When I started wrg my new book, God and the Gay Christian, I was well aware that Christians who oppose same-sex marriage the church have long ed the Bible to fend their pot of view. As a gay Christian om an evangelil church Kansas, that stat quo has had a damagg impact on my life, which is one reason I'm settg out to change the flty perspective. Here are 10 reasons why God accepts gay Christians.
Contents:
- 10 REASONS GOD LOV GAY CHRISTIANS
- SECTN 2: KNOWG GAYS AND LBIANS, RELIG CONFLICTS, BELIEFS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY
- 20 GAY GREEK GODS
- GAYS Y RELIGIóN
10 REASONS GOD LOV GAY CHRISTIANS
The term “homosexual” didn’t exist until 1892. Some morn Bible translatns say that “homosexuals” will not her the kgdom of God, but neher the ncept nor the word for people wh exclive same-sex attractn existed before the late 19th century. While the Bible rejects ltful same-sex behavr, that’s very different om a nmnatn of all gay people and relatnships.
Requirg that all gay people rema celibate is at odds wh the Bible’s teachgs on celibacy, which are ground Scripture’s re affirmatn that God’s physil creatn is good. Mastream nomatns like Prbyterians and Epispalians now orda openly gay clergy, and there are seeds of change evangelil church as well. Matthew V is the thor of God and the Gay Christian and is the founr of The Reformatn Project, a Bible-based non-prof anizatn that seeks to reform church teachg on sexual orientatn and genr inty.
As support for same-sex marriage has creased, other attus about homosexualy have changed as well.
SECTN 2: KNOWG GAYS AND LBIANS, RELIG CONFLICTS, BELIEFS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALY
Majori now say homosexualy should be accepted by society (63%) and that the sexual orientatn of a gay or lbian person nnot be changed (60%). Nearly half (47%) say that people are born gay or lbian.
In addn, a 54% majory says there is no nflict between their own relig beliefs and homosexualy, up om 48% 2013.
20 GAY GREEK GODS
However, the view that homosexualy and one’s personal relig beliefs are nflict remas a powerful factor opposn to same-sex marriage. An overwhelmg majory of the public (88%) reports personally knowg someone who is gay or lbian.
GAYS Y RELIGIóN
Gay and Lbian Acquatanc, Friends and Fay Members. Though the vast majory of Amerins say they know gays or lbians, jt over a quarter (28%) say they know “a lot” of people who are gay or lbian, while 43% say they know some and 17% say they only know one or two gays or lbians. Slightly more people now say they know a lot of gays or lbians than did so two years ago.
And, as 2013, about half (52%) have a close fay member or one of their clost iends who is gay or lbian. While large majori of almost all mographic and partisan groups say they know someone who is gay or lbian, there are differenc both the number of gay and lbian acquatanc people have and whether people say they have close fay members or iends who are gay.
Millennials are among the most likely of any mographic or partisan group to say they know a lot of people who are gay or lbian: Nearly four--ten (38%) say so, pared wh fewer Gen Xers (28%), Boomers (22%) and Silents (15%). And about twice as many Silents say they do not know any gays or lbians (21%) as members of any other generatn.