Understanding "God Doesn't Make Mistakes"

The dog whistle statement “God doesn’t make mistakes” is often used to condemn LGBTQ identities as inherently sinful. The reasoning is that if someone is born gay or transgender, and God supposedly doesn’t make mistakes, then being LGBTQ must be a willful choice or flaw. This interpretation has caused tremendous harm.

Historically Christians have used this phrase against anything they perceive as outside the norm like left-handedness:

For much of history, left-handedness was seen as abnormal, evil, or a sign of weakness. Left-handers were viewed with suspicion and even forced to switch to right-handedness.
Some religious authorities declared left-handedness was against God’s plan for human nature. They cited verses about the “right hand” of God (Psalm 118:15-16) and God designing human hands (Psalm 139:13-14).
Left-handed children were seen as needing correction since God must have intended everyone to be right-handed as the superior trait. “God doesn’t make mistakes” was used to justify “fixing” left-handedness.
However, we now understand left-handedness as a natural and innocuous variation with probable genetic and biological causes. Forcing left-handers to switch hands causes great mental and physical strain as well as lasting trauma.
We recognize that condemning left-handedness was based on ignorance and unfounded prejudice. Saying “God doesn’t make mistakes” about left-handed people wrongly implied variation from the norm must be defective.

However, properly understood, the phrase “God doesn’t make mistakes” should lead us to a more compassionate theology – one that affirms the dignity and equality of all people including LGBTQ individuals. Let’s examine what this statement really means in light of God’s divine nature and Jesus’ radically inclusive welcome.

A God of Creativity and Diversity

To say God doesn’t make mistakes is to declare that every person, just as they are, is lovingly crafted by the Creator with intention and purpose. We are made to manifest unique aspects of God’s endless creativity.

Human diversity in all its forms – neurological, physical, intellectual, and more – is not something to erase but to embrace. Variations in gender identity, sexuality, and expression reveal the breadth of God’s imagination. They add richness to the human family.

As progressive Christians, we know that God transcends binary categories of male and female. The Creator made physics defy binaries with spectra everywhere, like light being both particle and wave. Similarly, God expresses the divine through a spectrum of genders, sexualities, and more.

In fact, tragically trying to force diverse people into rigid roles has caused much alienation and suffering throughout history. Spiritual wholeness is only found when we honor each person’s distinct gifts.

Jesus Shows God’s Inclusive Love

Jesus’ ministry demonstrates that God excludes no one based on identity or background. His radically inclusive welcome especially of marginalized peoples reveals that all are equal in the eyes of God.

Jesus said the first shall be last and the last shall be first, overturning human hierarchies (Matthew 19:30). He challenged the prejudices of his day by elevating women and minorities. Christ’s love had no limits or conditions.

If we believe God makes no mistakes, we must work to create inclusive communities where everyone can belong and contribute – just as they are. When LGBTQ Christians are denied opportunities to love and serve because of who they are, it is tragic and wrong.

All Lives Have Sacred Worth

Every person is a unique miracle with inherent dignity and worth. We are called to be caretakers and champions of one another – especially those who are rejected, misunderstood, or persecuted.

When we say “God doesn’t make mistakes,” it is a statement of radical human equality. No life is disposable. No identity or experience should be demonized or erased.

Rather than judging others, we must offer empathy and support to help all people walk in the light of their sacred purpose. Each of us has temporary custody of an eternal soul, and thus infinite value.

As a loving Creator, God affirms our personhood and wants us to flourish, not fundamentally change who we are to fit narrow molds. God embraces us exactly as we are – and so should God’s church.

To believe God makes no mistakes is to trust there are no defects or deficiencies in how the Creator lovingly designed each human life. It is to have faith that with compassion, all people can reflect God’s beauty. While all people can reflect God’s beauty, many don’t, and a good number of those use this phrase, however, I counter with this phrase: “God doesn’t make mistakes, but humans and the church have made many and some of them they have owned and corrected”. May this truth guide us in building a church and society where everyone is safe, valued, and free.