So I played a preacher in my school's musical

I played Shaw in Footloose. It was fun but it also made me think when one of my gay GSA members wondered why I chose the role. I also admit to having my share of run ins with close minded fundamentalist preachers. I still struggle with the whole "Can a gay person be a Christian?" thing. Jesus clearly didn't have any time to speak on the matter but Paul surely did. One doesn't have to be a Fundamentalist to wonder if those who say that Paul really meant this group of people or that one aren't attempting to take as many liberties as the Fundamentalists do. The fact is, if being gay is a sin, then openly gay people are unrepentant sinners, and unrepentant sinners are Hell bound under any interpretation of the Bible.

I don't know what to believe. I tried to do Shaw justice on stage, no matter what I think of the ability of gays to be Christians in real life.

Jimmy Creech is one public figure who has taken advocacy beyond lip service. I know of many others in the church who have suffered professional harm to advocate for equality. My brother is one of them.

Having recently converted to atheism, I am rather callous when I speak to my brother about faith. The church he belongs to is having a teaching series entitled Reclaiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World. I said, "How does he (Bishop John Shelby Spong)define a non-religious world? I wish!" My brother took offense, reminded me that he is religious and asked me not to disrespect his faith.

So I will remind others that "Christian" can mean a lot of different things.

acting. I'm sure you were great,dsc

the opening night I would give myself a C at best. I messed up on one of the songs, forgot words. On the plus side I did look frustrated which is what my character was at the time.

said would claim to speak in his name.... Paul was clearly putting his own stamp on a number of issues that Jesus didn't bother to discuss with his followers. Given the history of Paul's church to modern day Catholicism I'd probably be counted in this camp if I were interested in following any religion any more

Sure you did fine in the musical

that Shaw wasn't just another Ted Haggard? :p

It sounds like a lot of fun.

Well, in Romans 1, Paul basically seems to say that some people decided not to honor God, so God gave (some of) them over to unnatural lusts.

Now over the years, I've known a bunch of people who grew up in Christian churches, honored God as much as anyone, and have known they were gay for as long as they can remember. (I'm a straight guy who grew up, mostly, in Christian churches.)

If I had to believe that everything Paul said was true, then I think I would have a choice. Either I could try to believe that these folks are being punished for terrible sins that I can't see, or I could conclude that Paul was talking about someone else.

If Paul was talking about someone else, then it seems that he didn't have any more to say about homosexuality per se than Jesus did. There are some other clobber verses, but they don't really say very much.

(As for biblical interpretations and Hell, check this out.)

So, even orthodox Christians don't have to be ideological homophobes, although unfortunately, some of them have been convinced that it is required. And of course, some people like being homophobic.