C. S. Lewis On Homosexuality

[Cynus]

Despite the fact that C. S. Lewis considered homosexuality a sin, I find him to have been a rather enlightened Christian for the time that he was alive. This blog article takes from some of C. S. Lewis' words on homosexuality and I found it quite enlightening.

http://spiritualfriendship.org/2013/08/23/c-s-lewis-on-homosexuality-and-disgust/

[Drew Espinosa]

Oh wow! That was an interesting article, I did not think Lewis was so "liberal" (if that's the proper word), Thank you so much for sharing!

[Cynus]

Oh wow! That was an interesting article, I did not think Lewis was so "liberal" (if that's the proper word), Thank you so much for sharing!

I too found that fact to be quite interesting. Of course, who knows at what stage of his life this interview was held. C. S. Lewis went through many different stages of belief in his life.

[Drew Espinosa]

I too found that fact to be quite interesting. Of course, who knows at what stage of his life this interview was held. C. S. Lewis went through many different stages of belief in his life.

One of the interesting things about his conversion to Christianity, is that it was Tolkien himself who influenced that change. 

 

One of the things I really enjoyed about that article was calling out the hypocrisy in many Christians and Churches with regards to morality. They always have a different attitude against Homosexuality whereas with other "sins" they tend to be lax. I especially enjoyed the bit on marriage (divorce being contrary to "the sanctity of marriage').

 

To give a more personal example, I live in a very religious/conservative region in the US and as a result am only out to a certain number of friends (none family). If I do fully come out, hell would break loose. Yet when my sister got pregnant out of wedlock, no one batted an eye (sure my parents were angry, but it was out of being 'parents') in fact the Church was more then happy to wed them.

 

Okay, I need to digress.

Edited May 26, 2015 by Drew Espinosa

[Cynus]

Oh, I completely agree. I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is known for being the Mormon Capital of the world. While it is certainly a changing climate here, when I was a teenager being gay was just about the worst thing you could be in a Mormon family. It was certainly worse than having sex outside of marriage, though they weren't too keen on that either.

I think it is a very progressive point of view, especially considering the time period in which C. S. Lewis was alive, to view all 'sin' as essentially equal, and to also essentially establish that all people are sinners and we should treat each other with equal love as we are taught to love the sinner. (I'm not Christian any more, but last I checked that was still the lesson.)

The point that Lewis makes about it being the 'disgust' factor makes a great deal of sense to me as well. I know that there are certain actions I find revolting, and though they are no worse than other things, simply because it engages my gag reflex I do tend to hate it more and therefore speak more ill of it than things that I hate less.

For instance, I find that either ketchup or mustard on a hamburger would make the hamburger inedible to me(as a matter of personal preference of course), but I can eat Ketchup in some instances and hate the taste of mustard altogether. You'll never hear me rant about how much I dislike ketchup, but you'll hear me do so toward mustard all the time.

I think those that have been trained to think of homosexuality as something that is disgusting are those that are prone to treat it as the most grievous of sins, because it engages that gag reflex as Lewis points out.

Of course, my perspective is that it isn't a sin at all and the thought of rejecting people for who they choose to love is completely ludicrous, but I'm far more comfortable with a view like Lewis' than a view like the Westboro Baptists'. 

[Drew Espinosa]

I find the "sanctity of marriage" a bit odd. The slogan is "one man and one woman" and they point to the Bible as they say it. Yet the scriptures say marriage is between "one man and however many women he could financially support" I mean Abraham, Jacob, and David all come to mind. Is it me or am I going crazy trying to follow their logic?

[Cynus]

This is an awesome video on that very subject.

[Drew Espinosa]

That video... :rofl:

[MrM]

I find the comments on this article offputting, particularly the 'Thomasian Catholic'.

If I hear 'Gravely Disordered' one more time I'm going to scream.

 

Lewis always amazed me with his cogent apologetics. I was a student of his until I read the Screwtape Letters. That I couldn't finish. The only thing I could get out of it, and its probably his most interesting piece mind, is that if we are Christians and are confronted with such a coniving enemy as Satan, how do we survive spiritually? Where is God and his Grace when we are confronted with that kind of power? We cannot win even if we aren't supposed to be winning the battle ourselves. It was very discouraging for me at the time. I came upon better answers later, but that book upset me.

I suppose I should have read that rest of the book to get that answer, but he lost me too early on. 

Ok...I'm done bitching.

[JamesSavik]

The reason that so many people agree that homosexuality is such an evil, abominable sin is that it's not one of the more popular sins. Only a few percent of the population is GLBT. It's not like straight adultery that 90%+ of people are tempted with. It's not like gambling, booze or any number of the more popular sins that people overlook because attacking those sinners is considered just plain rude.

Any pastor can safely rail about the evils of homosexuality BUT, he won't be the pastor for long if he attacks the more popular sins in the same venom. Imagine how quickly a congregation will give such a pastor the bums rush if he were to attack divorced people in the same way that he attacks GLBT people.

Edited May 27, 2015 by jamessavik

[Zombie]

Hmm, popularity is an interesting thought. Gay sex was certainly a lot more popular in Ancient Greece and Rome - maybe it's time for a reboot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited May 27, 2015 by Zombie

[Drew Espinosa]

James, we also have to consider the population that is straight but has participated (or even thought about participating) in homosexual activity. That group still "sinned." Reasonably the figures would be higher as a result.

 

Edit: to be clear I am referring to things akin to experimenting or the like.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Drew Espinosa

[George Richard]

It's ironic that "biblical marriage" probably has much in common with marriage under Sharia law, which so many American are concerned will be imposed on us.

[Thorn Wilde]

The reason that so many people agree that homosexuality is such an evil, abominable sin is that it's not one of the more popular sins. Only a few percent of the population is GLBT. It's not like straight adultery that 90%+ of people are tempted with. It's not like gambling, booze or any number of the more popular sins that people overlook because attacking those sinners is considered just plain rude.

Any pastor can safely rail about the evils of homosexuality BUT, he won't be the pastor for long if he attacks the more popular sins in the same venom. Imagine how quickly a congregation will give such a pastor the bums rush if he were to attack divorced people in the same way that he attacks GLBT people.

 

That and women who have abortions, I guess. Gays and abortions; public enemies #1 and #2.

 

I love C.S. Lewis. He had very progressive views for his time, and was a great writer. I will always adore his books. Also, bit of trivia: C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley both died on the same day as JFK. Barely even got obituaries...