Are Gay-Affirming Christians Outside of Orthodox Christianity?
I believe that attitudes toward 2SLGBTQA+ people within our churches is the most divisive issue among Christians. This is a debate not just between Christians and non-Christians but also between Christians.
Some more conservative Christians might reject that statement since “You cannot be a Christian and support same-sex relations.” Therefore, the debate really is between Christians and non-Christians.
Or is it?
At this point, I am not even discussing what the weight of scholarship says about those passages that refer to same-sex activity. I only want to respond to who is in orthodox Christianity.
Traditionally, orthodox Christianity has not been about views on relationships and sexual activity. An orthodox Christian was determined by their understanding of the relationship of the Son to the Father, and views on the Trinity more broadly.
Within the first few centuries of the church, there were various views on sexuality. Some Christians believed that all followers of Jesus should be chaste, even if they were already married when they converted. No Christian should ever have sex. Either stay single or abstain within marriage.
Other Christians thought it was permissible for a husband and wife to have sex as long as they did not enjoy it. Sex had to be for procreation only and enjoyment even of marital sex could be a sin.
And then there were others who thought that husbands and wives should enjoy having sex with one another.
For some Christians, the sexual relationship even between a husband and a wife was a major issue. But it was not a question of orthodoxy. They thought each other were wrong, but as long as they had the proper beliefs about Jesus, they were still orthodox.
Some Christians today argue that sex between people of the same gender is always wrong. Other Christians argue that same-sex marriages are valid and that if sex takes place in a covenantal relationship, then it is affirmed by God, apart from the genders involved.
One of these two groups is wrong.
But they can both still be orthodox if they affirm the creeds about who Jesus is and his relationship with the Father. Orthodoxy does not require agreement on all issues, even ones we thing are very important.
By the way, if you want to learn more about the early church, check out my History of Christianity podcast.
