by Robert Owens

Created on: March 13, 2009   Last Updated: March 20, 2009

The question should Christian Churches allow gays to be ordained as priests is controversial when it shouldn't be. Yes. Yes the Christian church should allow gays to be ordained as priests. Gays should be allowed as much as any other man with proper credentials.

There is a catch however. The person in question must not be practicing. That is to say he must refuse to act on his homosexual inclinations. Christian culture has for far too long portrayed gays as hedonists of sensual pleasure. Many Christians believe the state of being "Gay" is what is sinful. That is not the case. In point of fact it is homosexual behavior that is or at least should be considered sinful. Many experts no agree that being gay is not a choice despite what churches teach. Others have proposed a theory that sexuality is fluid with everyone being somewhere on a "bar" so to speak ranging from hetero to homosexual. What matters in a person of the clergy is integrity, spiritual and otherwise. Of course there would be difficulties for gay clergymen that their straight counterparts would not be as likely to face. They will not be allowed to marry or engage in sexual activities for example. They may face discrimination and condemnation from ignorant peers. However if a man with a homosexual inclination feels God has called him to follow him as a priest, who are we to deny him that chance because of his sexual preference.

Others may argue that he will be more likely to molest children; this however is not the case. Homosexuality and Pedophilia is not the same thing and there is no sound evidence that homosexuals are more likely to commit sexual crimes then their straight counterparts.

The question then is "Why shouldn't gays be ordained"? To that there is no real good excuse. If a person can lead a life free from homosexual actions, then they should be admitted with the same honor and respect as anyone else. Jesus was criticized for spending most of his time with those considered most sinful in the community. Never did he turn anyone away for being "sinful". He admonished us to lead holy lives and to guard our thoughts and heart. He did not however once say we could do it perfectly. Do we as the Church honestly think our priests are sinless? Do we not realize that everyone has sexual thoughts and fantasies at times? Jesus would not stop a gay man from following him. Jesus judges a person's heart and circumstances. He was not about complete and rigid adherence to doctrine. In this day and age we cannot allow the Church to become the modern Pharisees. We must refuse to accept stereotypical beliefs and reject all false assumptions about what makes a person qualified to be a Priest or Pastor. I do not believe Jesus would differentiate between a celibate heterosexual man and a homosexual man when both are trying to live their lives according to his will and principles.
Ordination should be based on the inner quality of a man, his knowledge and gifts, his love for people and most importantly his deeds. It should not be based on sexual preferences outside of his control.

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