Welcome to the discussion.

I disagree with your assumptions about “any religion”. Currently the United Methodists here in California have issued statements in support of marriage between same sex couples, along with a large number of other mainline Christian churches. And the United Church of Christ along with the Unitarian Universalist, Quakers, and both Reform and Reconstructionist Jews are supportive of gays and lesbians Nationwide.

But I do agree that if we wish to witness to individuals and convince them that our understanding of Scripture reflects the will of God, it is best not to do so by calling them names.

I do not believe homosexual behavior is taught by any religion but I do not see how homosexuals could feel any kind of love from Rep Kern when she said they were worse than terrorists and like cancers.

When it comes to the issue of “change”, bisexuality is often overlooked, but Joe Dallas talks about it in one of his earliest personal testimonies — which I still have. He decribes going back and forth between sexual relationships with both men and women.

When Joan Rivers challenged him about this, and asked him about his printed testimony, Joe became very defensive and evasive. Even though he readily agreed to talk about “change” on her show and flew all the way to New York to share it, he said he “made it a habit not to discuss his personal life”. Too late –she already had it in his own words.

When pressed on the “change” issue, Joe told Joan that “it’s not a complete change from one end of the spectrum to the other — we are all both”. He should speak for himself. But, be that as it may, God loves ex-gay bisexuals, too.

Your comment contains some great truths:

The world will not become a more peaceful place by having one group trying to out compete or out condem the other.

and

Love your neighbor as yourself does not mean shove your believe upon your neighbor

and even

There are some very prominent religious and spiritual leaders who try to teach the rest of us the way, but generally those whose pride has inflated their ego to a level of them doing no wrong are unable to listen to the message of these leaders and often put them down or use sarcasm and ridicule to try to shut down there message of peace and goodwill.

I’m glad we are in agreement on these points

If you run across a “love them gays” statement that doesn’t come with an accompanying “hate the sin” or “promiscuous lifestyle” or “tell the truth in love” comment, I’m open to hearing it.

Mary:

Love gays

THERE’S ONE!!!

Well the offer still stands. If you run across a “love them gays” statement that doesn’t come with an accompanying “hate the sin” or “promiscuous lifestyle” or “tell the truth in love” comment, I’m open to hearing it.

The closest I’ve found recently come’s from Dan Yeary, Sen. McCain’s pastor:

The 69-year-old Yeary adheres to the Southern Baptist belief that gay marriage and homosexual relations go against Biblical scripture, hot-button issues for many in the United States.

“The Bible is pretty clear about it, in my opinion it specifically calls it a sin. I also am a sinner and you are a sinner. … Did Jesus Christ love homosexuals? I’m sure he did,” Yeary said.

Yeah he had to make the “sin” comments but at least he put them after the “but” rather than before. He left the reader with the love message rather than the sin message.

(One radio station ‘dramatized’ my testimony and, even though, they had talked to me in person on the phone, they gave my character a lisp and affectations that would have made Just Jack seem straight.)