Enough emphasis has been given to a few out of context passages condemning homosexuality.

How about acceptance? Does God approve of his gay children?

I SAY YES! However, it’s my opinion and my belief so I encourage you to go and find out yourself and learn how Jesus spoke to me in Matthew 19:1-12.

Some Pharisees approach Jesus and ask him if it is “lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” The following verses 4-6 is used by many Christians who believe Jesus did in fact disapprove of homosexuality.

Jesus replies, “Haven’t you read that the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

However, if we read a little further (v.11-12), Jesus replies again by saying that “NOT EVERYONE can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others – and those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should it accept it.” Jesus knew that it was not possible for every man to go out and marry a woman. But what are eunuchs? They could be castrated men but it was not always the case. Some men were celibate and virgins, others were impotent.

Ultimately, Jesus was speaking of men who could not procreate or men who were not born to marry a woman… in other words, Jesus knew that not all men would be in a heterosexual relationship. Does that remind you of anyone you know?

I love Jesus, Amen!!!

Below is a small summary of my reconnection with God; how I came to accept myself and accept that He would love me unconditionally.

Is it possible for me to be a gay Christian? I wish I could have looked in the mirror years ago and have said “YES” and actually believed it. Unfortunately, it took two suicide attempts and years of self-hatred for me to finally arrive at this point and say, “Yes, I can and I AM a gay Christian.”

For a lot of people, my statement is absurd; it is impossible for anyone to live in sin and be a Christian. However, we must not forget that ALL Christians are sinners (1 John 1:8-10) and that ALL SINS separate us from God (Romans 6:23). Therefore, even if being gay is a sin, it does not make a gay Christian less worthy of God’s compassion. Let us not forget that God sent His one and only Son, so that WHOEVER believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). It truly breaks my heart to see so many people focused on the lives of others rather than on their own spiritual growth.

Christians with traditional views on homosexuality (those who believe it is a sin) will always argue that there is a difference between living in sin and fighting against the sin. I couldn’t agree more! However, this is where an even more careful study of the Bible must take place… does the Bible really condemn homosexuality as whole or are only certain acts condemned by God?

On my personal journey to finding the answer to this question, it became very clear that in order to proceed on, I had to first understand what the Bible really meant. Exactly what did it mean for me? I had to understand how I would go about using this “tool” that would ultimately lead me to a better relationship with God. Sometimes I have the feeling that people believe God sat down by His desk and started writing the Bible, but this is not true. We cannot ignore that the Bible was written by men, as the word of God came to them (Jeremiah 1), and that they were influenced by the time and place they were living in. In order to fully understand the Bible, we must understand the context it was in and how it relates today. ALSO, it is extremely important that we understand that the translations are not always able to stay true to the original words and their meaning.

In trying to answer the bigger question, another one came up: how could something so natural to me be a sin? Could God hate me so much that He would put me in this world simply to suffer? As I dug deeper in this question, I became ANGRY AT GOD! How could He have done this to me… his child? I went deeper and didn’t stop until He finally spoke… He knew me even before I was born (Jeremiah 1:4-5) and He will always love me (Jeremiah 31:3). So, if He knew me before I was born, then He had to have made me as I am. And He said He will always love me as I am… gay. Therefore, it is in my nature and it is not a sin for me to be in love with a man and desire to be in a monogamous relationship with him. Those ‘clobber passages’ indicating sinful behavior between people of the same-sex referrer to specific context and do not apply to all same-sex relationships. In fact, God treats a homosexual relationship the same way that He treats a heterosexual relationship; both come with their sinful behaviors.

Although I have read and studied these clobber passages for my own spiritual growth, I will not include them here. I have also researched the opinions of others (from both side of the argument). The Great Debate by the Gay Christian Network is a great place to start. It includes two essays discussing both sides of the argument. I urge you to study all views regarding homosexuality and the Bible. Never assume that your pastor or church leader will have the correct answer, simply because you have always trusted him/her. Faith is something personal to each one of us; it is a relationship between you and God, and no one else! You must always seek to understand your own spiritual relationship with Him. With that being said, allow yourself to fully understand both sides of the argument so that you, at your own time, can come to conclusion.

I hope that you are one day able to love and accept yourself as God does. Remember, He made you as you are and He will always love you as you are. Most importantly, remember to open your heart and allow God inside. I know at times we are hurt and we end up distancing ourselves in fear of rejection and disapproval from Him. Just know that HE LOVES YOU as you are.

Today is Father’s Day in Brazil and the nation of Samoa. For all the fathers out there who love their children unconditionally, for all those still struggling to acceptance their children as they are, and for all the mothers who are also fathers, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!!

For the child who has the “best father” in the world, the child whose father’s love does not show through, and the child who finds their father-figure in someone else, REJOICE and give thanks!

No matter what the circumstances, this is a day to remember that we were given a chance at life! So allow yourself to LIVE and not simply to exist.

As for my own father, thank you for being who you are; a distant man struggling to be a father… from you I have learned just what not to do and be. Believe me, my children will never have what I had and they will always have what I didn’t have. Thanks dad.