Why so many Christians "Coming out"?
The question was asked: What is happening with all these celebrities ‘coming out’? This trend seems to suggest that “coming out” (which amounts to a validation of homosexuality) is the result of conflicted individuals, (who have legitimate concerns about their feelings, sexuality and faith) who rather than stepping away from the limelight and deal with their personal struggles, opt to remain in the limelight and soak up the last vestiges of glamour while seeking to justify they flaws as part of Gods plan for their lives and all humanity. This action brings to mind the saying: How did a pile of kush become the mountain of truth? How did a bottle of wine become the fountain of youth? (Drake quotes). In essence how does the feelings, experiences, and perceptions of some pleasure loving “celebrity” who is often chosen by dubious if not questionable criteria, suddenly become on par with the truth of scripture? Furthermore how does a person because they are considered a ‘celebrity’ without the benefit of scholarship and verifiable reputation of scriptural interpretation, become an oracle of Biblical truth and exegesis? But this is exactly what happens when you ‘celebratise’ the gospel and make these big names greater drawing cards than Jesus Christ himself. We can thank North America for this new culture. Thanks to the manipulation of Christianity by friends and foes alike, we have successfully merchandised the gospel with such skill and alacrity that its simplicity is being lost and its validity is now being determined by the level of devotion of its half-hearted adherents rather than the Person of the Holy Spirit. Now it is unavoidable that given the frailness and sinfulness of human nature, the corroding influence of our anti-christian culture, and the preponderance of world influences to engage in our fleshly passions, that we human being will oft be overcome with sins and weaknesses and give in to even our most vile passions. But the attempt must never be to legitimize theses failures when they occur.Scripture says: “For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? Whose damnation is just.” (Romans 3:3-6) Also it says in Job 40:8: "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? It seems like rather than conform to: “let God be true and every man a liar “we are trying to make God a liar. Unfortunately the situation is persisting because for many years the church has been professing to the world that Christians are: 100% ‘holy -sinless’ even though it knew full well that unspeakable acts were taking place in both high and low places and sometimes among our foremost leaders. The hard truth is that human beings no matter how celebrated are subject to faults and failures and that no man is without sin. This does not mean that we use this as a cloak for sinful action “shall we continue in sin that grace may abound, God forbid” But it does mean that if we are to overcome our weaknesses we must first admit that we have a part to play in out sin and it’s not always the ‘devil made me do it’. Additionally we should not seek to gloss over our weaknesses by insisting, ‘I was born that way’. And even if we want to argue it was a ‘birth defect’ as a society we have said to the kleptomaniac the manic depressive and others with similar complaints/weaknesses that even if they are born that way, should they fail to right their ways, then we are prepared to institutionalize them, for these ‘birth defects’. In saying this however one must not assume that it is an easy task to overcome any sort or weakness or sin of the flesh. If we are honest we will admit that some need more help than others. Part of the problem is that the church is being seen as a judgemental loveless and often closed group of persons who fail to rescue and assist those who truly need it when they really need it. YET as people who truly love God and in spite of the failings of the church we need to realize that our weaknesses are not surprising to God and that Christ' sacrifice at Calvary covered Present past and future sin. It may therefore be more our refusal to adapt to a scriptural plan of salvation and the simplicity of the Gospel while depending on the man-made feel good kind of religiosity so prevalent today, which has us in such a quandary. The challenge, I have noticed is that the paradoxical nature of Christianity is not well understood by many of its professed followers which have resulted in less than diligent discipleship. This sad reality however, seems to be the result of the failing of Bible teachers to present a well-articulated and intelligent view of the teachings of scripture, as opposed to the one dimensional narcissistic rhetoric often being spewed from the pulpit.