Today is Super Bowl Sunday during which about
117,000,000 people are expected to watch the annual professional American
football game on television. There
are numerous storylines around the story of the current game: the two head
coaches are brothers; one of the prominent players (who once was charged with
murder) is playing in his last game and is openly talking about his
relationship with God; the two teams were both unlikely participants in the
championship game; one of the quarterbacks is playing in his second season of
professional football and did not get his first starting assignment until the
middle of this season; the sport itself is embroiled in controversies over
player injuries and the use of performance enhancing drugs; etc., etc.,
etc. But another controversy has
grabbed the headlines.
In one of the innumerable pre-game player
interview, ahe San Francisco 49ers player, Chris Culliver, answered a question
about homosexuals in the game of football. "No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta
get up out of here if they do.... Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can't
be…in the locker room man. Nah."
A firestorm erupted, as would be expected.
Brendon Ayanbadejo, a player for the Baltimore
Ravens team, said he thinks about half of the league’s players agree with
Culliver. Of the 50%, he says, 25%
think like him and 25% “are religious – they don’t necessarily agree with all
of the things I agree with, but they’re accepting.”
As a conservative Christian, I believe that the
Bible does condemn homosexual acts and I also believe as do most conservative
Christians that homosexuality is a chosen lifestyle. I know about some
scientific studies which suggest subtle differences in brain anatomy between
homosexuals and heterosexuals but I am also aware of fmri (functional magnetic
resonance imaging) research which seems to suggest that brain anatomy may be
functional rather than rigidly fixed and that behavior may influence which portions
of the brain perform which tasks.
Behavior may determine anatomy.
I am not a neurobiologist and that controversy will not be resolved
here.
I work with several homosexuals who know what I
believe and who have no problem with me because they understand that I treat
them with respect as individuals.
The workplace is not a sexual situation and one’s sexuality should be
left at home. There are laws in
the United States against sexual harassment of any sort and most companies will
immediately dismiss employees who engage in sexual activity (heterosexual or
homosexual) with another employee, even if it is totally consensual.
Various perspectives on homosexuality and the
Bible. Never be afraid to examine
views other than your own.
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