Gays go to heaven? Bible doesn’t say.

I have heard all the rants from Daily Herald letter writers about how God and the Bible are against homosexuality, Same sex marriage and related issues. One woman running for a public office in Daily Herald country even had the audacity to proclaim that the reason for our terrible winter is that God is mad at us for “embracing” homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

I decided to do some research and this is what I found as a summary from Biblical scholars:

Ÿ There is no mention of same-sex marriages or partnerships in the Bible, either for or against.

Ÿ Will homosexuals go to heaven? The Bible does not make any distinction between homosexual people and anyone else in this regard. We are all sinners in our own ways (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8), and the Bible says God will forgive any sin if a person sincerely repents and also forgives other people.

Ÿ Does God hate homosexuals? That is a slogan used by some hate groups, but it does not come from the Bible and it is not consistent with Bible teachings (Genesis 1:31, Psalms 145:9, Matthew 5:43-45, John 3:16, Romans 5:8).

I must admit I have no personal stake in this issue. I am neither a homosexual nor am I involved in a same-sex marriage. But I suggest those who place such a strong emphasis on the Bible for universal truth remember the following passages:

Ÿ John 8:7 — He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Ÿ Matthew 7:1 — Do not judge or you too will be judged.

Rather than being worried about whether same-sex marriage will destroy civilization as we know it, my bigger concern is whether the Cubs will win a World Series in my lifetime.

Gary Koca

Pingree Grove