I don't personally know the people who read this column every week. Perhaps some of you are homosexuals. Or maybe you are straight, but you're pro-homosexual. Either way, perhaps you wish your denomination would ordain homosexuals. If so, then this article is for you, because it tells you how to accomplish your goal. Here is how to get your denomination to ordain homosexuals.
1. Make Homosexuality an issue of constant discussion.
At gatherings of ministers, in your publications, at coffee breaks, and on the floor of all legislative sessions keep bringing it up. It doesn't even matter which way the discussion goes. Just bringing it up helps your cause. In any discussion or debate there is always someone who will take the 'other side.' This other side will agree with you, or at least be closer to you. Inflexible positions erode gradually. No position changes without discussion. The more you discuss it, the sooner the change. In fact, even this article may help you.
2. Recruit a prominent ally.
Try to get a prominent evangelical to speak out for your side. Not a homosexual, but someone who will speak up for the homosexuals. This creates two clear positions in the evangelical church, enabling people to move a bit toward your side and look like they are on middle ground. They will say, 'Well, I wouldn't go as far as Tony, but still...'
3. Confuse terms.
Use 'Homosexual' interchangeably to mean both *practicing* homosexual and the homosexual *orientation*. Don't let people know which you mean. With such confusion, church people will eventually accept terms like, 'gay minister' or 'homosexual pastor.' Initially in publishing and speaking this will mean ministers with a homosexual orientation. However, eventually it can come to include also people who practice homosexuality. Even Dobson uses the term 'Homosexual Christian.' It is not that big a leap from there to 'gay minister' or 'homosexual pastor.' This confusion of terms is your doorway to change.
4. Make 'Gay bashing' politically incorrect in the church.
While this term originally meant only physical attacks it can be made to mean much more. All terms are elastic. Stretch it to encompass verbal condemnation of homosexuality. Reject 'gay bashing' in all conversations and publications so much so that people fear being called a gay-basher. You will know you have succeeded when your opponents begin statements on homosexuality with, 'Now I don't want to be guilty of gay-bashing, but...'
5. Equate homosexuality with racism.
This will make people think it is only a matter of time until enlightened society moves forward and accepts homosexuality as normal and rejects our narrow-mindedness. Use the term 'prejudice' often. Tell horror stories of how homosexuals are treated unfairly. If you can make this a civil rights issue you will eventually win. There are plenty of folk in the church who remember how wrong much of the church was on slavery and later on civil rights. By making this a civil rights issue, you will win these people over to your side and soften their resistance.
6. Relate homosexuality to Divorce.
Divorce is condemned in the Bible but the church lets straight people get divorced and much worse. (Sure, we do so with regret, but, is it not true that evangelicals have come to grudgingly accept divorce as a 'fact of life?'). This is a great gap in the evangelical church's defenses. Push through it. Continually argue for equal treatment of both homosexual sins as heterosexual sins. The church has gone too far. They will never turn back to again reject divorce -- there are too many divorced leaders now. Eventually they will have to admit their hypocrisy and treat homosexuals sinners like heterosexual sinners -- accepting them both in the church, even if grudgingly. Make this connection often and loudly. It will embarrass evangelicals and move your cause forward.
7. Steer clear of any 'deliverance theology.'
If the church believes that the inner nature of a person can be changed... so that their drive to commit a certain sin like homosexuality is cleansed or healed, your effort will be dead in the water. So, fight any such doctrinal notion fiercely. Instead, concentrate on a 'struggle theology' with emphasis on trying to 'get victory' or 'receive help' or on being a 'recovering homosexual.' This will not be difficult today. It is in vogue.
8. Blame God.
Try to get a homosexual to give a testimony about how, in great agony they asked God to deliver them, but He didn't. If God doesn't deliver them from their 'bent to sin' in this area how can they be personally responsible? It must be that God 'made them this way.' If God created a homosexual with these desires, or He won't deliver them, how can God keep them from acting on these urges?
9. Get parents of homosexuals as your allies.
Tell their stories. Get your denominational magazine to print their stories. Even the most conservative Christians become amazingly liberal where their own children are involved.
10. Work first for non-ministerial/non-membership gains.
Start first with the myriad of businesses and auxiliary operations the church now has. It will be much easier to get civil rights and legal protection there. Try placing homosexual employees in church-owned nursing homes, educational institutions, and day cares first. Then, even if these employees come out of the closet, there may be some government and legal protection. Then, later you can argue, 'Well, you permit a homosexual to work over there, why not here in the church too?'
11. Advertise the love and devotion of homosexuals.
Remind everyone of what beautiful people homosexuals are. Keep saying, 'They
are created in God's image' which will imply they were created homosexual by
God. Tell how homosexuals show up faithfully for choir practice, volunteer for
extra work, always pay their tithe in full, and are generous givers to
missions. This impresses Christians, and especially pastors trying to grow a
church. Mention that one of the fastest growing denominations in
12. Don't fight the word 'sin.'
Most evangelical churches now say that the Homosexuality orientation is not sin but only the act is sin. That is, their position can be summed up with, 'you might be homosexual, but you don't have to act on this urge, and if you do it is sin.' Don't fight this. Agree (for now) that homosexual practice is sin. Just simply equate 'your' sin with 'other people's sins' -- like strife, greed, malice, bitterness, and gossip. The secret is to not fight for homosexuality's innocence, but merely strive for its acceptance right along with all the other sins now permitted in the church -- i.e. 'Some gossip, I commit homosexual acts' -- one sin is as bad as another.' The evangelical church's present doctrine of victory over sin is so weak, you'll have them in the corner.
13. Tell everyone when the first NON-practicing homosexual is ordained.
Since most evangelicals do not condemn the homosexual orientation, but only the act, sooner or later your denomination will knowingly 'ordain a homosexual' (that is a non-practicing homosexual). Eventually you will have someone pursue ordination who admits to a same-sex orientation, but who is chaste and promises to stay pure. When this happens, spread the story. 'We have ordained a homosexual.' The more you say these words, the sooner the day will come when your denomination will ordain a practicing homosexual.
14. Get one evangelical denomination to break rank from the rest.
Eventually a fully evangelical denomination will ordain a *practicing* homosexual. Or, more likely, someone already ordained will come 'out.' It will probably be a woman (the church has never considered lesbianism as vile as male homosexuality). Perhaps she will have a 'life partner' on a permanent basis, which will be considered, a compromise of sorts. This couple may even practice some sexual restraint or limits in their relationship. But it will happen. Eventually one evangelical denomination will 'break rank' on this issue -- just like they once did with divorce. When this happens spread the story everywhere. It will enable your allies to cite them as a positive example of compassion and understanding.
15. Wear them down.
Today's evangelical church has neither the patience nor the time to hold
firmly to its convictions. If you stick with it, constantly arguing and gently
pushing, they'll cave in. Sooner or later they will make room for homosexuals
-- including practicing homosexuals -- even ordained practicing homosexuals, if
you just keep at it.
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Is there any denying that the above strategy will
work? Indeed it already is working. This article is based on a study of an
actual denomination that gradually moved toward this position. If you follow
this strategy it will probably work.
HOWEVER, KEEP THIS IN MIND... There are many Christians—including me—who will meet you at every point in your unfolding plan and try to head you off from gaining ordination. We will attempt to defeat you. In fact that is the point of this article—to expose your step by step plan…to expose your strategy. This article is based on a study of an actual denomination that gradually moved toward the ordination of practicing homosexuals. And I publish it here for one purpose: to help church folk see the strategy of the pro-homosexual-ordination crowd.
So what do you think?
To contribute to the thinking on this issue
e-mail your response to Keith@drurywriting.com
By Keith Drury, 1995 You
are free to transmit, duplicate or distribute this article for non-profit use
without permission.
____________________________-
Added Note in 2004: Since
publishing this article 10 years ago I have received well over a thousand
emails most of them condemning me and assigning me to hell for being for ordaining
homosexuals. Of course they never got
down this far in the article and after reading a few paragraphs decided to
flame the writer and tell them they’d burn in “a hotter hell than the Devil.” Frankly it has been startling. I am opposed
to ordaining practicing homosexuals or adulterers etc… but the hateful
condemnation I have received makes me wonder of such folk treat actual
non-Christians this way? The mail I’ve
gotten from folk who read half this article would not win any person to Jesus
Christ—but merely make them assume God is a hateful spiteful creature. So, while I originally intended this to be an
anti-homosexual (ordination) article it has taught me how mean and condemning Christians
can be. I’m embarrassed. It is, however, fun when I get such notes… I
usually just say “naughty-naughty…you didn’t read all the way to the bottom did
you?” Their next email is far more
humble—but still I am embarrassed at the hate Christians can apparently muster
on things like this. We have always
said, “Hate the sin but love the sinner.”
95% of the emails I have gotten have no love for me in them—just condemning-to-hellfire
rhetoric. Not for
the sin but for me! Shame
on us Christians. ANYWAY…if you are one of those folk who did not read
to the end before you flamed me thinking I was actually on the other side… now it is your turn
to apologize. (I note than about half do—the rest never are heard from again—interesting
huh?) –KWD April
2004