Candler School of Theology (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Recently, Candler School of Theology announced that it would be honoring Dr. Eddie Fox, noted United Methodist evangelist and Candler alumnus. The story broke wide when students, faculty, alumni, and others protested the honor based on the fact that Dr. Fox disagreed theologically with the LGBT community at Candler on the issue of homosexuality.

In recent years, no issue has been more divisive than human sexuality. In fact, I firmly believe this issue has created more animosity within the Church and toward the church than any other.

Groups protesting honorees is nothing new. Most of the last few Nobel Peace Prize winners are presumed by some to have blood on their hands or to be less than deserving of the honor or accolades.

But I am disturbed by the pendulum swing from “oppressed” to “tolerant” to “oppressive. I am hearing more and more voices demanding agreement in the name of tolerance, an irony completely lost on many of those with whom I’ve been speaking.

Riding the Pendulum

That is not to say that there aren’t good reasons for this swing. For centuries, the Church oppressed homosexual persons. Then, in recent years, a call went out for tolerance. Some congregations reconsidered their understanding of the matter, that number growing all the time. While not all have reversed their opinions, more and more are remembering that all human beings are created in the image of God and are persons of worth.

Enter the pendulum swing. As tolerance increased, a swell of intolerance mounted, but not from the traditional conservatives.

Now, there is a significant backlash for anyone who disagrees with the practice of homosexuality where just a few years ago, the tables were turned.

The point of this article is not to evaluate the arguments for and against homosexuality. I am much more concerned with the notion that well-meaning people cannot seem disagree on matters as sensitive as this without resorting to character assassination and other ad hominem attacks. One such example would be, “Eddie Fox holds that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings, ergo, he is a hater and doesn’t deserve any honor that might be bestowed upon him by Candler.”

Another would be, “That pastor thinks homosexuality is okay. He and his church are hell-bound.” See also, Westboro Baptist Church.

At What Point?

Years ago, wise teachers gave me a simple definition that has served me well. “To stereotype someone is to draw conclusions based on generalities gleaned from observing the group of which the individual is a part.”

Intolerance is much like stereotyping. The difference is that a person’s worth is diminished immediately on the basis of disagreement on a single difference or group of differences rather than on the basis of the social group to which that person belongs.

I refuse to do that knowingly. As a member of the human race, I acknowledge that I have done such in the past, and, regrettably, will do the same in the future if I am not careful.

I make no observations about the full character of those attacking Fox or Candler. I simply point out the nature of their attacks. If Fox is incapable of meaningful contribution to the church based on that one opinion alone, then the rest of us are in deep deep trouble.

Society has offered more grace to hardened criminals than some are showing to Eddie Fox.

Generalizations Abound

Perhaps it is because we are so polarized by opinions and groups and political stances that I reject the most radical of them. It has become prevalent in our society to dehumanize and even demonize those who disagree with us.

Yes, there are attack hounds working in left and right wing news agencies. Fox and MSNBC have very little credibility outside their base, and no credibility with each other’s base. But so much of that is known quantities.

What about the rest of us?

I often wonder if part of the problem is that other news agencies and blog writers like myself have a tendency to write from a very general point of view. This allows the reader to infer meaning that is not necessarily implied. I’ve found that some of the comments on this blog are based on meanings the reader brought with him or her, often having nothing at all to do with the matter I took to hand.

Understandable but Indefensible

Societal Attitudes Towards Homosexuality(Pew2002) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’ve never been attacked for being a homosexual. I’ve never had my humanity questioned because of my sexuality. I’ve never been discriminated against because I was a homosexual. But I can easily see how someone who has been mistreated on the basis of their sexuality would respond more negatively to anyone who questioned, opposed, or disagreed with their orientation.

That said, intolerance from the left is as wrong as intolerance from the right.  We cannot demand tolerance from the world and then refuse to tolerate the dissent from those around us (especially when they demonstrate tolerance toward us). To do so is reminiscent of the man whose debts were forgiven by his king, but then went into the street and spotted a man who owed him money. He demanded the debt be repaid immediately. The king reinstated the earlier debt upon learning that the man who had been forgiven had refused to show forgiveness himself.

Just as we must forgive as we have been forgiven, we must show tolerance towards those with whom we disagree if we ever expect to receive it. We must show it first. We must show it best. We must lead the way.

Perhaps it would be helpful to note that those who disagree do not always do so out of hatred. Reasonable persons can and do disagree on a variety of issues. This one is different because of the highly charged emotional atmosphere surrounding the conversation.

God expects more of us, Church. And our feelings, thoughts, and actions clearly demonstrate that many of us are failing. Let grace abound, both for our neighbor in our own eyes and for us in the eyes of God.

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