LGBT is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people who have been traditionally discriminated against in many countries around the world due to their sexual orientation. Their experiences are complicated since they face numerous challenges when it comes to matters related to spiritual vocations and callings.
There are those individuals who believe that God calls them into ministry despite being homosexuals or transgenders. Therefore, this paper will attempt to explain how LGBT experiences complicate conventional understandings of spiritual vocation and calling.
Conventional Understandings of Spiritual Vocation and Calling
Spiritual vocation refers to a unique calling from God to serve him in a particular way. This implies that everyone has some work to do in life, which includes serving others through gifts and talents given to them by God. On the other hand, calling means an act of commissioning or inviting someone to engage in a specific activity like preaching, counseling, teaching, healing, or leading a church community among others. In most Christian denominations, these two terms refer to ministry, but not everyone receives a direct call to enter full-time ministry. Instead, some become ministers after feeling called to join certain activities that are considered divine callings.
Many Christians hold firmly to the belief that God does not want them to be homosexuals or transgenders because he created humanity male and female only. They also cite scriptures like Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, and Revelation 22:15 to support their arguments. These verses condemn same-sex intercourse and identify it as sinful behavior. Others argue that God's plan for sexual relations is procreative since it was designed for a man and woman to come together and produce offspring. Some go ahead to interpret homosexuality as a sign of spiritual warfare. They claim that Satan uses this orientation to weaken believers and make them lose focus on what they should be doing for God. Therefore, they believe that LGBT experiences complicate conventional understandings of spiritual vocation and calling since there is no clear way how one can serve God while being homosexual or transgender.
The Complications Arising from LGBT Experiences
There are many challenges that LGBT individuals face when it comes to matters related to spiritual vocations and callings.
Most conservative denominations do not allow gay priests or pastors within their churches because they view them as sinners who need redemption before entering full-time ministry. This means that gays cannot become leaders in the church unless they denounce their lifestyle, which some fail to do because they consider themselves born that way. In addition, some Christian institutions require celibacy from people serving in specific positions such as bishops or deacons.
A person who identifies as a homosexual may find it hard to maintain abstinence due to hormonal imbalances that occur during puberty leading to excessive attraction towards members of the same sex.
Christians hold diverse views about gender identity, making it difficult for those who identify as transgenders to find peace with themselves. Since they were assigned male or female at birth but identify differently later in life, they feel like outcasts in their respective communities, yet they want to fulfill their callings.
LGBT individuals who have received calls to lead congregations also experience difficulty finding support since they have to hide their sexual orientation and gender identity from their followers.
If a woman believes she was created by God as a man but has a vagina, her ability to preach is questioned based on her appearance alone without considering what she has to say. Some evangelical groups use scriptures to justify why they should exclude LGBT persons from participating in ministry. They cite 1 Timothy 3:2-7, which states that an overseer must be above reproach, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, and manage his family well. This verse is interpreted as meaning that leaders must possess moral standards, which gays and lesbians do not uphold. Therefore, there are some limitations on how far LGBT experiences can complicate conventional understandings of spiritual vocation and calling since they cannot serve in certain positions due to cultural norms.
How do LGBT experiences complicate conventional understandings of spiritual vocation and calling?
"Many scholars have argued that the experience of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) can challenge traditional conceptions of religious identity and spiritual vocation, as it often entails navigating conflicting cultural, social, and personal expectations related to one's sexual orientation, gender expression, and/or gender identity.