An editorial in the New York Times entitled: A Nominee’s Abnormal Views published on July 10, 2007, stated that the Senate Health Committee will have to “dig beneath the surface on Thursday to consider the nomination of Dr. James Holsinger to be surgeon general.” Apparently Dr. Holsinger, who is extremely qualified to serve as the surgeon general, is being accused of moral malpractice by those who find his medical opinion regarding homosexual activity disturbing.
What bothers me about this editorial is that it intentionally blures the lines of medical and religious beliefs. It would seem that Dr. Holsinger is basing his professional opinion regarding homosexual behavior on the medical fallout of such behavior, but the article quickly moves to the religious orientation of the doctor. Statements like:
“it [a paper he wrote for a church committee in 1991 entitled, “Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality”] reads like a veneer of science cloaking an aversion to homosexuality” (emphasis mine)
and
“it [The Senate Health Committee] must determine whether Dr. Holsinger holds these benighted views today” (emphasis mine).
Am I wrong, or is this a great example or prejudicial treatment of a Christian (I am assuming Dr. James Holsinger claims to be a Christian) in spite of his highly rated professional experience and opinion?
Read the story [note: graphic terms and descriptions are used in this article]
I do believe that we are witnessing this type of prejudice more and more. I believe the story’s viewpoint is prevalent among many who hold to no objective truth. They believe that we can all create our own ‘truth’ and that there is no objective right or wrong. Christians hold that God is the author of truth and Jesus claims that He is the way, the Truth, and the life. I am emphasizing truth, but that He is the Way and the Life are equally offensive to those who do not want to be accountable to a holy God – they believe there are many ‘ways’ to God and life finds true meaning as we seek ‘truth’ in our own ‘way’. Therefore, many people will tolerate any belief system, but Christianity.
When witnessing to two homosexuals in San Francisco a couple of years ago, I did not reveal who I was in Christ until after one of the homosexuals had finished speaking maliciously about a young Christian female who had come from the Bible belt (he knew my sister and I were from the southeast). She had tried to live a godly life before them, but soon found herself compromising with them, to their delight and her dismay. Before moving back home, she left a gift to her roommate, a Bible. The man was indignant as he relayed how arrogant she was to think that her roommate needed to be more godly.
His prejudice against Christians came not necessarily from this young girl, but from what media highlights of those (some who are Christians and some who are not) who are extremely critical and who offer no hope for the sin problem we all have. Once unbelievers have been offended, they read their own motives into the actions of Christians even if the Christians are acting in genuine love. I asked him if he believed if this young woman genuinely believed what she read in the Bible. He said he was sure she did, so I asked him if perhaps in her love for her roommate her gift to her was not one of condemnation but one of genuine love. Perhaps she felt she could no longer be an effective witness, but wanted to offer her roommate the hope that she had which she found in the Bible. He agreed that she could have left it for that very purpose. I revealed to him then that I, too, was a Christian and if I failed to share with him what that truly means that I would be unloving. When we finished talking (almost two hours later), he knew that Christians understand that we are all sinners before God, that none of us (Christians) are holy based upon the things we do but that we are placing our hope on our holy God who teaches us His ways, and that if a Christian fails to share the truth with someone who doesn’t have it and is willing to hear it, based upon the Word of God, we are sinning.
He asked many questions and knew that my love for him was shown in accepting him and sharing truth with love. I did not condemn him, but warned him that it wasn’t before me that he would stand when this life is over, but before God, so it would be important for him to acknowledge his sin and his need for God. While he never showed an interest in finding his salvation in Jesus, he did remark that he had never known Christians like my sister or me. We assured him that there are many, many more.
I do realize, however, that anytime we want to impact the world for Christ, we will be persecuted; and hope that Christians will not shrink back from doing whatever God calls us to do even in the face of persecution for none of His servants is greater than our Master.