A Few Thoughts on the "Ain't No Homo Gonna Make it to Heaven" Video

A Few Thoughts on the "Ain't No Homo Gonna Make it to Heaven" Video June 18, 2012

Normally I like to avoid writing about the latest viral sensation or controversy, simply because I like to stand out from the crowd a bit. I dislike having the feeling that I’m obligated to talk about what everyone else is talking about. It’s part of the homogenization of Internet culture.

That being said, it occurred to me that I actually had something to say about this clip[Update: the link has been removed], and since this revolves around an issue I’ve discussed here before, it might not be a bad idea to talk about what I think the appropriate conservative Christian response should be. For those of you who haven’t already heard of/seen it, it features a very small boy (I read somewhere he’s four), singing a catchy little ditty in church that goes like this:
The Bible’s right, somebody’s wrong
I know the Bible’s right, somebody’s wrong
Romans one, [twenty-six and] twenty-seven
Ain’t no homo gonna make it to heaven
This little performance drew a hearty affirmative reaction from the crowd. The boy’s father can be heard calling out “That’s my boy!” partway through.
I had mixed reactions to this clip. They look something like this:
1. I honestly agree with every word the kid sang. Truly, I do. Oh, I know there’s a difference between merely suffering with SSA and succumbing to SSA, but I doubt that the type of “homo” referred to in this ditty is the sackcloth-and-ashes repenting type. We can safely assume it’s the type who would cover you in vile insults for even suggesting his behavior is sinful. Which brings me to my next reaction…
2. This is small potatoes compared to the hate speech coming from the group the song criticizes. The pastor of this church received death threats when this video went viral. Let that sink in for a moment. I’m preparing to write a post on a couple of young conservative activists who have been getting media attention lately for voicing their beliefs on this issue (among others), and you would not believe the vileness that has been aimed in these young teens’ direction. “Ain’t no homo gonna make it to heaven” is mild by comparison. Plus, it’s true.
But, having said that, I still have some reservations about the video. Which brings me to the “mixed” in my “mixed reaction…”
3. Homosexual sin is not the stuff of preschool ditties performed as special music. It’s really just not. It’s the stuff of serious, politically aware sermons. Not cute little songs that rhyme. Or cute little songs we teach to our preschoolers. Which brings me to point four…
4. How old is this kid again? Four, five, max? Just how much have his parents told him about “homos”? Presumably and hopefully he has no knowledge of the sordid details of same-sex love relationships, but does he know that two men or two women can “get married” in some states? That two men or two women sometimes kiss each other on the mouth? Good grief, he’s barely old enough to get the “birds and the bees” talk. Why not let the kid have his innocence? In our family, we make it a point to use roundabout language when discussing this issue with young children in the room. If they ask, “What are you talking about?” we say, “It’s something you’ll learn about when you’re older.” The other night we were enjoying fellowship at the house of a fellow homeschooling family, and we fell into conversation about the moral decline of the Church. This topic was one of many we touched on, but only because the children were happily playing somewhere out of earshot.
I don’t know where you would draw the line with your kids as far as the proper age to inform them about this particular social evil is concerned. But I would certainly hope it’s at least somewhat beyond preschool. It’s not that I think we shouldn’t raise up a generation that is repulsed by sin and knows the scriptures. I do. But I also believe in introducing our children to these things gradually. There are some things a four-year-old just doesn’t need to know.
So there you go. My .02 on a viral video. Hopefully I brought something a little different to the discussion.


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