When a Christian expresses his disapproval of sexual activity between members of the same sex, he’s often criticized for being a bigot. As a result, many Christians back down from expressing their disapproval, since no one wants to be a bigot.
So what can we say in response?
First, the charge wrongly defines bigotry simply as having a negative opinion about a behavior. If the mere expression of opposition to a particular lifestyle choice were bigotry, then any opposition to a lifestyle choice would be bigotry, including opposition to racism. But surely no person of goodwill wants to say opposition to racism is bigotry, and thereby we ought to back down from expressing such disapproval.
Bigotry is not simply having a negative opinion, but having a negative opinion based on emotion and unfounded preconceived biases rather than reason—unwilling to give a fair hearing to opposing views and engaging in invective rather than reasoned debate.
Are some Christians guilty of this? Sure. And that’s unfortunate. But some Christians oppose same-sex sexual activity on the basis that such behavior violates the natural moral law and doesn’t contribute to authentic human happiness. Opposition on this basis doesn’t fit the bigotry bill.
Secondly, it’s often the case that, when Christians are charged with “bigotry” for their expressed opposition to same-sex sexual activity, the ones making the charge are themselves guilty of bigotry, since the charges are commonly made with emotional outbursts that lack principled reasons for why our opposition is in fact bigotry. Moreover, making such a charge without sufficient evidence manifests their unfounded preconceived biases, which, again, belongs to bigotry.
So, although we as Christians do need to check ourselves for the manner with which we express our belief about human sexuality, we don’t need to back down in expressing our belief due to fear of being a bigot.
***This article was originally published as an “Indulgence” for Catholic Answers Magazine Online on June 4, 2024.