Religious intolerance on the difference of race and gender identity is theologically incorrect in many ways.
Religion Divisive Theologically Incorrect
1. It denies the absolute authority of God.
In creation story in Genesis chapter 1 and 2, God created living life in its kind and put them in the perfect place for their kind. These different types filled the earth. The story also tells that God created the human “in the likeness and image of God.” This passage implies that the color of skin and gender identity are also part of God’s attributes. God is absolute Author of the universe and omniscient and made all things just the way they are. God can’t fail or make a mistake by accidentally allowing the different color of skin and unique gender identity. Differences are designed by God. Intolerance on the different race and gender identity is the denial of God’s absolute authority.
2. It rejects the absolute omnipresence of God
God is Spirit and presents everywhere in the universe. The word, spirit, came from “spiritus” in Latin, meaning “breathe,” and “pneuma,” in Greek, meaning “breath.” The breath, air, is an invisible force and sustains all living life on earth. The presence and power of the air are evident in the form of, for example, balloons, storms, hails, or tornado. No one is charged with breathing the air. No one holds ownership of the air. The air is in the life naturally and timelessly. It is the core attribute of the spirit. If churches act as if they own the spirit and charge against nonbelievers, they are rejecting the absolute omnipresence of God, which can be the only true attribute of God. If God, the Spirit, exists only in the churches, God is not the Spirit and omnipresence. In this case, the churches reject the Trinity and commit unforgivable sin, “blasphemy of the Spirit.” If God is Spirit and presents in every living life in the universe, the churches must honor the presence of the Spirit in the life of all humans regardless of their religion, race, and gender identity. Rejecting societal minority is denying the Spirit, which committing the highest sin of all. Denying the Spirit is provoking the authority of the churches because a church is a spiritual community.
3. It dismisses the image and likeness of God
Divisive religions dismiss the creation account by manufacturing the uniformed humans and condemning individual’s uniqueness that is unconventional to them. According to the Creation story in Genesis Chapter 1, God created humans in the image and likeness of Godself. Humans are the mirror of God, but unique as an individual. The individual life is oriented to nurture mainly body and soul (mind, feelings, and desires). Soul and body tell who the person is. The soul is unique to the person and shares with no others. Body is also unique to the person, even for the identical twins. Soul and body are interwoven. For example, your mind tells your body what to do. Your body responds to your mind accordingly. Your body condition also affects your mental health. As unique as LGBTQ can be, the individual’s body follows the person’s soul, heart, desire, inner person, which all are the likeness of God. God created the uniqueness, in God’s image and likeness. Why God created us in God’s image and likeness? One could only assume that God created humans in the way that no one with God’s image and likeness should be mistreated or dehumanized.
Religion Divisive Biblically Incorrect
The only sin that is unforgiven is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that no sins, no condemnation as long as one leaves the Spirit of God alone. If God is Spirit and invisible, just like the air, who can say a word about the Spirit? Can you accuse someone you never met? Jesus is merely saying that the Spirit is beyond our imagine and leave the Spirit alone. You can reject Jesus, or deny many gods that religions have created, but you can’t insult the Spirit whom you haven’t seen and had no ground for you to judge. Second, God and Jesus are personal to you, and you have right to say anything about them. However, the Spirit is universal and belongs to the universe. You don’t have a justifiable claim against the energy of the universe. When you insult the Spirit, you insult the whole universe including yourself. That is truly a wreath.
“Truely I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemies against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” Mark 3:28-29, New American Standard Bible.
Jesus said, “Whoever blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes agaisnt the holy spirit will not be forgiven, either on earth or in heaven.” The Gospel of Thomas, Line 44.
His message implies that there isn’t any sin that can’t be unforgiven. Second, sin and forgiveness in the bible are issues between God but believers and the human race. In other words, authority to forgive sin belongs to God alone. As long as one doesn’t blaspheme the Spirit of God, the one is not subject to sin by all means. The one is a free human being. Thus, the human race is free from condemnation by God for any reason. Is the different color of skin, or unique gender identity a blasphemy against the Spirit? The human does sin, but no sin matters to God. Therefore, no sin in the eyes of God. Hence, no one is above God and has right to judge others.