Love is love

I have an opinion about a lot of things. Some of my opinions are just a lot of hot air. But sometimes, my opinion comes from deep, personal, and moral ties to an issue.  This is one of those times. If you don't agree with me, that is fine, but I hope you will respect me enough to read all of what I have to say.

The hot topic right now is equal rights for all people to get married. I am all for it! From a political stand, I don't think the government has a right to say who you can and can't marry. America was built on religious freedom, choice, and diversity.....or so we say. Why does someone's sexual preference deny them rights? I have never understood that. I also don't think being gay is a sin. Over the years I have had several friends come out, and I came to a point where I decided I needed to know for myself what I believed about being gay. Not what the church told me or what society told me. I needed to know for me, where I stood on the issue. I spent time in prayer and read scripture. And I came to the conclusion that God creates people for love. I believe some people find that love in a heterosexual relationship and some find it in a homosexual relationship. But we all desire love.

That is my OPINION. I believe some people are born gay, and should have every right that a straight person has. And I am entitled to that opinion, as you are to your opinion. We live in a country where we are free to safely voice what we think. As Christians  we also worship a God who gave us free will, allowed us to think for our selves, and have opinions. So if your opinion is different from mine, that is okay! What is not okay, is when we hold so tightly to our opinion that we outcast others. If you don't agree with someone's lifestyle, fine. But when you tell them they are a mistake, going to burn, or treat them like a second class citizen, that is NOT okay! That is when a line is being crossed. Not only a christian line, but a line in humanity!

Why do we think we have the right to condemn?  To Judge? To assign worth to a person? What kind of message is the church (as a whole) sending? The church teaches that we are ALL made in God's image and we are loved and valued. But what is practiced is some of us are made in God's image and some people don't deserve love because they are different.  Didn't Jesus hang out with the sinners and outcast? And we are to follow the example Christ set right? So, by that logic, shouldn't you be hanging out in a gay bar, building relationships and sharing the Gospel? God didn't call us to love some people or only people who 'sin' the same way we do. He called us to love people. PERIOD.

So you can have a different opinion. That is perfectly acceptable! But think about how you are voicing that opinion. Do you want to be the person holding a sign saying "God hates gays" "Gays will burn"?
or
Do you want to be more like this group.

This is a church group that went to a gay rights parade and had signs that says "I'm sorry for how the church has treated you." They are not (from this picture) taking a stand one way or another on the issue. But they are standing up for people, for human beings that have been told they are worthless. They are showing the love of Jesus by building relationships, giving a hug, and knowing what we are ALL valuable because we are created by God.

Where do you stand?



equal rights for all people!