Homosexuality in the Church *Viewer Discretion is Advised*

I just recently found out that my Synod(ELCA) is going to/or has allow(ed) gay minsters in the church. I know this is a very touchy social subject and opinions will be made and argued.

But I am at a loss. I don't know what to think. My mind has been swirling with thoughts for the past few weeks since I found out about this. I don't know whether to agree with this, ignore it, or do something about it. This is going to be a no-win situation for everyone.

I have always been the one to say "if there is a problem in the church, instead of taking the coward way out and leaving-pray about it." But since I heard this startling news, I am ready to run 90 MPH in the complete opposite direction and be no part of it. But yet, something inside wants me to stay too and not sound like a racial biggot.

I have some gay friends. Though I do not agree with their lifestyle, they are still humans and have feelings and I will remain friends with them. But when it comes to the church, the Bible clearly is against homosexuality:

Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is destestable.~ Leviticus 18:22

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do no be decieved: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolator nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ~1 Corinthians 6:9-10

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for the lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and pejurers-and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. ~1 Timothy 1:8-11

Were we not instructed to live by the laws in the Bible? And not switch them around to make them how we want them to fit into our lives? I was just reading one of the footnotes for 1 Timothy and it says that the entire Bible call homosexual behavior a sin. We must be careful, however, to condemn only the practice, and not the people. They can still be forgiven.

And that is what I said before: I will love the person, but I don't have to agree with their lifestyle choice.

But now, here we enter the touchy subject. We were also always taught to love one another regardless of our faults. We were taught to live like Jesus. Consider the people that he hung around with: Thiefs, tax collectors, prostitutes, etc. I wonder if there was a homosexual amongst them at one point. Do you think that Jesus befriended him? Of course. But Jesus did not allow homosexuality.

"Haven't you heard," he replied, " that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' he 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. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate."~Matthew 19:4-6

I am at a loss. I don't know what to do. I believe everything the Bible says, but yet, I don't want to turn my back on someone just because of their beliefs. It would go against everything that I have learned growing up. Not just as a Christian, but also as a human being as well.

I am curious to what others reading this will think. I am praying earnestly about this. I am trying to listen to God and hoping that it's not the devil planting something in my head. Please feel free to respond to this; I await your comments.