Speaking of God
Here’s the conversation I have when people tell me that, as a gay man, God doesn’t approve of my “preference” or “lifestyle choice”.
I carefully explain that it’s not a choice but a built-in orientation. Just as I was born with green eyes, auburn hair, white skin, and so on.
I state: I am as God made me.
The Believers shake their head, as I obviously don’t understand anything.
So, I go on:
A lot of people think they know God. But, if you think about it, how can they? I mean, God is so immensely vast, all-knowing, all-seeing, and with an intelligence and understanding incomprehensibly superior to our human brains, right? It’s like an ant trying to know a brilliant mathematician, right?
So, I don’t think anybody can really know God. However, there is one thing we can be kinda certain of. Just one thing. And that’s because God has scattered evidence across the entire planet as to this one thing: God loves diversity.
Think about it. Did you know there are about 400,000 species of beetles? Why would God create so many variants of a beetle? Wouldn’t, say, a few dozen be enough? But around 400,000? Wow! God really loves diversity.
And trees? There’s like a few dozen tree species, right? Wrong! There’s about 73,000! Amazing! Wow! God really loves diversity.
And think how many species of fish there is! There’s also great diversity in the oceans, too, from tiny, tiny fish to whales! And have you ever wondered about how many kinds of sea urchins there are? 950! Incredible! Wow! God really loves diversity.
And look at humans. We come in all shapes and sizes and colors. Why didn’t God just create a default model and leave it at that? I don’t know! And you don’t know! And nor does anybody else know! All we can kinda sorta know is that God loves diversity!
We could spend hours and hours doing this and always arrive at the same observation: God loves diversity. It abounds all through His creation. It’s the only thing that we have mountains of actual evidence about something that God probably likes.
So, I want to ask you: Can you think of one thing in all of God’s creation that is singular?
(The Believer ponders this, then shakes their head no.)
Nothing, I ask? Just one example of anything singular?
(More podering. More head shaking.)
So, if we agree that God appears to love love love diversity, why would God create…one sexual orientation?
(The Believer looks shocked. Stunned. The Believer starts to respond, then sputters, and falls silent.)
Or, did God create…as Masters and Johnson asserted in the 1960s…a very wide range of sexuality? You know, diversity.
Diversity.
Think about this.
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great response!
Or…maybe it’s all just programing from the time we are young…hard to know, and isn’t that the point?
I prefer to believe we have to answer to ourselves when we die. We either chose the lead a life as good and decent as we can, or we chose not to….
Just be kind, and try to fill the world with joy…go out with grace and dignity. We come into this world alone, and leave it alone.
Hi, Jean!
Oh, it’s definitely programing.
The conversation I posted is an attempt to get past the programing. I know it has worked on occasion.
It would be so boring if we were all alike. I always think, who am I to judge? I love you just the way you are. 🫂
“who am I to judge?”
Exactly as Christ would have said.
BIG hug, Laurie!
I am agnostic and I would like to believe that there is a god, but I don’t know for sure and no one does so hence my beliefs. I do feel like if there is a God they would’ve made everything diverse like you said. If I was God I wouldn’t want a cookie cutter world either. Diversity makes everything more interesting. Sometimes my belief gets thrown the other way when for example a family member is taken away prematurely, but then at the same time maybe God doesn’t control our actions and our fate is up to us. This post just got me pondering so I felt like I should Express it here.
I believe this to be one of the coolest things you’ve ever written. And you my friend are a great writer.
Oh! Harlan! You are sweet!
Yes!
Where in Jesus’ teachings did he denounce or approve of any sexuality?
I do do remember from the “New Testament”
John 8:7-
“They said this to test him, so that they might have some good grounds for an accusation. But Jesus stooped down and began to write with his finger in the dust on the ground. But as they persisted in their questioning, he straightened himself up and said to them, “Let the one among you who has never sinned throw the first stone at her.” Then he stooped down again and continued writing with his finger on the ground. And when they heard what he said, they were convicted by their own consciences and went out, one by one, beginning with the eldest until they had all gone. Jesus was left alone, with the woman still standing where they had put her. So he stood up and said to her, “Where are they all—did no one condemn you?”
Just saying.
Hi, Blair!
Agreed. Christ has No Comment about sexuality.
But an awful lot of Bible readers think he did.
Sigh.
Bruce Bawer’s wonderful “Stealing Jesus-How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity” amplifies how “the supposedly “traditional” beliefs of American fundamentalism–about which most mainstream Christians, clergy included, know shockingly little–are in fact of relatively recent origin, are distinctively American in many ways, and are dramatically at odds with the values that Jesus actually spread, Bawer fascinatingly demonstrates the way in which these beliefs have increasingly come to supplant genuinely fundamental Christian tenets in the American church and to become synonymous with Christianity in the minds of many people.”
From a review–Bawer also wrote “A Place at the Table” 20 years ago, advocating that gay rights are just common civil rights. Sometimes I fear that much of the progress –the arc of the moral universe–is flattening out in our culture wars.
What a lovely response! I love how you have tied science & diversity into God’s vision of the heavens and the earth; well at least the earth part! I have always believed that God is love, and anything that we as his children do that is based in love is an expression of that. Of course, that never works very well on Christians that believe that God isn’t love, but punitive.
Thank you, Paul.
To me, the only God that would make sense would be based on two things:
1) Love.
2) Truth.
What else matters?
BIG hug!
This is wonderful and an approach or view that I don’t think I have ever seen before. Conversations or “arguments” are usually from a hermeneutic or Apologetic stance, interpreting and defending ones interpretation but this is a very interesting thought. I am part of a Support group page on FB that leans heavily on people working thru their religious issues. It is a private group and posts are not seen outside of the group, would you mind if I posted this over there?
Post away, Gary!
Thanks Ross!
Brilliant! Love this! Actually it was Kinsey who came up with the sexual diversity scale.
We have a prophet today, a man to whom the Creator spoke directly in 1974 and 1977. He says on this subject that the most important thing is love, that two people live in love and harmony.
https://michelpotayblog.net/index.html#foreword
https://michelpotay.info/
Dear Ross,
This reminds me of something that happened some years ago.
The 16 year old sister of a work mate commited suicide. What a tragedy, I thought.
Another workmate said that she would not go to heaven because she had taken her own life.
“How do you know?” I asked “Did God speak to you?”
Of course, he had no answer, he was just repeating what he had been taught, without having considered those teachings at all.
I believe and I know that God loves every single one of His creatures.
And I love you for the positive impact that you make in my life, with your wonderful blog.
Hey Ross,
I agree that we can’t fully know God. He is infinite and we are not. But I believe we can know all that He has chosen to reveal about Himself in His Word.
I also agree that nature reveals God. I see in nature not only evidence of a creator but, rightly understood, it teaches us spiritual lessons and principles. Jesus referred to natural things in many of His parables.
Both of these have had a profound impact on, and in my life, and changed it’s course of the better.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you, Rose.
You wrote: “But I believe we can know all that He has chosen to reveal about Himself in His Word.”
However, we only have man’s word about His Words.
BIG hug, Ross
Well, I think I have a different view of things. So I want to say that I come in love and encouragement and do not intend any malice or ugliness. Mostly I want to share my thoughts on where we can look for answers.
There are many interesting perspectives on who God is and his view of homosexuality. They all seem to generally be that God loves everyone and if you are nice or kind (which is very subjective) you are good to go.
The first thing we must establish is if the Bible is true and the inspired Word of God. If that is not found true, then we can all think whatever we want because there is no “God” guideline. However, if we want to say God is love, that he likes diversity, and created the earth (plants and people) then the Bible has to have been our resource/truth.
According to the Bible:
1. God is love. He loves everyone, we are created in His image, and we are created to worship him. He sent his son to die a horrible death in order to atone for our sins so that he may have a relationship with us.
2. Sin separates us from God. We are all born with sin. It is our decision whether we will have a relationship with him or not. He gives us free will to make that decision. In order to have a relationship with God, we must admit that we are sinful, and seek to turn/repent from our sins and allow God to be our God. We can only have this relationship because of Christ’s sacrifice for us. His death covers our sins.
3. In order to follow Christ, we must lay down our way and will and seek to grow and become more like him. Seeking God’s wisdom comes through reading His word. His word contains all we need to know about how to live our life. When we have questions, we look to the bible for the answers. We dig into scripture asking God to show us His truth for us and not to find our truth with a scripture passage taken out of context to make our point. Too many people outside and inside the church do this. 🙂
4. If we are truly seeking a relationship with God, and trying to live as he would have us live, then we are continually growing and changing as we strive to be more like Him. It is a lifetime journey.
5. Everyone sins. None of us are perfect. My sin is no different/bigger/smaller than anyone else’s sin. The only difference for me is that I am a follower of Christ (Christian) and by God’s grace for me, my sins are forgiven when I acknowledge my sin, ask for forgiveness, and repent.
If you are going to speak with authority about who you think God is, then you must read the Bible. Repeatedly. Every word. Praying He will show his truth on every page. He will reveal his love for us, and his plans for us, and lay out how to spend eternity with him.
It isn’t for me to tell anyone else how to live or what is right and wrong. I just want to encourage anyone seeking to know who God is or what He thinks to read the Bible. 🙂 Don’t trust what I or someone else tells you it says, read it for yourself. And read it all.. not just a few verses or pages.
Much love,
Kim
Hi, Kim!
Thanks for adding your voice.
One thing you wrote concerns me: “However, if we want to say God is love, that he likes diversity, and created the earth (plants and people) then the Bible has to have been our resource/truth.”
I’ve always believed that God and the Bible are not the same thing.
I’ve always believed that one can accept God into their life while rejecting the Bible.
There are over 4,000 religions in the world. Only a few are Bible-based.
Much love,
Ross
Thanks for responding!
Many of the religions you speak of believe in other things like the sun, many gods, no god, that they are god, etc. The Bible is the teaching of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. That is the God I believe in. I am curious about the God you believe in and how you know him? If the Bible isn’t your source then what do you base your belief on?
At the end of the day, we all choose how we are going to live and who we are going to follow. It is always our choice. I just wanted to encourage people to read the Bible to better understand and know God. Many people believe in the Bible without actually reading it. They just trust what they hear from others. At the same time, many who don’t believe or have no regard for the Bible have never read it and also trust the word of others about what it says. Can you tell I am a bit extra about reading the Bible? ha!
I have been a long-time reader of your blog and I appreciate your dialoguing so kindly with me!