Should I Sing in a Concert for the LGBT Movement?

MournfulWatcher said:

What should I do? Should I sing or not? Am I overreacting? Please keep me in your prayers.

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It seems as though you have two choices. To either bow and worship the idol of conformity to a fallen secular world, or be thrown into the fiery furnace of public opinion. Just remember, there were four people in the furnace. If you choose to remain faithful, you may encounter hardship as a result, however, the Lord will be with you and you will be blessed as a result of your faithfulness.

Here is a devotional I wrote for one of my seminary classes that may be helpful.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)

It should come as no surprise that we live in a fallen world which has waged war with God. The message of the Gospel is offensive because it exposes people of their sin and godly living has become a beacon that shines on those who wish to remain in darkness. However, rather than fleeing, the fallen seem more persistent in snuffing out the light which exposes them. The ever-growing pressures to conform to an ever-shifting secular moral standard has left many Christians feeling as though they are living in Babylon, given a choice to either bow to the golden statue of conformity or thrown into the fiery furnace of public opinion. Unfortunately, I admit that there were far too many occasions where I threw away perfect opportunities to share the love of Christ only bow to the idol of public opinion out of fear of upsetting the status quo. Decisions that I regret to this day.

Jesus instructed us to “take up our cross” and follow Him. I am sure we have all probably heard this passage referenced after one's lamenting of some troubling situation to profess their piety as they are dutifully bearing their burdens. They say “This is the cross I have to bear.” But is that what Jesus meant in Matthew 16:24 when He commanded us to “Take up your cross and follow me”?

Today, many Christians look to the cross as a symbol of the Gospel. A symbol which represents the love, grace, and forgiveness that Jesus exhibited when He offered Himself as the Holy and unblemished ‘Lamb of God' who sacrificed Himself for the atonement of our sins. However, during Jesus' ministry, the cross was not the symbol that we as Christians cherish today. Instead, it represented death, suffering, and humiliation. It was common for Rome to force convicted criminals to carry their execution device through a gauntlet of shame. To be mocked and insulted on the way to their inevitable death.

In light of these details, Jesus’ command to His followers had a much darker and humbling meaning. It was a command to endure the hardships and suffering that comes with discipleship. To follow Jesus down a path of persecution, judgment, and mockery that would lead to our inevitable death! Jesus always followed this command by clarifying that "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." (Matt. 16:25). This statement was considered to be outrageous to the thousands of followers who had expected Jesus to be the conquering Messiah promised through the covenant He made with David (2 Sam. 7). They believed Jesus to be the one to overthrow the Roman oppression, establish a new era for Jerusalem, and bring an end to their suffering. Here is Jesus commanding His followers to endure more hardship? As you would expect, the crowds began to turn against Him quickly, and all but a devoted few abandoned Him entirely.

Jesus’ message was clear that there is a burden that we must carry if we are to follow Him. Jesus promised that we would experience persecution (John 15:20) and Paul confirmed this when he told Timothy that "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Tim. 3:12). This is a stark reality for many Christians around the world where many thousands are martyred every year (Withers 2018). Fortunately, Christians in the United States are blessed with the freedoms to worship God with relatively little risk of persecution. However, would you be willing to endure a similar fate? Are you willing to give up friends, family, and relationships to follow Christ? Are you willing to risk your careers and financial stability to follow Christ? Are you willing to lose my life as a result of my faithfulness to Christ?

Although salvation is a gift of God that is given to us freely, following Christ comes at the cost of everything. We are commanded to "Die to Self" by the complete and absolute surrender of all of our being to the will of God. Paul explains that our bodies are not our own because they were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

In spite of the burden that we must bear as disciples of Jesus Christ, we can have peace knowing that the cross we carry is light (Matt. 11:30) because he himself bore our sins on His cross (1 Peter 2:24). Even though we live in a fallen world, we can have peace because Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33) and rejoice in our suffering knowing that one day where God will wipe every tear from our eyes and there will be no more death, mourning, crying, pain (Rev. 21:4). For this reason, we should no longer live in fear of persecution by hiding the love of God behind a mask. Fear and shame is a burden that we are no longer required to carry so cast them onto the Cross of Jesus and let His love pour out through you and onto the world without fear or hesitation.

• Withers, Paul. 2018. “Christians are Most Persecuted Religion in the World – Reveals New Report”. Express, June 22, 2018. Christians are MOST persecuted religion in the world - reveals new report
  

MournfulWatcher said:

The director informed us that the concert would raise money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization which promoted acceptance and inclusion of LGBT people and education to "stop hatred and bigotry. "

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I looked more closely at the web site of the Matthew Shepard Foundation (Home - Matthew Shepard Foundation), and what I see there is that the Foundation is chiefly about opposing anti-LGBT violence in its various forms. That might be something you can support. Even if you believe that same-sex relationships are morally wrong, you probably also believe that beating someone up for being gay is morally wrong. So, if you think of the concert as expressing opposition to anti-gay violence, would you then be able to participate?

(For comparison, I think Islam is mistaken on a number of theological points, but I would absolutely support an organization that opposes anti-Muslim violence. I think atheism is mistaken, but I enthusiastically support full civil rights for atheists. And so on.)

MournfulWatcher said:

I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I say that I don't want to participate in the concert, I will be accused of disrespecting the dead, or worse, being as hateful as the victim's killers. It will be seen as though I think his death was fine or good because he was gay, and that I think gay people should be harassed and bullied for their orientation. If I go through with the concert, I'll be violating my conscience, and the Truth.

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It's simple if you want to do the right thing then don't do the concert. Being a Christian is the antithesis of doing what is popular. The Gospel is referred to as salt and light for a reason. There are dozens of passages that mention being at odds with society because of Christ.


Ephesians 5:7-21 King James Version (KJV)
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

MournfulWatcher said:

"kreuzige, kreuzige! (translation: crucify, crucify)
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
Where I come from that's not polite
He asked for it, you got that right
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
The only good *redacted* is a *redacted* that's dead
A man and a woman, the Good Lord said
As sure as Eve took that first bite
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
kreuzige, kreuzige!
Beneath the Hunter's Moon he bled
That must have been a pretty sight
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
C’mon, kids, it's time for bed
Say your prayers, kiss Dad good night
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
crucify, crucify the light, crucify the light . . ."

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Isaiah 5:20 King James Version (KJV)
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

If the Matthew Shepard Foundation confined itself to fighting violence and unjust discrimination in a way that doesn't trample on the rights of everyone else, then I could support it. But their mischaracterization of the Masterpiece Cake case tells me that that's not what they're about, and I'd have to tell the Director that I couldn't participate in fundraising for them for that reason.

That's not hateful at all, and those who say it is are not engaged in rational thought.

MournfulWatcher said:

I attend a public university and have a choir scholarship there, although I am not a music major. The music director is a Christian and also directs the choir program at a local Methodist church in my town. Today, the director called a meeting for the different university choir classes for some updates, and told us about our next concert near the end of the semester. He said we would be doing a piece called "Considering Matthew Shepard", with the lyrics being a series of poems about the tragic murder of Matthew Shepard, who was killed because he was gay back in 1998.

The director informed us that the concert would raise money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization which promoted acceptance and inclusion of LGBT people and education to "stop hatred and bigotry. "
In the concert, we would remove our black robes to reveal different color shirts underneath, like a Pride flag.
I'm not sure what to do. I listened to the music and read the lyrics; the music itself is beautifully done and much of the lyrics are also beautiful and heartfelt. But there's certain parts that are difficult for me to swallow. There are parts where the boy is compared to Christ, for example there is a section that is labelled "passion", and a poem about a Westborough Baptist protester that goes like this:

"kreuzige, kreuzige! (translation: crucify, crucify)
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
Where I come from that's not polite
He asked for it, you got that right
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
The only good *redacted* is a *redacted* that's dead
A man and a woman, the Good Lord said
As sure as Eve took that first bite
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
kreuzige, kreuzige!
Beneath the Hunter's Moon he bled
That must have been a pretty sight
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
C’mon, kids, it's time for bed
Say your prayers, kiss Dad good night
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
crucify, crucify the light, crucify the light . . ."

I might be able to go along with the concert if it weren't for the fact that we're raising money for an organization that I disagree with on a moral and spiritual level. The director was very passionate about it and is known to have a temper, so I'm afraid to speak to him about wishing to abstain from the concert. A big chunk of the people in the music department are LGBT (I'd say about 40% or so), so I also fear social backlash if people learned why I'm not in the concert. I also fear losing my scholarship and getting kicked out of choir, and the whole thing even getting spread around campus (I go to a very small university), because the Foundation is going to get involved with the whole university.

I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I say that I don't want to participate in the concert, I will be accused of disrespecting the dead, or worse, being as hateful as the victim's killers. It will be seen as though I think his death was fine or good because he was gay, and that I think gay people should be harassed and bullied for their orientation. If I go through with the concert, I'll be violating my conscience, and the Truth.

I love gay people; I've had friends come out to me, and I've been very loving to them, because of my love for Christ. And my love for the Living God is very deep; I see Him in the world around me and in his word. I meditate on Him daily. I see Him in the relationship between a husband and wife, a reflection of Christ and the Church, and even as a reflection of God and His relationship with the human soul. This is why the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman is so dear and sacred to me (although I am not married).

But am I being hateful in some way? I feel guilty for not wanting to sing music about a young man being murdered for his sexual orientation. That's not why I don't want to sing it. But when I take off the robe to show the Pride colors, then it's like I'm saying I embrace homosexuality, and I'm helping to raise money for an organization that would say my beliefs are hateful and should be eliminated.

What should I do? Should I sing or not? Am I overreacting? Please keep me in your prayers.

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Ultimately it is up to you, but know that the same foundation that is for inclusion and against bigotry, based on your understanding of the Word and where you stand in the faith, you would be considered the "bigot" in the situation. Its either you're an ally or a bigot when it comes to LGBT.

If it were for me, I would not sing. Now, if you plan to go on that route, you can be smart about it and talk to the counselor first before approaching the professor. It sounds like the foundation is more of something personal to him than something that came from the university.I would figure that it would be wiser to get the backing of the university in case the professor steps out of line. Explain to the counselor that you are not against awareness, but certain theologies that they present in connection to Christians that you're unable to express it artistically. Know your rights and read up on the policy. Maybe you can be excused without jeopardizing your scholarship.

From lessons learned in college when challenging professors, whoever is the least emotional wins. It's important although this is something you take to heart, to not act on emotions, but to act according to rule and policy, to be wise in your dealings.

Ill pray for you, because it is a tough situation, but know that however it pans out, as long as you honor God, God will never forsake you.

MournfulWatcher said:

I attend a public university and have a choir scholarship there, although I am not a music major. The music director is a Christian and also directs the choir program at a local Methodist church in my town. Today, the director called a meeting for the different university choir classes for some updates, and told us about our next concert near the end of the semester. He said we would be doing a piece called "Considering Matthew Shepard", with the lyrics being a series of poems about the tragic murder of Matthew Shepard, who was killed because he was gay back in 1998.

The director informed us that the concert would raise money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization which promoted acceptance and inclusion of LGBT people and education to "stop hatred and bigotry. "
In the concert, we would remove our black robes to reveal different color shirts underneath, like a Pride flag.
I'm not sure what to do. I listened to the music and read the lyrics; the music itself is beautifully done and much of the lyrics are also beautiful and heartfelt. But there's certain parts that are difficult for me to swallow. There are parts where the boy is compared to Christ, for example there is a section that is labelled "passion", and a poem about a Westborough Baptist protester that goes like this:

"kreuzige, kreuzige! (translation: crucify, crucify)
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
Where I come from that's not polite
He asked for it, you got that right
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
The only good *redacted* is a *redacted* that's dead
A man and a woman, the Good Lord said
As sure as Eve took that first bite
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
kreuzige, kreuzige!
Beneath the Hunter's Moon he bled
That must have been a pretty sight
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
C’mon, kids, it's time for bed
Say your prayers, kiss Dad good night
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
crucify, crucify the light, crucify the light . . ."

I might be able to go along with the concert if it weren't for the fact that we're raising money for an organization that I disagree with on a moral and spiritual level. The director was very passionate about it and is known to have a temper, so I'm afraid to speak to him about wishing to abstain from the concert. A big chunk of the people in the music department are LGBT (I'd say about 40% or so), so I also fear social backlash if people learned why I'm not in the concert. I also fear losing my scholarship and getting kicked out of choir, and the whole thing even getting spread around campus (I go to a very small university), because the Foundation is going to get involved with the whole university.

I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I say that I don't want to participate in the concert, I will be accused of disrespecting the dead, or worse, being as hateful as the victim's killers. It will be seen as though I think his death was fine or good because he was gay, and that I think gay people should be harassed and bullied for their orientation. If I go through with the concert, I'll be violating my conscience, and the Truth.

I love gay people; I've had friends come out to me, and I've been very loving to them, because of my love for Christ. And my love for the Living God is very deep; I see Him in the world around me and in his word. I meditate on Him daily. I see Him in the relationship between a husband and wife, a reflection of Christ and the Church, and even as a reflection of God and His relationship with the human soul. This is why the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman is so dear and sacred to me (although I am not married).

But am I being hateful in some way? I feel guilty for not wanting to sing music about a young man being murdered for his sexual orientation. That's not why I don't want to sing it. But when I take off the robe to show the Pride colors, then it's like I'm saying I embrace homosexuality, and I'm helping to raise money for an organization that would say my beliefs are hateful and should be eliminated.

What should I do? Should I sing or not? Am I overreacting? Please keep me in your prayers.

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Hey, if I were you, I would sing. I understand where you are coming from and know that homosexuality is a sin, but I don't think it is the right place for you to "take a stand" against it. You mentioned that you have a choir scholarship, therefore you are legally required to uphold certain responsibilities. I can already tell that you know the Truth of God's word. Singing in that Foundation's concert is not going to change that. But not singing will potentially alienate you from your music director/peers, but more importantly, it may affect your choir scholarship. I'm a fairly recent college grad and I understand the conflict we can have w/ the LGBT ideologies, however, with that being said, you have your whole life ahead of you. The Bible says there is a time and place for everything and trust me, God will provide you with opportunities to take a stand, but I feel like this is not a God-opportunity. I could be wrong but I feel like, given the context, you are not in a position to refuse to sing. If you were a music director, and you were the director's colleague, then you could have that power to say, students of certain faiths can abstain from singing if they choose to, but right now, I don't think you have the leverage to do so. You would lose in this situation. I think someone here mentioned the case of the Christian bakers who refused to bake a cake for a gay couple...look at what happened to them. It is not their right to refuse to do their job because they don't agree with an ideology. The same way an atheist baker can't legally refuse to bake a cake for a Christian couple. It takes wisdom and discernment to navigate the current American social/political climate, as a Christian. Discern if it is God telling you not to sing, or if it is your own voice. At the end of the day, you know who you are. God knows who you are. You don't need to prove anything to anyone by not singing. You also mentioned that you have gay friends and "love gay people." It would be really unfortunate to see you misjudged as homophobic or bigoted just for not singing. One key thing is that once you mention Christianity to LGBT people, it can trigger them. You can say I'm a Christian, and they can automatically jump to a conclusion and say, "She's a Christian. She hates gay people." So choosing the right spaces to discuss your faith is important. I pray that God gives you clarity and reveals the right course of action to you. Stay blessed!!!

MournfulWatcher said:

I attend a public university and have a choir scholarship there, although I am not a music major. The music director is a Christian and also directs the choir program at a local Methodist church in my town. Today, the director called a meeting for the different university choir classes for some updates, and told us about our next concert near the end of the semester. He said we would be doing a piece called "Considering Matthew Shepard", with the lyrics being a series of poems about the tragic murder of Matthew Shepard, who was killed because he was gay back in 1998.

The director informed us that the concert would raise money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization which promoted acceptance and inclusion of LGBT people and education to "stop hatred and bigotry. "
In the concert, we would remove our black robes to reveal different color shirts underneath, like a Pride flag.
I'm not sure what to do. I listened to the music and read the lyrics; the music itself is beautifully done and much of the lyrics are also beautiful and heartfelt. But there's certain parts that are difficult for me to swallow. There are parts where the boy is compared to Christ, for example there is a section that is labelled "passion", and a poem about a Westborough Baptist protester that goes like this:

"kreuzige, kreuzige! (translation: crucify, crucify)
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
Where I come from that's not polite
He asked for it, you got that right
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
The only good *redacted* is a *redacted* that's dead
A man and a woman, the Good Lord said
As sure as Eve took that first bite
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
kreuzige, kreuzige!
Beneath the Hunter's Moon he bled
That must have been a pretty sight
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
C’mon, kids, it's time for bed
Say your prayers, kiss Dad good night
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
crucify, crucify the light, crucify the light . . ."

I might be able to go along with the concert if it weren't for the fact that we're raising money for an organization that I disagree with on a moral and spiritual level. The director was very passionate about it and is known to have a temper, so I'm afraid to speak to him about wishing to abstain from the concert. A big chunk of the people in the music department are LGBT (I'd say about 40% or so), so I also fear social backlash if people learned why I'm not in the concert. I also fear losing my scholarship and getting kicked out of choir, and the whole thing even getting spread around campus (I go to a very small university), because the Foundation is going to get involved with the whole university.

I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I say that I don't want to participate in the concert, I will be accused of disrespecting the dead, or worse, being as hateful as the victim's killers. It will be seen as though I think his death was fine or good because he was gay, and that I think gay people should be harassed and bullied for their orientation. If I go through with the concert, I'll be violating my conscience, and the Truth.

I love gay people; I've had friends come out to me, and I've been very loving to them, because of my love for Christ. And my love for the Living God is very deep; I see Him in the world around me and in his word. I meditate on Him daily. I see Him in the relationship between a husband and wife, a reflection of Christ and the Church, and even as a reflection of God and His relationship with the human soul. This is why the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman is so dear and sacred to me (although I am not married).

But am I being hateful in some way? I feel guilty for not wanting to sing music about a young man being murdered for his sexual orientation. That's not why I don't want to sing it. But when I take off the robe to show the Pride colors, then it's like I'm saying I embrace homosexuality, and I'm helping to raise money for an organization that would say my beliefs are hateful and should be eliminated.

What should I do? Should I sing or not? Am I overreacting? Please keep me in your prayers.

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This is an interesting dilemma. I believe you put too much thought into it....and because of this..my thoughts have been altered. Had this been a situation, where you were just curious about doing something you wished not to do for personal reasons or fear of how the church or God would view it, I would say: You need not worry and do not have to do anything you dont want to do. God knows your desires and will give them to you...... prepare to do your job, and God will make a way of escape...... He will make it where you couldnt perform even if you wanted to........maybe you lose your voice that day....or was called in for work.....or have to attend another mandatory engagement.

But this seems to go further than the desire to not do something.....you are considering the "sins" of others, and deciding whether or not you should support someone because of their "sins." Now this needs a little more consideration.

1st. you have a scholarship to sing.....you have to ask what are the terms of the scholarship.....and if you now refuse to sing......should you have to give the scholarship back so that one, who will sing whenever needed, can take it along with the support that it brings.

2nd. Does your nonwillingness to sing to support this group of singers extend beyond this concert? Do you avoid all establishments in witch they work or have ownership? Would you demand that churches and other charities not help people in this "sin" or you will not support them as well? If so, you do well... If not, what would be the difference in singing at a support concert and giving your money to charities and businesses that support them?

3rd. We reap what we sow. Right now you are sowing seeds that state, I will not support those in a lifestyle that I believe God hates. When time to reap the harvest....you will not be supported by those who dont agree with your lifestlye or beliefs. What ever business you start will not be supported by all..... maybe you will need medical attention and doctors in that lifestyle may not want to help you. You may need food and not be allowed patronage because the owner supports the lifestlye. Or you may be silenced in church because they found out about sins that you committed which God hates. Are you prepare to have what you do to your neighbors, to be done unto you? If so, then you do well.

Lastly, those who "love gay people" never say "I love gay people." I would switch that statement to something like "I love everyone," if you would like all to believe that you do.

If it were me, I wouldn't make a big deal of not going; I just wouldn't go. There wouldn't be any announcements or fanfare and if anyone asked, I'd tell them that some personal issues came up that I needed to deal with (which is absolutely the truth - this is a personal issue and none of their business). I'm guessing the choir is big enough that the absence of one person won't be a big deal. People miss things all the time for all sorts of reasons.

Also note that Singing at a concert, and supporting the cause of the concert are not one and the same.

MournfulWatcher said:

I attend a public university and have a choir scholarship there, although I am not a music major. The music director is a Christian and also directs the choir program at a local Methodist church in my town. Today, the director called a meeting for the different university choir classes for some updates, and told us about our next concert near the end of the semester. He said we would be doing a piece called "Considering Matthew Shepard", with the lyrics being a series of poems about the tragic murder of Matthew Shepard, who was killed because he was gay back in 1998.

The director informed us that the concert would raise money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization which promoted acceptance and inclusion of LGBT people and education to "stop hatred and bigotry. "
In the concert, we would remove our black robes to reveal different color shirts underneath, like a Pride flag.
I'm not sure what to do. I listened to the music and read the lyrics; the music itself is beautifully done and much of the lyrics are also beautiful and heartfelt. But there's certain parts that are difficult for me to swallow. There are parts where the boy is compared to Christ, for example there is a section that is labelled "passion", and a poem about a Westborough Baptist protester that goes like this:

"kreuzige, kreuzige! (translation: crucify, crucify)
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
Where I come from that's not polite
He asked for it, you got that right
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
The only good *redacted* is a *redacted* that's dead
A man and a woman, the Good Lord said
As sure as Eve took that first bite
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
kreuzige, kreuzige!
Beneath the Hunter's Moon he bled
That must have been a pretty sight
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
C’mon, kids, it's time for bed
Say your prayers, kiss Dad good night
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
crucify, crucify the light, crucify the light . . ."

I might be able to go along with the concert if it weren't for the fact that we're raising money for an organization that I disagree with on a moral and spiritual level. The director was very passionate about it and is known to have a temper, so I'm afraid to speak to him about wishing to abstain from the concert. A big chunk of the people in the music department are LGBT (I'd say about 40% or so), so I also fear social backlash if people learned why I'm not in the concert. I also fear losing my scholarship and getting kicked out of choir, and the whole thing even getting spread around campus (I go to a very small university), because the Foundation is going to get involved with the whole university.

I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I say that I don't want to participate in the concert, I will be accused of disrespecting the dead, or worse, being as hateful as the victim's killers. It will be seen as though I think his death was fine or good because he was gay, and that I think gay people should be harassed and bullied for their orientation. If I go through with the concert, I'll be violating my conscience, and the Truth.

I love gay people; I've had friends come out to me, and I've been very loving to them, because of my love for Christ. And my love for the Living God is very deep; I see Him in the world around me and in his word. I meditate on Him daily. I see Him in the relationship between a husband and wife, a reflection of Christ and the Church, and even as a reflection of God and His relationship with the human soul. This is why the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman is so dear and sacred to me (although I am not married).

But am I being hateful in some way? I feel guilty for not wanting to sing music about a young man being murdered for his sexual orientation. That's not why I don't want to sing it. But when I take off the robe to show the Pride colors, then it's like I'm saying I embrace homosexuality, and I'm helping to raise money for an organization that would say my beliefs are hateful and should be eliminated.

What should I do? Should I sing or not? Am I overreacting? Please keep me in your prayers.

Click to expand...

If I were able to sing well and participate and if the funds go to an organisation to fight against hate crimes against LGBTQ people then I would sing. No one ought to live in fear of violent people who hate one because one is LGBTQ. Jesus did not withdraw from people because they were members of a hated group. He did not withdraw from tax collectors, Samaritans, prostitutes, Pharisees, Sadducees, women, pagans (I am thinking that the women in the region of Tyre was a gentile and likely a pagan). He prayed for them, did miracles for them, helped them, and spoke to them. So I think it is following Jesus example to be supportive of the organisation that wants to end hate crimes against LGBTQ people.

The lyrics alone are horrific. My answer would be no on the basis of that alone. Furthermore, the lyrics paint Christianity in a terrible light. They are just offensive in general.

Well, the way you described it. Maybe you can also think of it as fighting against violence towards homosexuals.

But then again, those lyrics. I never understood why many baptists love talking about the fires of hell to be honest. It's like a large fanaticism of non-people burning or getting their butts whooped during the second coming.

Anyway, you do what you feel is right. Don't talk to anyone politically or religiously about it; just tell your school/friends that you were sick that day.

MournfulWatcher said:

I attend a public university and have a choir scholarship there, although I am not a music major. The music director is a Christian and also directs the choir program at a local Methodist church in my town. Today, the director called a meeting for the different university choir classes for some updates, and told us about our next concert near the end of the semester. He said we would be doing a piece called "Considering Matthew Shepard", with the lyrics being a series of poems about the tragic murder of Matthew Shepard, who was killed because he was gay back in 1998.

The director informed us that the concert would raise money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization which promoted acceptance and inclusion of LGBT people and education to "stop hatred and bigotry. "
In the concert, we would remove our black robes to reveal different color shirts underneath, like a Pride flag.
I'm not sure what to do. I listened to the music and read the lyrics; the music itself is beautifully done and much of the lyrics are also beautiful and heartfelt. But there's certain parts that are difficult for me to swallow. There are parts where the boy is compared to Christ, for example there is a section that is labelled "passion", and a poem about a Westborough Baptist protester that goes like this:

"kreuzige, kreuzige! (translation: crucify, crucify)
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
Where I come from that's not polite
He asked for it, you got that right
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
The only good *redacted* is a *redacted* that's dead
A man and a woman, the Good Lord said
As sure as Eve took that first bite
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
kreuzige, kreuzige!
Beneath the Hunter's Moon he bled
That must have been a pretty sight
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
C’mon, kids, it's time for bed
Say your prayers, kiss Dad good night
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
crucify, crucify the light, crucify the light . . ."

I might be able to go along with the concert if it weren't for the fact that we're raising money for an organization that I disagree with on a moral and spiritual level. The director was very passionate about it and is known to have a temper, so I'm afraid to speak to him about wishing to abstain from the concert. A big chunk of the people in the music department are LGBT (I'd say about 40% or so), so I also fear social backlash if people learned why I'm not in the concert. I also fear losing my scholarship and getting kicked out of choir, and the whole thing even getting spread around campus (I go to a very small university), because the Foundation is going to get involved with the whole university.

I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I say that I don't want to participate in the concert, I will be accused of disrespecting the dead, or worse, being as hateful as the victim's killers. It will be seen as though I think his death was fine or good because he was gay, and that I think gay people should be harassed and bullied for their orientation. If I go through with the concert, I'll be violating my conscience, and the Truth.

I love gay people; I've had friends come out to me, and I've been very loving to them, because of my love for Christ. And my love for the Living God is very deep; I see Him in the world around me and in his word. I meditate on Him daily. I see Him in the relationship between a husband and wife, a reflection of Christ and the Church, and even as a reflection of God and His relationship with the human soul. This is why the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman is so dear and sacred to me (although I am not married).

But am I being hateful in some way? I feel guilty for not wanting to sing music about a young man being murdered for his sexual orientation. That's not why I don't want to sing it. But when I take off the robe to show the Pride colors, then it's like I'm saying I embrace homosexuality, and I'm helping to raise money for an organization that would say my beliefs are hateful and should be eliminated.

What should I do? Should I sing or not? Am I overreacting? Please keep me in your prayers.

Click to expand...

I apologize in advance for my harshness...here goes...
Well, you are in a secular university and this is to be expected not to mention 40% of the group you are in are LGBT. You put yourself in the lions den. Now your faith is being tested and you must be prepared to do the right thing. There is no doubt that Christianity is being perverted in these verses and the rainbow has lost its true meaning but honestly you should have figured this would happen at some point. In some respects you have been hypocritical among this group and now you want to raise the white flag?? I am quite annoyed by your post to say the least. So now what?

Go directly to your choir director, apologize for not being truthful about your standing on the LGBT community, explain your walk with the Lord and why this troubles your conscience and then wait for a response. You may get kicked out of the choir, though this would be a violation OR maybe just maybe God will intervene and an enlightening conversation will come out of it and hopefully it is what God has willed.

Again I apologize for my harshness,
Blessings

MournfulWatcher said:

I attend a public university and have a choir scholarship there, although I am not a music major. The music director is a Christian and also directs the choir program at a local Methodist church in my town. Today, the director called a meeting for the different university choir classes for some updates, and told us about our next concert near the end of the semester. He said we would be doing a piece called "Considering Matthew Shepard", with the lyrics being a series of poems about the tragic murder of Matthew Shepard, who was killed because he was gay back in 1998.

The director informed us that the concert would raise money for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, an organization which promoted acceptance and inclusion of LGBT people and education to "stop hatred and bigotry. "
In the concert, we would remove our black robes to reveal different color shirts underneath, like a Pride flag.
I'm not sure what to do. I listened to the music and read the lyrics; the music itself is beautifully done and much of the lyrics are also beautiful and heartfelt. But there's certain parts that are difficult for me to swallow. There are parts where the boy is compared to Christ, for example there is a section that is labelled "passion", and a poem about a Westborough Baptist protester that goes like this:

"kreuzige, kreuzige! (translation: crucify, crucify)
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
Where I come from that's not polite
He asked for it, you got that right
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
The only good *redacted* is a *redacted* that's dead
A man and a woman, the Good Lord said
As sure as Eve took that first bite
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
kreuzige, kreuzige!
Beneath the Hunter's Moon he bled
That must have been a pretty sight
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
C’mon, kids, it's time for bed
Say your prayers, kiss Dad good night
A boy who takes a boy to bed?
The fires of Hell burn hot and red
crucify, crucify the light, crucify the light . . ."

I might be able to go along with the concert if it weren't for the fact that we're raising money for an organization that I disagree with on a moral and spiritual level. The director was very passionate about it and is known to have a temper, so I'm afraid to speak to him about wishing to abstain from the concert. A big chunk of the people in the music department are LGBT (I'd say about 40% or so), so I also fear social backlash if people learned why I'm not in the concert. I also fear losing my scholarship and getting kicked out of choir, and the whole thing even getting spread around campus (I go to a very small university), because the Foundation is going to get involved with the whole university.

I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I say that I don't want to participate in the concert, I will be accused of disrespecting the dead, or worse, being as hateful as the victim's killers. It will be seen as though I think his death was fine or good because he was gay, and that I think gay people should be harassed and bullied for their orientation. If I go through with the concert, I'll be violating my conscience, and the Truth.

I love gay people; I've had friends come out to me, and I've been very loving to them, because of my love for Christ. And my love for the Living God is very deep; I see Him in the world around me and in his word. I meditate on Him daily. I see Him in the relationship between a husband and wife, a reflection of Christ and the Church, and even as a reflection of God and His relationship with the human soul. This is why the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman is so dear and sacred to me (although I am not married).

But am I being hateful in some way? I feel guilty for not wanting to sing music about a young man being murdered for his sexual orientation. That's not why I don't want to sing it. But when I take off the robe to show the Pride colors, then it's like I'm saying I embrace homosexuality, and I'm helping to raise money for an organization that would say my beliefs are hateful and should be eliminated.

What should I do? Should I sing or not? Am I overreacting? Please keep me in your prayers.

Click to expand...

I'll give you another reason to not participate. The Matthew Shepherd death while tragic may not have been what we were led to believe. There is much doubt that it was a "hate crime." This excerpt:
"But the Matthew Shepard story is not yet finished. A new twist came last year with the publication of another book, this one by investigative journalist Stephen Jimenez, who has spent 13 years interviewing more than 100 people with a connection to the case. His conclusion, outlined in The Book of Matt: Hidden Truths about the Murder of Matthew Shepard, is that the grotesque murder was not a hate crime, but could instead be blamed on crystal meth, a drug that was flooding Denver and the surrounding area at the time of Matthew’s death. This new theory has, understandably, caused a lot of anger.

Jimenez has faced a barrage of criticism since the publication of his book and has had readings to promote the book boycotted. Jimenez claims, however, that many of his critics have not actually read it."
Based on the lyrics alone, I would not participate. You may want to do further research for yourself in order to make an informed decision as his death which was a cause celebre may not have been homosexuality related. In that case you would be participating in a lie which is all the more reason not to participate.
The truth behind America’s most famous gay-hate murder