A Christian couple has reportedly refused to allow a gay couple to view their home.
Luke Main, 33, and his wife, Dr Joanna Brunker, 34, put their cottage up for sale with estate agency Purplebricks. They screened potential viewers by asking, “Would you mind telling us a bit about your position and circumstances when you have a moment please?”
You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a standard question about whether potential viewers have a property to sell, have a mortgage in place, or whether they’re just time-wasters fancying nosing around someone else’s home.
Not so for Main and Brunker, however, who allegedly used the opportunity to flex their homophobic tendencies and refuse to allow “two men in a partnership to view or buy our house… as it is contrary to the gracious teaching in God’s Word, the Holy Bible, eg Romans 1:24-28 and Jude 7 (King James Version)”.
Main and Brunker might be homophobes, but they’re well-mannered with it, ending their message with a courteous “with regards”. After all, nothing softens the blow of prejudice like a polite sign-off.
Luke Whitehouse and his partner Lachlan Mantell, the same-sex couple who requested to view the cottage, were understandably distressed by the response of the property owners to their viewing enquiry. Purplebricks was also unimpressed. The property company has since removed the advert from their website, saying that the Christian couple’s “stance is completely opposed to our views and values”. Quite right.
We all know that homophobia is – sadly – still alive and kicking, but it’s astonishing that the Bible is still being trotted out to support discrimination on the basis of sexuality, “said the couple”
Let’s be clear, the Christian holy book has nothing to say about being gay – even in the passages quoted in Main and Brunker’s email. Our conceptions of sexual identity are modern constructions that simply didn’t exist when the biblical texts were written. Then again, why on earth would we expect an ancient sacred book to speak to 21st-century social issues? “they lamented”.
Both argued that the Bible is culturally important and influential – but it’s also complex, contradictory and inconsistent, and it offers precious few clear teachings about any of our most pressing social issues. From incest to racism, rape to misogyny, the Bible is ambiguous. You might find a quote that seems to take a clear stance in one biblical book, only to find a contradictory passage in another.
Dr Chris Greenough, reader in theology and religion at Edge Hill University, argued that “while the Bible is often used as a source of authority, it is misleading to call it ‘the word of God’. In fact, Christianity teaches that the word of God is not scripture, it is Jesus Christ. As such, Jesus said nothing explicit about same-sex relationships or transgender people.”
Homophobic interpretations of particular biblical passages simply don’t stand up in the wider context of the Bible. It contains no clear and definitive message on homosexuality, let alone one that precludes gay couples from viewing properties.
However, Archbishop of Canterbury Kent State have spoken and he said, Christians should be careful of whom they choose to associate with in other not to offend God.
The Bishop said, this is one of the reasons God distroyed Sodom and Gomorrah that Christians should not accommodate ungodlyness all in the name of “21st century”.
Many have raised an eyebrow on this issue, having mixed feelings on if the couple’s rules on seeing their property is lawful or not?, And if it is also Godly or not.
I will like to know your thoughts on this, let me have them in the comments.
