Christine,
You said: >>Because I am not a Christian, Mike, I do not understand exactly how much of the negative feelings towards gays are based on the Bible.
I just got back from church (second Sunday in Lent, you know),and the last time I checked, my church (Anglican/Episcopalian) was considered a part of the Christian community. Yet I don't see much anti-homosexual feeling among my church members. You probably shouldn't lump all "Christians" together in their feelings about homosexuals, although I think some of the more fundamental believers have very strong feelings about this, based on their more rigid interpretation of scripture.
As a heterosexual Christian, then, I must say that I don't harbor any hatred toward homosexuals. I reserve the right to think that some of their alleged practices are distasteful, but that's another story.
Actually, I don't think homosexual people have much if any choice in how they feel about their sexuality. It's not like they make a conscious decision to become homosexual just to be contrary. In our church's baptismal covenant, which we renew with each new child's baptism, we pledge, with God's help, to "respect the dignity of every human being." That should include everybody.
Jack |
