[antiochian]

Hello! Although Soulforce was begun by a pastor, the forums are made up of people of a diverse range of beliefs, ranging from devoutly practicing Christians to completely nonreligious. Those who do come from a Christian perspective will probably tell you what many theologians would tell you: the Bible has been misinterpreted and abused by people with preconceived notions and biases in order to bolster their prejudice. Such was the case for centuries, and certainly still today, with regards to women--passages about the man being "head of the household" meant to some that it was ok to treat females are inferior. Of course, many Christians no longer believe such craziness, and obviously, there are plenty of female Christians today. The Bible was also used against African Americans, and yes, against gays, but again, the Bible was written by imperfect people, and has most definitely been interpreted by imperfect people. The church has been, and continues to be led by imperfect people.

Personally, I ceased to self-identify as Christian a year and a half ago. I couldn't ultimately find a way to reconcile my existence as a gay man to a religion that has continually denounced the feelings I have. But that's just my journey. Slowly, things are changing. The Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, the Quakers, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and other denominations of Christianity are casting off the old chains of ignorance, and beginning to embrace gays, bisexuals, transgenders. Last but not least, antigay bigotry isn't limited to religious people, although most people who disapprove homosexuality are religious. I've come across a few homophobic atheists, too. People are scared of what they don't understand, and resort to irrational prejudices as a result. Hope this gives you an answer.