Influential Southern Baptist leader Albert Mohler has defended gay-to-straight conversion therapy by telling readers of his latest column that being gay is in itself “deeply sinful.”
Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, wrote in the context of the controversy over the ex-gay views of therapist Marcus Bachmann, husband of Republican presidential runner Michele Bachmann.
Most conservative Christians are careful to distinguish between orientation and behavior, or at least they keep the language very fuzzy, but Mohler firmly nails his colors to the mast:
Actually, the Bible speaks rather directly to the sinfulness of the homosexual orientation — defined as a pattern of sexual attraction to a person of the same sex. … Paul identifies the sinful sexual passion as a major concern — not just the behavior. … The New Testament reveals that a homosexual sexual orientation, whatever its shape or causation, is essentially wrong, contrary to the Creator’s purpose, and deeply sinful. Everyone, whatever his or her sexual orientation, is a sinner need of redemption. … But those whose sexual orientation is homosexual face the fact that they also need a fundamental reordering of their sexual attractions. About this the Bible is clear. [Emphases mine.]
Mohler’s message to gays is that they are sinning simply by having the desires. They must change.
CNN Religion yesterday suggested Mohler was one of “many Christians cool to conversion therapy for gays.” Well, he is, in a sense, but not in the way CNN portrayed. Mohler admits secular scientists and therapists are almost unanimously against reparative therapy, and he describes in detail just how many scientific and professional organizations have denounced or cautioned against it recently. His hazy response is this:
Christians cannot avoid the debate over reparative therapy, nor can we enter the debate on secular terms.
It is, as my colleague David Roberts just said to me, “the final cop-out.” So what is Mohler’s answer to the sin of same-sex attractions?
We must bring to this conversation everything we know from God’s Word about our sin and God’s provision for sinners in Christ. We will hold no hope for any sinner’s ability to change his or her own heart, and we will hold little hope for any secular therapy to offer more than marginal improvement in a sinner’s life. … We know that something as deeply entrenched as a pattern of sexual attraction is not easily changed, but we know that with Christ all things are possible.
Well, at least Mohler is honest. His answer to the sin of homosexuality is effectively what Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out has said time and again is the essential message of the ex-gay movement: Pray away the gay.
Photo: Timmy Brister
What frustrates me so much about Mohler’s rhetoric here is the implication that because I disagree with him, and because I am a gay Christian, I am not really a Christian and my faith is counterfeit. Even more aggravating is the accusation that anyone who would dare support or agree with me has also abandoned the ‘true faith’ and either is in jeopardy of losing their salvation or, more likely, never had a real relationship with Christ to begin with.
I am all about having dialogue with those on the other side of this issue, even knowing that all the logic in the world probably won’t convince them. But when the other side asserts that to disagree with them is really to disagree with God, and thus tantamount to blasphemy, I fear we have lost any common ground that could lead to a productive conversation.
This is the Albert Mohler who considers a hormone patch in pregnancy to “do the job”, but stops short of abortion.
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… and all this driven by less than a handful of questionably translated iron-age texts.
I lived too long shamed by those who considered my very being “wrong”, when they were the ones who should be ashamed.
It is, kind of, frustrating to hear this type of thing. But at a deeper level, why would this even show up on our radar? There are plenty of people with opinions and ideas and abstractions…..I’m actually wondering whether someone like Mohler has had, or is having, a spiritual experience. Head (and mouth) full of ideas (mostly kooky), yes…but any soul-based experience?
I am frustrated, grieved, and struck dumb by these statements. I am very sorry to see this kind of rhetoric being repeated in our current context and staggered by Mohler’s seeming oblivion to the pastoral implications of such statements. My hope is that through participation of Christians in campaigns like “It Gets Better” we can disseminate a counter message that will enable LGBTQ youth to know in their core that they are loved and of immense value.
People like Mohler, or anyone of faith THIS hypercritical of gay people, behave as if they OWN God and only people of a certain type can join the club.
Mohler and all the bishops and preachers act as if they are NECESSARY for someone to know what God is supposed to be. To me, they are meddlesome and usually hypocritical middle men. Bad used car salesmen. They hyper sell God and Christ as if something universally open, but find ways of shutting the door anyway. Typically on the self awareness and self reliance and independence of women and the gender variant. And inclusion is only granted if the utmost servitude and sacrifice is done by the same.
As long as these bad salesmen continue to embrace Constitutional (man’s law) protections while trying to deny them to those they think unworthy (based on God’s law), they are directly violating the most important directive of Christ.
And they obviously don’t care what pain it causes, how divisive and destructive it is. Indeed, if it is, it gives them something to point to in further judgement.
And when it’s all said and done, these are just the kinds of ministers that use their position for little else than that.
In a recent media interview, Dr. Drescher of APA note, discussed Mohler’s claims that being changed into a straight person is the Holy Grail of LGBT faith life. He used an analogy to winning the lottery: Yes, we have true anecdotes of real people winning big bucks in lotteries. However, counting on winning the lottery may still be an incomplete (and even destructive?) basis upon which to conduct your entire financial life business. Mohler still says he believes all LGBT folks should count on winning his legacy flat earth lottery. Just because God theoretically can do something is hardly a guarantee that it will happen. The rest of us who have not won Mohler’s dubious change lottery still ask for non-violence, human rights, and equal citizen opportunities when it comes to public policy and law.
I grew up SBC. Dr. Mohler is just trying to cover is backside from statements he made a few years back to Jonathan Merritt about the SBC “lying to people that they can change”. It cause quite an uproar. He is trying to throw meat to the wolves to keep them from coming after him. Just google Jonathan Merritt and Advocate and interview and gay. Jonathan is a great guy… he at least brings intelligent dialogue to the table.
Biblically, Mohler is right. Yet, I am surprised the problem with some on this list is the problem with implying that desires are sinful as well. Jesus Christ said just as much in the Sermon on the Mount, where he was concerned with more than outward obedience, but a heart that loved the Lord. For instance, Jesus said that if you look upon a woman with lust, you have committed adultery with her in your heart. Jesus, essentially, said that desires, even if not manifested, were sinful. He said that if you hated a brother, you murdered them in your heart.
Thus, heart desires can be sinful desires. To be a Pharisee is to be one that outwardly is “righteous” but inwardly is sinful. While many people are only concerned with outward obedience, Jesus Christ is concerned with a heart that is in love with God. Thus, our desires alone are enough to be condemned.
The good news, that is why Jesus came to die for our sins. If even our desires are seen as sinful before God, no one can stand to God as being righteous, and we all deserve His wrath. His love can redeem us.
ML commented that Mohler is trying to cover his backside over comments a few years ago. He should restudy those comments. Mohler rightly points out that sins as this one is tremendously captivating that on our own, most people cannot change. Only through the grace of Jesus Christ can we be changed, it must be a work of God not of ourselves.
DD, 96% of those in ex-gay ministries describe themselves as Christians. If the grace of Jesus Christ was powerful enough to change, then the ex-gay ministries should have an astounding record of success in comparison to secular attempts. This is not the case. It’s not that the grace of Jesus is failing, it’s that conservative Christians don’t realize that Jesus doesn’t need to give them the grace to change, but the grace to accept themselves the way He made them. Many gay people I know, including myself, have rich, deep relationships with Christ and are in beautiful, loving relationships with members of the same-sex. If you cannot acknowledge that reality, then you are in religiously-induced denial, a denial that has, at its root, a fear that you might be wrong about this issue. If you acknowledge you’re wrong about this, then the next question in your mind would be, “What else am I wrong about?” Thus, you need to dismiss all evidence in light of your committment to not what the Bible says, but your own interpretation of it in order to maintain the safety of your present worldview. Be committed to truth instead, regardless of its source and don’t be so afraid to have your understanding of an issue change. It shouldn’t be a threat to your faith to change your mind, only a re-evaluation of the way you understand that faith. I understand for many people that is not psychologically possible in their black and white, fear-driven world, but I encourage you to at least try.
@DD
DD, you state the basic fundamentalist, evangelical Christian world view, but concerning homosexuality and sexual orientation in general, that doesn’t track with established data. That’s the entire issue in a nutshell.