Gay Haters?

As I was watching the news this morning and they were talking about how SanFransico legalized gay marriage, I felt angry and sick. Not because of gay marriage, but because there were people outside the courthouse protesting the legalization with signs that said "God Hates Fags" and "Fags Will Burn In Hell." These signs made me disgusted because of what they say to our society. and more importantly, what they say to people we know and love who are involved in homosexual relationships.

I became so angry and disgusted, wondering who these people were. Where do they come from? Who told them that nasty, hateful signs are how we engage our culture? They portray the stereotype of Christians who think everyone (except them) is evil and unloved by God. I do not want to be lumped in with these people, but every time someone pulls a stunt like this it happens to me anyway. In the eyes of many, I become a gay hater even though I am not. I wish these protesters would wake up and gain an understanding of the heart of God. I wonder if they know anyone who is gay. I wonder if they have any friends or family members who are gay. I wonder if they have ever just listened to their gay friend speak about their life.

I personally have a conservative view on homosexuality because there are parts in the Bible that we can't just ignore. We cannot choose passages we like and leave those we don't like. However, I think we need to be careful in how we express our beliefs. We can be open and honest about them, we do not need to hide them. But we need to make sure we are entering into discussion with people who don't agree with us, not just yelling and waving signs. Open dialogue is needed if we are to gain an understanding and the ability to have compassion for our world that is required of us as Christians. We also need to be careful that we don't focus on one issue. In 1 Corinthians 6 where homosexuality is mentioned, heterosexual immorality is also mentioned, as are slanderers, theives, alcoholics and those who are greedy. We need to be careful, when we cast stones at the courthouse, that we are also not among that list. Jesus warned us over and over about the dangers of self-righteousness, so how have Christians, Jesus' followers, become so good at it? Many other issues are mentioned throughout the Bible and I've become convinced over the years that pretty well everyone has their thing that they struggle with. Why have we elevated homosexuality as the unpardonable sin?

It appears to me that the protesters do not care too much about transformation but more about condemnation. But, just like the protesters don't know the people in the courthouse, I don't know the protesters either. So I guess I need to wait to jump to any conclusions until I get a chance to speak with one of them. What I wish the world knew is that NONE of the Christians I know personally (and they are many) hold the belief that "God Hates Fags", nor would they ever hold a sign stating it.