Sometimes I am Ashamed to Call Myself a Christian

I would like to preface my remarks with a simple statement. Along with my fellow evangelical Christians there are certain things that I view as being contrary to the word of God. In my view homosexuality is contrary to scriptural teachings.

That being said I am ashamed of those Christians who feel it necessary to speak publicly and with great vigour with negativity about this subject. Over the past several weeks there have been several news reports regarding the kidnap and torture of gay persons simply because they are gay. There have also been several reports of young rural gay persons who have been driven to suicide because they have been bullied and persecuted because of their lifestyle choice. This is deplorable. Some of those people who have perpetrated this persecution have done so because some churches, ministers and Christians have gone out of their way to declare homosexuality as a sin against God and society. They have been involved with crusades proclaiming homosexuality and homosexuals as being a sin and sinful. It is my belief that this is not our job nor our duty as Christians. We are called to hate the sin but love the sinner. Anything that we do out of hate and fear is not God's will for his people.

Along with many others I find the very thought of homosexual behaviour as being unnatural and against the word of God. I do not, however, agree that this gives us license to behave in hateful and cruel ways. We cannot bring people to Christ by fighting against the sinner. Our job is to proclaim the love, grace and mercy of God. We are called to be ambassadors for the King of Kings.

I would encourage my brethren in the Lord to look closely at their own lives and fight the battle to overcome those things that so easily overtake us in our lives. The sins of pride, anger, hate, envy and the like are just as vile as any other. There are many things that trouble us in the world - fighting against those things does us more damage than fighting the battles within our own hearts and lives. None of us is perfect and not one of us is without sin. Pray for those caught in the terrible chains that bind them. Show them love. The Good Samaritan who helped the man who had been robbed and beaten and thrown in a ditch to die did not ask about the man's life - he only helped and displayed God's love and care for him. Our job is to proclaim that God loves the whole world and sent his Son for the whole world. As for me that is a big enough job for me.