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“Loving Lauren's LGBT Statement Supports/Supresses Scripture!”

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

"Homosexuality and Christianity, is there a compromise?" This was the name of the debate between two Pitt News columnists at the time. Michael Mazza, who was for homosexuality, debated me as I was against homosexuality. It was moderated by Kent Walley, an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship-PITT (IVCF-PITT) staff worker at the time. The idea for the debate was promoted by Jonathan Morton, Sara Witmer, and Becky McMullen, who were the student executive leadership of IVCF-PITT at the time. The years have gone by since then but the debate regarding 'Homosexuality and Christianity, is there a compromise?' still rages on!

This time the actions and views of Lauren Diagle, a contemporary Christian music artist, have made headlines and created a rift in the sand between conservative Christians and liberal Christians. Daigle's name sounded very familiar to me because I had just heard a beautiful song called Noel by her without knowing she was the one embroiled in controversy.

This controversy came to my attention because of the post on facebook by my good friend Kristen Lippert.

In that post, Lippert wrote, "It's really disturbing to see people criticize Lauren Diagle's faith because of her stance for kindness, humility, and respect. This writer [Jonathan Merritt of the Atlantic: Let Lauren Diagle Be Unsure About LGBT Relationships]  is correct in  condemning our tendency toward dogmatism and to encourage more thoughtful dailogue based on tradition instead of quickly-formed opinions. I share this for Christian friends to consider before passing judgment."

Now Lippert's sharing poses two issues for me to ponder and resolve:

Issue 1: "Whether Diagle was totally wrong for appearing and performing at the Ellen Degeneres show where Degeneres is a practicing homosexual?"

Issue 2: "Whether Daigle was totally wrong for saying, 'I can't honestly answer on that [Believing that homosexuality was sinful]. In a sense, I have too many people that I love that are homosexual. I don't know. I actually had a conversation with someone last night about it. I can't say one way or the other. I'm not God.When people ask questions like that, I just say, ‘Read the Bible and find out for yourself. And when you find out let me know because I’m learning too”"

Looking at issue one, I have to agree with Lippert that there is nothing wrong with showing kindness, humility, and respect to everyone. Everyone should strive to always show kindness, humility, and respect to others because this is the way of Jesus Christ. When we imitate Jesus Christ, we will show kindness, humility,and respect to others regardless of how we personally feel about their actions. Showing kindness, humility, and respect shows that we love God and one another.

 Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39, TLB)

Love was being embodied by Daigle when she appeared on the show regardless of Degeneres being a practicing homosexual.

For conservative Christians, who are upset with Daigle for her actions, they should remember Jesus' interaction with the Jewish religious leaders at the time.

"That night Levi [who became Matthew, the disciple] invited his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners to be his dinner guests so that they could meet Jesus and his disciples. (There were many men of this type among the crowds that followed him.) But when some of the Jewish religious leaders saw him eating with these men of ill repute, they said to his disciples, “How can he stand it, to eat with such scum?” (Mark 2:15-17, TLB)

"When Jesus heard what they were saying, he told them, “Sick people need the doctor, not healthy ones! I haven’t come to tell good people to repent, but the bad ones.” (Mark 2:18, TLB)

Is this not the role of followers of Christ, to imitate Jesus to those around us?

Diagle's actions at the show showed that to us and her thoughtful words are profound when she says, "I think the second we start drawing lines around which people are able to be approached and which aren't, we've already completely missed the heart of God... I don't have all the answers in life, and I'm definitely not gonna act like I do, but the one thing that I know for sure is I can't choose who I'm supposed to be kind to and who I 'm supposed to show love to and who I'm not, because that's the mission right? Be who Christ was to everyone as well."

Bravo to Daigle for taking a loving stand in her approach to criticism for appearing on the show.

So, in conclusion based on biblical evidence, it is found that Diagle was not wrong for appearing at the Ellen Degeneres show.

Finally, we now turn to the second issue at hand, '"Whether Daigle was totally wrong for saying, 'I can't honestly answer on that [Believing that homosexuality was sinful]. In a sense, I have too many people that I love that are homosexual. I don't know. I actually had a conversation with someone last night about it. I can't say one way or the other. I'm not God. When people ask questions like that, I just say, ‘Read the Bible and find out for yourself. And when you find out let me know because I’m learning too,”"

When Daigle was asked whether she believed homosexuality is a sin on "The Domenick Nati Show" on iHeart radio, she had the perfect opportunity to share what the Bible says about homosexuality but instead she focused on having 'too many people that I love that are homosexual'.

Loving people should never negate telling someone whether they are right or wrong based on biblical standards of living. If Diagle had said that she believed that homosexuality is a sin according to the Word of God, she would have set a powerful example for her fans on loving the sinner but hating the sin.

“Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin.(Leviticus 18:22, TLB)

"So that even their women turned against God’s natural plan for them and indulged in sex sin with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sex relationships with women, burned with lust for each other, men doing shameful things with other men and, as a result, getting paid within their own souls with the penalty they so richly deserved." (Romans 1:26-27,TLB)

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, TLB)

Jesus never condoned the sin but always loved the sinner. Jesus continues to love sinners like us even though He will never condone the sin. True love does not condone sin but speaks out against it. This is how Daigle could have shown true love.

When the woman caught in adultery was bought before Jesus in front of a crowd, Jesus did not say, 'I don't know'. On the contrary, in love, he let everybody know that the woman caught in adultery was wrong and then restored her.

 "Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, sir,” she said.  And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” Later, in one of his talks, Jesus said to the people, “I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.” (John 8:8-12, TLB)

To all those listening on radio, she could have said that she believed homosexuality is a sin according to the Bible and she also believed true love for others is shown by hating the sin and loving the sinner. She missed out on that opportunity. My hope is that she would still openly share that homosexuality is a sin but that will never change the way she loves people. People will greatly respect her for that.

"Wounds from a friend are better than kisses from an enemy!" (Prov 27:6, TLB)

This article opened with "Homosexuality and Christianity: Is there a compromise?"

That debate years ago was spawned by a Pitt News column titled, 'With love homosexuality can be cured!"

It was brought to my attention that I broke the record for the number of letters to the editor for that column. Not only did I break the record for the number of letters to the editor but I broke the record for the number of Anti-Ramesh columns that were published. Eventually, the Pitt News put a moratorium on Anti-Ramesh columns. These columns were written because of following biblical standards regarding homosexuality. My student leadership team saw what I was facing as an IVCF-PITT staff volunteer so they decided to take action by asking me to participate in the debate. A stand had to be taken even though it was not popular and easy because at IVCF-PITT, we emphasized the importance of Scripture for our daily lives.

I was reminded of the words of Jesus when He said, “You didn’t choose me! I chose you! I appointed you to go and produce lovely fruit always, so that no matter what you ask for from the Father, using my name, he will give it to you. I demand that you love each other, for you get enough hate from the world! But then, it hated me before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it; but you don’t—for I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you." (John 15:16-19, TLB)

So as long as I was speaking the Truth in love, I could take the hate, for our vision statement for IVCF-PITT was,  "Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times—speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly—and so become more and more in every way like Christ who is the Head of his body, the Church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (Ephesians 4:15-16, TLB)

What was so amazing is that the leaders of Pitt's Rainbow Alliance, the LGBT support organization, who attended the debate too shared that 'Ramesh loves us, he even hugged me'. By making a statement like that, they knew  where I stood on homosexuality but they also knew that I was showing the love of Christ by hating the sin but not the sinner. This is what we are called to do. That was a witnessing moment for all 7 Pitt News columnists that attended that day too! Also, the one who debated me continued to attend our IVCF-PITT meetings even though he was a practicing homosexual.

Daigle missed an opportunity on 'The Ellen Degeneres' show and again on 'The Domenick Nati show' to share that the practice of homosexuality is a sin but loving the sinner is a virtue following in the steps of Jesus.

So, in conclusion, based on biblical evidence, it is found that Daigle seriously erred and was wrong when she did not outright state that homosexuality is a sin on 'The Domenick Nite show'

As a follower of Christ, Daigle has the opportunity to influence so many people regarding biblical standards of living without compromising her love for people or her love for God's Word. She put her love for her homosexual friends above the Word of God. For that, it saddens me that she lost a great witnessing opportunity to not only love the sinner but hate the sin.

Whatever the cultural climate becomes, let us not sway back and forth but hold on to the Word of God in word and deed remembering, "The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, TLB)

Reddy's Right Rhetoric takes you into the world of homosexuality and Christianity, is there a compromise and addresses whether Lauren Daigle was wrong in her words and actions.

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ADVENT DEVOTIONALS:

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