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Christian Pro-Gay Billboards Causing Texas Sized Controversy

09/10/09-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
Christian Pro-Gay billboards are causing something of a major uproar in North Texas where a coalition of five local churches who are all part of the Worldwide Metropolitan Community Church have paid to spread a message of toleration. Their billboards include messages like “Jesus Said Some Are Born Gay”, and “Ruth Loved Naiomi More Than Adam Loved Eve.”

The reaction among many people in North Texas is heavily negative with many demanding that the pastors of the five churches reread the Bible, of course demanding that they do so with the same exact interpretation that they are using. Of course, most of the people who are demanding this are likely using the King James Bible or later editions.

One of the billboards states “Jesus Affirmed a Gay Couple”, and the citation for that is held in the Greek where the word ‘pais’ is the word used to indicate a same-sex partner. Greek culture, especially in ancient times, was very open to homosexuality with both historical figures like Socrates and Sappho as well as mythical figures like Apollo and Athena being linked heavily with same-sex lovers.

“If we go back to the gospel readings, we don’t find anything within those texts that discriminate or exclude against gay and lesbian people. Gay and lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender people are part of God’s creation too,” said Reverend Jon Haack of the Promise Metropolitan Community Church, one of the five churches involved in this campaign.

“There are people who have told us to reread our Bible which is the very question we’re asking others to do. We’ve had people say, ‘How dare you take the name of God in vain’ and that God hates homosexuals,” Reverend Colleen Darruagh with the Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Dallas explained about the emails that they have been receiving on this issue.

“I’m hard pressed to find that scripture advocates that it’s alright to live in a gay lifestyle. Just like I’m hard pressed to find that scripture advocates that’s it’s alright to live in an adulterous relationship or as a wife abuser or as a murderer,” stated Pastor Sam Dennis, of Parkway Hills Baptist Church who disagrees with the use of scripture to spread a pro-gay message of toleration.

Part of the problem in the interpretation of the Bible is that many of the words that were used in the earliest versions were changed over time. Adding to the muddle is that around AD500, the Bible undergoes a heavy edit in an attempt to centralize the Bible and make it more affirming of the structure of the centralized Church in Rome. Several early Saints are said to have lain down with women and not been tempted, and that this was the reason for their being sainted in the first place. According to Celticist Peter Berrisford Ellis, St. Brigid of Kildare had a woman for her lover throughout her whole life. According to the story, St. Brigid was to marry a man of her father’s choosing in order to bolster the political situation within the kingdom. Rather than marry, she plucked out one of her own eyes. Repulsed, her betrothed called off the wedding and Brigid went into self-imposed exile (called White Death) whereby she renounced her family and tribal allegiances before setting off to the holy site of Kildare where she met and fell in love with Darlughdacha, the woman who would be with her the rest of her life.

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