Cannibalism and Christianity Part 2

Well, there is such a great comment by episcopalienated over at Stand Firm on the thread I mentioned yesterday, that I am going to give it a separate post here:

OK, this thread has brought me back from lurker mode. Only one other gay man (as far as I know) has commented and I can’t leave Padre Wayne to do all the heavy lifting by himself. And he has all those “normal” duties to attend to, but I can take time out from mine.

Many of the reactions here suggest that some of you have a lot of sensitivity where homophobia is concerned, and that’s a good thing. Homophobia is a problem in the Church (and sometimes here at Stand Firm) but I have to say that I am just not terribly put off or offended by this news item. I think too much of a fuss is being made and some creative energy being misdirected. This matter will rattle a few revisionist tea cups, but--so what else is new?

If it was discovered that Miss America ‘93 was engaged in cannibalism, wouldn’t that be newsworthy, even for conservative Anglicans? Whenever I learn about any terrible or evil thing, as depressing or disturbing as it may be, I can’t help noting that it’s further proof of the doctrine of original sin and our common fallen condition. And that always triggers a reminder of how grateful we should be to the One who has saved us from that condition, and wants to save others as well. No matter how bad it is. (And since the print edition of Weekly World News is no longer available, we can trust Greg Griffith to bring it to our attention. smile )

As for cannibalism. No, most gay people are never going to eat their partners. But I’m going to say something a bit provocative here about gay sex. I have always thought of sex between two men or two women as a form of ritual cannibalism, and even a kind of perverted sacrament, in which the person seeks in the object of his desire the qualities and attributes he cannot find in himself. The sex act is almost an act of consumption, but one doomed to futility and frustration because it cannot provide the fulfillment which is really being sought. “Looking for love in all the wrong places"--in search of something that only the healing and restoration afforded by God’s grace can provide.

In primitive cultures, warriors will literally eat the body parts of the enemies they have vanquished in the belief that they can take on their strength and vigor by doing so. In our own civilized society, tragically there are those whose sexual pathology has driven them to do the same. This does not make cannibalism a “gay problem” anymore than serial killing in general, but it does not make what happened to Mr. Gay UK entirely irrelevant either.

Sarah Hey’s earlier post indicates that she has been hanging out at the NARTH website and taking notes. Well, for her that is just another one of those overachiever “things” she is noted for, but my advice to the rest of you is: go and do likewise.

Here’s the deal: in the 6th chapter of I Corinthians, after St. Paul refers to those who will not enter the Kingdom of God, he says this in verse 11: ”And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” That means all of us who have been converted to Christ, whether from a lifestyle of sexual profligacy, depression, or substance abuse, or from a life of “normalcy” where we were still just as dead in our sins as we could possibly be, without God’s grace.

It may look like the Church is falling apart, but it is not. It pleases Almighty God to use miserable sinners transformed by His grace to give witness to other miserable sinners and thereby draw them into His Kingdom as well. God is now raising up, in the heat of battle and in the places where it rages most fiercely, those who will say: “Here I am Lord, send me!”

This miserable sinner was literally loved into the Kingdom of God by Christians just like that, who could look past the angry, obnoxious, gay militant and see a deeply hurting and troubled person who was in need of the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God be praised!

If I may, I want to close with a link to a You Tube video about another gay man who was led to Christ. I hope it breaks your heart, as it did mine. Church, we have our work cut out for us but, with God’s help, it can be done.

HOMOSEXUAL MAN FINDS JESUS

And if the print edition of Weekly World News ever does come back, I expect that Greg Griffith and Sarah Hey will rush to apply for the job of religion editor. But I plan on submitting my resume too, and I think I’m far more qualified. I can come up with all sorts of interesting stuff! wink

episcopalienated
[136] Posted by episcopalienated on 05-03-2008 at 12:28 PM