Christian and an Ally | Why Being Gay is Okay ✓

An Open Letter to Those of You Who Still Believe Being Gay is Wrong

To those of you who still believe being gay is wrong:

I know that if you gotten this far through my work and haven't changed your mind, then I will be unable to convince you that being gay is okay — at least not currently. But that's alright; even those who have spent most of their lives preaching against homosexuality have been known to change their minds, such as evangelical minister and author of Changing Our Mind, David P. Gushee. The fact that you clicked on Christian and an Ally means that you're hopefully open to learning about other opinions, which is the first step to accepting those differing opinions, seeing why people believe them, and maybe even agreeing with them yourself.

Especially for those of you who are religious, I urge you to take a moment of reflection and ask yourself if you are truly acting as Christ would. Before you comment that Jesus preached against sin, therefore he would support your actions — really reflect: what does the Bible say?

The Bible says that we are all sinners.

I think I have made it very clear that I do NOT believe that homosexuality is a sin, but for those of you who think it is . . . I ask you, so what? So what if homosexuality is a sin? You know what else is considered a sin? Anger, arrogance, bitterness, boasting, dishonesty, envy, hatred, judgment, and pride, among many other things. Who hasn't felt angry or jealous, or lied/been dishonest, or passed judgment on others?

We all know the quote from Romans 3:23, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," so why don't we live by it? Why reject the LGBTQ+ community from our churches when the rest of us are sinners, too? Why focus so much on homosexuality without doing the same for other sins? If Christians are going to bar gay people from the church, they might as well not go themselves. It makes no sense to reject a group of people from Christianity for "being sinners" when not one of us is free from sin.

The Bible says we are to withhold judgment.

Matthew 7:1-4: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

The message is very clear: we are not to judge others, because ultimately, it is up to God to judge us. Not only that, but Jesus reminds us of the danger of getting so caught up in others' faults that we cannot see our own. God will judge us the way we judge others, which doesn't sound very pleasant for those of us who are prone to judgment.

For those of you who go around preaching against homosexuality and say that you are doing it out of love . . . it doesn't matter, because you are still passing judgment on the LGBTQ+ community. When you tell other people that they are sinning, you are passing judgment on them, which Jesus warned against doing.

John 8:7: "Let any of you who is without sin be the first to throw the stone."

Romans 14:4 "Who are you to condemn someone else's servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord's help, they will stand and receive His approval."

How many different ways does the Bible have to tell us not to judge others, because we are not free of sin ourselves? Even if you think that homosexuality is a sin, focus on living more like Christ instead of telling other people how they should live their lives!

The Bible says that we are to love others as God loves us.

1 John 4:7: "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Matthew 22:37-40: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Romans 13:8: "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law."

Luke 6:27-31: "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."

These verses — and many, many others — are at the very heart and soul of Christianity. The Bible makes it clear: we are to love others as God loves us; that is to say, unconditionally, no matter who they are or how they act. If you believe homosexuality is a sin, again I say, so what? Love them anyway! If the idea of homosexuality disgusts you, so what? Love them anyway! If gay people want to come into your church or business, love them and welcome them with open arms! The more your heart is filled with love, the more God can work with you and through you for good. It's true that love wins — even the Bible says so (1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 Peter 4:8, Proverbs 10:12). When you lack love for others, you go against one of the most central messages of the Bible, and that definitely isn't what Jesus would do.

My final message to you who still believe that being gay is wrong is this: regardless of your personal beliefs or convictions, release yourself from the shackles of hate and judgment, and instead show love and acceptance to everyone. Especially those of you who are Christians, I urge you to show everyone the love of Christ, yes, including the LGBTQ+ community. It doesn't matter what you personally think of them, because one day God will judge all of us and He won't take our opinions of each other into account. Instead, He will judge us by how we acted towards others and by what is in our hearts.

Remember, the more you allow yourself to love people who are different from you, the more God will soften your heart and open your eyes to His grand plan. Who knows? Maybe someday your eyes will be opened to why being gay is okay.

God bless you all.