A series of articles by Robert Buchanan, D.Min., on gay prejudice and
Christianity in order to challenge the church and help provide for the
spiritual needs of sexual minorities
Please bookmark this page and come back.
|
A series of articles by Robert Buchanan, D.Min., on gay prejudice and
Christianity in order to challenge the church and help provide for the
spiritual needs of sexual minorities
Please bookmark this page and come back.
|
|
|
Is Dr. Laura Sorry?
Dr. Laura
apologized the other day. She purchased a full-page ad in Variety magazine on
the Jewish High Holy Day to do so . Most likely you have already heard of
Dr. Laura’s tirades on her radio show calling gays and lesbians “biological
errors.” She justifies discriminatory rhetoric as religious speech, claiming
that her faith and concern for the family are what causes her to speak. Many
have protested her new TV show as a hateful program. The show isn’t
doing well.
The idea that
gays and lesbians are a threat to the family is an interesting one. No one
seems to be able to explain exactly what that threat is. Seems like hate is a
far greater threat than the gender one is attracted to. Maybe Dr. Laura
should ask the families of those killed because they are gay which is worse.
If the idea is that homosexuality will become dominant in society and people
will stop having children, this assumes that most people would prefer to be
gay if given the choice freely. A nice thought, but not likely true.
As for the
religious ideas she reports to espouse, saying one is a “biological error” is
more of a physical science issue, not a theological issue. However, to her
credit the Levitical law did condemn men having sexual relations with other
men. Yet, there are hundreds of laws in Leviticus, most of which applied for
specific reasons at a given time. The same chapter that deals with homosexual
acts also commands that if a son or daughter offends his or her parents, they
are to be put to death. I doubt Dr. Laura obeys this law toward her son. She
reports he is still living. And, thankfully for her, her parents didn’t obey
this law either. She has spoken of conflict with her parents, yet she lives.
I thought hypocrisy was when we claim to have values, but only follow them
when it is convenient. In reality, these laws were written to address
specific idolatrous religious practices in societies around the Jews, and have
nothing whatsoever to do with a loving relationship between two people of the
same sex.
Some doubt Dr.
Laura’s apology. I won’t presume to know how sincere she is. However, I know
that this apology was not genuine. If I apologize to someone, I have to speak
to that person or group. It doesn’t do me any good to apologize to someone
else. Dr. Laura chose her apology to be addressed to the media people who
read Variety. Why is that? Could it be because she needs to look good with
this crowd to make her show successful? An apology of this type should be
offered to those who have been hurt, not those who can help her business.
Dr. Laura says
some dangerous things. Let’s hope that she and others will get the point that
derogatory words will only tear down and cause destruction. Who knows how
many have been hurt because someone considered a credible professional has
said things that lead to hate and death rather than love and life.
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Robert Buchanan is a minister of the Ecumenical Catholic Church and a psychotherapist who lives with his partner of many years in Durham North Carolina. He is the author of Love, Honor & Respect: How to Confront Homosexual Bias in Christian Culture and serves as director of the Institute for Inclusive Christianity. a training program for ministers and clergy who do not discriminate against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, or because of financial, familial or social status. Additional resources for inclusive Christians can be found at our Resources page.
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