Dear Adam Lambert - Christian Conservatives Love You, Too!
Rumors of Homophobia Are Unfair
Adam Lambert comes across as such a nice guy - I bet if I could interview him right now, he'd ask his gay fans all over the country to stop claiming homophobia about his runner-up finish. And I bet he would say that Danny Gokey and Kris Allen, both worship leaders in their churches, showed him true Christian love.
If I can judge by the Christians I know, then 99.99999% of all conservative Christians could also love Adam as a person. Although some may not prefer his over-the-top rock style, many of us do listen to rock music. AND - if any true Christian does hate gay people, they are wrong, a hundred times wrong.
Would I try to tell Adam about God, and what the Bible says? Only if I had an ongoing, mutual respect relationship with him which earned me the right to do so. I believe in one-on-one conversations, not someone yelling verses at the gay masses. By the same token, generalizing about all Christians is totally unfair.
Adam has nothing to worry about career-wise. His career will almost certainly be bigger than Kris Allen's, because he is already an actor as well as a phenomenal singer. Look what that did for Constantine Maroulis, who only came in 6th in Season 4 and is now nominated for a Tony on Broadway. Adam said something like this himself on one of those Idol Extra shows: He didn't need the win - he needed the extra television exposure.
So what could have happened?
Rumors of a voting scandal are a common occurrence on American Idol. How do we really know the producers didn't pick the winner, sometimes for the extra press and sensationalism? Another notion is that the best singer doesn't always win because he/she has already received another, more lucrative offer for a record deal that would fall outside of 19's rulership (the American Idol management company). If they have another offer waiting, after the tour they would be free to accept it.
So many people may have tried to vote for Adam, that the lines were clogged and the numbers ended up favoring Kris. Plus, Kris has that natural boy next door appeal, probably got most Danny Gokey votes because of musical style, and the majority of votes came from teeny boppers who listen to contemporary/pop. Not everyone is a hard rock or theatrical fan.
Look, I'm going to be really frank here. Gays and lesbians have gone through much effort to make sure everyone knows they are just people, like everyone else. Think about this: If we're all the same, then maybe sometimes any person can lose competitions just because you lose them fairly, or because of some voting glitch. Maybe any person can lose a job because they didn't perform it well, not because of their orientation. Maybe any person doens't get a job simply because their resume didn't measure up to someone else's. Maybe any person can get told something they don't like to hear. There's not always a trump card. Everyone doesn't always win. It's called life.
This may sound like a cliché, but I have gay friends who don't agree with all these "homophobia" theories. They know where I stand biblically, and - surprisingly - we still love each other and respect each other.
Published by Sheryl Young - Featured Contributor in Politics
Freelance writer since 1997; Featured Political Contributor for Yahoo!; Tampa Tribune Community Columnist/Blogger; Chicken Soup for the Soul; Amy Foundation National Writing Award; happy wife, proud step-mom... View profile
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54 Comments
Post a CommentThe guy Jason is so off base however. Christian attitudes kept in the house...what Bible was he reading. I guess that is how Jesus did it..Keep it in the house...LOL...How silly.
Good Article...Though I don't agree..Adam is likeable enough, but I refuse to have it flaunted in my face. Christian Conservatives aren't against Homosexuality? Since when? Good work though.
Dear Jason, in case you come back - parts of your comments suggest you didn't really understand the gist of this article; or you would know I was trying to say there are many Christians who can love people no matter their sexual identity. It doesn't mean we need to agree on everything. You say religion should "stay in the house"...but everyone else can come out and play? The First Amendment doesn't say that. It also doesn't give people freedom from HEARING someone else's free speech. The notion of "hate" just because someone actually LOVES you enough to want to introduce Jesus is a fabrication. Most seasoned, level-headed, sincere Christians are sensitive enough to know when someone is rejecting "evangelization." No person can force you to believe. God has to knock on the door of your heart. Attempts to force people have always been stupid.
As an added note, I do not believe that all Christians are judgemental. Religion should be kept in the house and to yourself.
We need to respect that other people might not believe in Jesus and are good people (who do not want to be evangelized).
People who are Christian will say that homosexuality is a sin. People who are non-religious will say that homosexuality is a lifestyle.
I prefer to be a non-religious person (reject Jesus) and not judge (or condemn) others. There seems to be a lot of hate rooting from Christianity.
No Tiadora, you're not the only one. I don't watch American Idol either. It's just not something I've been interested in. I rarely watch TV and usually don't know the latest entertainment news. I find out more through AC than anywhere else. Interesting topic, and one that hits too close to home in more ways than I care to comment on here. If interested, search for one of my earlier pieces on how to find out if a husband is gay. It's one of my highest rated articles according to page views, which I find very sad, and the comments I have made on that piece cover my opinion on the subject. As far as Adam Lambert goes, if he deserved to win, than I'm happy he did - gay or not.
I agree with you, Sheryl. I don't agree with the homosexual lifestyle. That makes me neither phobic or a hater. I also don't agree with divorce, and I am divorced. God hates all sin, even mine.
True. I agree with you on the homosexual thing. I've never really known what caused one to be that way, but I have a couple of good friends who are gay, and I love them. We sometimes forget that in God's eyes, one sin is as bad as the other (except the sin of rejecting Jesus). Some people don't want to admit it, but we all sin and all need forgiveness.
"Nelka" - with all due respect, I know the verses you gave. I've mentioned some in previous articles, but this wasn't the time or place. Adam has never come out and said he is gay, although most people have a hunch. I know from having much exposure to the gay community that constantly harping on these verses doesn't help Christians make headway. In order to show I love them, I build relationships, give them health statistics from places like the CDC about this being a dangerous lifestyle, then I use scripture in 1 on 1 conversations. There is no "very disgraceful sin" (except knowing Jesus as Lord and then denouncing him). Other than that, all sin is at the same level. Lastly, these verses carry no water with most gays and lesbians because they either do not think what they are doing is a sin, or they don't believe in God or the Bible. It just makes us sound judgmental again.
Make no mistake, Christians, God loves Adam. He loves EVERYBODY.
But he HATES the fact that Adam's homosexual. Homosexuality is a sin. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." Romans 1:26-27 says "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion."
Adam is committing a very disgraceful sin in God's eyes. As followers of God, Christians, we do his will.
What does God want us to do? Well first of all, we must LOVE Ada