Tolerance was the main theme of the “Homosexuality and the Christian Community” program at the Presbyterian Campus House on Oct. 31.
The event included a speech by guest speaker Dr. Ted Hagen, a psychologist and minister in Kingsport.
This discussion included scientific studies about homosexuality, but was mostly about how the church portrays homosexuals.
Hagen mentioned to a group of about 15 people that homosexuals should be included as members and that there is nothing in the Presbyterian Church that says they should not be loved.
Hagen also mentioned that he perceived homophobia as a sin. He also discuused his beliefs on why it is wrong not love somebody because of his or her homosexuality. There is no reason to shut someone who believes in God out of the church.
Hagen explained more after the program was over what he meant by his comments.
“It depends on how you define homophobia,” he said.
“If homophobia is the action of casting people out and rejecting them, then that’s a sin. If it’s because of your own personal experience, and you feel it’s your own personal issue, then it’s not a sin.”
Hagen did talk about the struggles different denominations are having.
While some church denominations like the Southern Baptists staunchly oppose homosexuality, Presbyterians and Methodists are more divided on the issue.
“The Methodists’ struggle is not about whether to love or accept that person, their struggle is whether or not that person should be ordained into leadership in the church,” he said.
“The same thing is really true with the Presbyeterian Church. The debate is over leadership.
“It’s not over whether you should love someone over homosexuality.”
Hagen also talked about human genetics and emerging theories on whether humans are born having a homosexual preference.
According to him, that is still undetermined.
“I don’t really think there is much evidence for it,” he said.
“The jury is out. It can neither support nor retract.
“Most of the biological evidence is in fetal development, in the sexually dimorphic nuclei.”
Hagen thinks that all sexuality falls short of what God intended, and that it is the law which defines marriage.
“The church has never been the institution to define marriage,” he said.
Hagen thought the students were very supportive of each other about this controversial topic.
Students seem to stick together and are more accepting on these issues.
They accept each others opinions without regard to sexual preference. Students were open to ideas whether they are agreed or not.
“I was impressed with the students mutual acceptance of each other,” Hagen said.
“It was not sameness in viewpoint, but there was openness and genuineness for one another.”
One of the most open individuals at this meeting was a student who is a strong supporter of tolerance for homosexuals.
“When most people find out somebody is a homosexual, people disregard them.
Most people look on it as wrong or unnatural, but there are several ways to disprove that it is wrong or unnatural,” she said.
“That’s very subjective because you can’t really say that this is right or wrong.”
She believes that humans set the rules for society to go by, something she would like to see changed.
“Humans decide what is right and what is wrong, that the majority rules,” she said.
“It’s ignorance because not everybody may be created equal, but everybody should be treated as equal.

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