“He/she struggles with same-sex attraction.”
The greatest inner conflict they often face is ultimately over whether to be an authentic orphan or a welcomed liar in the Church. They realize they can get inclusive love—but it will cost them their real voices.
That is to say, they aren’t so much struggling with their truest truth, but with the fear of what others might do to them if they ever dare live that truth fully.
They aren’t as much struggling with themselves or even with God—but with God’s people.
Homophobic Christians desperately need to believe that these people inherently struggle, because without that they may have to claim some culpability for the fact that LGBTQ youth are 4 to 6 times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers.
therapy does, is convert someone to a less authentic, less open, less joyful version of themselves—one who learns to change behavior to avoid being ostracized and to gain acceptance.
I certainly may be wrong in my understanding. But as a fully affirming minister and someone who encourages people be the most authentic version of who they are—I’ve seldom (if ever) met a man or woman, who once freed up from the pressure of a God they’d been told hated them and from Christians who terrorized them—didn’t come to find joy and lightness living their truth.
In that place, many of them finally find Jesus there too.
If so, their platitudes might be far less easy to toss around and their own actions might come with some new scrutiny.
Previously Published on JohnPavlovitz.com
—
Photo: Getty Images
I’m a young Christian man who “struggles with same-sex attraction.” My life is beautiful, joyful and full of love. I face no discrimination, hatred or fear from my Evangelical community. The thought that I might have read something like this article 10 years ago and lost everything I have now makes me tremble. There are many, many people like me.
Why is it always Christians that are mentioned in these articles, when most Muslims and most Jews are also against anyone that’s gay? There are many places, under Muslim control that will kill a man who is gay!
Yes, someone who understands what I have lived and am living through. My internalized homophobia is killing me.