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Response to Vicky Beeching profile

DEAFENING SILENCE

Vicky Beeching’s interview was both brave and honest. I too wish that the Church would be able to help people struggling with issues of sexuality rather than demonising them. It’s especially encouraging that she’s seeking to keep Jesus at the centre of her life. May she be able to do so.

But like those of Steve Chalke and others, her attempts to overcome scripture’s universally negative take on same-sex practice simply don’t work. You can’t make the verses mean the opposite of what they clearly say. Even special pleading to lessen their force requires that we enter the realm of guesswork.

Her appeal to the acceptance of women in Church leadership as a model for accepting same-sex marriage doesn’t withstand any examination. Considering the culture of the time, scripture is amazingly honouring of roles for women. There is simply no such acceptance of homosexual practice anywhere in scripture.  

As for her implication that there’s silence around the subject of same-sex attraction, I’d have said there was too much noise. Also, unlike her, I consider that the non-celibate choice is modelled far too much. The promotion of homosexuality and its practice has become a runaway train. Chris Schorah, via premierchristianity.com  

EXTRAORDINARY COURAGE

Coming out can be a risky ordeal for anyone. For someone like Vicky Beeching with a high-profile Christian career, doing so shows extraordinary courage.

Beeching has earned the right to tell her story and we need to hear it. We also need to bring an end to damaging Church teaching that fractures people and effectively disintegrates them from an integral, God-given part of themselves.

Now we enter an era where gay Christian people can commit to their discipleship and to (same-gender) marriage without having to make the heartbreaking decision to choose one over the other. We pray for Vicky that she continues to know God’s blessings upon her life and his guidance for her future. Kudos to Premier Christianity for running this excellent interview. Jane Newsham, via premierchristianity.com  

DANGEROUS INTERPRETATION

Vicky Beeching’s theological views on same-sex marriage are based on her own experiences. I wonder how often we try to interpret the Bible through the lens of our own lives, rather than allowing the Bible to shape us.  

Her announcement could confuse Christians who are earnestly struggling with same-sex attractions but who choose to elevate what the Bible clearly says about homosexuality above their feelings. Our emotions are invariably flawed in this fallen world. Vanessa Muirhead, London

WE ARE ALL SINNERS

The profile of Vicky Beeching caused me to reflect again on the fact that we are all sinners. Why is there such an emphasis on the sin of homosexuality in the Church today? I believe it is a sin, but we seem to have lost the knowledge that all Christians are simultaneously righteous and sinner, and not one of us is holy in the eyes of God, except though the blood of Christ. Name withheld  

FRIENDLY WARNING

By the time I’d finished reading the article on Vicky Beeching, I was weeping. I feel the tremendous aching she endures. I also have a deep aching within me and am drawn to behaviours that the Bible warns against.  

If I ever had the courage to confess what is going on inside me to friends, those who love me most would walk through it with me, reminding me that the warnings God gives are against practices that lead to destruction. Those who don’t love me so much might tell me I am free to follow my ‘instincts’. I pray that Vicky has at least some of the first type of friends around her. Miriam, Reading

BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE  

Many thanks for another fascinating article on Science in the Bible by David Instone-Brewer (Life Before Adam, October). One very interesting feature of the account of Eden, often glossed over, is Genesis 3:24: ‘After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.’  

Although Adam and Eve had lost their access to it, God put a guard on the way to the tree of life not to prevent all future access, but to await the second Adam – Jesus – who would reopen ‘the way to the tree of life’ for us all.  Mik Shaw, Goring-by-Sea  

SAVING GRACE

Wow! What a powerful testimony of God’s saving grace (From Staunch Atheist to Christian Theologian, October). Glory to God! He loves the world so much that he wants to save us from our darkness and bring us into his glorious light to fulfil the destiny he has written for our lives.  Pamela, via premierchristianity.com  

PC GONE MAD?

I felt Martin Saunders’ ‘Sound Check’ article (September) was rather contrived. I’m sure an outsider could cope with the odd strange phrase in our song lyrics.  

Martin suggests not singing ‘I Stand in Awe of You’ in case someone present can’t stand! And if ‘Rise up Women of the Truth’ is chosen to be sung at a men’s breakfast, I suggest the issue is with the ‘eejit’ who put it on the playlist.  Elisabeth Lonsdale, Aberdeen

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