The Gay Bachelor and the Rigor of Love

The first gay Bachelor proves the point made in "The Rigor of Love" that the veracity of one's faith cannot be externalized. In his new series "Coming Out Colton" episode 4, Colton Underwood grapples with gayness and his Christian faith. He is rejected by his pastor when he asks for acceptance. The pastor condescends Colton by saying "I love you but I disagree with your lifestyle. The Bible says it is a sin." According to the argument Simon Critchley made in "The Rigor of Love", the pastor's own faith is insecure because he bases it on creedal dogma. Or as Critchley put it, "If faith needs to be underpinned by some sort of doctrinal security, then inwardness becomes externalized and the strenuous rigor of faith evaporates." In response, Colton seeks refuge with the progressive Metropolitan Community Church. Faith is important to him and he struggles to verify his faith outside of the Church. Finally, he finds his answer in a way that Kierkegaard would be proud of. At the end of the episode he dramatically concludes, "I finally realized that my relationship with God did not have to be in the Church. My relationship with God is between him and I. That's when my relationship with God became stronger than ever." Colton's inward faith is stronger than that of his homophobic pastor because Colton's faith is in response to the Church's rejection.