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This letter has been modified since his original publication. References to the writer's friend have been clarified.
I have come to expect unreasonable claims about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the media, but I was not prepared to hear them from my friends. On Feb. 7, a friend of mine who was pastor delivered a sermon that claimed his distant father and overbearing mother caused a life-long struggle with homosexuality. He then announced that he is pursuing a therapy program to “cure” his attraction to men, planning to write a book on the topic and stepping down from his role as pastor of New Life Christian Fellowship.
Thus began a multi-week series on homosexuality that will end on Feb. 21.
Although the staff member will certainly be caught in the crossfire of the debate, the controversy is not about him. He has the right to be open and honest about his struggles and the freedom to pursue therapy of his choosing. But the church should not give its members or staff a platform to present false information about homosexuality and legitimize a form of therapy that leading health and mental health organizations have found to be ineffective and unsafe.
The ex-gay movement teaches that homosexuality is a mental illness even though the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders stopped listing it as such in 1973. The movement also insists that gay-to-straight conversion efforts work, despite the American Psychological Association’s repeated claims to the contrary. Every year, ex-gay conversion therapists convince an untold number of Americans that they can change their sexual orientation through expensive therapy. Some want to rid themselves of the shame they feel. Others fear that they will never be full members of their family, church or community unless they “turn straight.” They learn to equate “gay” with “bad” and internalize the anti-gay rhetoric of the religious right.
Although the leaders of NLCF will claim that they are simply supporting their staff memeber and not issuing a blanket endorsement of ex-gay conversion therapy, the church has stronger ties to the ex-gay movement than it would like to admit. In 2004, NLCF pastor Scott Davis left his post at the campus church to lead youth outreach programs at Exodus International, the largest ex-gay organization in the world. He now serves as vice president of operations for that organization. In 2005, lead NLCF pastor Jim Pace wrote an article for an Exodus International newsletter about the church’s approach to the issue of
homosexuality.
Exodus International has consistently opposed legal protections for LGBT individuals and couples, and in 2009, one of its board members was instrumental in drafting a piece of legislation in Uganda that calls for life imprisonment and, in some cases, the death penalty for homosexuality. Although no one should be blamed for the actions of a friend or acquaintance, I question the ethics of anyone who would write for a cause that masquerades hate as a family value.
At the end of the day, I don’t know whether to be more frustrated that one of the largest religious organizations in Blacksburg is telling 600 to 800 church-goers that love and affection between two men or two women is pathology, not romance, or that I no longer feel welcome in the church I have called home for the past four years simply because I’m gay. Another friend of mine has decided to stay in the church, but I have chosen to leave. Recently, he asked me whether I thought he would be accepted in NLCF even though he has a boyfriend. I gave him an honest answer:
“No.”
Michael Sutphin
class of 2006
Leave a comment 67 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
Important note to Collegiate Times editors: If you are going to remove a name from a letter, you should remove all references, not just the first. We can still see the last name. Also, when you call him my friend you should come up with some other way of describing the other friend at the bottom so that nobody confuses the two.
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typical christian bashing by the homosexual agenda!!!!!when someone has an opinion different than yours it's always considered "hate" when coming from a Christian perspective. especially since Michael has been going to NLCF for the past 4 yrs. and knew their stance on the issue... I say that because I have the same struggles with same sex attraction since I was a kid. Science has NEVER proven it is genetic!!!!!!
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Christianity defines homosexuality as sin period. If you don't like it tough, God has spoken.
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Way to miss the point of the article. This isn't about whether or not homosexuality is a sin, but whether or not a church should condone a therapy which is not supported by valid evidence and in some cases has been found to be harmful. Even if you feel that homosexuality is a disease, a good Christian cannot advocate the selling of poison disguised as a medicine to cure it.
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In a fight between all the disinterested scientists and an old book, i'll take the scientists. Theology is easier to change than science.
Science isn't to show that you are right. It is to become right.
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Way to read XKCD
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No, God hasn't spoken. Humans, via the printed page and other media, have spoken. Nobody gets between me and God.
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He's spoken through the Bible and through his son Jesus. If you can't accept that then you're not accepting Christianity.
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Just because you think something, doesn't mean it was God speaking to you.
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
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None of find hate or prejudice in God we simply recognize sin as sin. Some people are uncomfortable with the truth I guess.
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Though I agree that God has stated that sex outside the context of marriage (between a man and woman) is a sin, I ask that your words would be more thoughtful. "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." -Colossians 4:6. Let us be known by our love
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God has also stated that homosexual relations are wrong regardless of marriage status. That of course is a whole other debate concerning marriage, which wouldn't be a debate at all if the gov't had decided to keep church and state separate when it was beneficial for them.
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*speaking towards the quote "Christianity defines homosexuality as sin period. If you don't like it tough, God has spoken."
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Gay sex is sin period, just like incest and murder. You don't get to say this doesn't count because we feel bad for a vocal group of deviants.
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Right on Michael! Your comments are very important because those who are controlling the public discourse are trying to enlist the prestige attached to "therapeutic" and pseudo-medical terminology to pathologize (and stigmatize) a natural variant of human sexuality. I highly recommend you read "NOT IN OUR GENES: Biology, ideology and human nature" by Steven Rose et. al. as it's focus is the legitimation of such pseudo-scientific nonsense and the ideological ends at which it aims. Bravo for expressing your concerns!
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Actually, no where does it say homosexuality is a sin. It uses a very different word. One that many theologists have come to realize is more or less cultural in its judgment than divine. Trust me when I say God has no issue with homosexuality.Though certainly heterosexual christians would like to think such so they can hold onto their privilege.
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A man shall not lay down with another man as he does a woman this is an abomination. I guess you have a point there it's a crime against nature more than it is a sin.
"Trust me when I say God has no issue with homosexuality." Have you spoken with God did he lift you up to the heavens and tell you that gays are cool with him. The Bible which is the closest thing we have to talking to God says that it is wrong.
"Though certainly heterosexual christians would like to think such so they can hold onto their privilege." That and God said so and as followers of the Hebrew God we uphold his will. Of course there you go with your unsupported claims that we're privileged some how. Larry David pisses on Christ as a joke, but Muhammad can't even be depicted as a cartoon, some privilege.
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My God is the Hebrew God I have no idea what pagan deity you worship. It is Hebrew law that Homosexuality is wrong, you are delusional if you think because of prayer you know better than a divinely inspired profit. It says clearly in Leviticus, granted with subtle language, that gay relations are a vile, shameful, and detestable action. If you have a problem with that then maybe this isn't the faith for you. As far as wording goes, that's why we have modern translations. Scholars painstakingly read the old texts and translate the meaning in modern terms.
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The Bible does in fact say that homosexual activity is a sin. I think where many stumble is in thinking that the being homosexual is a sin. It is the act that is condemned in the Bible, just like sex outside of marriage. To believe that the Bible does not say that homosexual behavior is a sin is to pick and chose what you believe is right. As my pastor once said, "If you believe what you want, and reject what you want, it is not the Bible you believe it is yourself". 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 explicitly includes homosexual offenders in the list of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God, unless justified by the name of Christ. To say that this is culturally relative and does not apply today is also wrong. Homosexual activity was widespread in the ancient Greek and Roman culture that Paul is speaking to in this passage. So the issue is not whether the Bible forbids it, or whether is is culturally relative, because it does forbid it, and it is not irrelevant, but the issue comes in believing if the Bible is God's truth and authority, and if so to accept it as our moral compass and ultimate authority.
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I would dare argue that you do not believe in the saving God of the Bible, based on your comment "I can't imagine what God does to people who use him to legitimize hate." You miss the whole point of His mercy. A mercy that is the theme of the Scriptures.
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"Whatever in the waters hath no fins and scales, that shall be an abomination unto you." Hope none of you are eating shellfish. Or wearing linen with wool. Or committing any other abominations as laid out in Leviticus. Perhaps we should head the words that superceded good 'ol Leviticus and let judgement be the Lord's.
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If you had bothered to look into it you would find that in the New Testament the rule is lifted. Mark 7:15-23 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. Further proof is when God told Peter that all food made by God is good and fit to eat.
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I feel sorry for you.
I can't imagine what God does to people who use him to legitimize hate.
But to answer your questions...I have spoken to God. It is called the power of prayer. And in case you forgot people wrote the bible, not God. Just because he inspired it does not mean that people, there's that word again, haven't misinterpreted it. But that aside I could care less what YOUR god thinks gay people.
By the way, explain how exactly it is a crime against nature when animals (who have no original sin) display homosexuality constantly, and in the higher orders. Elephants, dolphins, and cats are just a small few. If you are going to go the 'it is unnatural' route you may want to do your research. Homos are found even in nature.
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On another note, you have a line stating that men cannot lay with one another. It doesn't say anything about sex.
You see, interpretation goes a long way. You know that the cultural meaning of 'lay with' at the time it was translated refers to a sexual experience. How do you know abomination does not vary in meaning, contrary to what you may believe it to be? Or that notions about homosexuality are not different than you have supposed?
If I read the bible literally it doesn't say much of anything that makes sense. But it seems you wish to pick and choose.
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1) he has not stepped down from being a staff member, just a pastor
2) he did not equate "gay" to "bad"
3) no one has fully endorsed anything anti gay or pro therapy, nor have they stated it is a mental illness or a "definitive fact" that it is caused by family issues.
please get your facts truly straight before you post something like this in a very public forum.
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Anonymous: My original submission to the Collegiate Times never used the phrase "staff member." They decided to remove his name from the article and made several errors when identifying him while doing it. The print version of the article is closer to my original. If you listen to the sermon on the NLCF website, you'll notice that every reference to the word "gay" is in a negative context, save for the last. It was very clear in the sermon that the person in question believed that homosexuality was caused by psychological issues involving having a dysfunctional childhood. How could you change your sexual orientation if you thought it was biological anyway?
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Why did they edit out my name? It's Matt Rogers. Matthew Zane Rogers. I'm not in hiding. There are so man inaccuracies in this letter to the editor, I'll probably have to write my own letter to correct them all. There isn't room here to do so fully. Michael, I am stunned at the way you're misrepresenting a group of people who've been nothing but good to you for years.
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I can't agree that he was in any way confrontational or offensive in his speech. This was his choice, to use therapy as a personal support system, and no where did he say this is what every one should do. Not supporting him in this decision is different than calling what he is doing "wrong."
Readers: Here is the link to the talks from the past two weeks. I encourage you to listen to them for yourself.
http://www.nlcf.net/multimedia/talks/homosexuality/
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"Church spreads anti-gay ideas": Nothing could be further from the truth of what actually has happened the past two Sundays at NLCF. I don't mind people disagreeing with my decision to seek therapy regarding my attractions to men. I very much mind when people misrepresent those beliefs and the beliefs of my church. Here are the talks if you'd like to hear what actually happened, rather than trusting the awful mischaracterization Michael has written.
http://www.nlcf.net/multimedia/talks/homosexuality/
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Michael - I'm so proud of you for writing this. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
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Matt, you say that your homosexuality can be traced back to a dysfunctional family and a distant father. You also say that you have a brother. Did he have the same childhood as you? Is he gay? If he's not, how can you think that this is a legitimate "excuse" for your homosexuality?
You also are attacking Michael for expressing his views on your sermon. You dont agree with him titling this "church spreads anti-gay ideas," but that's your opinion. The opinion of Michael, and a large majority of openly queer people, is that this IS what you are doing. As a person who holds great power in the church, a lot of people look up to, respect you, and model you. When you announce to your church that you are gay, but stepping down in order to fix this "problem" that can be rooted back to a dysfunctional childhood, many people are apt to believe what you believe. As a leader in the church who is supposed to spread the idea of love to all, you aren't spreading the word of love to homosexuals. You are using your power to send the message that being homosexual is wrong.
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(...this is a continuation of what has been written above)
What about AGAPE love, the belief that Christ's love is unconditional? I would like to ask you why you think being gay is wrong? Why is it so wrong that you have an attraction to men?
One more question. You are about to undergo "ex-gay" therapy in order to be straight. Well, how come you never hear about people undergoing "ex-straight" therapy in order to be gay? If you think that is something that is impossible, then there are flaws in your logic.
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You obviously have not listened to Matt's talk. He clearly states that love should be shown to all people no matter what they are going through. Please listen to his talk before making these false claims.
Also, the fact that Matt's brother isn't gay is in no way proof of anything. You are assuming that Matt is saying there is a 100% chance of having homosexual attractions when raised in his family situation. He never stated this. There are many other factors such as personal experience and personality that could vary from Matt to his brother and your oversimplifications are disturbing.
Finally, why would anyone seek anti-straight therapy? Please provide 1 logical reason for desiring such therapy.
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Can you provide one LOGICAL reason as to why someone would seek ex-gay therapy?
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Sure. Some people believe that being gay is a product of multiple factors and variables present after birth, and is not inherent. They realize and believe that attractions towards the same sex are sinful and wish to change this in an attempt to align themselves with the word of God. Just because you don't believe something doesn't mean it is an illogical reason. I won't let this turn into a God debate so don't bother with that approach.
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I think where people are having problems here is the relationship between love and justice. God and Jesus are both absolutely loving and absolutely just as their followers should be. According to their standard (the Bible), homosexual acts are a sin (just like murder, lying, lust, extramarital sex, etc.) and must be acknowledged as such, which the church is rightfully doing. At the same time, I think NLCF has done an exemplary job of expressing Jesus' love for everyone. Those who claim that love should preclude us from saying things are wrong should consider how cheap a love like that would be. That you could only love someone you agree with on everything or that love necessitates absolute silence and support with no acknowledgement of God's standard of right and wrong. I believe that love is honest and true and in its purest form is willing to communicate the tough truths while still loving all along.
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Murder, really? There have already been several comments on this already over-commented article that compare homosexuality to murder. I wouldn't normally say anything, but this is out of hand. Two dudes falling in love is not in the same league of rightness and wrongness as ending the life of another human being. That's not even the same game. Before you type something like that again, you should think for a second how you would feel if a stranger on the Internet compared the heart palpitations you get when you see your other half to murder. Doesn't seem right does it? Please extend the same courtesy to gays and lesbians.
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I thank Michael for writing this letter and I agree with his position on the issue. However, I would also like to thank Matt for being brave enough to go in front of a crowd to talk about his sexuality (even though I do not agree with "gay conversion therapy").
I myself am gay and a Christian. In my Baptist church as a kid I constantly heard anti-gay rhetoric, after many years of hating that part of myself I was driven on the verge of suicide. Eventually I accepted my sexuality, reconciled it with God (and no, gays aren't going to hell), and became a member of the Presbyterian Church.
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*continuation of above:
Recently I went to dinner with one of my friends, he had been to the NLCF that particular Sunday and he brought the topic up. I told him to not only consider the religious aspect of this (of which Jesus said NOTHING of homosexuality), but also the scientific aspect. Currently, all the top scientific data points to the fact that sexuality is determined by genes and not by an overbearing mother or a dead-beat father (as the long dead psychologists and evangelical Christians tend to think). Furthermore, there is a broad consensus among the medical community that states that conversion therapy can be harmful because it may exploit guilt and anxiety, thereby damaging self-esteem and leading to depression and even suicide; there is also that the advancement of conversion therapy can cause social harm by disseminating inaccurate views about sexual orientation and the ability of gay and bisexual people to lead happy, healthy lives.
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*continuation of above
I guess what Im trying to get at is this; people are entitled to their beliefs and are entitled to do what they want with their lives. However, I do believe that the students that heard this sermon must also look at the other side of the story to truly have an understanding of the issue at hand.
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I went to the NLCF webpage and listened to Matt's "sermon" (more like a therapy session than a sermon, but whatever) as well as Jim Pace's follow-up the next Sunday (which by the way included a great example of "tolerance" by someone who disagrees with NLCF in this issue).
I commend Matt for taking that tremendous step and being open with the congregation and for being brave enough to actually believe and follow what God's word says. I will be praying for you Matt, as well as for NLCF and its leadership.
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A logical reason pro-therapy is simply KNOWING what you want. Sexuality is a spectrum; it's not as simple as gay/straight. There are too many factors that determine such things. Yes, culture is part of it; yes, background can also be a contributor. So can biology. But everyone is different, no one can refute that. And when someone truly knows what direction they would like for any aspect of their life, they fight for it. Matt could do this without therapy; I have seen others succeed. What I gather from the discussion he has had is that he is using the therapy to sort through what he already knows, to use it as just another resource to gain the peace that he wants.
People undergo therapy for many things. This is honestly no different than dealing with any other emotional issue on these terms. No, homosexuality is not an illness. No, it is not necessarily a psychological issue either. I fully think we need to give a lot of weight to the personality of the individual struggling with whatever they are. You would use therapy to help with bipolar disorder, depression, and anger management; my perspective is why is this any different in this circumstance?
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Continued:
We have heard him talk and we have heard the thoughts of both sides. There is no "winner" and there never will be. There are only "losers," who are the ones that end up hurt, frustrated, and insulted, and I'm not just talking about Matt or Michael. Let's give this a rest, for the sake of everyone.
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This is why i left the church. Someone always comes along and says to stop the hurt, frustration and insulted and then they throw how there is no need for anger or negativity in the church. It's Wednesday and I guess we want to make sure we get our fix of Sunday mornning warm fuzzies. I am so sorry Michael and thank u for speaking up.
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you just compared homosexuality to bipolar disorder, depression, and anger issues. you just equated homosexuality with disorder/dysfunction. this is essentially the same as claiming it is an illness.
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Matt stated that not everyone agrees with the therapy he's taking, but that it's what he chooses to do. I also thought Matt was very clear that everyone's story is different and he was simply sharing his. There is absolutely nowhere that NLCF has stated that homosexuality is always and only a mental issue. Matt may feel that is a large part of his experience, but he did not make any blanket statement.
In fact, there are many things that NLCF views as sin that are largely due to inherent human nature, including extra-marital sex (straight included), viewing sexual explicit material, or looking at someone with lustful desires. Just because something is inherent human nature, due to genes, etc., does not mean that it cannot also be defined as sin, especially considering the biblical belief of an inherent sinful nature.
Finally, because we are commanded to "love one another even as Christ loved us," the church's simple view of something as sin does not in any way justify hateful or demeaning action towards others. In fact, it demands the opposite, which I think Jim clearly stated this past Sunday. Even though NLCF has interpreted the Bible a certain way, there is no call to force our beliefs on others, harass people, or condemn people. The call is clearly to love, regardless of differences.
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Pre-marital sex and looking at sexually explicit material require you to do something. Or at least think it. I didn't "do" anything to make me gay. I simply am. You are confusing sexual behavior with sexual identity. I could remain celibate my entire life and never meet up to your "Christian" standards.
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I think that there has been a huge misunderstanding. Sexual behavior and sexual identity are indeed very different, and it is not sexual identity ("being gay") that is considered a sin. In fact, Matt Rogers was ordained as a pastor after he had fully informed the current pastors of his same-sex attractions. They were aware of his sexuality, and still agreed that he was the right person to lead the church along side of them.
As to the comment "I could remain celibate my entire life and never meet up to your 'Christian' standards", this is so far from the truth it hurts me to see it in print. My friend Matt is doing just this, and he is one of the Christians I respect the most. Matt has made a choice not to act on his same-sex attractions, even if that means being single, in order to live up to certain standards he believes are in line with scriptures. This is an example of incredible dedication to God, even at great personal sacrifice, and I respect him enormously for it.
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(continued)
It is not same-sex attractions, or sexual identity, that are considered sinful in the eyes of God. Instead, it is homosexual behavior, along with pre-marital sex, lying, gossip, and other very socially accepted behaviors, that God calls us to abstain from. As Christians, we are called to be different. We are called to not respond to wordly desires. I make the decision not to sleep with my boyfriend, even though my biological make-up screams at me that this would be good, because this is something Christ has called me to do. As Callaway said, we all have an inherently sinful nature. We all make mistakes, and we all have desires that go against the teachings of scripture. It is what we do in response to these desires that defines us as Christians.
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I don't understand why the church should not be allowed to state that homosexuality is wrong. The Bible clearly says that man shouldn't lie with man as one lies with a woman and that the sexually immoral won't inherit the kingdom of Heaven. The church can say that abortion is wrong, murder is wrong, premarital sex is wrong, getting drunk is wrong, partying too much is wrong, and that lying is wrong. So if the same Bible that puts those things forth as sinful declares homosexuality to be so, I think it's the church's responsibility to broach the subject. I don't think it could be done more respectfully than in Matt's talk. He hits on every point of contention that Michael gives from the effectiveness of ex-gay therapy to the root cause of homosexuality to whether it's sinful or not. I encourage those who would side with Michael to listen to Matt's talk personally on nlcf.net For a campus who prides itself on celebrating diversity, we should be able to accept that the "religious right" has an opinion as well.
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Partying too much is wrong?! Oh man...
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Abortion, premarital sex, and all of those other things you mentioned are choices. Homosexuality is not a choice. Therefore the Church saying that homosexuality is wrong is similar to the Church saying that being female is wrong or being white is wrong. I do not think that God would judge us based on who we are and the factors about ourselves that we cannot change. The whole point of religion (in my view, as a very non-religious person) is to make choices to be the best people we can be.
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I think this cartoon from the movie "For the Bible Tells Me So" summarizes my opinion pretty well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYMjXucTFaM
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Homosexuality is not a disease or a mental illness. It is a shame that a church in Blacksburg, of all places, supports so-called "ex-gay" therapy. What is this, the 19th Century, people?
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I lean to the fact that God is unchanging in His will and ways, and He still sees the ACTION of homosexuality as a sin. Define it how you like, but same-sex attractions are obviously alive and present, as they have been for all time, but acting upon them is where sin takes place. It is the same for everything, seeing a pretty girl is no sin but going after her in a sexual manner is, as is engaging in relations with her. Being mad is okay, but plotting to get revenge or hating someone is not. Our friend at this church has decided that he does not want to act upon these feelings that he has and he sees them as a burden to his life. Keep in mind that he acts according to the Word of God as his basis. If everyone wants to bash this church or this man for this stance, everyone needs to realize that God is the ultimate authority on this issue and He has ordained what He has ordained. " It is a shame that a church in Blacksburg, of all places..." Blacksburg is a city just as any city is a city. Actions that God has deemed incorrect are incorrect no matter what. And your reference to "ex-gay" therapy is little defined, and I would add, a misnomer to what the staff member hoped to portray to the campus. He does not like the feelings he has, therefore he is seeking counseling
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to correct these feelings. His stance is placed upon the Word of God and his conscience. For you to bash him, my friend, displays our culture's ever-present hiding place in the face of controversy, "intolerance". If you do not see fit that he do this, by all means, you have a right to your own opinion. But he does and he wants to correct what he finds wrong, so keeping our mouths shut about his decision might be in order. You do as you see fit, he will do as he sees fit. And as a final charge to all who will read this and be outraged that I could ever charge this "bigotry" in the church to not be outright fallacious, remember: Christ is the ultimate authority, and one day we will all stand before Him. Attractions of this nature are simply that, attractions; you can't help if you experience them as they are just there. ACTIONS of this nature, on the contrary, are defined as wrong in the eyes of a Holy God. According to Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The ACTIONS (notice my emphasis leading away from thought towards deed) of this nature are just like the actions of lust for the opposite sex, or murder, or slander, or jealousy, or lying, or coveting: they are sin. The Lord can deliver us from this sin by us accepting Him into
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our lives. Romans 10:9-10 says "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Accept Jesus as Lord of your life. I am a man full of sin, I am completely evil in all I do. I need Jesus every day to help me and forgive me. I do not know why He has been gracious to me, I have failed so many times in so many ways. We are all sinners. I beseech those who read to remember that Jesus died for you, and He wants you to be with Him forever. I write this in love. I fully expect to be bashed and called a bigot and treated with contempt, but I have been treated like this so many times that it really won't phase me. To my brothers and sisters in Christ: remember we are to love those around us. We do not need to come at this in hate or in trying to "get back" at people or to overcome them with how "brilliant" we think our arguments are. We do not need to try to defend what is God's,
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He is fully capable of doing that Himself. I am here to proclaim that Jesus is alive and well and wants us all to know Him fully, because no matter what it is in life, we all are sinners and we are all in need of His love and grace. Peace to all.
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I a sad that so many of you find the roots of prejudice and hatred in the word of your god. You seem to miss the point of religion all together.
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I think many of you are missing the whole purpose of the Christian Church. It is not here to turn everyone into "better people", it is not here to make everyone tolerant, it is not here to make everyone happy, it IS here because every single one of us are broken sinful people, and there is a God who saved us from our sin, whatever the sin may be(he defines it because He is God), and we come together as the Church to glorify the name of the One who deserves all the glory forever and ever.
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