In light of some recent social discussions a friend sent me the clip below which is incredibly timely and pertinent for our day. The speaker in the clip is an ex-lesbian and feminist scholar. I’m particularly recommending her story for everyone trying to honestly discern truth verses myth in our modern cultural debate in Europe and the West over sexual identity and the subsequent ramifications. Dr. Butterfield is a brilliant, rational thinking, and deeply theological woman. In this lecture she gives some serious and loving answers to legitimate questions as she speaks with the experience of having come from the LGBT community and a post-modern world view. I linked an article about Dr. Butterfield on my Face Book page several months ago, but decided to include her story here because of the way she so meticulously addresses the question at a root level in the lecture. Here are at least four points that immediately came to mind when I reviewed the clip:
1. She recounted how authentic Christians should pro-actively respond to people in the LGBT community. Love, friendship, and yet still with rational truth.
2. As noted, this is a testimony of a woman who “felt” like she was a Lesbian in her identity but was changed from the inside out. This transformation illustrates the fallacy of the LGBT argument which mandates that being “gay” in the modern sense of the term is something they are born with and therefore cannot change. They liken their feelings to a race or ethnic background. This is the reason why they desire to equate their propensities and actions with a civil right. The feelings may indeed be real; however feelings do not define who we are. It’s not that someone is born gay; it’s that we are ALL born with a bent and propensity toward sin no matter what that specific sin might be. We still have a choice though on how we respond to those feelings.
-She gives a clear answer on the “Can I be a Christian and a Homosexual at the same time” question at about the 30 minute mark.
3. Dr. Butterfield gets to the root issue which is NOT homosexuality or any other specific sin, but rather a heart set in rebellion against God. That is MY sin. That is our sin. This is the root sin of wanting to set our own experience and will above God and thus to ultimately call our own shots. In short, we want to be god.
4. Above all else, I appreciate her testimony of how she experienced the love, redemption, and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. She is now married with children as she continues in her teaching career as a tenured professor Syracuse University.
In conclusion, the foundational reason for my re-posting this lecture is because of the continuing cultural drive that has even crept into some corners of the Church. This philosophy asserts that homosexual practice is really not a sin, but rather the mere expression of how some people were created by God. The testimony of Dr. Butterfield however speaks a very different reality. Here’s the rub; like adultery or any other practice outside God’s design, homosexual actions must be realized for what they are; that they are sin. The Bible is very clear on this issue and can only be ignored by the construct of liberal linguistics and theological gymnastics. Without the honest confession of sin, no matter what the specifics are, there can be no forgiveness. The truth of the matter is that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The truth is that when we humbly come before Christ in confession, repentance, and brokenness, he is there waiting and longing to heal us. The beautiful thing about Dr. Butterfield’s story is not so much that she found freedom from the specific sin of homosexuality, but rather from sin in general. Like me, this does not mean she’s perfect or will never drop the ball. Rather it means she has been made new. She has been born again in the words of Christ in John chapter three. She found hope in Christ which is something that is available for all of us. This love of Christ is for all in the LGBT community and everyone else as well who would come to him. Just ask Dr. Butterfield as she knows this reality. Just ask me. Yup, I know the reality of brokenness and healing as well.
There is also a short but good Q&A after her lecture. You can also find out more info on her website here.
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