Christians across the world are reclaiming their religion from extremists like Tony Perkins and Rev. Pat Robertson. They are standing up and speaking out in favor of LGBT equality.
Let your voice be heard by visiting NotAllLikeThat.org and creating your very own NALT video. If you are a pastor or a church leader -- you can host a NALT Sunday where your congregation makes NALT videos after services.
John Shore of the NALT ("Not All Like That") Christians project asked me if I would make a video, so here's my own twist on the theme. Continue the conversation with me on my blog:
JustinLee.co
Find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr as GCNJustin, and check out my book "Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate" for more on how we can make things right.
We want LGBT Christians, and all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered to know that not all Christians believe your sexual orientation is a sin. We welcome you into our church, and there are many Christians out there who would be happy to include you into the family of Christ.
If you are here to comment about your disagreement, please do not waste your time. This video really isn't directed to you. It is directed to the many, many people in the LGBT community who have been ostracized and think there is no church home that will accept them and love them for who they are.
NALT Christians: Rob and Linda Robertson, who attend Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, WA, are outspoken advocates for LGBT equality and are passionate about communicating to gay Christians that God loves them exactly as they are and wants to use them exactly as they are to change the world.
I'm The Rev. Rhonda McIntire, and I've been an Episcopal priest for 17 years. I wear this red feather boa on a float that my church -- San Gabriel the Archangel in Corrales, New Mexico -- sponsors in the Albuquerque Pride Parade every summer.
I've been in love with Jesus all my life. With God's grace, I've been gifted with the certain knowledge that Jesus loves me unconditionally -- and that he loves everyone else the same way. Even though others might, Jesus will never let us down.
My being loved by Jesus causes me to be a straight ally for my LGBT sisters and brothers, advocating every way I can for marriage equality. For me, it is about the respect and dignity and fairness I believe Jesus wants for all people.
The Baptismal Covenant in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer is the framework of our tradition. In it, two key questions are asked of those about to be baptized and of those who are already baptized as they renew their vows:
"Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?" and
"Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?"
If a Christian answers, "I will, with God's help," then how can that Christian possibly not support fairness for all people?
Bishop Pearson encourages African American churches to wake up and discard the Don't Ask Don't Tell attitude toward gay and transgender people and reconsider how we can live, work and walk together by faith and in the love of God.
If you are gay or lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender, then there's a good chance that you've either MET a Christian or been confronted by the Christian-perspective that tells you "you are an abomination to God," or, "The Bible clearly is opposed to homosexuality," or something similar. But I (and many others) are here to tell you that NOT ALL CHRISTIANS ARE LIKE THAT. Learn more at the NALT Christians Project homepage: http://www.notalllikethat.org.
Follow me at http://www.colbymartinonline.com
Here is the reality: We are not all like that. Ray McKinnon, an ordained minister, doesn't believe that a homosexual in a monogamous and committed relationship is sinful neither does he believe that a heterosexual in a monogamous and committed relationship is sinful.
Not all Christians are anti-gay, anti-lesbian, anti-bisexual, or anti-transgender. This video not only tells but also demonstrates that there are Christians who embrace the LGBT community. Part of a campaign called NALT for Not All LIke That.
Transcript:
My name is Lisa and I"m from British Columbia, Canada and I live in Jalisco, Mexico. As a straight ally, this is a message for all my LGBT brothers and sisters:
First of all, I'ld like to apologize if anyone has thrown scripture at you, or used God or Christianity to make you fell unloved or unworthy or unworthy of love or otherwise attempting to shred your soul.
As someone who genuinely tries to be an authentic follower of Christ and who seeks to know God more, I have no choice but to wholeheartedly support LGBT equality, both for marriage and within church communities.
I come from a fairly conservative church background, but the God that I've met in my studies of the bible does not always jive with what I learned in these conservative churches. The God that I've met in my studies of the bible does not condemn your sexuality but loves you so completely just the way you are.
I also want to throw some Scripture at you, but in the hopes that it will shower you with blessings and hope.
This is from Romans--a book written by Paul--that same Paul who wrote some verses that people love to take out of context to hurt you. But listen to the absolutes that he uses here in Romans 8:38-39. "For I am convinced that neither life nor death, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
to all my LGBT brothers and sisters: The haters are gonna hate. But, not all Christians are like that.
Know this:
You are loved.
You are worthy.
You are worthy of love just the way you are.
Heike is reading a passage from Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."
We are not all like that. We love you! Blessings!
Kathy Baldock, an Evangelical Christian for over 30 years, came to an affirming stance of sexual orientation and gender identity issues and Christianity thru both relationship with a lesbian and personal study of the Bible in context and original language.
She is now an advocate for full inclusion and equality for her LGBT brothers and sisters in Christ in the conservative churches.
Her blog, CanyonwalkerConnections.com is a great resource for those seeking a more accurate reading of texts used to discriminate against LGBT people.
Look for a book in the fall "Walking the Bridgeless Canyon | Repairing the Breach between the Conservative Church and the LGBT Christian Community." http://www.canyonwalkerconnections.com