Looking Out for Gays’ Souls

In response to the article on the subject of gays being welcomed into non-traditional Christian churches (“Non-Traditional Churches Welcoming Gays,” June 21), I would like to make a few points not covered by the article.

First of all, I am a born-again Christian. I am not homophobic in any sense of the word. I know and love a number of homosexuals. But I must agree with Pastor Chuck Smith that the Bible is clear on the subject of the homosexual lifestyle, just as it is on many other sinful acts.

No one likes to hear that they are sinful and that their actions may be unacceptable to God, but the fact is that everyone who walks into Calvary Chapel, or any other church, is a sinner. It is not the state of being a sinner that is condemned; it is the unwillingness to make the sacrifice to change one’s behavior that condemns us.

We must all fight our personal dispositions to what is pointed out as sinful by the Bible if we choose Christianity as our path spiritually. If we believe that God is condemning us based on our tendencies, what would be the point in attempting to live a Christian life? We’d be involved in a futile effort.

What people like Ms. (Marsha) Stevens and many others are uncomfortable with is that they are asked to choose between what they want and what God wants for them. But it’s important to remember at all times that it is a choice.

To those Christians who shun the homosexual and write off AIDS as “God’s punishment” to the homosexuals, I would remind them of Christ’s warning that “he among you who is without sin, cast the first stone.” Is your cancer a punishment for your sins? I think not. If Christ walked among us today, he would be showering his love and mercy upon those we shun--gays, AIDS patients, the homeless, etc.--just as he did when he walked the earth 2000 years ago, associating with the downtrodden and “unclean” of his society.

JANET O’RONA, Orange