A few days ago I heard an excellent message from Joe Dallas about how poorly the church responded to the AIDS crisis and to the homosexual community. As a former gay activists, he said at that point gay men were faced with their own mortality, opening the door for the church to show compassion and point them to hope in Christ.
Not only did the church fail to respond in that loving manner, many leaders and spokespersons for our faith openly celebrated the disease. How completely opposite from the first century church that ran into disease infected areas in the Roman Empire while everyone else was leaving. How unChristlike. He said that was a message the gay community would never forget.
Many of you may be shocked to know that the message was broadcast by Dr. James Dobson’s Focus on the Family.
To get a more accurate and fair view of how conservative Christians view gay people and how the church should have responded in that time of crisis, listen to the two part message:
Part 1, Part 2
He said many Christians had the “Jonah Syndrome” meaning they, like Jonah, want God to bring judgement on people He wants to love and forgive. He said, “I believe as we address the issue of homosexuality that God would call us to repent of whatever hostility exists within the church .. and recommit ourselves to bold love.” In addressing how to fix the damaged relationship between the church and the gay community, he said, “The gay and lesbian community is looking to the church for some verifiable evidence that we love them as we say that we do … [that we] value them as people, not just as objects to be converted.”
I think Christian and non-Christian, gay and straight would do well to listen to his message.
