Protestants labor with stance on Question 2

Stacy J. Willis

Monday, Oct. 30, 2000 | 11:09 a.m.

Behind closed doors at Canyon Ridge Christian Church, a group of men and women try to reconcile their same-sex attraction with their religious convictions.

"They don't identify themselves as homosexuals. They identify themselves as Christians," said Don Miller, licensed therapist and the administrator of the nondenominational church's Homosexual and Lesbian Outreach (HALO) program.

By studying the Bible and talking about their feelings, Miller said, dozens of Las Vegans who had struggled with homosexuality have learned that they can "suppress those desires and move on and have a healthy, productive life.

"Some people have had a substantial change in their orientation, are dating the opposite sex, and enjoying the opposite sex. ... And some are maintaining celibacy, and they are satisfied with that," Miller said.

But many argue that Canyon Ridge's program, like others affiliated with the national Exodus "gay recovery" organization, are psychologically harmful and -- to some -- un-Christian.

Christians, as well as members of other faiths, are vastly divided on the issue of homosexuality -- divided over whether homosexuality is a sinful choice or a God-given trait, whether homosexuals are worthy of being ordained, and whether gay and lesbian relationships should get the blessing of the church.

Nevada ballot Question 2 -- the proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage -- begs the state's religious leaders to take a public, political stand on homosexuality.

But most, it seems, would rather not.

"This measure has challenged the clergy. Many churches are nervous about speaking up -- worried it will offend people no matter which side they are on," said the Rev. Valerie Garrick, a United Church of Christ pastor who opposes the amendment. "I'm sure many people wish this weren't an issue." While some conservative churches, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, made statements in support of the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage, many religious leaders have stayed quiet.

The "homosexual issue" has become particularly troublesome for mainline Protestant denominations in recent years. Faced with lagging membership numbers and a changing worship styles, the churches shy away from controversy in hopes of keeping their middle-of-the-road congregants in the pews.

Mainline Protestant churches also are threatened by the rise in nondenominational churches such as Canyon Ridge -- which combine contemporary worship style with a conservative theological message.

In Nevada, polls show some 60 percent of voters oppose gay marriage.

"A lot of pastors are afraid to make a statement about Question 2 because they are afraid of dividing their congregations and of losing financial support," the Rev. Phil Hausknecht of Christ the Servant Lutheran Church said. "But this is about justice, and I believe I am called as a pastor to work for justice.

"I think Proposition 2 is discriminatory. It boils down to homophobia and churches aren't handling that issue well. I'm out front with this and my congregation probably doesn't support me -- I've lost members -- but I really think as pastors we need to step up," Hausknecht said.

Additionally, some pastors don't want to speak out before their national denominational organization reaches a decision about homosexuality.

Duke University Divinity School Assistant Dean Albert Mosely said changes are happening slowly with regard to homosexuality in national mainline denominations, but often local clergy encounter pressure on the issue in advance of the national denomination.

"We live in a society that is much more open now than 40 years ago," Mosely said. "There has been a social movement to come out and be yourself wherever you are, and some of those people just happen to be in a church.

"This is certainly a big issue in every denomination at a national level right now. But things happen at a different pace at that level." Denominational Protestant churches have addressed homosexuality a number of times in a variety of forms -- but the issue seems to reappear at each national convention.

"The United Church of Christ is the only mainline Protestant denomination to allow same-sex unions. Presbyterians have considered whether to ordain gay persons and decided not to, Episcopalians have considered it on several occasions and said no, and this summer the United Methodists nearly split over the issue of same-sex unions. They decided not to allow them," Mosely said.

People on each side of the issue interpret differently the biblical passages that appear to address the issue -- some say the Bible clearly speaks against homosexuality and some say the true meaning of specific passages has been lost in revisions. Still others argue that even if the Bible says homosexuality is sinful, the Christian community has chosen unfairly to criticize homosexuality more than many other sins.

Garrick, one of the first local religious leaders to speak out against Question 2 and organize with opposition group Equal Rights Nevada, said the issue is one of civil rights and religious freedom.

"Every faith tradition has a right to believe as they want to believe -- we have freedom of religion in this country. But I am opposed to a religious group imposing their beliefs on the rest of us.

"Personally I think we have more than an obligation to speak up because it is discriminatory. I believe it's discrimination toward families. We should be honoring all families -- that's how you build a strong, cohesive community. And the government shouldn't be defining what a family looks like," Garrick said. Even many of those who clearly believe homosexual behavior is sinful are adapting their approach to the issue to mix better with an increasingly gay-friendly culture.

"For a long time churches didn't even want to talk about it except to say it's wrong," said Miller. "Now we are talking about it, helping people.

"HALO is a nonthreatening group. People come here voluntarily. There is a huge amount of grace. We are not at all a political group or an advocacy group," Miller said. "But the bottom line is that the remedy for same-sex attraction is Christ."

The Rev. Jason Auringer, pastor of First Good Shepherd Lutheran (Missouri Synod) Church said that although he believes "homosexuality is contrary to the Bible," and he supports the amendment proposed in Question 2, he doesn't "draw specific attention" to the issue during this campaign.

"I have a ('Yes on Question 2') sign in my yard and my wife wants me to put signs up all over the church, but I have yet to do that," Auringer said. "When the issue comes up in church, I let them know what the Bible says -- the Bible says it is wrong.

"But there is a tendency of the modern world to see this as either you support all of the so-called 'homosexual agenda' or else you are a gay basher," Auringer said.

"We feel we fall somewhere in the middle."

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