At university, I worshipped at a large charismatic evangelical Anglican church where at least one of the clergy knew that I identified myself as gay. ...the minister who knew about my sexuality was totally supportive of me being involved in the worship (music) team and prayer ministry team, and I was invited to preach a couple of times at student events. I was involved in the Christian Union in my university and I served on its ‘exec’ for a year, working alongside other young evangelicals who all knew I was gay and who only ever treated me with great respect and affection...
So in my experience, at least, the issue for evangelicals was clearly one of behaviour and not of orientation... It is undeniable and indefensible that in the church there has been prejudice and even mistreatment of people because of their sexuality. - Sean Doherty, LivingOut.org
The guys at LivingOut.org put the word 'out' in their domain name because they want everyone to know they are unwilling to hide their true identity as a homosexual. They are determined to come "out," as in "out of the closet." They will have none of the shame homosexuals allowed to define their lives in previous generations of Christendom. They're out and they're proud—of LivingOut.
Coming out is foundational to the homosexualist movement of the past fifty years. So what do these "gay" Christians LivingOut say to fellow believers who are LivingIn?
LivingOut gay guy: Join us. Come out with us. Don't stay in the closet any longer—living out is so much better. Stop hiding who you really are. Have faith. Have courage. Unburden yourself and tell everyone who you really are.
LivingIn father and husband: But what benefit do I get by LivingOut? Does it make my wife happier? Does God honor my self-disclosure by giving me greater victory over my homosexual lusts? Would LivingOut help my wife to live with me in a more understanding way? Would it make her more comfortable being married to a man who used to LiveOut his homosexual desires by having sex with other men? Would your LivingOut help me train my children in godliness? Would LivingOut help my son fight his lusts if his Dad were known publicly as a man whose sexual desires include homosexual perversion?
Anyhow, homosexual isn't who I really am. That was before Christ. I'm in Christ now; old things have passed away and all things are new. I have freedom in Christ so I don't give in to my wicked and perverse temptations any longer. Don't you know what the Apostle Paul said to the believers in Corinth who, before Christ, had lived in bondage in the gay world? He said they used to be homosexuals and queers. Used to be before Christ. Are you trying to tell me I should go back and reverse that change? That having repented of my gayness, I should reverse that repentance and tell everyone I'm still gay?
Never! I want to have nothing to do with my former life! Why would this dog return to his vomit, let alone make a principle of it?
LivingOut gay guy: No, no, no! We're not telling you to go back to having sex with other men. We're just asking you to let people know who you really are—that you are a man who wants to make love to other men. Don't you want to stand in solidarity with other men who are gay Christians?
LivingIn father and husband: But I'm not gay and I'm not in any closet. I LiveOut as a Christian father and husband. Why would I LiveOut as a Christian homosexual or effeminate? Are you insane? That's who I used to be. I used to be OutSideChrist. But now I'm InChrist. LivingOutGay is a contradiction of LivingInChrist. Like I was saying, the Apostle Paul said "such were some of you?" Why would you define yourself publicly by what you used to be, especially when it was so very dirty and perverse? Are you thinking of going back into the lifestyle? Is this gay celibate Christian thing a halfway house between Christ and Side A?
LivingOut gay guy: No! What are you talking about? LivingOut guys are Christians!
LivingIn father and husband: You are? I thought you were still gay? How can you be a Christian and still be "gay?"
effeminate ....were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. - 1Corinthians 6:10, 11
Tim serves Clearnote Church, Bloomington, Indiana. He and Mary Lee have five children and big lots of grandchildren.
Want to get in touch? Send Tim an email!
