Love the sinner, hate the sin

The well-known and respected folks at Gallup, the polling people, released results of the largest single study ever conducted on the percentage of Americans who are in the Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Transgender (LGBT) population. Considering the impact this group is having politically in this country the results are amazing — just 3.4 percent of the American population are in the LGBT community.

Last year the Department of Health and Human Services released a similar figure — 3.8 percent. I find it amazing that this small percentage of the country is driving the effort to change the definition of marriage. The media has kind of fueled the idea that the percentage is closer to 10-25 percent, which has resulted in changes in education, the psychological diagnostic and statistical manual, laws prohibiting homosexual people from seeking reparative therapy, the television and movie industry, even many churches claiming to be Christian.

If you are a follower of Christ and know the Bible, it very clearly condemns not homosexual people but homosexual activity. There has not been replicate research demonstrating unequivocally that homosexuality is a genetic issue. Even if there were, it does not mean that people who have these feelings can’t resist them, just like heterosexuals who are unmarried need to resist the sexual desires they have, according to the Bible.

For people in both categories, there are myriad reasons why celibacy until God-ordained marriage is the best way to go, including health and emotional concerns.

Don’t condemn homosexuals but help and support them to get the help they need if they so desire, to be accepted as people created in God’s image who are loved and valued by Him, but don’t change our society for them. We are to love and value them, but not the activity they engage in.

P.J. Bertrand

Geneva