Okay, I get it!
I get it that you believe that homosexuality is a sin. I get it that you base your belief on your interpretation of a few passages of Scripture known as the “clobber texts” (there are six of them in both the Old and New Testaments).
Especially the text in Romans 1:26-27 that seems to give you the greatest sense of certainty in your stand against LGBT people. Believe it or not, I understand how you can read this text, out of context, as an indictment of all homosexual people.
I get it that you are a product of a brand of Christianity that vilifies homosexuals and brands them as “unrepentant sinners."
I don’t agree with you, but I get it.
But what I don’t get is why you stopped reading Paul’s words concluding Romans 1 and why you didn’t at least read all the way through 2:1. His words shout out to us:
“Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.”
A pastor in Saint Augustine, Florida recently refused to leave his restaurant server a tip the guy was gay just might be a good candidate for reading Romans 2:1. Okay, the pastor can read and interpret the Bible as he sees fit but this does not give him the liberty to treat someone unkindly or disrespectfully just because of the person’s sexual orientation.
Look, your view on homosexuality is yours to own. I may not agree with it but can we agree to be kind to LGBT folks, simply because it is the fitting thing to do.
The most effective witness we Christians have at our disposal is the way we treat others who are unlike us (even our enemies). Otherwise, our verbal testimony to what we believe becomes nothing more than “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” Hollow words that impress no one.
Treat all people kindly and you will discover a change in the texture of your heart. You may even come to love homosexuals regardless of how you read the Bible.
Be kind!
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