because of my "hostile behaviour" I
destroy the "dignity and personhood" of a large segment of our
population. Wow! If true, that
would make me a prime candidate for anti-anxiety medication and a trip to
the psychiatric hospital. Clinical
anxiety disorders are normally treated with medication and in the worst
case scenario with electric shock treatments.
Could that be my fate, or your fate, in our
"Christophobic" world? The
problem with Wikipedia's assessment of me is that for those who know me,
I'm not what Wikipedia suggests I am. In
all my conversations with those who call themselves gay, I've been very
kind. I harbor no hatred or
hostility towards anyone, and I don't believe I have a "persistent
fear" of homosexuality that needs to be medicated or shocked out of
my system. I simply state the
Biblical facts, and for that I'm perceived to be something I'm not.
As a matter of fact, 99 % of those who call themselves gay who I've
interacted with have demonstrated the above negative traits to me.
Could their treatment of me be considered
"Christophobic"?
The
real reason why I'm labeled as "homophobic" is not because of
any lack of good will on my part towards those who call themselves
"homosexual". I’m
considered "homophobic" because I simply repeat what the Bible
states concerning this issue, which used to be the social norm in the
western world. The
Greek words "phobio" and "phobos" appear throughout
the Greek New Testament and the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament. These
words are translated into English as "fear", "terror",
and other related words. As
Christians, there is a "phobia", a fear, that should be evident
in our lives. Hebrews 12:29
states that "our God is a consuming fire". He's
someone to reverently fear. Proverbs
1:7, 9:10 and Psalms 111:10 state that this reverent fear (phobos)
"is the beginning of wisdom".
Besides this, Jesus tells us not to fear (phobio) those who can
kill our bodies, but rather fear (phobio) God who can destroy both soul
and body. (Matthew 10:28) The
apostle Peter tells us not to "fear" (phobio) the threats of
those who oppose the truth. (1 Peter 3:14)
They do so because they have no fear (phobos) of God. (Romans 3:18)
I
find it interesting that Wikipedia defines "Christophobia"
in much milder terms than it defines "homophobia".
"Christophobia" is not an "anxiety disorder"
with all the negative side effects. It
simply says it's "an anti-Christian
sentiment in
opposition to some or all Christians,
the Christian religion, or
the practice of Christianity.
Christophobia or Christianophobia are also
names for every form of discrimination and intolerance against Christians
according to the Council of
European Episcopal Conferences".
If
there's one issue that is getting Christians in trouble these days, it's
this issue. May we fear no one
but the Lord Jesus Christ as we represent Him in what is fast becoming a
"Christophobic" world.
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