| |
God's Judgment on Heterosexuality
and the Church's Caring Response
[Caveat lector: The following is intended as a work of irony. The
author is particularly anxious that readers not impute to him any of the
opinions expressed therein. While he agrees with some premises and
conclusions advanced, many, if not most, are far from consistent with his
attitude or opinions. The author does, however, feel that what follows is
no more selective in its use of Scripture, casual in its logic, condescending
in its attitude, erroneous in its conclusions -- nor less guilty of asserting
bare notions as if self-evident truths -- than countless similar essays
prepared by the committees, congregations, curiae, and theologians of
numerous scattered members of Christ's church.]
Introduction
The church is faced today with a pastoral problem of some gravity. It is
becoming more and more apparent that many heterosexuals now consider
themselves faithful members of the church, while committing acts very
much at variance with the church's solemn teaching. The problem is far
from new; the Scriptural witness, and the unbroken tradition of the church
attest to the ongoing nature of this tragic discontinuity. The matter has
only come to the attention of the church in recent years due to the efforts
by some heterosexuals to seek to justify their behavior.
Origins in Creation
The inability of heterosexuals to form lasting, stable relationships has long
been noted. A survey of the biblical material provides a sad witness to this
inability, and one explanation for its source, in the judgment of God upon
Adam and Eve. This judgment provides a climax to the creation account in
Genesis (3.16), and may therefore be taken as substantive testimony to
God's plan for humanity. This passage explains the tragic inability of
heterosexuals to work together as equals: the female is cursed with being
placed under male rule, rather than coexisting as the full and equal partner
that a healthy and life-giving relationship requires. This order or hierarchy
-- a veritable "civil war of the sexes" -- fosters an incapacity for mutuality
that renders stable heterosexual relationships nearly impossible.
The rest of the biblical material portrays the unfortunate consequence of
this constitutional incapacity. Even the patriarch Abraham, who in all
other respects was a model of fidelity, was willing to deny his wife and
turn her over as a potential concubine. (Gen. 12.13) The overwhelming
majority of heterosexual relationships portrayed in Scripture are devoid of
any appearance of human care, affection, mutuality, or concern. Few of the
heterosexual relationships that do evince a degree of personal commitment
(e.g., Elkanah and Hannah) are monogamous. One is hard pressed to find
even a handful of faithful, loving, lifelong, monogamous, heterosexual
relationships in the whole of Scripture.
We must remember, however, that God's power is perfected in weakness.
The people of Israel fell away from the true path time and again, yet were
capable of repentance and redemption. So too, God will be patient with
erring heterosexuals who repent of their sinful behavior and return to
God. This analogy between the corporate behavior of Israel and the
personal behavior of heterosexuals is linked throughout the Scripture:
heterosexual adultery and prostitution are _types_ of idolatry on Israel's
part throughout the prophetic and poetic literature, so much so that at
times it is difficult to determine if the acts under condemnation are cultic
or sexual in nature. Condemnation of heterosexual activity (real or
figurative) is almost always paired with a call to repentance, and an offer
of divine forgiveness. A striking example of this in the New Testament
appears in Jesus' forgiveness of the woman taken in adultery. Christ
forgives her, while making it clear he considers her behavior to be "sin."
(Note too, that this is one of the few times in the Gospel that Jesus
directly and specifically designates any behavior by the title of "sin.")
Disease and the other consequences of heterosexual acts
It is incumbent upon the church to avoid suggesting that the high
frequency of infant mortality, death in childbirth (which until the
introduction of antiseptic procedures was common worldwide), and
sexually transmitted disease represent in some way God's punishment of
heterosexuals for their sinful behavior. All human beings share in common
mortality, fall prey to disease of one kind or another throughout their
lives, and ultimately suffer death. All disease and death may therefore be
seen as a tragic consequence of Original Sin rather than of the particular
sins of any given individual.
However, we would be negligent in our task were we to fail to note the
biblical witness on this matter. Travail in childbirth is singled out by God
as a means to punish womankind for having led mankind astray (Gen.
3.16). This judgment is partially deferred in the Deuteropauline literature,
where it is promised that a woman believer will be "saved through
childbirth." It is important to note that the promise is not that a woman
will be "saved _by means of_ childbirth" (which would be out of keeping
with the Pauline opposition to works righteousness), but "_brought safely
through_ childbirth"; i.e., a woman's faith will preserve her through this
difficult trial, her faith serving as a balance to Eve's primal infidelity. (1
Tim. 2.12-15) It must also be acknowledged that at least one instance of
child mortality is explicitly related to heterosexual sin: the death the child
born out of the relationship between David and Uriah the Hittite's wife.
(2 Sam 12.14)
Moreover, it would be irresponsible of the church not to warn
heterosexuals of the dire medical consequences their behavior might cause.
When medical conditions (childbed fever, sexually transmitted disease,
ectopic pregnancy, etc.) can so clearly and directly be linked with a form
of behavior the church is obliged to provide at least warning and counsel.
Relevance of biblical material
Many today would argue that the injunctions placed upon heterosexual
contact in the Law of Moses are no longer relevant to a discussion of
heterosexuality. We must point out, however, the general ritual
opprobrium attached to heterosexual acts. All heterosexual acts render both
parties unclean at any time, due to emission of semen (Lev 15.18), and
abominable at other times, due to contact with menstrual blood. (Lev
15.24, 20.18) The continued condemnation of the latter in the prophetic
literature (Ezek. 18.5-13; 22.10), and in early church tradition (e.g., the
_Didascalia_, Jerome, Clement of Alexandria, John Chrysostom, and
Thomas Aquinas) warrants our caution in disregarding the Mosaic material
as simply "cultural baggage."
Heterosexual Behavior vs. the Heterosexual Condition
Some argue that while heterosexual behavior is sinful, the heterosexual
condition is not, and that a chaste heterosexual is capable of leading a
normal, full, and happy life within the moral framework determined by
the church.
While this is to a large extent an accurate understanding, the church must
also warn of the dangers of sin "thought but not acted." Both the Old and
New Testaments warn of the insidious and serious nature of such sin. The
Tenth Commandment (Exod 20.17) clearly places the mental act of
coveting one's neighbor's wife in the same moral universe as outright
adultery. Jesus repeats and emphasizes this connection in the Sermon on
the Mount (Matt. 5.28). Given this Scriptural witness it is difficult to see
that heterosexual inclination is in any way less culpable than heterosexual
action, unless involuntary and immediately rejected by an exercise of the
will and moral judgment. Such an understanding must rule as sinful,
therefore, all pornographic or semi-pornographic material so widely
available in our society. (The latter includes much advertising that appears,
at first, to be completely unrelated to heterosexuality, but uses a
heterosexual subtext in order to market a product.)
The church may be informed, if not guided, by the findings of science on
this issue. However, the scientific community is not yet in full agreement
as to the etiology of heterosexuality, or the treatment of its more egregious
manifestations. Despite the intensity of the heterosexual inclination, the
exercise of the will and moral judgment can assist all but the most
clinically unstable heterosexual from committing acts judged to be immoral
by the church. However, there can be no question about the position the
church must take when dealing with unrepentant, avowed heterosexuals
who not only commit such acts, but go so far as to brag about the
number of their sexual liaisons (many of them made through contacts in
such sordid institutions as "singles bars").
The marriage of heterosexuals
Given the statistics on infidelity, divorce, abortion, rape, and the abuse of
spouses and children by heterosexuals, it would appear that few
heterosexual persons are capable of the fundamental, mutual self-giving
required to support a lifelong, committed relationship. The biblical material
on this matter is again unambiguous. When Jesus told the disciples that the
only permissible exercise of heterosexual behavior was within the context
of a lifelong, faithful, monogamous marriage, his disciples exclaimed that it
was impossible. Jesus went on to assert that while not impossible, it is a
supernatural gift only a few could be expected to accept. (Matt. 19.10-11)
The Pauline material does not forbid marriage, but certainly does not
encourage it. Paul's preferential option is for abstinence. Paul spent much
of his ministry dealing with the weaknesses of heterosexuals in the early
church, counseling them, if at all possible, to avoid entering marriages he
knew few of them would be able to sustain, yet allowing it for those
unable to control themselves. (1 Cor 7) At the same time, Paul warns
against any heterosexual activity outside marriage. Clearly this creates a
pastoral dilemma for the church, and an opportunity to exercise forgiveness
for those incapable -- through no fault other than constitutional weakness --
of achieving the highest standards of Christian behavior.
The ordination of heterosexuals
The question of the ordination of active heterosexuals is not a new one.
While it appears that some apostles were married (Mark 1.30), Paul clearly
regards the whole matter with unconcealed condescension. (1 Cor 9.5) The
Deuteropauline material relents slightly, and allows bishops to be married
"only once." (1 Tim. 3.2) The catholic church, however, in its wisdom,
determined within the first few centuries of its institutional life that
bishops (and in the West, all clergy) should permanently abstain from all
heterosexual activity. Since the Reformation, some churches have decided
once again to permit avowed, open and active heterosexuals to serve as
ministers, sometimes with disastrous consequences, as the natural tendency
toward infidelity and instability evinced by so many heterosexuals emerges
in socially and morally inappropriate ways.
The heterosexual agenda
Even considering the church's call to forgiveness and understanding, it
would be inappropriate for it to support the so-called "heterosexual agenda"
in the secular arena. The church was, to a certain extent, taken unawares
when the greatest victory of the heterosexual special interest group was
achieved: the liberalization of divorce laws in most states. Similarly,
heterosexuals will be found at work mounting efforts to decriminalize
those heterosexual acts still forbidden by statute in many states, to lower
the age of consent for sexual activity between persons of the opposite sex,
and to legalize prostitution and the distribution of pornography.
The church is not only competent to forgive the moral error involved in
such acts, it is also able to appeal to the state for mercy and some
consideration of the broken condition of the heterosexual offender. The
church should model its behavior on Christ, who while acknowledging the
sinfulness of the woman taken in adultery, enjoined the crowd to remit
the punishment justly due to her. However, it would be improper for the
church to seek completely to prevent the exercise of secular law, which
may serve -- if not as a corrective -- at least as a warning of the
consequences of immorality.
Conclusion
After all is said and done, we must affirm that heterosexuals, despite the
sinfulness of their behavior, are children of God, and worthy of our care
and pastoral concern. They are more to be pitied than censured. With the
pastoral care and counsel of the church, they may grow to that "full
stature of mature manhood in Christ" promised to all faithful believers.
Promulgated by the Sacred Congregation for the Defense of What I Say is
True Because I Say It
What's your opinion? We want to know!! Send a letter to the editor or fill out our reader survey!!
Home
| Welcome | Our
Mission | What We Believe | FAQ
| Issues | Next
Issue | Devotional Journal | Prayer
Requests | Mail | Verses
of Hope | Action Alert | Editorial
| International News | Bookstore
| Reader Survey |
|
