Torch, Fall/Winter 2007

unintentionally — think or act as if those caught up in the homosexual lifestyle are not worthy of the same grace that we have received. Another pitfall on the right is fear. We fall into the ditch when we allow our uncomfortable feelings about homosexuality to adversely affect our behavior toward a person. We must not treat those caught up in the gay or lesbian lifestyle as less than human. Like us, they are fellow image bearers in need of God’s love and grace. The Ditch on the Left: Our Tendency Toward Compromise … and Intolerance The ditch on the left is the tendency to compromise on God’s standard. We cannot advocate for same-sex marriage because marriage was not defined by you and me. It was ordained by God as being between a man and a woman, and His design is built into the very fabric of our human nature. We also cannot lobby for minority status for those living a homosexual lifestyle. Homosexuality is a behavior, not a racial category. All Americans are already entitled to equal protection against discrimination and injustice. In this ditch we also find a new definition of “tolerance” that seeks to eliminate any differences (and any strong opinions) among people. Every Walter Brueggemann writes, “There is one way in which God is imaged in the world and only one: humanness!” ( Genesis , 1986). What a tremendous responsibility to image God to a lost world, even those who misunderstand their sexuality and express it in homosexual relationships. We are mindful that, even in this disagreement, we are interacting with fellow image bearers. What is the Biblical and Ethical Response? Back in the 1990s, my family served as missionaries in the Central African Republic. We became very familiar with driving on narrow roads with deep ditches on both sides. To avoid the ditches, we learned to drive in the center of the road. As I look at the ethics of our sexuality, I see a comparison. There are ditches on the “right” and “left” sides of this issue. As believers we must proceed carefully. The Ditch on the Right: Our Tendency Toward Intolerance and Fear Tolerance has become a battleground word in recent years. We may resist the concept, fearing that it means approving what God has clearly called sin. But tolerance at its basic definition is giving others the privilege to think for themselves, a privilege God has granted to us. Even as we present truth, we must allow others to disagree. We fall into the ditch when we — even T Fall–Winter 2007 19 single thing conceived in the heart of man should be tolerated. Ironically, while waving this banner of tolerance, there is great intolerance toward God’s design and those seeking to live it out. A real tragedy, this kind of intolerance demeans a commitment to resist sexual temptation and live morally pure lives, and fails to appreciate the redemptive value of suffering. As one writer describes it, dealing with and overcoming temptation is part of our “unique path to holiness.” Tonight, if the sky is clear, look to the heavens and marvel. The God who created the starry hosts made you and me. He created us male and female, to represent Him. We are made in His image, and our sexuality reflects His nature. Let’s live our lives as image bearers of our Creator God! Dr. Dennis Sullivan serves as director of Cedarville University’s Center for Bioethics and is also a professor of biology. Before coming to Cedarville in 1996, he served as a medical missionary in both Haiti and the Central African Republic. Sullivan received his B.S. from Youngstown State University, his M.D. from Case Western Reserve University, and an M.A. in Bioethics from Trinity University. A member of the American Medical Association, the Christian Medical Association, and the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, he has been honored as a diplomate by the American Board of Surgery (1985) and as a fellow by the American College of Surgeons (1996).