Should a Christian echo Tim Hardaway’s words towards gay people?
Former NBA All-Star and Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway made some waves yesterday on a radio show when he announced his disposition towards homosexuals:
“You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known,”
Hardaway’s comment was immediately attributed to the extreme end of society where the homophobic, right wing, bigots sit. And from the vantage point of the world, this is also where conservative, Bible believing Christians sit as well.
Should Christians be echoing these words?
Absolutely not. First of all the word “hate” is used. The Scriptures would teach us that God sees hate the same as murder (1 Jn. 3.15). For a Christian to hate anyone is wrong. We may hate sin, but we must not be serial killers in our hearts because people do not know Christ.
And frankly, it is the power of Christ that draws people out of all sorts of lifestyles. I think this is the point of a passage such as 1 Cor. 6 where Paul has just listed a laundry list of sins (homosexuality and fornication included) and then says this:
1 Corinthians 6:11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Most Christians were sexual sinners before conversion; some were homosexuals, others were heterosexual. Fornication in mind or body is heinous in God’s sight, and you don’t get moral righteousness credited if it with someone of the opposite sex.
How Should Christians view homosexuals?
This really is quite simple to answer but difficult to apply. We are to view homosexuals as image bearers of God. The image is perverted and distorted, yes, but it is still there. And the glory of the Creator is to be restored through the evangelization of the image bearer that Christ might radically transform them into a position such as 1 Corinthians 6.11 notes.
While the lifestyle and the outward perversion might be uncomfortable and unsettling, the image of God is still there and it commends itself to you for love.
What Should Christians do with homosexuals?
Lovingly evangelize. Each year some friends and I go down to the city of Omaha’s annual gay pride parade (they call it something different, but I can’t remember). We go there to show love to this community. The love is not expressed in the endorsement of their lifestyle but in the giving of the gospel to them (here are the tracts). Where else can you have all of Omaha’s gay community gathered together?
It is unsettling however, to see many religious groups down there shouting with signs and megaphones at all of the gay people. Nobody listens to them, they just get mocked and laughed at. In fact, last year I was talking to a group of people about the gospel when they said that they could not hear me over the guy yelling behind me (he was draped in a cardboard sign). I had to go and ask the guy to hit the mute button for a minute that I might tell the people about Jesus. He actually was upset that I was not yelling at people. This is regrettable.
Our message is not a message of conversion to heterosexuality, for most heterosexuals are going to hell, but rather a message of conversion to Christianity, which will bring the sanctified sexual behavior in accordance with God’s will.
I do not want to stand with Tim Hardaway and others who verbally express murder in their hearts. Instead I want to see all people as image bearers of God who need to be confronted, not by me, but by Jesus, and graciously shown the beauty of restoration in the gospel. We do all of this with a mindset as characterized by Titus 3.3:
For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
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35 Responses to “Should a Christian echo Tim Hardaway’s words towards gay people?”
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It’s so scary to think of where I would be if Christ never saved me. I know who I was before Christ and if you follow it to it’s logical end…eeewwhh! I may not even be here…or perhaps I’d be serving time in Pearl, Ms. with my little sister :’(
Yet another reason why professional athletes are not necessarily role models… and a sad commentary on Timmy’s state of mind. Thanks for a good, thoughtful post.
T-
It boggles my mind how many Christians harbor the “Yes, I believe in Total Depravity, but Flamboyant Bob is more depraved than I am,” attitude….as though homosexuals are beyond redemption.
Thanks for the comments guys.
It is good to think of depravity not primarily in terms of what we do as much as who we are….I think it was John Piper who said, “I am bad, I don’t just do bad things, I am bad!!”
Anyone who has actually gotten the chance to know someone who is gay knows that they are just another kind of sinner like themselves only apart from Christ.
I had a good friend whos dad was a homosexual, and may I say, he was a great guy. But He needs the Lord, just as much as my work buddies back when I worked at JC Penney needed Jesus for having sex with girl after girl.
I pitty them all, and we must trust the Spirit to work in their hearts as the gospel is shared.
Good post Erik. I like the rainbow gospel tracts. It is sad that the media does indeed lump loving true Christians with someone like Hardaway. It is a perception fostered by the likes of those at Westboro Baptist Church (God hates fags fame). I am trying to find scripture that says what happens to those who do these things in God’s name.
Most excellent article. There but for the grace of God…
I’ve linked to this piece from my “best of” blog, as one of the recent good things I’ve found in the blogosphere.
the hard part is you have Westboro Baptist going around with signs and such saying, “God hates f#gs.” that is ridiculous.
We must continue to fight for the truth but do it in love and gentleness (1 Peter 3:15)and understand that homosexuality is a sin and therefore must be put aside for any believer in Christ Jesus, but we all must understand that it is just as bad as any other sin in God’s eyes.
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
James 2:10
Erik,
Right, spot, on. I have had the privilage to know someone who is gay, yet understands the will of the Father toward that kind of life-style and refrains from practicing that kind of life-style. It is very difficult for him at times, but God gives him strength and courage and has one of the best testimonies I have ever heard. We also had someone with a similar story as his speak at our church recently and I was so amazed at how his experience relates to just about any sin you can think of. If you are interested, I could see if I could download a copy of his testimony for you.
Thank you for your generous heart which sees through the ugly trend of homophobia.
Great post.
You almost want to do something to physically shut up those yelling but then we’d be more like them than we’d know.
Very Good Post. Right to the heart of where we need to be as Christians.
-Mark J.
Thanks for the reminder that, in Christ, the glory of the Lord is being restored through the evangelization of the image bearer. Shouldn’t we also love those image bearers at Westboro Baptist?
Those of you who are in the Omaha area will have to consider joining us this year for the ministry at the homosexual pride event. This year it is on Saturday June 9th. For those of you in other cities, there is most likely a similar event that you could start an outreach at. These events are truly a great time to witness to those who are perishing of the justice and grace of God, and at the same time be reminded of how bad the depravity of sin is.
Also, while we ought to hate the way Westboro Baptist preaches, we need to make sure that we don’t shy away from the truths that they do proclaim. While I disagree with their methods, the scripture is in agreement with their assertion that “God hates fags” (Psalm 5:5) as God hates all sinners. This is not a primary message that Christians should be preaching, but we can’t run from the truth in it.
JG:
If your friend is a Christian, then he no longer “is gay.” 1 Cor 6 says “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
Also, please everybody remember that not all open air preaching is bad. Very often, the open air preachers give us all a bad name because they aren’t preaching with love or because they have bad doctrine, but there are also some very good and effective ministries that center on open air preaching (at campuses, downtowns, and varying events).
Great work here Erik. I woke up to ESPN radio this morning to listen in to all of this, and it really saddened me to hear the interview with Tim Hardaway, and the way he stated his views. And I was thinking exactly the same thing as you were — we are to hate the sin, yet love the sinner. Are we any better than someone who is gay? No — we deserve hell just as much.
Another issue that bothered me was the statement from the NBA player who just “came out.” He said he didn’t just want “tolerance” anymore. He doesn’t just want to be “tolerated.” And that scares me — and it forces us a Christians to define clearly what we believe about homosexuality. Great work.
Well said!
Let’s be clear about one thing, Hardaway in no way indicated he was a Christian. Hate is expected to be a part of the depraved mind.
What I suppose is the best caveat I can offer is nowhere has anyone mentioned Repentance. The most important thing that every person “must” do or there is no hope of salvation is often ignored in many churches and by many preachers today. This absolute is the very first word that Peter is recorded saying when he was asked by the people what they must do.(Acts 2:38) Paul talks about it in (Acts 17:30 and 26:20). God’s program is centered around trying to get men to do this one thing.(Job 42:6)(Jer 5:3)(Ezek 18:31,32) Let Jesus Christ tell us from Luke’s Gospel chapter 13, verse 3 and 5-I TELL YOU, NAY: BUT EXCEPT YE REPENT, YE SHALL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH. Again, in verse 5, Jesus repeats-I TELL YOU, NAY: BUT, EXCEPT YE REPENT, YE SHALL ALL LIKEWISE PERISH.
Jesus made it very clear, as he said, REPENT YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL-Mk 1:15.
[...] I’m glad someone posted a thoughtful Christian response to Tim Hardaway’s comments this week regarding homosexuals. [...]
I thank you for your post. It is God honoring not self-righteous. We must proclaim the Gospel to everyone in an appropriate manner. Shouting through blow horns isn’t going to get any one’s attention only their disdain, and in the process, disdain for the Gospel. I saw the video of the 5 Philadelphia people who were arrested for witnessing to the homosexuals and I saw that he had a blow horn…this made me feel a little uncomfortable and I posted about it today on my site to see how other people felt about their situation and the continuance of their situation.
Sarah,
There is nothing wrong with using a bull horn to get the gospel out. Granted it is difficult to be personal and compassionate while preaching with a bull horn, it is possible and can be very God-honoring. I have seen the bull horn used to effectively get poeple’s attention, and communicate the gospel. Don’t be generally critical of an evangelistic technique just because some people misuse it.
I would like to comment on use of the word “homophobic”. A phobia is an irrational fear or hatred of something. This is the accepted dictionary definition. So…if you are a Christian and accept the Bible as the Word of God you cannot be a homophobe. God says that homosexuality is an abomination. How is it possible for you to have a phobia of something God calls an abomination? You can only be a homophobe if you are pagan or atheist because then the Word of God wouldn’t mean anything to you. God calling something an abomination is irrelevant to pagans and atheists, obviously. If he’s not a Christian, then Tim Hardaway could be a homophobe. If he’s a Christian, all he’s doing is agreeing with God.
Re: Tim…there is no scripture anywhere that will support your statement that we are to hate the sin and love the sinner. This is nothing but hard-core, God-denying liberalism. It is probably born out of a pathetic attempt to placate the sinner but it accomplishes nothing. The only thing we owe the sinner is the Biblical command “Repent and believe!” They do not want nor need your love and it is the height of arrogance to believe that your love can replace the Gospel, which, I think, is what is behind this unbiblical “Hate the sin, love the sinner”. The modern evangelical church has for the most part abandoned the proclamation of the Gospel for this “Hate the sin, love the sinner” toleration of evil and this could very well be why Tim Hardaway’s comments are considered so out of place.
Just saw this: “While the lifestyle and the outward perversion might be uncomfortable and unsettling, the image of God is still there and it commends itself to you for love.” Dude, you’ve just broken the second commmandment! You think an image has the power to commend itself to you for love? If this isn’t a golden calf, what is? God is the ONLY thing that SHOULD commend us to love. Anything else is idolatry, which is the only term appropriate for use in describing your statement quoted above.
Edwin:
re: your comments above
So is God an idolater? He is the one who gave this image. It is the fact that mankind has this image that necessitates capital punishment in Gen.9. I am not advocating worship or exaltation of man, but rather exhorting believers to love the unlovely for the sake of God. This is what Jesus did and would have us do.
In light of your comments it is interesting to consider Jesus’ heart towards the idolatrous wealth worshipping man in Mark 10.21: And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Having only met you today via your comments, somehow I picture you wearing long robes with extra long tassels affixed to them. Perhaps this is incorrect, and first impressions are not always right, but I can’t help picturing you as one of the guys who would have been aggravated with Jesus showing kindness to lepers and tax collectors: “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Luke 5.30)
This is one of the most level-headed articles I have seen recently. (And the comments also.)
If you take request, I would really be interested in what you and the fellow travelers believe about separation. You know, with the Amish being one extreme and the liberal mainstream churches as the other. My background is Independent/Southern Baptist, and have only come under the influence of the Doctrines of Grace a couple years ago.
Since that time, I have found very little that addresses that point. (2 Cor 6:17) Perhaps another term is used. Either way, it should provide some interesting, and hopefully enlightening, comments.
Edwin,
you are incorrect about your doctrine, sir. It is God who hates evil and the one who is evil and He alone has this privilege because He is pure, righteous, and holy. We on the other hand are to flee evil but are commanded to love our enemies and to go out and spread the Gospel. We are to tell people the bad news about their soul that they are depraved and on their way to hell, but we are also to tell them the Good News. One without the other is half the truth which makes it a lie. But we are not telling people that they are depraved to show them how much we hate them and their sin. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So it is not your job to hate the sinner…that needs be left up to God. I guarantee the only Scripture you will find is that God hates evil and those who preform evil, but you will never find Scripture that tells us to hate people.
I don’t know but do you think its possible for the image to be either destroyed or so marred by sin as to be unrecognizable? And as regards what Jesus did, I think you are falling into the WWJD trap, which lessens who Jesus is. He is not our example, he is our Saviour, our Redeemer. What he did in showing kindness to lepers is irrelevant. Pointing out what Jesus did reduces him to an example and abrogates his role as Redeemer.
Believing Biblical Christians desire to see man come to salvation. All sin is sin against the Lord Jesus Christ. Homosexauality is stated in the Word as one of man acts that God addresses as sin. Paul said, “As some of you were.” Any activity that God does not approve of, doesn’t mean he in his grace would not bring them to salvation.
Our culture may approve of homosexuality,and sexual activity of any kind outside of marriage as normal, but culture does not set the standard for those of us who accept the Word of God for our lifestyle.
Tim Hardaway spoke without thinking, and the media has made sure they made their point.
We need to address the behavior not the person.
There’s a bit of a problem addressing the behaviour and not the person when it comes to homosexuals. In this sin, the behaviour IS the person. I think this is something that we tend to forget. For example, a person who lies does not go around calling himself a liar, right? And yet, we all know that a person who commits the sin of homosexuality proudly and without hesitation calls himself homosexual, right? He defines himself by his sin. So how do you address the behaviour and not the person when the person’s existence is based on his behaviour? You can tell him his behaviour is sin all you want but all he’s going to hear is an attack on him personally because he is his sin. Granted, he doesn’t call it sin but he doesn’t deny that this behaviour defines him.
Re: Sarah
God saves, we don’t. Our love for the lost will never save them. To think that it will is to make an idol of this love and violate the Second Commandment. God saves through the proclamtion of the Gospel. What is the Gospel? Jesus died to save sinners. He was buried. He rose again. Thats it. Thats the Gospel. You can love your enemies all you want but if you don’t proclaim the Gospel to them then all you’re doing is loving them right into Hell.
Edwin,
try to slow down and actually read. I NEVER said that our love saves any one and any one who knows the Bible knows that it is only by grace and grace alone that anyone is saved. You are throwing in a strawman argument! Our point is that WE are to LOVE our ENEMIES…that was the point of this post. GOD is the one who DECIDES who will come to Him and who will not. Those whom He has not chosen He hates (although He still shows common grace and mercy, which is a love act, to these people because they still breath and have “good” things in life) those whom He has chosen He loves…..BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHO THEY ARE, so YOU are to love your ENEMIES.
And another thing, I don’t advocate spreading the Gospel just so people can go to heaven. I advocate it because God commanded us to spread the Gospel and to love our enemies…all for His glory. So please get off your self-righteous pony and go read up on how you can glorify God instead of yourself.
Non sequitur. noun. A reply that has no relevance to what preceded it; a statement so foolish or illogical that it can hardly be responded to. Example:
I say, “Lovingly evangelize [homosexuals]… We go there to show love to this community. The love is not expressed in the endorsement of their lifestyle but in the giving of the gospel to them.“
You say, “You can love your enemies all you want but if you don’t proclaim the Gospel to them then all you’re doing is loving them right into Hell.”
Overcompensation. noun. Excessive compensation, especially correction beyond what is needed to compensate for a defect, leading to an equal but opposite error. Example:
The liberal says, “Jesus is primarily a good example.” (False Hebrews 2:17, 1 John 4:10)
You say, “He is not our example… Pointing out what Jesus did reduces him to an example and abrogates his role as Redeemer.” (Equally false.1 Timothy 1:16, 1 Peter 2:21)
Straw man. noun. A fabricated or conveniently weak or innocuous version of an opponent’s argument that can easily be defeated. Example:
“You think an image has the power to commend itself to you for love? If this isn’t a golden calf, what is?”
See related issue at “slanting”—distorting by rendering unfaithfully or incompletely. e.g., characterizing the idolatry of the children of Israel as having loved an image when they rather worshipped it. See also “sloppy exegesis” and “ultior motive.”
Edwin, you really came in here guns blazing with your accusations of “hard-core, God-denying liberalism,” “pathetic attempt[s] to placate the sinner,” and “idolatry.” But for all their sanctimony, your detractions are conspicuously absent any scripture. Here’s one I like, “He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him” (Proverbs 18:13). Another good one is 2 Timothy 2:14, “Solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.” Don’t come in here complaining about the word “homophobe,” man. Get to your point—you disagree with Erik’s assertion that Christians should love homosexuals. We can deal with that:
///For a wonderful treatment both of the biblical truth about homosexuality and about our responsibility as Christians regarding it, listen to Al Mohler’s magnificent Homosexual “Marriage”: A Tragic Oxymoron.
///I also highly recommend John MacArthur’s article Does God So Love the World?”
[...] Original post by erik [...]
Hardaways comments were mean but should we pile on…perhaps he was feed up with all the propaganda of how the lifestyle is almost considered superior in popular circles. Also consider that some kids who grow up in disadvantaged areas and less supervised are more prone to homosexual predators. I recall some of the like would sit in their cars outside the public b.ball courts looking for young stragglers to offer a ride home and more…most boys tend to be too ashamed to report it and it stays with one forever.
Well there is a lot of people who do not go along with you, I being one.
I quote some verses please take good note of them and consider them.Have I not hated them, O Lord that hate thee? And wasted away because of thine enemies? I have hated them with perfect hatred: they were counted my enemies Ps 139:21-22
I have loved you, saith the Lord. And ye said, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? Saith the Lord: I loved Jacob and hated Esau, and I laid waste his borders, and made his heritage as dwellings of the wilderness? Mal 1:2-3 Even as it has been writted, I loved Jacob and I hated Esau. What then shall we say? Is there not injustice with God? Let it not be.. Rom9:13-14
Thou hast hated them that idly persist in vanities: but I have hoped in the Lord? There is a time to hate Ecc 3:1-8We must love what Jesus loves and hate what he hates. If someone says they love Jesus and expresses no hatred for His enemies they are lying. On the other hand, no one is capable of perfect hatred unless they have first expericenced perfect love for the Master. Jesus gives deeper insight into the correct definition of the Christian’s brother in Matt 12 If anyone says I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar: for the one not loving his brother whom he has seen, he is not able to love God whom he has not seen. John 4:20 Christians are not commanded to love faggots, Jews, sub-Adamics, mongrels, or other assocted animals but rather those Adamic brothers who share the Christian’s love for Christ.How can anyone profess love for God and who is at war with God. A Christian cannot love the world and anything that is in the world
I love those who love me, and they that seek me shall find me Prov 8:17 There are those who cannot love God becasue of the identity of their father, the devil Prov 8:17 Have I not hated them, O Lord that hate thee? And wasted away because of thine enemies? I have hated them with perfect hatred: they were counted my enemies Ps 139:21-22
Please think about these scriptures and ask God to show you the truth and I am sure you willhave a different light on the way you are thinking.
Yes people need deliverance but I do not want to be a enemy with God. Of course I pray for their deliverances and trust that God will convict them but to go with them in their parades is something else. The Bible says in Ps 1 to say away from those kinds of people not to join with them. I think that thinking the way you are thinking will only lead you to destruction and anyone else that read and believe the way you think. Hoping to here from you. Thanks for the chance to speak the way I believe