Reverend Ref +

STRONG MEDICINE

I heard a good sermon the other day. The preacher, an openly gay man, said that he had been sexually abused by both closeted gay and straight priests and that he could no longer remain silent about the hypocrisy within the church. "Why," he said, "do people pursue, harass, and split over one openly gay bishop [Gene Robinson] who, by all accounts, has lived an exemplary life, while at the same time refuse to address the greater moral crises of closeted homosexuals abusing men/boys because of the lie they live, or straight priests who abuse people because they can, or serial adultery by clergy?"

Why indeed. Abuse of men is evil, but does it become acceptable to offer your young daughters or female servant in their place (Gen. 19:1-8, Judges 19:22-26)? Apparently so, if you take the bible literally. The Church (pick your denomination) and society have more to worry about than gays living together in committed, faithful, and honest relationships.

The preacher was right: Until we start living openly, truthfully and faithfully in all areas of our lives, we have no business conducting a witch hunt against those who are different and threaten our carefully constructed facade.

Peace