Christian Glee Star Kristin Chenoweth Sparks Heated Homosexuality Debate
The Christian community responds to Kristin Chenoweth's controversial interview with a BGT publication
Hundreds of comments have been posted on The Christian Post with regards to a controversial interview Christian “Glee” star Kristin Chenoweth gave with The Advocate to promote her new album “Some Lessons Learned”. In that interview she went on the record to say she doesn’t believe being gay is a sin.
The reaction toward Chenoweth was varied. Some simply stated comments such as “good for her.” However, many others were critical and urged Chenoweth to repent.
Some people questioned her devotion to God’s word, and a deep and varied discussion took place on CP’s message boards on the ethics surrounding homosexuality.
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Topics ranged from equal rights for homosexuals to gay marriage, as well as discussions about what constitutes sexual sin and how the Church should respond to the various issues.
One commenter said, “I love her views. She is like the people in my church. Millions of Christians agree with her. The list of churches welcoming gays is growing all the time. Many younger evangelicals see the older generation's views on gays the way we see our grandparents' views on race.”
However, Gary Cuss of DefendChristians.org wants Christians to remember that Kristin Chenoweth is not a religious leader. He says, “Celebrities ought to not be consulted as theologians.”
One commenter said, “It’s the Holy Bible. It doesn't matter what she "thinks” because the Holy Bible says what it says.”
Another claimed that homosexuality is natural: “People don't choose to be gay. Just like people don't choose to be left handed.”
Chenoweth addressed the common “born-this-way” argument in her interview with The Advocate, where she compared homosexuality to height.
“What would I do if it was a sin to be short? That’s the way God made me, so what could I do? Let’s see, I could wear heels, I could tease my hair, and maybe on a good day I could be 5'1". But the bottom line is, I’m 4'11" and that’s the way I was put together. And that’s what I believe about homosexuals,” said the star.
Some had questions as opposed to comments. One blogger asked, “Isn’t Kristin from the Bible belt?” According to various online biographies, Chenoweth was born in a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The same commenter who asked where Chenoweth was raised had one simple thing to say: “I do not agree with her.”
One gay man took the opportunity to ask a number of questions about immorality. A slew of Christian Post community members offered prayer, shared Bible verses and gave advice to him and others. One community member said, “It's not a sin to love; it's a sin to have or fantasize about gay sex just as it's a sin to have sex outside of marriage or before marriage. People do that everyday too, we don't hate them for those choices, but in the same token we don't pretend it's ok.”
Another commenter pointed out that Christians should accept gays just like they accept divorced people.
Recently, New Spring Church Pastor Perry Noble at a South Carolina mega church gave an influential sermon on sexual sins. In his sermon, he apologized to homosexuals for the way the church had treated them: "It's so sad that the church has used the name of the one who died for your sins to persecute you. Doesn't make sense."
However, he added, "Homosexuality is a sin. It's not popular in America to say that.”
Noble said he has been studying homosexuality for a year and emphasized that it is never endorsed in the Scriptures. "Anytime it's mentioned ... it's always condemned."
He also pointed out that he does not disagree with homosexuals who say they were born this way.
"I believe it," he said. "Because the Bible says that we were all born sinners."
“Heterosexuals were born into heterosexual sin,” the pastor added.
Pastor Noble said, "I was born with a desire to have sex with every pretty girl that would let me have sex with her and so was every man," he said. "Just because you were born that way doesn't make it right for you to act on the way you were born."
With regards to CP’s story on Kristen Chenoweth’s comments, another commenter said, “I appreciate where her heart is at, but given she may influence other young believers and non believers, I really think someone needs to saddle up to Ms Chenoweth and educate her a bit.”
Glee actress Kristen Chenoweth has more than 400,000 Twitter followers and close to 80,000 Facebook fans.
