How to Rencile Your Christian Fah wh Your Gay Life: 12 Steps

10 REASONS GOD LOV GAY CHRISTIANS

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. * can one be gay and christian *

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.

CAN SOMEONE BE GAY AND CHRISTIAN? IS POSSIBLE TO BE A GAY CHRISTIAN?

Can someone be gay and Christian? Is possible to be a gay Christian? Can you be a Christian and stggle wh homosexualy? * can one be gay and christian *

The issue of homosexualy is very ntroversial, even among Christians. Many wonr if is possible to be a gay Christian.

However, the Bible is very clear that gay sexual activy is nsired sful and that a Christian is not to take part such activi. Romans 1:26-27 not gay activy as "unnatural" while 1 Corthians 6:9-10 lists same sex activy as somethg done by those who will "not her the kgdom of God. In fact, Pl's list clus, "the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexualy, nor thiev, nor the greedy, nor dnkards, nor revilers, nor swdlers" (1 Corthians 6:9-10).

Is homosexualy a s? (Photo: Shane Idleman)Many "Christians" are now suggtg that those who embrace the homosexual liftyle n live harmony wh biblil Christiany. And more and more Evangelils wh gay children are challengg the church to rethk s posn.

CAN A PERSON BE GAY AND STILL BE A CHRISTIAN?

Many "Christians" are now suggtg that those who embrace the homosexual liftyle n live harmony wh biblil Christiany. And more and more Evangelils wh gay children are challengg the church to rethk s posn. But n we re-thk tth? * can one be gay and christian *

When children stggle wh s, parents should pot them to the those who fend homosexualy, or who say nothg, tly lovg the homosexual, or are they simply seekg to avoid nflict? For stance, if they are more worried about beg liked than beg tthful, do they really re for homosexuals more than those who are willg to risk their reputatn, and que possibly their safety, orr to speak the tth love?

Those who dulge illic sexual s, or alholism, or adultery, or homosexualy, and so on will be separated om God forever. A person nnot embrace the homosexual liftyle and be a follower of Christ. Homosexuals who rema monogamo are also outsi of God's will bee the entire relatnship is wrong—the unn of two men or two women is not God's plan.

(For addnal scriptural support, read Did J Say Anythg About Homosexualy? Pope Francis was recently asked about his views on homosexualy. Persons wh homosexual tennci are children of God.

IS POSSIBLE TO BE A GAY CHRISTIAN?

Crimalisg people wh homosexual tennci is an jtice.

WE N THANK GAY ACTIVISTS FOR TODAY’S EPIMIC OF TRANS NFN

This isn’t the first time Pope Francis has shown himself to be a progrsive lear when to, among other thgs, gay Catholics. As a biblil scholar, I would suggt that church lears who e their cultur and theology to exclu homosexuals don’t read Scripture refully. Those who would exclu homosexuals om God’s kgdom choose to ignore J, turng stead to the Old Ttament – most particularly to Genis 19, the stctn of the ci of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Their terpretatn of the story is that is about homosexualy. Levic 18:22 and 20:13, for example, are not about “homosexualy” as we now unrstand – as the rg, lovg and sexual relatnship between people of the same sex. Christians – no matter which church they belong to – should follow Pl and extend to the heterosexual-homosexual distctn.

For every verse that anti-LGBTQ Christians say nmns homosexualy, there are a dozen that clearly nmn somethg we support or support somethg we nmn (which isn’t to say that those passag even do nmn queer people).