Excerpts from the interview with Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber
Topic: Homosexuality
In October’s issue of the Our Family magazine we published an article in which you responded to questions from South African young people on various topics including homosexuality and gay marriage. Your answers elicited sharp reactions from homosexual and transsexual brothers and sisters. Where is their criticism being directed?
To begin with, our homosexual brethren seem to have taken offence at my introductory remarks. I had made reference to the divine order and spoke of the fact that the order as ordained by God is man and woman. It created the impression that homosexuality was something unnatural, something that was incompatible with the Creator’s design, and that it was perhaps even a disease.
I must admit that this was a misunderstanding. I would like to set the record straight: According to current scientific knowledge, homosexuality is, essentially, a particular disposition—as one might be right- or left-handed. Homosexuality certainly has a much broader scope than this, but in principle, this seems to be a good comparison.
The term “practised homosexuality” has often been criticised. Have there been any efforts to revise this term?
This has already been considered, but so far we have not found any better wording. This term is not intended to discriminate. If we say: “The Church does not consider the practise of homosexuality to be good,” then that is a very ambiguous phrase which might not be understood the same way by everyone. I would like to interpret this as follows: We do not make prescriptions to anyone, but we do wish to warn of certain dangers. We do not say that practising homosexuality is a sin—that would be a statement with more far-reaching consequences. From my point of view there is definitely a difference between living in a stable homosexual relationship—meaning that the relationship is founded on ethical principles—or not. Many homosexuals point out that sexuality is only one aspect of a relationship. Like heterosexuals, they too would like to share feelings such as tenderness and love with somebody else. Once again, a distinction has to be made between two people living in a committed homosexual relationship and homosexuals who behave in a sexually promiscuous manner, purely for the sake of sexual gratification with frequently changing partners.
In its position on the topic of sexual conduct, the Church states that homosexual members are not to discharge any teaching or ministerial duties. Where do you stand on this issue?
In answering this question we must not lose sight of the fact that developments have been made in society. It is not so long ago that homosexuality was largely rejected and considered unacceptable by society, and was even punished. Today things are different. In our congregations we would like to shelter our homosexual brothers and sisters. We do not want them to be at the root of controversy. That is why we as a Church have recommended that homosexual members should not engage in any ministerial or teaching function.
Where does the Church stand on marriages of homosexual couples? Would a wedding blessing in the New Apostolic Church even be conceivable?
We are a long way from that, even though this topic is the subject of much current public discussion. I would like to refer to Holy Scripture, since this is our foundation after all. Here we find a number of references which give us cause for restraint. The statements of Apostle Paul, which I already addressed in the interview I gave in South Africa, are of particular note. Certainly these statements must be considered in the context of Antiquity and we must exercise caution when applying them to our time. Nevertheless, such passages warn us to be cautious. As the New Apostolic Church we should not be the avant-garde of a development that goes in a completely different direction. That is why the dispensation of a marriage blessing to homosexual couples is not on the agenda at the moment.
Now and again the question arises as to whether homosexuals are also able to reach the goal of our faith. What are your thoughts on this?
I am convinced that no homosexual is fundamentally excluded from the possibility of reaching the goal. I have indicated that if someone deals responsibly and sincerely with his homosexual disposition in a committed relationship, this relationship is to be assessed quite differently than fleeting and constantly changing partners. The same applies to heterosexuals too. Apart from that, we are all referred to the grace of God. Therefore if someone sincerely practises his faith as a homosexual, I am convinced that he will have just as much chance of attaining worthiness as anyone else. I would like to expressly relieve our homosexual brethren of this concern.