This Is the Time to Move Past the God v. Gays Debate | Time

Contents:

• THIS IS THE TIME TO MOVE PAST THE GOD VS. GAYS DEBATE
• GOD V. GAYS IS A FALSE NARRATIVE
• 10 REASONS GOD LOV GAY CHRISTIANS

THIS IS THE TIME TO MOVE PAST THE GOD VS. GAYS DEBATE

Gays stalemate.

After all, 50% of Amerins believe homosexualy is a s, acrdg to a September Pew poll. And no doubt there will also be some gmblgs, strangely enough, om some gay activists, many of whom have ma a reer out of fdg homophobia everywhere. But gmblgs or not, gay marriage is now the law of the land.

And all of —right and left, gay and straight, relig and agnostic—need to take a moment to regroup and refoc. That means, whatever their private theologil nvictns on the matter, they need to rpect the law and fd ways to honor and even celebrate their gay neighbors’ happs. Now apply that to gay marriage Christian ngregatns today.

GOD V. GAYS IS A FALSE NARRATIVE

They should also realize the larger culture tends to pat them as homophobic, and that this picture—riture or not—is a big reason many church ntue to bleed members. Gay-rights activism is also severe need of a makeover.

We’ve ma a pastime out of shamg gay-marriage opponents, and we’ve been far too eager to ll for someone to get fired om his job simply bee he tweets out his rervatns about LGBT issu. Gay men n also take this opportuny to rethk our foc on sex. When I thk of gay legacy, I thk about Armistead Mp’s Tal of the Cy, and Will and Grace, and flashy pri paras, and the Folsom Street Fair, and Fire Island.

The legacy I want to leave for the next generatn of gay men is one fed by mment, tegry, and monogamy.

10 REASONS GOD LOV GAY CHRISTIANS

The myth that the Bible forbids homosexualy — the myth of “God vers Gay” — is behd some of the most divisive and paful nflicts of our day. In this urageo and ede book, Jay Michaelson shows that not only do the Bible not prohib same-sex timacy, the vast majory of s teachgs support the full equaly and digny of gay and lbian people, om the first flaw creatn (“It is not good for a person to be alone”) to the ways relig muni grow through nscient reflectn.

In short, Michaelson says, relig people should support equaly for gays and lbians not spe their relign — but bee of . Gay.

“For too long, relig voic have been on only one si of the gay rights argument — to all of our triment. This is a book for anyone, gay or straight, who seeks to rencile their fah wh the liv of gay people — not by apologizg, promisg, or closetg one’s sexualy or one’s fah, but by celebratg God’s gifts of diversy and love.