I’ve received some pretty scathing comments on a post I made a few weeks back regarding homosexual men and the risk they pose. I think I’ve been very fair in that I approved all the posts, didn’t delete any of them, and allowed folks to have a voice of decent.

Today, I ran across this little news gem that seems to back up my “intolerant” point of view. The fellow making the news lately with a seemingly stronger form of HIV falls squarely into the demographic I discussed in my previous post. It seems that, before he was hospitalized, he had “drug-fueled, unprotected sex with more than 100 men…”

There’s the full story.

I’m not taking a stance on this “new” HIV, as doctors can’t yet agree if it’s a new strain or if this guy’s life style left his immune system weaker than normal. All I’m saying is that, as I stated before, there are those in the homosexual community who, by their very lifestyle, endanger other people. Thus, my argument that homosexuality is not harmless even though mass media would have us believe that the gay lifestyle is totally normal and harmless, just … more colorful.

Call me intolerant. That’s fine. I’m a follower of Christ, and He was anything but tolerant. Christ tolerated people but he did not tolerate their sinful lifestyles.

He would have dinner with the tax collectors, but rest assured the dinner conversation centered around their need to come clean of their dishonest lifestyles. He forgave the prostitute, but with that He told her, “Go and sin no more,” not, “Go and remember to use a condom.” And most notably, He had no tolerance for hypocritical religious leaders who where, in his words, “white-washed tombs”, putting forth righteous facades, but living self-centered, prideful, and greedy lives. I don’t pretend to be perfect or righteous. I make no secret of the fact that I am a sinner and I struggle with my inborn desires. But that does not mean that I am blind to the sins of others. That does not make me any less capable of holding others accountable for dangerous lifestyles.

I would not ostracize people because of their sexual choices any more than I would ostracize someone for being an alcoholic or a Jehovah’s Witness (Yeah, I know. I’m just asking for flaming comments now.) God loves everyone, and so I must follow that example. But God is clear that, despite His love, He can not tolerate sin. He has given us an option, through grace, to escape our sin and follow Him, but it is up to us individually to accept that grace. If you are homosexual, I love you as a human being, created in God’s image, but I must disapprove of your sinful choices, just as you, if you are a Christian, would have to disapprove of my pride or lust or whatever weakness I may have.

What I’m getting at here is simply this: Sin is sin and the first step to living a Christ centered life is to recognize sin for what it is, then turn away from it. I’m not a gay-basher. People who go out looking for gay men to beat to death are guilty of murder and hate and will be judged for that. People who say every homosexual is going to hell have no understanding of grace and forgiveness, and their pride will be judged. The sin of the Pharisees was no better and no worse than the sin of the prostitute. I acknowledge the fact that my occasional lie or pride or lust is no better and no worse than the man in the story above. The difference is that I have given my life to Christ and He has forgiven my sin, so that I can strive to live a life free from sin. (Notice I said “strive.” No one is perfect.) That man has the same option. He can turn his life around, come clean and be welcomed into God’s arms when the dies. Or, he can continue to live in rebellion and pay a very dire, eternal consequence.

You don’t have to agree with me. That’s God’s other unique gift to mankind; free will. The comments are open. Be gentle.