The primary objection most often given to accepting, loving, and embracing gay (LGBTQ) people is grounded in the belief that being gay is a sin and wrong.

Rejection of gay (LGBTQ) people leaves a segment of the population dejected and alone. This group of people are more susceptible to drug and alcohol abuse, risky behaviors, and suicide. LGBTQ youth experience homelessness at a greater rate.

Love

Christians are called to love their neighbor. In fact, in Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus calls us to love our enemies. When Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbor?” he responded with the parable about The Good Samaritan. See Luke 10:25-37.

No matter the culture, race, language, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, or gender expression, Jesus calls us to love them as ourselves. In other words, love them as if they were your own family.

Accept

Accepting others is more than saying you love them. Often people are heard saying, “Love the sinner but hate the sin.” While this seems logical, deciding and interpreting the sin of someone else is not love and acceptance. If you love and accept someone, you believe them when they profess their faith, no matter their race, ethnicity, immigration status, or sexual orientation.

If a gay couple or a single gay (LGBTQ) person attends your church, they must be accepted. If they profess to be a Christian, then we must accept them.

Embrace

As Christians we must embrace other Christians, even if we have disagreements in our beliefs.

Include

We are called to love, but it goes deeper. We must love and accept and embrace and include. Separating yourself from others who are different is not okay. Love and acceptance are just words without actions of embracing and including.

This page and linked pages were created by Dr. Larry D. Ponder for the purpose of building an understanding of sexual orientation as a human trait that is likely determined prenatally. Rejection of LGBTQ people is often grounded in deeply held religious beliefs and are difficult to reconcile. For a deeper study, Dr. Ponder’s book, Christianity and Sexual Orientation is available at Amazon and other book sellers.

The goal of this topic and related topics is that the reader, if gay (LGBTQ), can reconcile themself as one God loves as intended, or if not gay (LGBTQ), can reconcile their understandings in order to affirm, love, accept, and embrace people they encounter in their families and life so that they can demonstrate love for them.