Affirming / Non-Affirming Theology Primer
On this page I am going to give you a very quick and general overview of affirming and non-affirming viewpoints also know as Side A and Side B respectively. . The views and theology expressed on these pages are for information only. I am explaining the views here so you better understand the various theological and ideological positions.
Side A and Side B General Overview
Direction #1: (Side A) (Nontraditional Christian View): Research and reconcile your Biblical understanding with your orientation and/or sexual practice. In saying this I am not claiming that one’s mind is already made up before they approach the bible. I am saying that many who found nothing but condemnation from the church for both their identity and their sexual practice re-assessed scripture through intensive research. In this case they concluded that the traditional view was not correct and that God affirmed same-sex relationships.
Direction #2: (Side B) (‘Traditional’ Christian View): Research and reconcile your sexual practice with the traditional (more literal) Biblical view. In saying this I am not claiming that one’s mind is already made up before they approach the bible. I am saying that many who found nothing but condemnation from the church for both their identity and their sexual practice re-assessed scripture through intensive research. In this case these folks concluded that while it was not a sin to be gay it was not biblical to have same sex sexual relationships.
Note: There is also a different view called Side X which seeks to change orientation typically through an exgay ministry. I do not support exgay ministries. Please see my main page and the definition for orientation change ministry.
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Direction #1: (Side A)
What this direction is: The word ‘reconcile’ means to restore to friendship or harmony as in “reconciled the factions” or to settle or resolve something such as ‘to reconcile differences’. The question here is how to reconcile one's orientation and sexual practice with one's faith. Christians who have come to a Side A position have concluded that scripture affirms same sex sexual activity. Some believe that a person should wait until marriage to have sex ... others do not believe you need to wait. Therefore this direction is a choice to act on those attractions based on one's personal religious beliefs. Why you would want to go this direction: People who choose this direction feel that God has made them this way therefore they should celebrate what God has made. Also some people have tried the other direction and have wearied emotionally, financially, and spiritually of continuing in it. They have come to a place where they have decided to ‘accept themselves as being gay or lesbian’. Ultimately this is an issue of conscience in seeking an answer to the questions: ‘What is God telling me to do?’, ‘What does the Bible say about this?’ and ‘What is my identity in Christ?’ How you would go this direction: As a Christian one would study the scriptures and various resources to figure out what the scriptures are saying on this issue. For those who choose this direction some have stayed in their traditional church, others, due to pressures from their church, or their own discomfort in those churches, choose instead to attend gay-affirming churches. Others, sadly, leave church fellowship altogether. It should be noted that churches that affirm this direction typically encourage committed relationships over casual sex. They do not typically have an ‘anything goes mentality’. Other beliefs such as justification by faith in Jesus Christ, the deity of Christ, and belief in the trinity often remain intact. What is Side A's theological viewpoint? Space does not permit a full discussion of how one interprets scripture to go this direction. I will give a detailed analysis in future pages on this web site. However here is a brief overview... Sodom and Gomorrah: Generally, for persons on this side of the divide, the Sodom and Gomorrah story is looked on as a story of rape similar to what can be found in Judges 19. Additionally a concordance study of the word ‘Sodom’ throughout scripture reveals that the ‘sin of Sodom’ involved more than sexual practice or rape. One such example is found in Ezekiel 16:46-50. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 (ref) The prohibitions of Leviticus 18 and 20 are looked on as part of an old holiness code that no longer applies today. The prohibitions against male same-sex sex are regarded as actually being against male shrine prostitution. Additionally, it is noted that other prohibitions from these chapters are no longer enforced such as: how one trims their beard, planting two kinds of seed in a field, having sex with a woman during her period, not having tattoos, etc. Romans 1:26-27 passage (in context) The famous Romans 1 passage is looked at in terms of idolatry and with the idea that the condemnation was on heterosexuals acting like homosexuals as part of idol worship which would be unnatural. The cultural context, per this view, is the pagan idolatry of the day which included various sex acts including same-sex sex performed by heterosexuals in a lustful frenzy. Therefore this is not relevant to a homosexual orientation. Additionally, many gay and lesbian people do not match that pattern given here in Romans 1 of refusing to glorify God or be thankful. Nor are they lustful. Many in fact have had long term committed relationships and do glorify God. I Corinthians 6:9-11 and I Timothy 1:10 In passages found in I Corinthians and I Timothy the translation of the original words are questioned. This is based on the fact that the compound word ‘arsenokoites' that Paul uses is not used elsewhere in Greek literature of that time period which makes its meaning unclear. A compound word can mean something different than the individual words (such as the word "butterfly") this word is translated various ways in various bibles... See this site for a further exploration of this word. Malakos is another word from I Corinthians. Its original meaning is "soft" but is later interpreted as homosexual. See this site to see the shift in translation over the years of this word Homosexuality misunderstood in bible times One may also find in this viewpoint that there is a general belief that people in biblical times did not understand homosexuality as we know it today. The acts condemned in scripture were appropriately condemned but are not the same as consensual loving relationships seen in gay and lesbian couples today. Risks of going this direction: Whenever we modify our bible view to match our personal view we need to be careful. We usually seek to shape ourselves after scripture rather than the other way around. Those who embrace this view note that there have been times when Christians have changed their view of scripture. They give the examples of slavery issues, segregation issues, divorce and remarriage issues, war issues, interracial marriage issues, woman’s rights issues, etc. The question in all this is: ‘Is this an issue about which someone should change their view of scripture.’ There is always the danger of putting words in God’s mouth which he did not say in which case one would be going against God. The other risks of going this direction are the lack of acceptance of friends and/or family and/or church who disagree with your decision. Along with this is the admittedly prejudiced reaction of society towards openly gay and lesbian individuals. Benefits of going this direction: The benefits of going this direction are that the individual usually feels a freedom in living their life that they feel, in their conscience, God intended them to live. Many do maintain a devout faith in Christ and seek to live a life in service to Him. |
Direction #2: (Side B)
What this direction is: The word ‘reconcile’ means to restore to friendship or harmony as in “reconciled the factions” or to settle or resolve something such as ‘to reconcile differences’. The question here is how to reconcile one's orientation and sexual practice with one's faith. Christians who have come to a Side B position have concluded that the scripture does not condone same sex sex. Therefore this direction is a choice not to act on those attractions, based on one's personal religious beliefs. (Note: This view is not saying that same sex attraction /orientation is a choice. Rather, this is a choice not to act on those same sex attractions). It involves bringing one’s sexual practice (not necessarily one’s attractions) in line with one’s personal understanding of their faith. Why you would want to go this direction: People typically choose to go this direction because of their personal religious beliefs. They feel that their attractions are out of sync with their beliefs. They may also feel unhappy in their orientation. Others feel pressured by their church to go this direction. Others are threatened with disownment by their families if they don’t choose this direction. Others wish to avoid societal rejection. Ultimately this is an issue of conscience in seeking an answer to the questions: ‘What is God telling me to do?’ ‘What does the Bible say about this?’ and ‘What is my identity in Christ?’ How you would go this direction: There are several ways that people pursue this direction. Some have chosen to be celibate. This is comparable to the position of those Christians who do not feel they should remarry. It is also similar to the position of the heterosexual who decides to be chaste (no sex before marriage). While a person may have strong feelings for another they choose not to act on those feelings. It should be noted here that feelings and emotions by themselves are not sin. Emotions are a barometer of the soul. Our emotions tell us what is going on inside of us. Disciplining how one responds to one’s emotions is different than suppression of emotion. As for celibacy, scripture tells us that there are some who are called to a life of singleness. Others choose to attempt to live an appearance of a heterosexual life style by marrying and having a family. This is called a mixed orientation marriage. This can result in much heartache for the spouse and family especially if in later years the person gives up on this approach. What is Side B's theological viewpoint? Space does not permit a full discussion of how one interprets scripture to go this direction. I will give a detailed analysis in future pages on this web site. However here is a brief overview... Sodom and Gomorrah: Generally, for Christian lgbt individuals this is actually an area where I find more agreement in lgbt Side A / Side B Christian circles with many on Side B typically regarding the Sodom and Gomorrah account as not relevant to today's discussion of homosexuality. They, like their Side a brothers and sisters, regard it as a story of rape that is not relevant to today's discussion of homosexuality. See the references on the Side A side for examples. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 (ref) These passages are typically interpreted as written though the penalty of Leviticus 20:13 is no longer enforced (just as the death penalty for adultery is no longer enforced). While it is true that there are some prohibitions in these chapters that are no longer enforced today, the sexual ones typically are enforced such as prohibitions against incest, bestiality, and adultery. There is no reason seen for interpreting the prohibitions as part of a ceremonial holiness code or as referring to male shrine prostitution. Romans 1:26-27 passage (in context) The Romans chapter 1 passage is interpreted as written. No cause is seen to assume that Paul is talking about Roman idolatry exclusively. Paul makes no distinction between this kind of behavior and idolatrous behavior. Additionally, the laundry list of sins in Romans 1 that Paul gives is no less sinful outside of an idolatrous context. While it is true that many Side A gay and lesbian people do glorify God, lgbt individuals who are Side B believe that being celibate (not having same-sex sex) honors the instructions of this passage. It should also be noted that the intent of this passage, as seen in Romans 2 and 3 is to show that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As such, a warning against judging others is found in Romans 2. Therefore, the use of this passage to judge and condemn others is biblically inappropriate I Corinthians 6:9-11 and I Timothy 1:10 They believe the original words in I Corinthians 6 and in I Timothy refer to same gender sexual activity. This is based on the fact that the compound word ‘arsenokoites' that Paul created here comes from two words in Leviticus 20:13 in the Greek Old Testament. These words are: arseno, which means male; and koites, which means bed or perhaps marriage bed. Malakos is another word from I Corinthians. It means soft. The use of this word to describe homosexual is questionable. Homosexuality misunderstood in bible times?? Every sexual activity is explored in the bible. It is hard to justify that same-sex activity is not understood by the bible times and culture. Risks of going this direction: Some would say that by doing this you are unnecessarily denying yourself what God has for you. For those that choose the path of faking a heterosexual lifestyle and having a family, the risk is the potential falling apart of the relationship and/or the disillusionment of the spouse in all of this, in other words - a lot of heartache for both people. Other risks are when individuals attempt to suppress their emotions rather than control how to act on those emotions. Christians down through the ages have mistakenly tried to suppress their desires on a variety of issues. This can lead to significant problems. Benefits of going this direction: The benefits of this are a clear personal conscience before God (for what this person believes is right), continuance of relationship with their family of origin (if that was at risk), and continuance of acceptance in the faith community you are in (if that is what they require). |
To view a well done video discussion/debate at Malone University see this page.
