What Does The Bible Say About Homosexuality?
So Christian musician Lauren Daigle says she doesn't know either way what the Bible says about homosexuality, whether it's right or wrong. She says that if anyone finds out, let her know.
Okay, so there's several possibilities about what's happening here. Among them are:
1. She has never really read her Bible. (Or she doesn't want to know what it says, so she isn't studying it very closely.)
2. She is afraid to say what she really thinks because she knows it would destroy her career. Maybe it's about her desire to be popular. Maybe it's about money. Maybe it's about fear of losing potential listeners that she wants to reach through her music.
3. She doesn't want to say the truth because she knows it will hurt people (particularly her homosexual friends) and turn people off, and she feels bad about offending anyone. Maybe she is trying to protect people from the sting of Truth, of out genuine (misguided) concern for them. (Be careful! This leads to a very slippery slope.)
4. She knows the game they're playing, and she isn't going to be a pawn in their game by making herself a target for them to attack.
I can't say for sure why she answered the way she did. And to be fair, I have never been asked these kinds of questions in the public spotlight. So I can't say for sure how I'd answer, either. But can I suggest an option, a response that sounds a lot less flimsy than what she said?
My guess is that she knows questions about hot-button topics like homosexuality are meant to trap her, so that the public can rip her up and so that the interviewer and program can get a little time in the spotlight. Our country knows very well what the Bible says about homosexuality. They know how Christians "should" answer this. So when they ask these questions, they don't really want to know what the Bible says about it. They are not seeking God's truth. They just want to see if they can trap Christians into saying it out loud so that they can make a spectacle of them, tear apart their answers, and have an excuse to tear apart Christians and the Bible.
It's the old "pearls before swine" thing.
And my advice is ... Don't play that game!
If someone really does want to know the truth, tell them. Gently, but boldly. But if they are really just looking for fight, eager to tear you apart, don't answer them. We are under no obligation to make ourselves a target in their sick, destructive games. Instead, do exactly what Jesus said to do when someone just wants to attack you:
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6)
"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town." (Matthew 10:14)
We don't have to give sacred messages to people who don't want them (actually, to people who already know them and don't want them), who just want to attack the messages and then attack us. If someone doesn't really want to hear it, "shake the dust from your feet." It's on their heads, not yours.
When it comes to being asked questions like this in public, maybe we should answer like this:
"You know what? I know what the Bible says. But I'm not going to tell you because you don't really want to know what the Bible says. You just want to make a target out of what I say and out of me and out of Christians in general. And if you do really want to know what God says about this, then read the Bible for yourself. It's all in there clearly. You don't need me to tell you what God says when you can find out from God Himself."
(I have a hunch that this is the kind of thing Lauren was trying to say, trying to direct people to the Bible itself.)
Be bold about the fact that the Bible is clear about this topic, and that you know what it says, and that you're not going to make yourself a target for their sick agendas, for people who don't really want to hear God's Truth anyway, and that they already know where to look if they really want to know what God says.
I think this would be a lot better than the flimsy, wishy-washy response Lauren gave, which made it sound like the Bible doesn't really and clearly address this topic.
I think, in the end, this whole episode has been a good lesson for all of us. And let's be compassionate and forgiving toward Lauren. It's her life, her career, on the line, not ours. In fact, when's the last time our lives and careers hung on one answer we gave in public to one loaded question?
I think we are all learning how to navigate this "being a Christian in the hostile public eye" road. And it's a bumpy one. Let's help each other along, help strengthen each other on the journey, instead of tearing each other down for our mistakes.
A couple of good responses to this "I can't say one way or the other" debacle:
https://www.christianpost.com/voice/dear-lauren-daigle-shine-for-jesus-not-culture-even-if-it-means-calling-homosexuality-sin.html
https://www.christianpost.com/voice/lets-help-lauren-daigle-rather-than-condemn-her.html
(Update: Oh funny! I just found this one, and it's basically the exact same thing I'm saying:
https://www.dailywire.com/news/39063/walsh-christian-pop-star-gave-bad-answer-when-matt-walsh
And I couldn't agree more with this one: Kevin Hart Didn't Owe Anyone An Apology. People need to stop apologizing for "offending" the LGBTQ-community when they are using "being offended" to control everyone, to push their agendas on society, and to destroy everyone else's right to have differing opinions. Stop catering to them! It just gives them more power!)
Okay, so there's several possibilities about what's happening here. Among them are:
1. She has never really read her Bible. (Or she doesn't want to know what it says, so she isn't studying it very closely.)
2. She is afraid to say what she really thinks because she knows it would destroy her career. Maybe it's about her desire to be popular. Maybe it's about money. Maybe it's about fear of losing potential listeners that she wants to reach through her music.
3. She doesn't want to say the truth because she knows it will hurt people (particularly her homosexual friends) and turn people off, and she feels bad about offending anyone. Maybe she is trying to protect people from the sting of Truth, of out genuine (misguided) concern for them. (Be careful! This leads to a very slippery slope.)
4. She knows the game they're playing, and she isn't going to be a pawn in their game by making herself a target for them to attack.
I can't say for sure why she answered the way she did. And to be fair, I have never been asked these kinds of questions in the public spotlight. So I can't say for sure how I'd answer, either. But can I suggest an option, a response that sounds a lot less flimsy than what she said?
My guess is that she knows questions about hot-button topics like homosexuality are meant to trap her, so that the public can rip her up and so that the interviewer and program can get a little time in the spotlight. Our country knows very well what the Bible says about homosexuality. They know how Christians "should" answer this. So when they ask these questions, they don't really want to know what the Bible says about it. They are not seeking God's truth. They just want to see if they can trap Christians into saying it out loud so that they can make a spectacle of them, tear apart their answers, and have an excuse to tear apart Christians and the Bible.
It's the old "pearls before swine" thing.
And my advice is ... Don't play that game!
If someone really does want to know the truth, tell them. Gently, but boldly. But if they are really just looking for fight, eager to tear you apart, don't answer them. We are under no obligation to make ourselves a target in their sick, destructive games. Instead, do exactly what Jesus said to do when someone just wants to attack you:
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6)
"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town." (Matthew 10:14)
We don't have to give sacred messages to people who don't want them (actually, to people who already know them and don't want them), who just want to attack the messages and then attack us. If someone doesn't really want to hear it, "shake the dust from your feet." It's on their heads, not yours.
When it comes to being asked questions like this in public, maybe we should answer like this:
"You know what? I know what the Bible says. But I'm not going to tell you because you don't really want to know what the Bible says. You just want to make a target out of what I say and out of me and out of Christians in general. And if you do really want to know what God says about this, then read the Bible for yourself. It's all in there clearly. You don't need me to tell you what God says when you can find out from God Himself."
(I have a hunch that this is the kind of thing Lauren was trying to say, trying to direct people to the Bible itself.)
Be bold about the fact that the Bible is clear about this topic, and that you know what it says, and that you're not going to make yourself a target for their sick agendas, for people who don't really want to hear God's Truth anyway, and that they already know where to look if they really want to know what God says.
I think this would be a lot better than the flimsy, wishy-washy response Lauren gave, which made it sound like the Bible doesn't really and clearly address this topic.
I think, in the end, this whole episode has been a good lesson for all of us. And let's be compassionate and forgiving toward Lauren. It's her life, her career, on the line, not ours. In fact, when's the last time our lives and careers hung on one answer we gave in public to one loaded question?
I think we are all learning how to navigate this "being a Christian in the hostile public eye" road. And it's a bumpy one. Let's help each other along, help strengthen each other on the journey, instead of tearing each other down for our mistakes.
A couple of good responses to this "I can't say one way or the other" debacle:
https://www.christianpost.com/voice/dear-lauren-daigle-shine-for-jesus-not-culture-even-if-it-means-calling-homosexuality-sin.html
https://www.christianpost.com/voice/lets-help-lauren-daigle-rather-than-condemn-her.html
(Update: Oh funny! I just found this one, and it's basically the exact same thing I'm saying:
https://www.dailywire.com/news/39063/walsh-christian-pop-star-gave-bad-answer-when-matt-walsh
And I couldn't agree more with this one: Kevin Hart Didn't Owe Anyone An Apology. People need to stop apologizing for "offending" the LGBTQ-community when they are using "being offended" to control everyone, to push their agendas on society, and to destroy everyone else's right to have differing opinions. Stop catering to them! It just gives them more power!)
