In the past two letters to the editor, we have seen one pushing for rights for GLBTQ community, and one saying they should not be accepted. Let me present the ‘in the middle’ approach I have come to take.
Being homosexual is not sinful. What is sinful is carrying out those thoughts and living a life of sex outside of marriage. A point that was made in the last letter, was that homosexuals are not born that way. That issue is so much more than just a yes or no.
What if people are born with same-sex attraction? What if they really couldn’t change their attraction for the same-sex? What about sin that we are born into? You are born into an abusive home; your dad is an alcoholic. You are born into a sinful environment exposed to sin and a lifestyle that is natural to you. You live a life and have relationships on the outside that are Godly, but on the inside your natural tendencies are still there, abuse and alcohol.
That is sometimes how homosexuals are. They live a life that is uncomfortable on the outside, being with the opposite sex, but they do if for acceptance. They are not acting out on their desires, but they still have them. They are trying to do right, but aren’t. It’s a big dilemma we face as Christians, and we are called to love everyone.
Yet some homosexuals choose to live a life of celibacy. Is this wrong? Are they openly sinning? I believe this is the point I’m trying to make: homosexuality is not a sin, but acting out on the desires and having sex outside of marriage is. I pray that this entire world would be attracted to the opposite sex, but I believe it is so much more than just that. Is it a choice or not? That’s just too hard to tell, and I’m not in any position to answer that, but I do believe God put all people on this earth for a reason. We are to love others and be Christ to them. However a person may be, I will love them for who they are.  God loves all of His creation, and I would hope that we as a Christian people do the same.
Josaeph Austin, sophomore accounting major from Leakey
