LGBT+ and the Church

QVII. On Suffering

The Questions (and Statements):

➢ What are LGBT+ people supposed to do with their attractions and identity as a Christian?

➣ Since these are part of a person, it requires rejecting themselves, which is malicious.

➢ It is unloving to leave people suffering; therefore God is unloving for having LGBT+ people not be who they are.

Answer:

In the Christian understanding, the shaping of identity is inseparable from Christ Himself. A vital element of this is the ability to distinguish between what one is attracted to and who one fundamentally is, while also embracing an understanding of gender that aligns with the teachings of the Lord. This is not an easy undertaking; it is strenuous and at times painful. Yet, many aspects of what were formerly considered intrinsic to a person's identity may be redirected towards that which is godly, elevated by grace and divine purpose.

The life of a Christian calls for self-denial and the taking up of one's cross, as the Gospel of Mark records: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (8:34). Christ Himself commands, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10:38). These admonitions, reiterated throughout the Gospels, teach that following the Lord requires struggle and transformation. We are not to remain fixed in the self we once knew, but rather to place ourselves wholly into Christ, allowing Him to clothe us with newness and righteousness.

To be a Christian is to possess a new identity, granted by God, which comes to full expression through baptism and chrismation. In these sacred mysteries, one dies to the old self and rises anew. One cannot claim to be changed while remaining bound to former conduct, nor can one faithfully follow Christ while clinging to personal desire over His commandments. Christianity is not a buffet from which one may select only what appeals. As St. Paul admonishes, "But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:20-24).

The person we become after conversion is fashioned by God, not ourselves. It is therefore of profound importance that we submit to His will in all understanding and practice. At baptism, one cannot cling to former conduct, but must embrace renewal. Baptism signifies the birth of Christian identity. St. Paul further assures, "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4).

To resist change is to resist walking in newness of life. Preservation of this newness, through the grace of God, may involve struggle and trial. To live according to the Christian path is not an act of cruelty but of love, a cultivation of spiritual nourishment and moral fortitude. Suffering does not denote divine neglect or malice. The epistle of James counsels, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (Jm. 1:2-4).

Joy and appreciation emerge from this disciplined spiritual life. The example of Fr. Seraphim Rose, a man who once lived a homosexual life, illustrates this truth. In his repentance and embrace of Christianity and orthodoxy, he did not experience the destruction of self that critics might presume. His existence was not defined by his orientation. Instead, he discovered a life of spiritual depth, placing his attention upon the things of God. Christians, nourished in mind and spirit, ultimately find their way to Him, and in that pursuit, they uncover a fuller, more enduring joy than any worldly affirmation could provide.

The way is difficult but it is sublime.