By Michael Nahrstadt | Contributor
I'd like to thank Dr. Meadors for his opinion published in last week's Echo. Taylor is committed to self-examination and critical thinking. Critical thinking cannot develop if we aren't willing to listen to one another. However, I must disagree with his position.
Many Christians' arguments against homosexuality stem from Leviticus 18:22, which states that homosexuality is an "abomination," and instructs readers and listeners not to "defile themselves" in that way, or any of the other ways listed in the remainder of the chapter. I believe that the Bible's wisdom is a reflection of the time in which it was written, and is representative of the best wisdom of that time. However, I do not accept that all its tenets are applicable to the modern world.
Scriptures condemning homosexuality often refer to it as a behavior. A recent scientific study by the University of Chicago, Northwestern University and the University of Miami (among others) presented data that strongly suggest that sexual orientation is genetic, at least in males. Assuming that sexual orientation is genetic, would the church be justified in barring homosexuals?
My answer is no, for the same reasons that we do not bar Africans, Asians or women from the church. All of us were created equal in the image of God.
Christianity is not about independent living. We practice our beliefs in the context of a community. Christianity, at its core, is about the Golden Rule-treating others how we want to be treated. Therefore, Christianity can't only be about strict obedience to the whole of the written law in the Bible. It has to be about our hearts and minds.
What of the role of parents in child development? Dr. Meadors suggests that it is not in a child's best psychological interest to have "'parent 1' and 'parent 2.'" In my research, I could not find scientific evidence either supporting or refuting this claim. I would like to point out, however, that stereotypical gender roles for parents are on the decline. Pew Research Center data shows that the number of "stay-at-home dads" rose from 1.1 million to 2 million, an almost twofold increase, from 1989 to 2012.
This data is part of a broader trend away from traditional parental gender roles, due in part to the recent economic recession. Many families-47.7 percent of married households in 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics-need both parents working to support the household. Is this not an example of society moving toward a "parent 1 and 2" reality?
Dr. Meadors asserts that marriage is a relationship of "Christ-like love," for the sake of not only the couple, but also their children. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data from 2012 shows that the United States has a divorce rate of nearly 40 percent. Of course, not all of these marriages are Christian ones, but according to Pew, 70.6 percent of Americans claimed to be Christian in 2014. In 1998, the American Sociological Review published data suggesting that while divorce does have a negative impact on children's mental development, most of the negative factors existed before the marriage was dissolved-the marriage itself was not actually a positive influence on the child's mental growth.
Though there are instances of absolute rights and absolute wrongs in the world, those instances are rare. Too often, we create villains out of those who do not share our beliefs, and cast ourselves as their victims. Homosexuality is a nuanced issue, one that deserves a broader discussion and involves more elements than can be properly addressed in this brief opinion article. I urge you to have an honest, intellectual debate on this issue with your peers, both Christian brothers and sisters and non-Christians alike.
