Many people in our culture believe the Bible condemns people who are gay or lesbian. People believe this condemnation is obvious, and even central to Christianity. I believed it as well. It took years of serious study and praying as a Christian for me to discover that it isn't true. The Bible does not clearly condemn people who are gay or lesbian. It doesn't unequivocally teach that gay sexuality is a sin.
If you believe being gay or lesbian is a sin, you can interpret passages in scripture to support your belief. You can take passages with vague meanings and insist they support your agenda. But the "condemnations" are not as clear as some would suggest and are not central to the message of the Bible. After years of study and struggle I believe the Bible does not condemn people who are gay or lesbian.
In the following videos I talk about how I , as a disciple of Jesus and a student of the Bible, am compelled to support Marriage Equality. This class was given at Zuda Yoga Studio in Sacramento. Beneath each video is the pertinent portion of the class notes. The complete handout I used is here.
I. Apartheid, the Bible and Cultural Bias
VI. The Natural Order of Things