I love my neighbor... just not THAT one.

 There's a topic that has been on my mind for a year or more that I will attempt to articulate. The LGBT issue is a defining topic of my generation's zeitgeist. I have strong feelings on the issue that I will get to later but I want to explore the interaction, or lack therof between the topic itself, and the Church. (by church, I mean organized religions and nothing more).
It's no secret that the Christian faith, if adherent to the Bible, (which is curiously not always the case) is opposed to the LGBT Concept entirely. I, who claim to be a Christian, attempt to adhere to the Bible and as such am against the concept of LGBT... That Being Said.... Here's where I get off the train.
I was raised to be opposed to anything LGBT, I was taught the text side of things, but I was never taught the human side of things.
These last 2 years, Tabi and I have noticed and often talk about how many LGBT people have come into our lives of late. It's like we've been flooded with something new to grapple with. Family, Friends, Business associates, and all at once. Early on in this flood of new experience I noticed something I'm ashamed to say I had never noticed before... They're all human people with minds, lives, reasons, experiences, demons, strengths, ideas, pain.. 
I commented to once particular person at a dinner party, how magnetic I found them. We carried on a great conversation for hours about mutual ideas, and experiences and concepts without and obstacles and it was enjoyable. I found myself at a crossroads, a difficult one for me, (those of you who have known me a long time would know) where I had to reconcile what whas taught to me, with the bible, and with human experience. Here's what I think I learned.

I, am not an ally of LGBT rights, I am not a supporter of the lifestyles, I am not for the concept of gay marriage, and do not pretend to be.. at the same time, I am (at least in intention) not an asshole. I am a human, a living, breathing, thinking, reasoning, hopefully compassionate being among OTHER similar creatures who also are of the same value and concern. 

I got there by this reasoning. The church has never given the 'devil his due' in the pleasures of sin. There has been a constant barrage of hatred and disgust aimed at those who deviate from normal and no recognition of humanity. For a group of people that claim to be about love and compassion for all... there is neither. I know good and well, that there are evil practices in the churches.. I also know good and even more well that I am not without sin. Yet, I was taught that 'that' sin is worse than ours. It isn't... not even by a little.

I've had so many conversation lately with people that Identify as LGBT and I can honestly say every one of them had something they were doing that I was jealous of their strength in, because I'm lacking in that, whatever the case may be. There is no 'THEY' it's just another group of people with a highly recognizable set of characteristics. That's obviously not to condone behaviors, but IF I'm honest, and IF I actually want to help people the way Jesus did... I have to separate behavior from personality. 

If as a church we want to help all men... which I doubt, but i can hope. We need to:

1. Stop shaming.. we can still preach about right and wrong, but stop the over-demonization

2. TALK TO PEOPLE.. interreact with them, treat them like humans, maybe even ask 'why'. In my experience people have hard lives, and we do what we think costs us the least pain and suffering. You know.. If everyone who claimed to be religious and compassionate and came under a Christian flag only ever called me names, called me evil and never stopped to listen to my story, or give me any respect as an equal human, I would probably hate Christianity.

3. Open the DAMNED doors. You know, there is nothing that stands out to me as more evil than a closed-door church. The exact opposite of what our savior preached is the norm! Vetting people before they can come to church?? What is that? The concept that so many COGs teach of mandating overcoming of specific sins BEFORE you can associate, i.e. smoking, cohabitation, lgbt identity, etc. That's nothing short of Satanic! That's exactly what Christ was referring to when He said, Which of You, being evil, would give to is son a serpent when he asked for bread?. Until the doors are open, the churches ONLY worship the man in charge, not God.

4. Read a book maybe? There is no shortage of literature on phycology. Perhaps understanding the playing field would be productive. Who goes out to a professional sports game to compete without knowing the basic rules? Ministers today have zero training or experience in the modern world. You don't have to condone evil to learn about it! We all teach 'know your enemy' but we don't, maybe we should start with 'know your neighbor'.

5. Offer solutions. I'm not talking about Pray-it-away. I'm not talking about surgery.. I'm talking about real help in the form of friendship and interaction. We need to be outgoing, friendly, helpful, encouraging. That can only happen if we actually love people. Solutions to social problems are social. You CANNOT preach your way into people. Actions of care and concern, while not condoning lifestyles can be attributed to whomever we attribute them to. If I act the fool, harsh and brash and claim to be Christian I attribute hatred to Christ, on the other hand If I am thoughtful, comforting, encouraging, and helpful and I treat people as human then give that credit to God I attribute LOVE to God in other's eyes. That is HOW Christ preached, He Associated GLAD TIDINGS with God by Acting Properly and giving God the Credit.

I love my new friends. I wish better for them, I wan't them to be at peace, and I truly believe their lifestyles do not lead there.... SO, with everything I have to offer I will lead them to peace by my own actions. I will attribute the respect I show them, to God. I will attribute the welcome into my home i offer them, to God. I will attribute the connections we have and the shared experiences we have, to God. Along with that, when questions arise, I will answer truthfully from conviction and call good, good, and evil, evil... and maybe, just maybe, my loving actions will counter the perceived offense and be enough to convict others that a different way is possible.