This is a video put out by the United Nations bringing to our attention the danger that many homosexuals experience throughout the world. I must say that I agree with 90% of what is in this video. It is terrible that so many homosexuals are killed and tortured in countries around the world. I believe the church should be at the front of the line protecting homosexuals from violence, wherever they live. Having said that, I have two comments (one minor and one major).
The minor point is that this video says that homosexuality has been in every culture and in every generation. I would agree with that. However, when people point out ancient critiques of homosexuality (such as in the Bible), many people point out that homosexuality in our modern understanding, in terms of long term and loving relationships, is relatively new and therefore not covered by those concerns of many years ago. I would just say that you cannot have it both ways. If you want the long history of homosexuality to be part of its legitimacy, you cannot argue that what we consider homosexuality is something new.
My major concern with this video is with a subtle shift that is made. Many comments were made about the violence and abuse suffered by homosexuals, something I hope we would all condemn. But then at the end, the idea that some people consider homosexuality abnormal is tagged on to that as if we are still talking about the same thing. Killing is wrong. Torturing is wrong. Disagreeing with homosexuality is wrong. Those things are presented as if they are equally wrong.
However, there are millions of people who consider homosexuality wrong, not because they are filled with hate or want to kill homosexuals, but because their religious texts or traditions say it is wrong. What do we do with that? If the world takes a stand against all of these things, including believing homosexuality is abnormal, should the world take a stand against these religions as well? I am all for human rights for homosexuals. But I am all for human rights for religious people as well. Religious people’s rights should be limited so that they are not free to abuse or kill people. Homosexual’s rights should be limited so that they are not free from having people disagree with them.
The church, the homosexual community and everyone else should work together to end the violence against homosexuals. However, people should still have the freedom to disagree with the homosexual lifestyle and to consider it abnormal.
