A Word to My Fellow Christians on National Coming Out Day

October 11 marked this year's National Coming Out Day here in America. Homosexuals took to the streets announcing to the world that they will longer hide their true selves. They were joined by those who support them. They were also joined by those who disagree with them.

Each side had their signs.

"We're here and we're queer!"

"God hates you! You're going to hell."

I truly wonder what a difference either sides signs will make. Although I have a feeling I know who had the better signs.

I am a Christian, but you will never see me anywhere holding a sign that proclaims what God thinks of you. I drive by the local abortion clinic, and every day the religious are there with their signs. I see them, and I want to run them over with my car. If you truly want to make a difference put down your sign, walk inside and stand beside a woman who is making a choice that only she can make. Stand by her, even if you cannot agree with her choice. Being there for someone when they need you WILL make a difference, holding a crappy sign will not.

I'm what you'd call a prodigal. I was raised in the church and was cast out with the other sinners as soon as my sins became known. I'm talking literally thrown out. OK, they didn't grab me and toss me into the streets, they did ask me to "not return" at least not until I'd given the baby a proper adoptive home. Because we all know God hates unmarried teenaged mothers. Which is probably why He had an unmarried teenaged mother carry his son.

Anyway.

I came back to the church in my thirties. In spite of the fact that I did not want to be lumped in with the religious, I missed my Daddy. I have truly sought out a relationship with God where He is not some tyrant on a throne, but He is my Daddy. He loves me.

I've spent time in two cultures. The church and the world. While there are things that I want the world to know about my experiences with the church, there is one thing that I think the church can learn from the world.

Stop being so judgemental.

You don't know who God hates. Jesus told you to love God with all your heart and sould and mind, he did not tell you that you had the supreme authority to tell people you disagree with, that God hates them. He told you to love your neighbor as yourself, he did not tell you to march around with signs telling them God hates them. Or do you also have a sign on your bathroom mirror that reads,

"God hates you. You're going to hell"?

If so, I think you may have bigger problems than who is sleeping with whom.