Thoughts on homosexuality and the Bible

For those who are against same-sex marriage and homosexuality, allow me, a gay Christian, to educate you, to "stand tall and shout from the rooftops that yes, I believe in God, and in his word," as a letter writer recently wrote.

"There is nothing wrong with a fifth-grade understanding of God as long as you're in the fifth grade" (from "For the Bible Tells Me So," a documentary by Daniel G. Karslake). No truer words have ever been spoken.

I grew up in a conservative Christian home and attended church every Sunday. In fact, I still have my perfect attendance pins from Sunday school. We were taught the Bible. We heard Scripture and sermons based on select Scripture. The problem with this is none of those teachings and none of the current arguments take into consideration the Bible as a whole. They only focus on a few select verses here and there to suit the needs of the pompous rhetoric being spewed forth from the likes of "Dr." James Dobson and the adulterous Jimmy Swaggart.

Jesus taught of love and acceptance. He condemned the tax collector and the politicians and spent time with the prostitutes and "sinners." Jesus never once said committed homosexual love is against the will of his Father.

Anyone can take select verses and mold them to mean something to suit their purposes. They not only pervert the word of our Lord by twisting meanings, but people are now bringing children into the mix, spreading lies on how allowing committed same-sex couples to marry is somehow going to have a negative effect on our children. What? They're going to learn tolerance, love and acceptance? We would only be so fortunate if all America saw everyone through the wide-eyed accepting innocence of a child.

We were all raised by heterosexual couples and yet we are gay. So, if you're really afraid that children being raised by loving homosexual parents are going to turn out gay, ask yourself this question: "Why didn't gays raised by heterosexuals turn out to be heterosexual?" Doesn't make much sense now, does it? It is exactly the anti-gay, anti-same-sex marriage propaganda that results in a teen every five hours committing suicide, and for every teen that succeeds, another 20 try, according to "For the Bible Tells Me So."

All we are asking for is equal rights. We, America, cannot move forward as "one nation under God" until all Americans are treated equally.

Andrew T. Stewart

Adams