Powerful Responses to ‘I’m Christian, unless you’re gay.’

 Meredith McLaughlin That sounded angry.

 Meredith McLaughlin That's also a lot like telling a computer user to return their computer because they don't know how to use it.

 pemrich People don't need love, they need rights and respect. I do not care if you love me. I care if I am safe and can live my life without fear. It's great that you love people, but what are you actually doing to change anything?

 MamaNervosa I also care if you are safe and can live your life without fear, because I'm there, too.  Maybe not to the same degree, but there's a reason I don't speak out very often about my sexuality.

So I'm speaking out about what love is, and I'm trying to be just one example for others.  I'm tired of seeing conditional love.  But telling people how to do things and showing how things can be done are two vastly different things.  I don't have much to offer anyone other than that.  If I have enough to feed, clothe and house myself it's a blessing.

But I disagree that people don't need love... and the article that these mails are a response to disagrees.  People need love.  True, unconditional love.  Without that, I and many other people feel that those who need rights and respect will never see either.  So I'm raising my voice, at least in this very small way.  And I will take that with me and I will raise my voice when I see the kinds of harsh treatment that other people like me face.  And I will do it without hate.

Y'know, I saw a mother call her son a queer while I was at the laundromat some weeks ago?  I wish I would have said something then.  I definitely would say something now.

That's what I'm doing.

“What would it mean to put love into action in the face of lovelessness, abandonment, violation? Where do we find, in or around us, love—the imagination that can subvert despair or the futile firing of a gun? What teaches us to convert lethal anger into steady, serious attention to our own lives and those of others?”

adrienne rich

 MamaNervosa Adrienne Rich asked tough questions in her poetry and writing.

 MamaNervosa  pemrich 

Christ asks us to love, but Christ also asks us to serve.  To serve the poor, the sick, the afflicted, prisoners, I am sure that Christ would include the politically marginalized, the ostracized, any other you can think of in the "sheep and the goats" - that which you fail to do for the least of you, that you have failed to do for me.  For me it is a natural outgrowth of love, maybe because I'm a mother.  Someone you love, if you see a hurt, you want to rush over and see what you can do.  If you see something that is unsafe, unfair, inhumane, you step up, not just for your child, or the kids you know, but for all kids.  Everybody is some mother's kid. The older I get the more of you I see as somebody's kid, somebody I just want to protect.  I just want to make you a sandwich and kiss you on the hair.  I want to make the schools safe and bully proof.  I want to make the streets safe and the workplaces safe and politics and law and the whole thing.  I want everything for you that I want for my own kid. Any one of you could be my kid, or my kid's lover or my kid's friend.  What wouldn't I want for you?  Moms did a lot to curb drunk driving. Imagine what a lot of passionate moms could do for bullied kids and GLBT kids and kids of all kinds if we just got it into our heads to do it. Love can do a lot.

 KatyStenta I am glad you feel that way. I see one "church" in the news from time to time where they picket funerals and other events. Usually they hare holding signs that say "God hates...."  and I sit and wonder just who this god of theirs is For it surely isn't Christ. IN one of these responses the second one I think there was a woman saying "god says to judge least you be judged." I remember that quote as being Judge not least ye be judged" I also remember another quote "Judgement is mine saith the Lord" So many people are using religion to deny people rights or as reasons to hate and it is in this you see where Evil lies or as they might say it Satan has a foot hold. Jesus said "Love your neighbour as you do yourself." Keep in mind each person must find their own path to God. You cannot walk it for them they have to make the choices and decisions that are right for them. God gave us all free will for us to try to take that away from others is like saying we know better than God. Is that not something along the lines of what got Lucifer kicked out of Heaven? 

 melimb  This is a cop out.  This is like saying "I love you, but..." your only job is to love God and your neighbor, judgement belongs to God alone. Whether someone's sex life is a sin or not is beside the point, someone else's sin is between them and God, your job is to love them and to love God and to give over to God what belongs to God. You don't have to "not forget" anything that doesn't pertain specifically to you. Putting yourself in the position of judgement is putting yourself in the role of God.  The advice the writer is giving you is the right advice - to abandon yourself to love and trust God to sort things out. Don't lay awake at night trying to figure out how to correct other people, concentrate on how your love (not judgement, uncritical love) can be put to good use comforting people in need of comfort, like prisoners, the ill, the poor, the people Christ wanted us to serve.  (Write 'serve' in big letters on your mirror.  Look at it every day.  You can't serve from a position of judgement. You can only serve from a place of humility.)

 ChrisOinonenEhren I recently tried to explain this myself.  "I love you, but..."  No phrase is more effective a turn a person's heart away from the words that follow.  The word "but" in this context essentially means, "Please disregard the beginning of this sentence.  It may be true.  The second part is much more important to me."  And since when is love less important than anything?  "I bought this, but I never use it," means "It doesn't matter that I bought this, because I never use it."

"Terrorism can never be justified, but in this case it's understandable because (insert justification here)."

If you honestly love someone, care about them and want them to feel good about himself or herself, just drop everything from your sentence after the part telling them how you feel about them.  NEVER, NEVER, NEVER qualify your love.  It makes the words meaningless, just as much as "I love you because (insert reason here)."  This can only ever lead to questions such as, "And if someone else (same reason) would you love them just as much?"

 melimb You are so right. We as Christians cannot condon wrong actions to make people feel better about living in sin. That would be going againt God and that isn't a place we should dare to venture. As you said already we should love them, living a life that reflects Jesus' heart.

 tsnl120808  melimb This is the whole honey vs vinegar argument, if you look at it.  The problem is that folks who call people sinners while professing love are mixing honey and vinegar.  Why not just just set out to love people and honestly care about them without qualification?

You can address the issues of sin later with those who actually want to listen to it.  The whole point is, if you can't get to them, you will never change their hearts.  And by attacking them for what you call their sinful life, you're just pushing them away.  Good job!

Note that this assumes you even are able to change their hearts.

 tsnl120808  melimb What God are you talking about here?  Christ says you're supposed to love your neighbor unconditionally.  That includes your gay neighbor, your ugly neighbor, your untidy neighbor, your atheist neighbor, all your neighbors. You aren't supposed to judge them - Christ says you're not to do that, specifically, in the Bible, people.  Check out the part about the mote in your eye, and the business about who should be casting the first stone - that's right, whoever is without sin - which would not be you.  Love and service, and once all the hungry people are fed, the poor people have what they need, and all the sick, ill and hurt people have been comforted, then you can start worrying about the more minor stuff. But wait, there are still some poor people out there.  That is probably more important to Christ - the poor people who haven't got enough to eat, anywhere to sleep etc.  Take the energy you are using to make your gay friends uncomfortable and use it for something Christ asked you to do for once.  Read the Bible people, don't just take your activist pastor's word for what is in there, read what Christ actually said for once.  Don't let Satan tempt you into using a few out of context words in the old testament as an excuse to indulge your own bigotry.  Acts of hatred and anger and contempt come from Satan.  Acts of love, compassion, generosity - those come from God.

@Gotrootdude "I'm glad I'm not a Christian and can love the people your God doesn't."

I am a Christian but to me this is one of the saddest, most heart-rending sentences I've ever read. Truly this is a moment when Christianity has failed our world - or rather that we, Christians (and I include myself in there) have failed. That people should look upon us and "know we are Christians by our -" not love, but hatred. Very, very sad and horrifying and all I can say is, Christians are human beings too. Fallen, often very flawed and definitely just as much in need of love, compassion and forgiveness as anyone else. Sometimes more so. :(

 StevenMansell 

To me, your post seemed to capture the essence of Christ's character more than most. There is the centrality of Christ's love which is so awesome. I wanted to share a response I made to the original post made by Mr. Pierce on this invigorating topic.

I recognize the essence of Mr. Pierce's post is not to debate homosexuality and Christianity. The essence of his post is so much more, and so awesome. Yet, some responses to his post prompted some thoughts. I wonder if it's possible homosexuality is not a sin?

Among those thoughts, two items were strong in my mind... a song and a book.

First, the song. "You Love Me Anyway" by Sidewalk Prophets reminds Christians what "we" did to Jesus on the cross, and that He loves us anyway. Being gay or straight or somewhere in between, poor or rich or in between, or a someone who has simply told a lie... it all seems to pale in comparison to genuine love. Read the lyrics. Listen to the music. I wonder how much truth resonates in that song?

Second, the book. "Those 7 References" by John Dwyer reminds Christians of the broader contexts of society surrounding the "eternal truths" of sacred texts, in this case the Bible. Consider the word, "hermeneutics," and re-read those seven references, a mere seven, that reference "sexuality." Hermeneutics is the "discipline of interpretation theory: hermeneutics includes the entire framework of the interpretive process, encompassing all forms of communication: written, verbal and nonverbal." From here, again, I wonder if it's possible homosexuality is not a sin?

I wonder if it's possible that some parts of the Bible are misinterpreted based on misunderstandings of cultural implications of all forms of communication: written, verbal and nonverbal? Does Leviticus implore us to not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material? (19:19) Or not eat meat prepared rare? (19:26) Or to not shave our hair short? (19:27) Or to not get tattoos? (19:28) Or do we really need to love foreigners as ourselves? (19:34) Is a tattooed, rare steak-eating man with a shaved head wearing a cotton/polyester blend shirt a sinner simply for those very reasons?

I also wonder if the well-intentioned preacher in the 1960s talking to his congregation in Alabama really believed the God of the Bible ordained segregation of blacks and whites in public schools based on many Biblical passages regarding slavery? Is it really okay that black children are afforded the same dignity and respect in our educational systems as white children? Or are blacks really less than, somehow? Is slavery really a sin? Is segregation really a sin? They weren't considered sins by many in the USA three hundred years ago.

I wonder if the same preacher in the 1920s talking to his congregation in California really believed women did not have a place of leadership in the church based on New Testament passages? Is it really okay that a woman, Anne Graham Lotz, for example, be empowered to minister as a church leader today? Or are women really less than, somehow? Is denying women the same rights afforded to men in the church a sin, according to God-given gifts? That wasn't considered a sin by many in the USA one hundred years ago.

I wonder if the same preacher in the 1880s talking to his congregation in New York really believed that the marriage of an Irish Catholic and German Protestant did not represent God's ideal based on Biblical passages regarding Jews and gentiles? Is it really okay that two people who demonstrate love for one another out of their God-given free will be allowed to join in a covenant of marriage according to their chosen faith? Or are people who are in love, but in someway too different according to society, really less than, somehow? Is denying the marriage of a white man and black woman really a sin? That wasn't considered a sin by many in the USA fifty years ago. It would seem it's still not a sin to one judge in Louisiana. Is denying the marriage of a woman to another woman, according to the dictates of their faith really a sin? It seems many in the USA still see that as a sin.

Again, I recognize the essence of Mr. Pierce's post is not to debate homosexuality and Christianity. The essence of his post is so much more, and so awesome. Yet, the responses which I perceive as dogmatic Christians opposing the essence of his post prompted me to write. I simply wanted to provide another perspective to those responses. I used to be a dogmatic Christian. Perhaps, I still am. Thankfully, the book that came to mind reminded me that religion sometimes caters to the societal pressures and perceived needs of the people at the time. Sometimes, religion subordinates the essence of eternal truth to the pragmatic needs of a society. Finally, and I'm so grateful, that I'm loved anyway. No matter. I'm loved. The song that came to mind reminded me that He loves me anyway. Thank... you... Creator. Thank you for loving all of us, anyway. All of us.

 michaelleed I am troubled by your comment: "I wonder if it's possible that some parts of the Bible are misinterpreted based on misunderstandings of cultural implications of all forms of communication: written, verbal and nonverbal?" The thing is when one says such things like "I wonder if some parts of the Bible are misinterpeted" then you might as well throw out your whole Bible as that leads the debate of what else isn't. It weakens one's faith in God's word.

This is a ploy of the evil one to create doubt of God's truth. The evil one loves to twist scripture and he's been doing it for some time now. The more caught up in sin we are the happier he is as that means we are living a godly life and we aren't doing godly work. We cannot live a godly life without God's strength as a believer in Jesus Christ. We seem to like to believe such things as interpetations because we look at the suffering of others and do not understand so we try to make sense of it ourselves. However, God never said we would understand everything, that is where the faith comes in. It is written:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6Jesus loves us, God the Father loves us and the Holy Spirit it there to help us. But if we willful choose to go against God's word, and worse yet promote others to go against it, we will have to answer to Him when we stand before Him. The bible is clear:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 states: 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. - Romans 1:26-279 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Probably all of creation has committed at least one of the above sins and the apostle Paul is not saying that we cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven. No, he was a murder himself before he believed. It is through God's grace through Christ that we can be justified then sactified, washed clean of our sins. Our sinful nature desires to sin and we do. However, the good news is God made a way for us to be cleansed and changed made NEW through the sactifing power of Christ. We are not doomed to these sins, but through Christ made free! So don't promote the idea that to continue in sin is alright because maybe it's a misinteritation. Promote and proclaim the FULL FAITH AND TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD FEARLESSLY WITH HIS STRENGTH. As we are called to do! For if we shrink back and believe lies out of fear we will have to answer for it.

Woe to the man or woman that stands against the truth of God's word, as they are accusing God the Creator of being uncompassionate when He died for us! Forgiveness is available for all, grace is free, but no God will not allow us to make our own rules and call them godly.

 tsnl120808 Beloved child of God, there is a basic weakness in your argument: What you hold in your hands and the marks on the page that your eyes take in have been "interpreted" many times. God's Living Word is interpreted every time it's translated. The words in the original languages often don't correspond exactly to English words, and translators must "interpret" the original intent. As for cultural references, there are many in the Bible that would be immediately understood by the original readers. They are not understood by us, living in a very different culture 20 centuries later. So we automatically apply our current reference (for, say, a word translated "homosexual," the exact equivalent of which doesn't occur in the originals) and assume that is what the writer meant. And we are wrong. When we insist we know with certainty what the Bible means, we restrict God's power to teach us through the Holy Spirit. That is sin. We must always be open to the new thing God is doing, the new understanding the Spirit is revealing to us through the fulness of the Living Word. When we let our previously received information judge what is being revealed, we are turning away from God and God's fulness.

Of what are you so afraid? Remember, Paul said the Law is essentially a babysitter, and baby food. God gives rules to children in the faith because, like all children, we need them. But when we grow up, and have Jesus at our sides, God expects us to go deeper than the rules. The fulness of God is not about rules, but about love. All the "rules" are covered in love. Yes, it's much harder to live without rules, but that's what is expected of us when we grow up in faith and discipleship.

graceabounds

Almighty God has the power to preserve His word. Your words are not your own and I rebuke you Satan by the power and blood of Christ Jesus. Anyone who tries to break down one’s faith in God’s word is not speaking from the Sprit of God.

Homosexuality has existed for thousands of years and is nothing new. We are to love the sinner and hate the sin. You mistake my intention. I have no fear of homosexuality. I used to be swayed by the same argument of sacrificing God's word for compassion for the suffering for another. However, God has dealt with me on this and I will stand for God's full Word whenever He calls me to. This is not about me, it's not about you and it's not about anyone else’s opinion. It's about what God deems is sinful according to His righteous judgments. For: The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. - Psalm 111:7

It is written:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. – 1 Timothy 3:1-5

 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. - Proverbs 29:25

 tsnl120808  graceabounds  This is really silly.  "Your words are from Satan!" Honestly, go back and read the red letter edition of the Bible, the version where the actual words of Christ are written in red so  you don't get confused about what was said by some old testament prophet and was only included in the Bible for context on Christ's life and beliefs, and what Christ teaches.  Christ never says anything against homosexuality. Christ says things about loving God and your neighbor and serving the poor, the afflicted, prisoners, etc. You need to get some perspective on what Christ thought was important.  Running around getting all worked up about other people's sex lives while there are still poor people, hungry children, sick people without care, all things Christ said you are specifically supposed to work on, its contrary to what your job is.  If you want to look at it in a sensible way, take the amount of time Christ spent talking about you doing something and work it out as a fraction, then take your energy that you spend as a Christian and divide it up by those fractions. You would spend most of your time taking care of the poor and underserved and getting over yourself, and the rest of the time loving God and your neighbor.  But don't take my word for it (or Satan) go get a red letter version of the Bible and check it out for yourself. But don't let Satan trick you into overemphasizing the words of old testament prophets or apostles, look at what Christ actually said.

 tsnl120808 Yet on the cross Christ said to a thief that this day you will be with me with my father who is in heaven.

The Bible says Thou shalt not kill. then God says to the Isrealites to go kill all the people in a town in Caanan. And you wonder why we ask is it possible that some mis interpretation exists? 

 StevenMansell Steven, I am not sure where you are located but here in my state of North Carolina a battle has been raging regarding Amendment One ( not sure if you have heard about it yet or not.) Many people take this purposed amendment in several different ways. I myself seen it directly against homosexuals and their want for marriage, others take many others ways. I have been debating back and forth with my opinions with various other individuals regarding this issue, and I wanted to take the time to say Thank you. Thank you for putting into words what I myself could not explain. I have tried for days to show that our God, is a forgiving God, a loving God, without success. You my friend, although I do not know you personally have written the very essence of which I have been trying to . I am glad to know that people do understand what I have been feeling in my heart even if I am unable to verbalize it. Once again, thank you. 

@Kuragari85 wow. What a testimony. Thank you for sharing that. It was very refreshing, to see that we ALL have that natural inclination to self righteousness. In order for the world to truly change we need people, gay and straight, slave and free, religious or not, to ALL personally realize our own mistakes, to stand up and say no more. Not to blame our actions on wrongs - perceived or real - done to us, but to rise above that and change our own hearts. This post has touched me very deeply. Thank you so much, and God Bless.

 MrCoolLink LOL what about Scotsmen?  All those men in kilts....  Deut 22:5  would throttle them too!

 MrCoolLink Yeah, because, obviously, doing that would be the EXACT message the author wanted us to take away from it.

"I'm going to hate you because you hate me."

It takes a lot of courage to be yourself. It takes SIGNIFICANTLY more courage to LOVE those who shouts HATE.

I read comments on here and countless other sites who say horrible things about the gays, people similar to responses #1 and #2. I lived in an area where thoughts like that are common. Doesn't mean I love them any less, for not getting the right message.

So, I gotta know: Do you REALLY think that your comment is needed, even if you use the, "but I was just joking" defense?