A Christian schoolfired me earlier this year because of my belief that a person can be a Christian and be gay. According to the school,homosexuality is immoral;believing otherwise disqualifies a person from being a Christian.
The school’s view is not representative of what all Christians believe. The doctrines underpinning the school’s Statement of Belief is not the consensus of all academics in the relevant fields.
Christians come in all shapes and sizes … and sexualities. In fact,the school and I agreed on core Christian beliefs and shared the same views on more specific beliefs,like taking the Bible seriously.
I spent many months reading the best available scholarship on Christianity and sexuality because I wanted to keep doing a job that I loved. I tried to argue my case with my employer,to convince them that I could be a Christian and live true to biological realities that I cannot change. It was painful,often lonely,and ultimately unsuccessful.
In letters they wrote to me,the school acknowledged that I performed my job well and that I was a valued member of the school community. They also said being a good English teacher wasn’t enough because I didn’t fulfil the inherent requirements of my occupation.
The school’s decision to fire me amounts to a judgment that I no longer qualify as a Christian.