The Bogeyman Myth of the Hateful Bigot

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34

I have been told the church was mostly silent on that day. Evidence of my
ongoing struggle with homosexuality was presented, a vote was taken and I
was declared unfit to be a member and removed for the destruction of my soul.
I was not there that night, but instead was angry and alone in the darkening end
of a long and frightening day, as they proclaimed me unworthy of them. Oh . . .
my soul. And all that is within me.

I have not seen, in the almost two years since the fateful vote, the faces or heard
the voices of those present on that night. No simple note, no gentle whisper of
hope or reminder that a prayer has gone forth on my behalf. No Christmas card.
No condolences on the burning of my home. Nothing. Separated with only a
shred of hope for reconciliation somewhere in eternity.

And yet my soul remains secure. It was not destroyed, but was instead
strengthened by the knowing that there is One, who was there that night, who is
always with me, and who always will be. Who truly knows my soul.

I have re-invented the scene in my mind's eye. Presumed which scriptures were
cited. What examples of my betrayal of all-things-Christian given. I knew that
the pain of my children was displayed to support the need for the harshest
penalty possible for my sexual sin. And, like a late-night bogeyman emerging
from behind a closet door with sword drawn, eyes glaring and lips pursed, they
produced a greater fear than that inside me, a sharper pain than than my own
self-induced: judgment. Shame. Rejection. Aloneness. Unworthiness.

And then, well, life pretty much returned to normal for all of us, each seeking
God and each falling short, sometimes knowing what we were doing, but often
not. And, as God does, He looked beyond their rejection and my self-revulsion
and on to redemption and restoration, accepting my repentance.

I thought of them then as the bullies of the pulpit, bearing down on a witless
victim already buried beneath the debris of his bad decisions. "Here . . . we'll
make this one for you. You're outa' here."

Hateful bigots?

No.

Bewildered believers?

Yes.

I know now that many times we are unable to separate strugglers from
embracers; those who fight and fall under the relentless pull of a never-wanted
homosexual attraction, from those who wrap themselves in it in a shrill
proclamation and flaunt it in the face of believers, bating a response they can
declare as hateful, damaging and destruction babble from an ill-informed
hateful bigot. They build a bogeyman and feign fear so the cries can drown out
the truth and stifle the motivation of compassion.

It is a useful myth and, in its relentless repetition, it divides us and reduces us to

lessening relevance. And some no longer care. We surrender and adopt a code
of silence.

How dare we?

Have we forgotten that behind the face of the loud and lost lies a heart that God
longs for regardless of whether it longs for Him? Is our only choice to thicken
the walls and batten down the hatches? Can we only put on the full armor of
God to assume the attack mold? Are we to cover out eyes with the hands which
should be reaching?

The pro-gay agenda is making ground with the weapon of two simple words:
hateful bigot.

"You don't want me to be happy? You hateful bigot."

"You don't think I should marry my same-sex partner? You hateful bigot."

"You believe in a God that thinks I sin just by being . . . who He made me to
be? You hateful bigot."

"You say you love me and then quote your scriptures that condemn me? You
hateful bigot."

"You want me to be like you? You hateful bigot."

"You drive me to suicide with your judgment and ignorance and bullying and
your chains and you make me feel so unloved and rejected and put down . . .
and, on top of that, you deny my civil rights and don't want me to be proud of
who I am . . . and you think you't just better than me, that's what. You hateful
bigot.

Repeated over and over and over, the myth becomes, to some, a twisted reality.
And while we will always have hate and we may always have bigots, they are
remarkably few among bewildered believers.

And yet, we know that homosexuality is a sin and is destructive, as all sins are.
Sins are indeed "evil" and can pollute the soul of the man to the point he
becomes inseparable from the sin . . . outside the prying power of love.

“An evil man is rebellious to the core. He does not fear God, for he is too
proud to recognize and give up his sin.The words he speaks are sinful and
deceitful; he does not care about doing what is wise and right. He plans ways
to sin while he lies in bed; he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; he does not
reject what is evil” (Psalm 36:1-4).

Christians who are brave enough to love will find themselves surrounded by
men and women who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction and only
want help in the rescue. Their lives hang in the balance and they are the softer
targets of the hateful-bigot propaganda machine. If pro-gay advocates can
convince the silent struggler that you -- the bewildered believer -- are anxious
to pounce on their revelation with the full wrath of religious fervor, marching to
the beat of the resounding gong and the clanging cymbal, the pro-gay advocates
claim another casualty and you lose another chance to help heal a soul.

We can't afford this. We have no excuses. Even if your upbringing tells you
that somehow the homosexual struggler is a lesser human being, a poster-child
for "the least of these," then you have a greater responsibility than ever,
according to Christ. And, in risking a moment to move into his or her life, you
may discover that that shipwrecked soul is destined by God to sail and do great
things.

We have no excuse for hatefulness. It comes back to haunt us and diminish the
impact we can have in the lives of those for whom hope lies just beneath a
clouded surface. We have the truth and if we wield it skilfully, we can tear
away the lies without destroying the person who has fallen for them.

What is the easiest way to kill a myth? Live the truth.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And
the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments.” -- Matthew 22:36-40

That's the truth. We may not be able to change everyone, but we are not given
the choice on whether we will love them. And if we love them, we may well
change them, or, at the very least, present a better picture of a God who loves
them . . . still.

Don't feed the myth.

God Bless,

Thom