As for the “apparently” I inserted before the “well-known evangelical group,” I actually simply meant I hadn’t heard of them, but I can see how it might be misconstrued as a negative implication. I’ll be more aware in the future.
]]>I made the point about the loud vocal majority of conservative religious churchgoers that say gay people are going to hell because of their sexual “choices.” I find it hard to believe that most wouldn’t agree this is the largest contingent who weighs on the subject. This is in no way to imply that every straight Christian spouts hatred or intolerance to gays and lesbians, but unfortunately, there are quite a few that do.
]]>However, I feel that this piece was a little irresponsibly written in that the author betrays her lack of understanding of this issue in a few ways. For one thing, if you have to say that the Barna Group is “apparently well-known,” it probably means you haven’t done much research here, having never heard of them before. The author wraps up the piece with what seems to be her own idea that, “it certainly makes me wonder if conservative, straight churchgoers will continue to call gay people heathens. This survey seems to throw that insult out the window.”
Actually, at the end of the official Barna Group report, it states, “George Barna, whose company conducted the research, pointed out that some popular stereotypes about the spiritual life of gays and lesbians are simply wrong,” and it goes on to quote Barna directly, who said, “People who portray gay adults as godless, hedonistic, Christian bashers are not working with the facts.”
So, in other words, the author of this piece maybe breezed over that part or is consciously avoiding attributing those words to the same “conservative, straight churchgoers will continue to call gay people heathens.” It just seemed like odd reporting to claim a part of the official survey that you are reporting on as your own “wonder,” as if it wasn’t explicitly addressed in the Barna report.
Altogether I’m very glad Brave new Traveler posted about this study because I am truly ashamed of the reputation that a fraction of Evangelicals have given to the rest of us (those who truly follow Jesus’ call to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:36-40)
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