Sometimes the examples are so hard to imagine that we want to believe that someone has made them up; protesters holding up signs that say "God hates fags" at the funerals of American soldiers who have died in combat; people who have destroyed materials written by Gay Talese or articles containing the name Enola Gay; attacks on teenagers who appear to be gay; professional athletes who are hide their homosexuality for fear of being dismissed from their teams. All of these examples are snapshots of homophobia at work in this nation. If we so desired we could expand our vision and move abroad where homosexual conduct is punishable by imprisonment or death (homosexual activity is a crime in China and Zimbabwe, and GLBT persons have been flogged and executed in Iran). Needless to say much of the world, and much of our nation, holds a view in which anyone in the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual and Transgendered) community is considered a threat and ought to be dealt with as such.
These attitudes have been so deeply engrained in societies that there has been tremendous resistance to the continuing discoveries in science and psychology which have demonstrated that GLBT orientation is not a choice but is biologically driven. In essence what science has discerned is that sexuality is not either/or (either you are straight or gay) but in fact runs on a continuum. A variety of studies have shown that both men and women can be attracted to members of the same sex in varying degrees. In terms of homosexuality itself the Royal College of Surgeons in Great Britain states that the research and clinical literature demonstrate that same-sex sexual and romantic attractions, feelings, and behaviors are normal and positive variations of human sexuality. The longstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality per se is a normal and positive variation of human sexual orientation (Submission to the Church of England's Listening Exercise on Human Sexuality).
The struggle within Christianity is that any behavior which appeared to be non-heterosexual in nature was traditionally seen as sinful, rather than sin being the fear of or anger expressed toward those who demonstrated such behavior. This view was rooted in the ancient Jewish holiness code which prohibited any non-heterosexual sexual behavior. There has been great speculation as to the basis of these prohibitions. Possible reasons given have ranged from an aversion to the homo/bi-sexual temple practices of competing religions to the desperate need for procreation in order to maintain the community in the face of high infant mortality and short life spans. Regardless of the reasons the early church, led by the Apostle Paul, adopted those same views and argued that any non-heterosexual sexual behavior was abnormal and therefore a product of human sin.
The gift of being Presbyterian however is that we are to be Reformed and always Reforming (meaning we are never to be trapped by past beliefs but are to be continually searching for the truth not only in God's Word but in our world). This search for truth has led us to discard six literal days of creation, an earth centered view of the cosmos, the belief that illness is caused by demons, a subservient role for women and a multitude of other beliefs expressed in scripture but which have been proven to be incorrect. The same is true, at least here at First Presbyterian Church, for sexual orientation. We believe that each person's sexual orientation is a gift of God and that we become our fullest selves when we can live out that orientation in long-term committed relationships. Sin on the other hand is the fear of and anger toward those GLBT persons who choose to do so. It is sin because it tears at the lives and relationships of GLBT persons who have been made as surely in the image of God as any other person. Our task as followers of Jesus Christ then is to work toward a world in which this sin (along with all others) becomes a relic of the past.
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