Updated
by Jim Gordon
I grew up in the institutional church and was always of the persuasion that being gay was a sin. I felt that since I was pretty open by saying I hated the sin but loved the sinner, I was doing better than most. Yet, either way I was saying being gay was a sin.
I never treated those who were gay in a bad way. I never treated any of my friends or relatives who were gay any different than I treated anyone else. I saw them as normal everyday people, except for a great sin in their life, or so I supposed at one time.
Things changed on this subject, and amazingly it was after leaving the institutional church. I started to see that God loves people, all people. There was no ‘I love you but’ when it came to God. I started to read some on the subject (something I never dreamed of doing before). I read Justin Lee and Matthew Vines. I really thought about a God of love and how could that God condemn people for the way he made them.
I finally began to see the LGBTQ community for who they really are….people. Take away the labels and you have human beings like everyone else. Just because they were born with different sexual views does not make them second class citizens and does not make them deserving of the awful ways they are treated, especially by the christian world. They are doing nothing more than being themselves just as God made them.
Today I seem to have a special sense of wanting to show those who are LGBTQ that all straight people who call themselves christian are not the same. I want to help promote information and acceptance between straight christian people and those who are LGBTQ, whether christian or not. I can no longer say I believe being gay is a sin. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding and misinterpretation by the church and evangelical christians. Rather than continuing to accept what a religion or pastor tells us, we should take time to check further for ourselves. Below are listed several good books on the subject.
I do admit I do not understand the attraction of two men or two women. Of course, that is because I am straight. I bet those who are gay or lesbian do not understand me and my attraction to the opposite sex (well, just one person of the opposite sex, my wife).
I recently read a book by Amber Cantorna called Refocusing My Family. It is such an interesting read, telling of her questions, struggles and hardships in her walk with God and her family. Her traditional christian upbringing and her dad being an employee of Focus on the Family made it extremely hard on her when she came out as gay. What terrible struggles and treatment she received. It is so hard for me to understand how parents can disown their children, yet I know it happens all the time.
I also believe that the christians who still believe being gay is wrong are handling it all wrong. Whether you agree or disagree, our instructions from Jesus are to love God, love our neighbor and love our enemies. We are to love, not judge and condemn. I have read so many articles about the abuse the gay community takes: beatings, exclusion, disowned by their family, suicides, it is terrible. No matter what stand we take on the issue we are not to judge and condemn. As followers of Christ we are to be known for our love and for treating everyone equally.
I personally am tired of the way the christian church has treated those who are LGBTQ. Whether they agree or disagree they should be treating everyone with love. For me, I have concluded that being gay is not a sin and I fully love and accept all people just as they are. I hope I can show that love and acceptance to others in some way.
I do not completely understand it but for some reason this topic has taken on a new meaning for me. I am tired of seeing the abuse, the exclusion and the discrimination against those who are LGBTQ. I pray that I can be a help by showing love and acceptance to those I meet each day, and especially to those who are LGBTQ.
Following are a few good books I have read on the subject with links to Amazon:
** UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality by Colby Martin
** Is God a Gay Basher by Jan Liebegott
** God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines
** Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate by Justin Lee
** Unashamed: A Coming Out Guide for LGBTQ Christians by Amber Cantorna
** The Children are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-sex Relationships by Jeff Miner and John Tyler Connoley
** Clobber the Passages: Seven Deadly Verses by Mel White
Done with Religion 
Thank you Samuel.
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Yes I agree that God loves us all and we should not judge .But also God wants us to grow into the likeness of Jesus Christ , unto perfection, not for us to remain the way we were when we first believed. Just as the bible says do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Please what I wrote is not just my opinion but it’s God’s word. Thanks for what your doing with your blog. God bless you.
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Thank you Samuel for posting your opinion. Yet I stick with what I wrote. God loves each of us just the way we are and I will not judge nor condemn anyone for the labels we place upon them.
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I read this post , I was waiting to see the final conclusion on whether gay us a sin. I will like to say that God did not make anyone gay, the Bible says in Genesis that we were created in the image and likeness of God. This is not the first time we see people who are gay, this was one of the songs found in Sodom and Gomorrah before it was destroyed ( Gen. 19 : 5, 7) . The men of Sodom and Gomorrah were gay, they wanted to sleep with the male visitors( the angels) that came to Lot’s house but Lot asked them why they wanted to do such evil, that means that what they wanted to do was evil( I mean having sex with those visitors) . The Bible says that in the end false prophets and doctrines will rise, but be careful not to be swept away by every wind of doctrine. Please speak the truth gay is wrong it was never created by God, it is an error , God created man to have sex with women and not fellow men. The Bible listed the works of the flesh and said that all who live this way won’t see the kingdom of God. God is love and we must love everyone but we cannot justify what is wrong, that is not love, because in the end God will judge us all and the lies told by many preachers will send men to hell and you will never love someone and send him to hell by not saying the truth. If you want to help gay people tell them to seek help from God to overcome their desires , I know people who have overcome this thing, and others can do so. The Bible says that God’s grace is sufficient to all men for us to give up ungodly passions ( Titus 2 : 11-12), so for any who wants to change from gay God’s grace is sufficient. To all those who are LGBTQ please the truth is that God created us in His image and likeness, but Satan brought sin which has brought so much error and evil, the Bible is clear about this don’t be deceived , it is wrong and will take those who do them to hell. God’s standard has never changed and He is the same forever. And to the blogger please don’t be confused by what people are writing in books, study the Bible which is God’s guide for us while on earth, God bless you.
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Hi Alan, thanks for your kind comment.
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Something is indeed awry in the kingdom of “Christless Christianity”, “Pagan Christianity” and the “harlot church”.
Jim, I really like you moderate way of presenting it.
We do need to reach the lost (religionists) with love and the gospel message of how God’s unconditional love naturally and authentically changes us for the better without coercion, judgement, fear, shame, and guilt.
Google image search:
“religion vs the gospel”.
Blessings and love to you and yours.
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Sex is for multiplying. Loving your partner does not always have to result in birthing children. There are so many children that need adopting into good, loving homes already.
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The Bible comments about being fruitful and multiplying! Same sex can’t multiply?? My understanding!
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Hi Marion, I agree. Jesus said to love one another. It was never only those who believed similar. I cannot believe that God made mistakes and I do not believe those who are LGBTQ are meant to be excluded, condemned, discriminated against and shown such hatred, especially from those who claim to follow Jesus. Thanks for your comment.
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I am coming around to seeing things like you do. (All part of the deconstruction process, I suppose.) I’ve just seen too much seething hate exuding from people professing their Christianity. So sad. And they feel justified.
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