“The Challenge…”  I like that subtitle.  Dr. Preston Sprinkle has written one hundred and seventy-five pages on homosexuality and the Christian Church, trying to find “middle ground” between Christians who affirm homosexuals and Christians who do not affirm homosexuals. I have discussed his book as well as books by Peter Gomes and Kevin DeYoung.*  I have tried to learn from these authors and in the process, I have tried to determine how I feel about this topic.  As some know, the United Methodist Church is not “united” anymore, having gone through a schism over this very issue.  My United Methodist congregation has discussed what to do about this issue and the majority of my church has decided to disaffiliate and become “Global Methodist.”**

I have felt a challenge to be a Christian, obey God’s Word and navigate within a culture that is more and more accepting of same-sex relationships.  Preston Sprinkle has struggled also.  He is not willing to say that the active pursuit of same-sex partners is acceptable but he is also not willing to close the doors of the church to people who identify as homosexual.  “As I reflect on my interaction with the Bible and homosexuality, I see several challenges for nonaffirming Christians as we seek to be truthfully loving, and lovingly truthful, toward gay people inside and outside our church communities” [177].

What are those challenges?  How can we meet them?  Here is what he says.

“First of all, cultivate an environment where people who experience same-sex attraction can talk about it.”  This is basic.  How will we ever understand what it is like to be homosexual if we don’t encourage open discussion?  Many Christians may reply to this idea with “I don’t want to hear what those ‘pervs’ have to say.”  There you have it, a closed minded person who will probably never learn anything new on this topic.  Too many churches have what Sprinkle calls a “us” [straight people] versus “them”[gay people] mentality.  People who experience same sex attraction are made to feel gross or ashamed.  There is nowhere in the church for them to talk openly about their struggles.  If that kind of talk was allowed to happen, they would find themselves in a church filled with “cold silence and terrified stares.”  Sprinkle is honest enough as a pastor to admit that churches already have homosexuals within the congregation; they just work hard to stay in the closet so the rest of the “straight” Christians do not know their sexual interests.

“I long for the day when preachers and teachers, deacons and elders, single college students and stay-at-home moms can all talk about their same sex attraction and not be viewed as animals” [178].

Secondly, “listen to the stories of LGBT people.”  As a communications professor I know that one of the most significant things one can do to show love and respect for another is to listen to what they are saying.  Here is what I don’t understand: “I think the fear is that if you listen to someone’s story, it means you agree with all of their decisions and actions in that story” [180].  In other words, if you listen to a homosexual you are affirming their life choices.  We don’t treat other people like that.  Counselors listen to people who need help.  Doctors listen to patients.  Lawyers listen to clients. Friends listen to friends.  None of these listeners agree with everything they hear.  Listening just means that they care enough about the person they are listening to that they are trying to, to try to understand their story.  They respect them.  Yes, they feel called to exhibit the love that Christ encourages us to exhibit.  “To listen is to love, and you can’t deeply love until you listen.”

Next, “put homophobia to death.”  Sprinkle has strong feelings about this; he writes “Stab it. Kill it. And Bury it in a grave.  If it tries to resurrect, step on its head” [181].  Why is this so important?  It should be obvious.  This kind of talk is hateful and if someone identifies as Christian, it should not be coming out of their mouth.  Also never forget that hateful speech hurts all Christians as unbelievers see us using words that hurt others.  Jesus surrounded Himself with sinners; even though people saw that we know that Jesus was not a sinner; He just knew that befriending sinners was a way to help them.  It is called unconditional love.  Jesus cared for people; He did not push them away with hateful language. 

Another idea is learn to “educate others about the complexities of homosexuality.”  This challenge builds on challenge number one and challenge number two.  If people cannot feel comfortable enough to express themselves and if people cannot feel enough respect for others that they are willing to listen, we will never learn about the struggles of being a homosexual in today’s world.  If there is anything I have learned since I began blogging on this topic, the life of a same-sex attracted person is not “one size fits all.”  Sprinkle states that whenever he talks to Christians on this topic it is hard.  Christians are uneasy with these ideas, some even angry.  What he tries to do is humanize homosexuality.  If people are uneasy, it is important to understand what is making them that way, to be open and honest about feelings.  If people are full of anger, they need to know that their anger may be based on a very “thin understanding” of the idea of homosexuality.  The title of his book is People To Be Loved and respect and love for others is what Jesus expects of us.  Sprinkle calls educating others about the complexities of homosexuality a “truth posture”.  It is simple: “listen, attempt to understand, learn the other side and to be connected by God’s Word.”  What are nonaffirming Christians feeling about same-sex attraction?   What assumptions are they making?  “We need to come humbly before God’s authoritative Word and invite the Spirit to show us where we need to be more like Jesus—because with homosexuality, we haven’t been” [182].

I will summarize challenge five and six together because they are strongly related to culture:  “Promote biblical (not cultural) masculinity and femininity” and “we are living in Babylon.”  I live in a small town [population 40,000] in western Kentucky where a large chunk of the local economy revolves around agriculture.  I don’t want to stereotype*** but the large muddy 4×4 pickup truck is a common sight.  There is a strong emphasis on common sense, the ability to fix things, hunting, football and what I call conservative values.  I am trying to express the idea that being a man’s man is valued in this environment.  In American culture today and in the American church today, the “standard” masculine and feminine roles are emphasized so much that any other behavior is ridiculed.  This could lead to a nature versus nurture discussion but let’s not go there [discussed in many other posts].  The main point is that if some artificial standard of gender cannot be met, let’s not chase people away from church because they don’t feel they belong.

Another cultural factor is the current climate of conservatism that views homosexuality through a political lens.  Some only see same-sex attraction as the “gay lobby and legalization of gay marriage.”  What do we need to do to save America?  We need to go back prior to June 2015 and make gay marriage illegal again.  When the Supreme Court decided to legalize gay marriage, that was a “horrible decision”.  Sprinkle has some recommendations for Christians who politicize this issue.  Recognize that Christianity was born in a culture that was much more immoral than America [Roman culture].  Homosexuality is not a sign of the degradation of American society; it is not a threat to American civilization.   Try to overcome this type of thinking.  Stop fighting the culture war.  Gay marriage is legal.  People may be more open and honest about their sexual needs.  “I obviously don’t agree with the morality of their decision [the Court’s].  But I’m sort of thankful that they made it because now the church can stop fighting the culture war and start asking . . .how we can minister to LGBT people?” [185].  Accept the fact that no matter what is going on in American culture, Christians are living in Babylon.  What Sprinkle means is that a secular nation making secular decisions should not be a shock.  We have to live with these decisions but the Supreme Court should not make us hateful.  LGBT people are not an issue to debate or some lobby to vote against.  They are people who need to be treated as people, to borrow Sprinkle’s title “People to be Loved.”

The final challenge for the church is “remember—God is holy.” If there has been anything that Dr. Preston Sprinkle has been consistent with, it has been that homosexuality is not just an issue.  This topic is about people.  He refuses to dehumanize homosexuals.  When he writes on this issue he writes about real people with real stories.  His agony about this issue is my agony.   When a Christian chooses to post something derogatory on Facebook about this issue, I can’t imagine that God is pleased.  When a Christian uses a homophobic slur in discussion with his friends, I can’t imagine that God is pleased.  When a Christian cannot help a homosexual neighbor in a time of need when they are fully capable of help and their excuse is “I don’t help those kinds of people,” I can’t imagine that God is pleased.  I also don’t demonize homosexuals.  I know that God holds me to a higher standard.  Sprinkle seems to agree.  “We serve a Creator who is holy and just, transcendent and near….a God who is sovereign King of the universe, and He creates, cultivates and judges our morality.  And we serve a Savior who suffered—born in a feeding trough and nailed to a tree—and calls us to a life of joy and suffering.”  Does God feel compelled to answer all our questions about the many aspects of life we don’t understand?  I don’t believe He does.  Yet we have so much evidence that God expects us to fulfill His basic expectations.  Do the work He has set before us.  Love [the first fruit] is mandatory.  Love people.  Serve people; that is our purpose.  Have a genuine faith that produces good deeds.  Persevere in life despite the barriers that will come against you and never stop trying to do more and more.  Reach more people as you can.

Will some of those people we reach not be like us?  Sure they won’t be, but they deserve our attention, our attempts at understanding, our respectful listening…they deserve our love.

Like all people, they are People to be Loved.

*Preston Sprinkle, People to be Loved: Why Homosexuality is not Just an Issue; Peter Gomes, The Good Book; and Kevin DeYoung, What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?.

**United Methodists have been more or less civilly disagreeing about gay rights since the 1970s, but the issue came to a head in 2019. At a UMC General Conference that year, the theologically conservative camp, aided by socially conservative United Methodists from Africa, outflanked the moderates and liberals and pushed through a resolution affirming existing UMC bans on same-sex weddings and the ordination of “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” as clergy.

Accessed on 2/20/ 2025 From The Week by Peter Weber, January 5, 2023.

*** I’m stereotyping.