What can Christians do to make gay people feel welcome in the church and know that they are accepted?

We have to first accept them as a person, not as a manifestation of sin because they are not. That means unconditional acceptance of them personally without regard to their sexual orientation which may be different from most others in the congregation. We also have to remember that Jesus said for us to love each other. He did not make exceptions and he sure never hated anyone.

The apt scriptures have always seemed to be the ones about not judging others, and ignoring the splinter in your brother's eye whilst there is a log in your own. I'm sorry but I just don't see this happening. The more enlightened tend to suggest that we have thrown out other parts of Leviticus, and that it seems arbitrary to use it to gay bash. But so many vocal Christians remind me of the school debating team, proudly organising scripture to make their arguments. Nowhere more evident than on answers.

The obvious answer is welcome gay people to participate. Then demonstrate that homophobia is not a Christian attitude. If churches can begin to promote the idea that Jesus would not have approved of hatred of people based on their choice to be true to their own attractions, then at least their members won't alienate their own children and brothers and sisters "in Jesus' name".

Make the acceptance genuine, as many churches do (Metropolitain Community Church, Unity, some Episcopalian congregations, some 'reconciling' Methodists. Don't pretend "acceptance" by saying that loving our partners is a sin and real acceptance is conditional on denying our own truth.

In other words, act according to what Jesus actually taught, not what was in the Old Testament and that reactionary Paul tried to do with JC's teachings.

I'm not interested in joining any churches, but many people are, and genuine acceptance is the only rational way to attract them.

the following denominations are the most universal for putting forward the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) sexual identities: United Church of Christ (UCC), the Episcopal Church in u . s . a . (ECA), the Metropolitan community Church (MCC). notwithstanding, you'll discover that even most of the most classic major-line denominations' city community churches to be extremely GLBT pleasant, such as many Roman Catholic community churches (i.e., having some covert "underground" connection to Dignity (an association for GLBT Catholics), which isn't formally regarded by potential of the Pope). As an complete, you'll discover 2 major impacts that ought to impression an section church's view in this project, a million) no matter if or not they carry to a more suitable literal view of the Bible, and a couple of) how close in proximity they are positioned to a GLBT community. regarding the first project, GLBT perspectives are in basic terms unlike minded with the Bible, besides the very undeniable reality that many be counted on the different case. in reality, the Bible makes it crystal sparkling that GLBT individuals can flow previous their identity in the adventure that they so go with, or maybe stay effectively and by chance in a primary marriage. besides, those who espouse to a gay Theology position extremely ought to finish somewhat major reinterpreting of what the Biblical texts say, and may't extremely carry a candle to how actually sparkling this contrasting distinction is. regarding the 2d, the vast majority of GLBT communities are positioned interior of most of the major metropolitan and city centers of the u . s . a .. This contains even most of the middle-sized cities of two hundred,000 or more suitable in u . s . a .. at situations, it may nicely be extremely puzzling for everyone who's self-avowed in this way of sexual identities to surely thrive conveniently, no longer in reality interior of rural elements of the country, yet also maximum suburban areas too, on condition that both comprise predominantly classic kinfolk communities of individuals. fortuitously, lesbians are universal to have a miles more suitable valuable danger of residing conveniently than the different sexual identities do in the agricultural and suburban elements of the u . s . a ., because any observance of females residing jointly by potential of others in those subcultural areas of the country is seen in the norm and mores of that region.

1) Stop persecuting gay people, especially our gay youth.

2) Stop saying that being gay is a sin.

3) Recognize that being gay is not a choice.

4) Stop saying that all gay relationships are sinful or merely a matter of lust.

5) Recognize that a loving committed gay relationship is just that. Judge gay relationships exactly the same way you would judge straight relationships.

6) Recognize that Paul was WRONG about a number of things. He was wrong about many things he said about marriage. He was wrong about what he said about slavery. He was wrong about women being subject to the authority of men. And Paul was just as wrong about how he characterized gay relationships. NOT all gay relationships are based on "lust" just as not all straight relationships are based on "lust."

7) Recognize that gay people should have the right to marry the same as straight people. And to have their marriage given the same regard as straight marriages.

8) Judge gay people NOT on some archaic code, but on the love that is engendered by their relationships.

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9) And stop being like the poster who uses the name "messiah": namely stop using the bigoted view which cherry picks the Bible, especially Leviticus. No doubt "Messiah" ignores at least 99% of the holiness code of Leviticus. But his mean mindedness grabs onto just those few verses which he uses to validate his unreasoned hatred of gay people.

One time I saw a commercial for a church and it was showing a bunch of different kinds of people. I dont remember it all but it had like a goth and it had a gay couple and stuff like that and it was saying that it accepts any type of person. I suppose something like that helps.

Anglican leaders from around the world reiterated their opposition to the "victimisation or diminishment" of gays and lesbians, saying demonising and persecuting them was "totally against Christian charity and basic principles of pastoral care".

"We say that no one should have to live in fear because of the bigotry of others."

We are not doing anyone a favor by ignoring the fact that the Bible is clear that the homosexual act is sinful. (Romans 1:26,27; I Corinthians 6:9,10; I Timothy 1:9-11) What good is welcoming someone to church if Jesus is not going to welcome him/her into His glory. (Matthew 25:34-40) God wants homosexuals to repent. (Ezekiel 18:32; Acts 2:38; II Peter 3:9)

Note: if you do not believe the Bible, why not convert to atheism?

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Messiah

Leviticus is Old Testament. (Galatians 3:10)

Be the exact opposite of the first person that posted, and was then removed because that whole rant made me sick...wow...

Anyways love them as Jesus would have loved them, and the tax collectors, and the prostitutes. It's not hard, really.

Personally, I don't care for man's acceptance, it's only God's that really matters.