Nearly a month has passed since the October 7 celebration of National Coming Out Day, but I am still left with serious concerns about it. For those who did not hear about it, the event was a discussion with a panel of gay and lesbian faculty and staff intended to support and celebrate students coming out publicly about their homosexuality. Davidson should be a place where the truth is honored and students are cared for, and I think the event showed a major failure in both areas. I hope that the readers of the Davidsonian will hear these concerns with an open heart.
I know that Davidson desires to protect its students from harassment. I happily support this worthy goal. However, it is a grave injustice when this ideal is twisted to obscure the truth and to lead students to openly rebel against the God who made them. I affirm, along with the Christian tradition with which our Statement of Purpose allies itself, that “God is the source of all truth.” The scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which are his Word, are thus trustworthy in all their parts, since they are inspired by the God from whom all truth comes. These scriptures plainly attest that homosexuality is rebellion against our perfect Creator. The crowning glory of his very good creation was mankind, made male and female in God’s own image, united as one flesh in marriage, and commanded, “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it...” (Genesis 1:26-28, 2:23-25 ESV). This first marriage and every subsequent human marriage point to the great marriage of Jesus Christ and his church at the end of the world, which is the joyful destiny of all those who love the Lord (Revelation 21, Ephesians 5:31-32). Along with other sexual sins such as adultery and fornication, homosexuality overturns the Creator’s beautiful design for marriage. It also mocks his wise design for the human body and sexual intercourse. Furthermore, homosexuality makes it impossible to obey the command, “be fruitful and multiply” and leads to the extinction of generations yet unborn. God justly condemns it in his own voice as an abomination (Leviticus 18:22), and shows his hatred of it by destroying Sodom and Gomorrah as an example (Jude 1:7). Furthermore, the apostle Paul teaches that being given over to homosexuality is a punishment on those who worship idols (Romans 1:18-32). Therefore, when Davidson officially encourages homosexuality by supporting events such as the National Coming Out Day celebration, it is unwittingly encouraging its students to turn against the God who made them, his very good creation, and his perfect moral law, and to live and die under his wrath and curse.
To honor the truth and to care for our students, we should direct them toward the path of life: repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Homosexuality is not the only sin: we all sin and and need a Savior. What depth of mercy that God provided his only begotten Son to be this Savior! This is the good news: for all those who trust in him, no matter the depth of their wickedness, Christ bore the full wrath of God against their sin on the cross. By faith, believers receive his perfect righteousness and can stand before God now and for eternity, as if they had never sinned. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). On the third day after being crucified, Christ rose from the dead. In the same way, those who were once dead in their sins are made alive through him (Ephesians 2:4-5). With this new life comes freedom and power to fight remaining sin, including homosexuality, with a complete victory promised in the final resurrection at the end of time. This new life is an abundant life (John 10:10): the Christian has joy amid trials and persecutions, a cleansed conscience, assurance of salvation, freedom from worry and need, a fervent love for God, and a grateful desire to keep his law.
That Davidson directs its homosexual students away from such abundant life is especially shameful considering its history. Davidson was founded by Presbyterians who loved God’s Word and who loved Jesus Christ. A vestige of their solid Reformed theology exists in our current Statement of Purpose. As I understand the official sources of the Chaplain’s Office and the Board of Trustees, Davidson believes that its approval of diversity in matters of sexual orientation honors God. The truth is quite the opposite. I believe that God hates the sin of homosexuality and he graciously offers his only Son to rescue people from it. A god that loves homosexuality and approves of those who encourage it is not the God of the Bible, and thus not the true and living God. Such a god is an idol of our own making. In worshipping it we break the first commandment, “you shall have no other gods before me” and the second, “you shall not make for yourself a carved image.” In continuing to use God’s name in our official documents and speeches we break the third: “you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” We must repent as individuals and as an institution, for “the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:3-7). My dear friends, professors, administrators, alumni, and trustees, let us humble ourselves before the Lord before it is too late, for “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
Michael Spangler ’10 is a Music major from Winston Salem, NC. Contact him at mispangler@davidson.edu.
106 comments
First, Leviticus instructs us in the keeping of slaves:
"However, you may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat your slaves like this, but the people of Israel, your relatives, must never be treated this way" (Leviticus 25:44-46 NLT).
Furthermore, Deuteronomy reminds us that rapists ought to take care of their victims.
"If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must pay fifty pieces of silver to her father. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he will never be allowed to divorce her" (Deuteronomy 22:28-29 NLT).
Thirdly, we wouldn't want to forget the rightful punishment for adulterers:
"If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death" (Leviticus 20:10 NLT).
Finally, perhaps we should rethink the status of our female professors at Davidson as Timothy notes that
"Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet" (2:11-12).
So, Mr. Spangler, in addition to removing college support for homosexuals, perhaps we should instate these other biblical suggestions - slavery, rape, death for adultery and removal of female professors.
What in us feels the need to so vehemently defend our positions?
Or better, it seems these intellectual confusions of 'controversy' might subside were we to recognize how desperately we all must love and be loved, respect, and be respected.
Peace to all.
However, and this is the big however, the ridiculous personal attacks and cruel words cement the fears I had as a student to express any view contrary to the "PC, if you love people you must be a liberal, if you have a literal interpretation of scripture you are a hateful bigot, etc." perspective held by many at Davidson.
Seriously? Tolerance? Kettle...your phone is ringing, Pot's on the line.But Michael, seriously. Gentleness and respect go a long way. Even if other people refuse to give it to you.
www.davidson.edu/academic/german/denham/communitystatement.pdf
I believe it is unfair, hypocritical, and downright mean for people of this community to continue to berate and threaten Michael for expressing his honest opinion. I wonder if half of the people who commented bothered to read the companion piece run alongside and in fact written in coordination with Michael's piece? It may be seen by some (who clearly don't know how to post their comment only once) as an embarrassment to the school and the student body that this piece was run by one of the Davidson publications. Many others, though, would have seen it as even more humiliating for our school to be held as an institution that censors and represses the voice and views of anyone in it's community, regardless of how many people disagree. I believe that it took courage for Michael to express his views, and I feel truly sorry for him that he has received such a violent and personally threatening reaction from so many of the members of this community who claim to be "accepting."