Thought for the Day, 11 January 2007

The Rev. Joel Edwards

Good morning

Jesus had very little to say about sex. Paul on the other hand said quite a lot about it. And by the 4th century, Augustine - arguably the most important Christian theologian of all times - was so tormented by his own sexuality and guilt that his own Confessions would have made front page in any tabloid.

Anybody who thinks that the Christian Church is preoccupied with morality and human sexuality can be forgiven for one very good reason: it's because we are!

But then so is the gay lobby. In fact I think in the sex-obsession war, gay and lesbian people win hands down.

So when the Government introduces a piece of legislation called the Sexual Orientation Regulations no one should be surprised if the headlines paint a picture of an all-out war between the leading contenders in the sexuality debate.

But this debate is about a lot more than sex and sexuality. It's a conflagration of competing rights between people of faith and the gay lobby. How will we conspire together to protect the gay community from injustice - without kicking Christian conscience to touch? And the government which applauds itself on its own equality track record is uncertain precisely how to referee this democratic competition.

Frankly on both sides of the argument the stakes are high.

Christians are anxious about losing power and influence. They're worried about losing the freedom to believe. But they're also worried about something else: losing the freedom to serve. Because there's a lot more to Christian faith than sex.

Serving is the thing.

In the New Testament Jesus told the classic story of the Good Samaritan in which a Samaritan found a battered Jewish enemy by the roadside. Rather than walking on the other side, the Samaritan risked his own life to rescue and find accommodation for him - presumably in an enemy Samaritan inn. Remarkably the inn-keeper said 'yes we take Jews' and the Samaritan left his enemy having paid his hospital bill in advance.

In finding justice for the gay community the Government has a serious obligation to respond to the sensibilities and real fears of the faith communities.

Undermining faith is not just bad politics; it's an act of social vandalism.

But if they don't Christians will still serve. For that is what Jesus would do. For Christian rights and freedoms are not as important as serving people.