A couple weeks ago when former NBA player John Amaechi “came out” and stated that he was gay, I thought to myself: “so what?”…. “what’s the big deal?” For me it was a non-event. I saw it as a second rate player who was trying to promote his book, “Man in the Middle”, so he could get paid. Whoever someone loves is a private affair, between him or her and the other person…. and their God (if they believe in one). I couldn’t have been more wrong! In light of another former NBA player, Tim Hardaway’s comments, I felt I needed to do a post. The part of Hardaway’s comments that I found so troubling… and I would even go as far as to characterize it as disgusting were:
“You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don’t like gay people and I don’t like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don’t like it. It shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States.”
TIM, YOU HATE GAY PEOPLE!?
Now I am a born-again Christian and as you may guess, I have some very definitive and strong views about homosexuality and homosexuals. The first is this: Christ died on the cross for heterosexuals, as well as for homosexuals. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Yes I consider homosexuality to be a sin and God hates sin, but NOT the sinner.
“The world can be a terrible place, NOT because of the evil that people do, but because of those who stand by, watch, and do nothing….”
I am not sure who made the above quote, but silence in the face of such comments by Tim Hardaway is unacceptable for me. It made me angry. It is not so much that it is narrow-minded and ignorant, but that it is simply hate speech! It’s a promotion of hate! Hating someone or a group of people simply because of their race, religion, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation/preference etc., comes from the realm of the spiritually evil. History has also shown, that once you are allowed, in the face of no opposition, to demonize a group of people who are different from you, you feel empowered, justified… and yes even permitted by those who are silent, to mistreat, oppress and kill those “others”.
Tim Hardaway does not have my permission.
Tim Hardaway has been banned by the NBA from taking part in their All-Star Weekend events.
Tim Hardaway has subsequently apologized for his comments.
Asabagna
February 15, 2007 at 11:01 pm
Good stuff. I’d be careful not to go too far, though. Even though we are to love homosexuals just as much as everybody else, they are still living sinfully. Jesus certainly showed love to the adulterous woman in John 8, but he still told her to “go and sin no more.” I think “hate the sin, love the sinner” applies very well here. Hardaway was definately out of line.
Arem
http://www.arem.us
http://www.seaofire.com
February 16, 2007 at 1:04 am
The apology is a day late & a dollar shoat (not short but shoat LOL).
I have gay friends & I have a hard time labeling them as sinners so I don’t. Although I am a “Christian” I see us as labeling those who do not have a similar belief system as being a sinner or close to: what good does that do. I think it as a tool for alienation not dialogue for understanding.
February 16, 2007 at 7:46 am
Tafari, good points. As Christians the Bibile states that although “we are in the world, we are not of the world”. Therefore it is a fine line which we walk, as I believe Arem was alluding to when he stated: “I’d be careful not to go too far, though”.
However, God sets the standards of what our behaviour should be, and Jesus sets the example of what our behaviour should look like. Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 states: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death”. When the mob were filled with religious hatred and frenzy and were about to stone the woman to death for adultery, Jesus invited anyone who was without sin to cast the first stone. The example was that He didn’t.
As I said, we walk a fine line and I for one don’t have it all figured out. However, I hope I will always err on the side of understanding and compassion. On judgment day, I doubt God will hold it against me that I was too understaning and compassionate.
Asabagna
February 16, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Our church as a whole has some real PR problems. The church is right when it rebukes active homosexuals, but it needs to be equally clear in rebuking ALL forms of fornication. Whether it be sex before marriage, sex outside of marriage, frivolous divorce (for Christ said if we divorce for a reason outside of infidelity it is adultery), etc.
The problem comes when a congregation that would accept someone who has had multiple divorces (and is unrepentant) would reject someone who is homosexual. We can’t grade sin based on our own discomfort with that sin. Our perceptions must be shaped by God’s word, not our own comfort zone.
But all too often our churches are filled with unrepentant sinners who look down their noses on others. How often have you seen a man or woman who has had multiple divorces in his/her past talking about those sinful homosexuals.
Otherwise great post!
-J. Kaiser