Letter to The Week Magazine

I enjoy The Week Magazine, especially sections like it's Good Week For/Bad Week For and Only in America.

In this week's issue, however, the Only In America section had the following, one sided and inaccurate portrayal of a church's apparent insensitivity:

A Texas mega-church canceled a veteran's memorial service after learning the deceased was gay. The Rev. Gary Simons of High Point Church initially approved the service to honor Cecil Sinclair, who served in the first Gulf War and recently died, at 46, following heart surgery. Twenty-four hours before the service, however, Simons changed his mind after learning of Sinclair's sexuality. The decision was "not based on hatred, not based on discrimination, but based on principle," Simon's said. "It's not that we didn't love the family."

The basic facts here - that the church offered their building and then rescinded that offer the day before after learning he was gay - are true. But there were many details left out that show how the church's decision was the right one under the circumstances.

I wrote the following letter to the editor to clarify. I don't expect it to be published as The Week only publishes letters 2-3 times per year.

I read with disappointment the short paragraph detailing High Point Church's decision to cancel a memorial service for a gay man 24 hours before it was scheduled to happen. On the surface, this seems to be a blatant example of religious bigotry, but a simple visit to the church's web site reveals the other side of the story.

Yes, it is true that the church (the entire staff, not simply Rev. Simon's, as you reported) rescinded their offer to host a memorial service after learning he was gay. However, it wasn't simply the fact that he was gay that lead to that decision. It was upon seeing the inappropriate photographs of men toughing each other's genitalia provided to the church staff for a video presentation, learning that an associate of an openly gay choir to officiate and learning that there would be an open mike for sharing that they concluded that this would be an event not simply remembering the man, but celebrating the homosexual lifestyle.

From the High Point Statement:

Allowing an openly homosexual service in our facility would condone homosexuality as a lifestyle. While we open our doors to everyone, including homosexuals who desire a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ, we cannot and will not allow our sanctuary to be used by outside organizations or individuals who want to flaunt or glorify any immoral lifestyle. We cannot condone what the Word of God condemns.

Other facts left out of your article:

• The church secured and paid for an alternate location for the service, which the family declined.
• The church went ahead and produced the video, minus the inappropriate images, and provided it to the family.
• The church prepared and delivered food for the family and one hundred relatives and friends.
• Several church staff members went to the memorial service in support of the family (where their initial concerns about the tone of the service were confirmed).

Certainly, there are examples of "Christians" acting in unChristlike ways toward homosexuals, but this was not one of them. Too many highly visible men and women have made hateful statements, not only against homosexual behaviour, but against homosexual people. None of this changes the fact that God in the Bible speaks clearly against homosexual behaviour, as it does against any sex outside the context of marriage as well as lying, stealing, murder and many other things. A church claiming God's name and representing Him on Earth, must stand for the things He stands for and against the things He stands against. This is what High Point Church was doing.

It seems that High Point Church was put in a compromising, no win position where someone was going to get hurt either way. It made the tough, but proper, choice of sticking true to the principles of scripture by both prohibiting the celebration of sin within their walls while providing for the family in other ways.