As i mentioned before, i'm currently reading unChristian. Chapter 5 is about the tendency to be antihomosexual:Even though the author is of the view that homosexuality is a sin, he finds the hostility to be very unChristian.
1. It's out of step with Jesus
Christians are statistically more likely to disapprove of homosexuality than of divorce (for example) despite the latter being specifically condemned by Jesus in Matthew 5:32
2. It belittles the effect of Jesus
No one goes to hell for what they do or don't do. Every human sins, but Jesus freely offers everyone his grace.
3. It prevents Jesus' greatest commandment
Of 600 people who said the homosexual lifestyle is a problem, only 1 offered "love" as a potential solution. Whatever happened to "love you neighbour"?
Probably the best summary comes in this quote from the book. Speaking about young adults:
..they are very attuned to people's hearts and motivations. If they sense that Christians are being inconsistent, unwilling to learn, or uncaring, they are quick to conclude that Christians are just plain wrong. Christians who show no compassion, kindness or grace make them feel at odds with who they want to be as people. Because it feels so condemning of gays, the unChristian faith does not offer significance and relevance to them. If Christianity is not the mixture of grace and truth that Jesus represents, they find it hard to reconcile
So how about replacing condemnation with a new paradigm - Christians show compassion and love to all people, regardless of their lifestyle.
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