The Gay Strip

Looking out the window of the Halcyon coffee shop on 4th street I can see Austin's growing epicenter of gay nightlife, anchored by Oilcan Harry's and its proudly flying ranbow flags that hang over the sidewalk. Two new bars, "Boyz Cove" and another one have quickly sprung up next door and a number of visably gay dudes can be seen all over the block.

Like many heterosexuals the thought of homosexual relations can be an akward one to me, however I am learning to look at the issue in a different light, from a biblical standpoint. Of course, since I believe in the truth of the Bible I believe that homosexuality is a "sin" as defined by God. What I am miffed at however, is the utter villification of homosexual relations by people who are untimately basically as sinful and sexually immoral themselves, "conservative Christians". Yes it is a sin, but so is adultery or any form of heterosexual immorality...and, this might come as a shock, but sin untimately is the same to God. Just as much grace is needed to cover heterosexual sins as is needed for homosexual sin. Wow, how about that. Jerry "the gays are responsible for 9/11" Falwell is just as ultimately sinful as any of the people across the street...or myself for that matter.

Ultimately the problem with typical Christian (yet un-Christ-like) attitudes towards homosexuals is a common one, people are so determined to hide their own sins and downplay them that they will berate someone else's sin and treat it as if they are worse (making themselves better). Under the guise of "moral values" we are building this self righteous tower of Babel, acting as if by judging a form of sin that we don't commonly practice we become closer to God. We don't, we in fact probably are looked at by Jesus in the same way as the pharisees. The splinter versus plank reference relates to this perfectly.

Of course I agree that we shouldn't, in a rush to be "tolerant", blindly accept the gay lifestyle to be "ok"...however, we (Christians) do this already, we do it with reguard to lust, to materialism, to heterosexual immorality, to idolizing comfort (which I will address in an upcoming entry entitled "1604 Churches"), we treat those as "ok", yet are afraid of accepting other unbiblical lifestyles as "ok". Thus, the stench of hypocracy in the "Christian Right/Moral Values" crowd is nausiating. Many rushed to the polls to vote for anti-gay marrage amendments in 11 states on November 2, and yet commonly vote against such measures in their own lives reguarding their own sins.

So, as I look out the window and across the street I don't see homosexuals, I see people who need God just as much as I do, who are just as human as I am, who struggle with something that I can't fathom dealing with that is probably the result of many causes and decisions (but not genetics, but that's a topic for another entry). Ultimately I see people who wish to be free, not just from their lifestyle, but from death, just as many heterosexuals desire to be spiritually free as well. I see people who are alot like myself, and I'm not afraid to admit that because it's the truth, not just for me, but for anyone, even anyone who named "moral values" as the most importiant issue in the November election.