Turn Off Your Gaydar

May 16, 2008 at 1:08 pm · Filed under Adultery, Christianity, Eric Bryant, Ethics, Homosexuality, Love, Religion, Sex, The Office, Tolerance

Lest any Christians get their panties in a bunch about the recent news coming out of California involving gay marriage, I really hope they weren’t laughing last night when Dwight swept Angela off into an office and got hot and sweaty the very night she got engaged to Andy.

Or every time Michael says, “That’s what she said.”

Or laughed when Kevin said, “I am totally gonna bang Holly.”

Or look the other way that Jim and Pam are living together.

I mean that just wouldn’t be very consistent, would it?

Eric Bryant had a great post yesterday called Why Homophobia Is So Gay.

13 Comments »

  Clark Bunch wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 1:19 pm

I didn’t get my panties in a bunch over California because frankly that doesn’t surprise me. We all know how far left California is, and I don’t mean on the map. We also don’t watch television at our house. I take it that Dwight and Angela are on some show on NBC? So no, I wasn’t laughing; I don’t know who those people are.

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  Rich Clark wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 2:06 pm

Of course, the major difference is that those characters are fictional, while real people will be affected by the Supreme Court decision in California.

I get your point though. The spirit of the thing is the same. Still though, there is a completely different assumption when approaching a fictional television show. We’re not interacting with reality so much as someone’s view of reality, and so our real concern isn’t with what is happening, but with what truth is portrayed.

Scott’s “That’s what she said,” is hilarious precisely because it’s foolish. We’re not laughing with Michael. No one is encouraging that behavior. Same thing with Kevin’s coarse reaction. It was hilarious because we understood how incredibly foolish and shallow Kevin was. Jim and Pam living together: don’t care really. They’re without Christ, so I hope they can be happy in the meantime.

Are we cheering for these characters to find Christ? Not really, because that’s not the point. The point is the foolishness of man, demonstrated in a wide variety of ways. The Office demonstrates that brilliantly.

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  mattjhuber wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 2:07 pm

Well said, my friend, well said. I have been known to go on rants about how the church’s response to homosexuality is often inappropriate and in bad taste…

By the way…that was one phenomenal Office…heheh..

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  Roger Servin wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 2:09 pm

Yeah you’ve got a point that Christians should be consistent and not compromise our beliefs in any way… I’m gonna tell you right now that true, genuine, born again human beings will not laugh or entertain that other stuff that you made reference to either. I certainly don’t. But ya know, there are a lot of fakes in the world who claim to be Christians but really are not.

- Roger

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  Jack Byars wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 2:12 pm

I wish I didn’t feel mocked but “my panties are not in a bunch” (not female), and I am not upset about gay or lesbian marriage at all. All sins are committed against God not man so when someone sins, my personal salvation is not involved. Nor do I mind that gay marriage is being condoned by law, I believe that people’s personal decisions (that do not affect other people) are there own and no one should dictate that. The government should not be allowed to control personal decisions on part of two parties. We have given the government entirely too much control. I don’t condone, or judge others- that is not my place or my desire. I only desire that we all, Christians and all others learn to live in love. That means put aside self, communicate, love and make a determined effort to love in all situations. Peace and may the Hand of God be upon you.
publisher@christianimpactnews.com

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  Brian Alexander wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 3:12 pm

Good Points Mud,

Those were some funny moments last night!

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  Selena wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 4:15 pm

Brian: “Those were some funny moments last night!”

That’s what she said…

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  bloggy wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 4:18 pm

So are you saying you laugh at those moments on The Office, and you believe the homosexual lifestyle is okay?

Or do you not laugh at those moments on The Office, and you do not believe the homosexual lifestyle is okay?

I’m uncertain which side of the Bible does your consistency fall on?

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  Selena wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 4:22 pm

No, I think he is pretty much saying turn off you gaydar.

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  jeffsdeepthoughts wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 4:55 pm

There are bone heads of every sort, out there. Boneheads who claim to be Christian, boneheads who don’t claim to be Christian; bone heads who say they are Christians when they are not, boneheads who don’t stand up for their Christianity when they should.

A couple years ago we were watching the Super Bowl at my church. I’m not a football guy but I went to hang out.
A commercial came on that implied the characters in said commercial were homosexual. People freaked. They muted the television, all that.
Later, I lovingly challenged said freaked out people. “Let’s leave all the subconscious homosexuality implicit in the very idea of football aside.” I began. “Even if we take it at face value, these people are being paid millions of dollars to kick the crap out of each other. How is that any more biblical than homosexuality?”
We had this great discussion. Though they may not have agreed the person heard me. I think if we were to go through it again they would react differently to the “scandalous” commercial.
I don’t tell this story to share what a deep, liberal Christian I am. I tell it to express the idea that most people really do want to understand the other side. There are communities of faith that aren’t hate-filled but have simply never really considered the issue. When both sides begin to talk to and at each other, we’ll change the world.

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  mudpuppy wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 7:55 pm

Awesome dialogue friends.

@bloggy: I’m saying that if you laugh at those moments you really shouldn’t be boycotting Disney and Proctor and Gamble, or burning Harry Potter books, or signing petitions to keep gay marriage illegal. We as Christians seem to get so caught up on one or two issues, and boy does the rest of the world roll their eyes at us.

And for the record I laughed my head off last night (and I will not sign your petition or read your forwards).

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  inWorship wrote @ May 16, 2008 at 11:04 pm

Great Post mudpuppy.

My heart exactly!

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  Dave Carrol wrote @ May 18, 2008 at 6:50 am

Hey there… I just got that book and I’m looking forward to reading it. I think I feel similar to you about this… a few years ago I wrote this called “the church needs to come out of the closet”

http://bigearcreations.blogspot.com/2006/05/church-needs-to-come-out-of-closet.html

It’s about a gay professor I had in college who wouldn’t let a Christian come within 10ft of him. It made me horribly sad. I live in Ontario Canada where homosexual marriage has been legal for a number of years and there has not been the catastrophic church collapse like some said…

that said, I do think that churches need to be mindful of who they place in leadership positions considering many issues (not just this). Struggles are one thing and an embraced sinful lifestyle is another. But frankly, the church is in a position of failure with the homosexual issue. It has some serious repentance to do in how it’s treated brothers who are simply struggling with something a little different.

Anywho…
bless ya man
Dave

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