Homosexuals and Ministry

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Homosexuals and Ministry PHI 103: Informal Logic Jan Edwards

April 4, 2011

1. Homosexuals and

Ministry

The title should not be in bold text. Otherwise, great job on the title page. [Sarah Fudge (TA)]

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Homosexuality & Ministry 2

Part I: Thesis

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Homosexuality & Ministry 3

We live in a time where personal freedoms are often decided based off of religious or

societal norms. This is a dangerous line to walk, especially when topics such as homosexuals as

Christian Ministers comes to the table for debate. Mainstream Christianity is quick to place these

individuals in a category of sinners who cannot experience the Church due to their sexuality. In

fact, Christians are taught in their Scripture that homosexuals are vial and should not be permitted

to be part of the church, and be one of the few groups of people who are to be rejected from the

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faith. This debate becomes more intrinsic as it is examined through the eyes of men or women who are gay and want to be ministers in the Christian faith. There is a huge debate over lifestyle, commitment and overall quality of the homosexual as they pursue the career as well as the question of each church's doctrine as it pertains to the topic of homosexuality. Though Jesus never actually discussed homosexuality (NIV, 2008), Christians are quick to project Old Testament law and New Testament Pauline letters into the personal beliefs of Christ. As a faith that is founded in love, humility and acceptance, the mainstream denominations go out of their way to reject those who do not think or feel the same as they do. Flashing signs of, "Turn or Burn" on street corners, as we see in downtown San Diego, and even putting money specifically into programs to heal those conflicted with homosexuality in order that they may be saved, they have shown that not only is there not love or humility in their religious beliefs; but also that in order to be accepted you have to become just like them. The reality is that a homosexual man or woman can work just as effectively and judiciously in the role of a ministry as their heterosexual counter parts. If any community today understands rejection, compassion, love, acceptance and inclusion it would have to be the homosexual community, though they are not included in the Christian fold unless they abandon their sexual desires and make themselves become straight or vow to never act on their sinful impulses. It is interesting to also note that Jesus himself hung out with and made leaders out

1. be one of the few groups

of people...

Where does it state that they should be rejected? It states that it is a sin, but sinners are not rejected from the church because according the Bible everyone sins. For statements like these provide citations to back your claims up. [Sarah Fudge (TA)]

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of the degenerates of society; prostitutes, adulterers, demon-possessed, criminals, tax collectors and the like; (NIV 2008) however, in Christian circles today homosexuals continue to be ousted

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from the faith and leadership in the mainstream denominations. I maintain that the Christian faith as it pertains to the acceptance of homosexuality is doing

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itself a disservice and teaching its followers to be completely judgmental and un-accepting of those who are not just like them in thought, sexuality, and personal beliefs. They teach their followers that homosexuality is a choice of lifestyle rather than who a person is. Furthermore, by rejecting this specific community, the Christian faith is also turning the focus of their followers to hate an entire community who need to experience the faith for what it is, a community of believers who accept, love and care for those who God created.

Part II: Anti-thesis

Homosexuals as ministers has been a hotly contested topic among the Christian church in the past few decades. To offer the position of Pastor or Minister to a professing and practicing homosexual in the Christian church is completely against the basic values, traditions and narratives within mainstream Christianity. Not only is this lifestyle an affront to the basic beliefs and traditions of the church as a whole, but it goes against many doctrines including procreation, fidelity, the institution of marriage, and the teachings of Holy Scripture.

Theologian and writer Alasdair MacIntyre writes, "to enter into a practice [homosexual lifestyle] is to also accept the standards and ideals that guide or inform that practice." (MacIntyre, 1984) That is to say that if you are going to call yourself homosexual you are going to also have to ascribe yourself to that community and its beliefs. It is a known fact that homosexuals are not only promiscuous, but one of the marks of the community is sexual freedom. In a position as a minister a person must not only adhere to the doctrine of the church but also be willing and able to live a

1. denominations.

You thoughts are clear and your points are well developed. Nice work! [Sarah Fudge (TA)]

2. as it pertains to the

acceptance...

(Use a comma after introductory elements. Example: "If the university offered online classes and provided computers, I would definitely enroll.") [Sarah Fudge (TA)]

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life that represents a sound scriptural understanding of sexuality and how it was ordained by God, as a propionate of procreation between a man and a woman. One could argue that it is possible for a homosexual to be celibate or non-promiscuous; however, it is impossible to suppose that a homosexual could be married as it is not even legal in America, therefore making any sexual relationship impossible and against God. Furthermore, scripture itself cannot be properly taught