The Bible is not a weapon, folks

I am about to go way out on a limb here. I can only imagine what's going to be said about me after this post but honestly, I'm not trying to seek anyone's approval. And for my churched friends, let me preface this by saying that I have studied my bible and spent time in prayer about this subject and I have also spent a large amount of time in the gay community ... all of which has led me to my stance on this subject. So, at the risk of great ridicule, I would like to say that I am not opposed to gay marriage.

Now, give me a chance to elaborate ...

I believe that the way that God views marriage and the way that government views marriage are very different. I understand that the way God describes marriage in the bible is between a man and a woman. But God also describes marriage as a spiritual covenant made between those two individuals and God. (And just as a reminder, the bible condones plural marriage - something that we as a society have chosen to make illegal.)

That being said, I also believe that marriage as we see it today is something very different. It is a legally binding contract entered into by two consenting, non-related individuals of legal age in their state who are contracting to combine their lives, and as a result are granted certain benefits for their commitment - such as the right to inherit, tax benefits, health benefits, etc.

Now, here's where I'm going to stretch you ... the bible also states that God is love and love is of God. I believe that anywhere you find love, you find God because the one can not exist without the other. If two men or two women share love, then whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, that is from God and of God. 1 John 4: 16 says, "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." Just because the church interprets the bible in such a way as to believe that God does not condone a spiritual covenant between two people of the same sex does not mean that those two individuals should not receive the same legal benefits as a heterosexual couple would receive. A lifetime commitment is a lifetime commitment. People are people and should be treated as equals ... regardless of race, sexuality, social or economic background.

We, as Christians, need to stop hopping up onto our soap boxes all the time and realize that love is of God, regardless of whether you understand it or not and that contractual marriage between two people does not mean that God views them as married - whether they are gay or straight.

We can not share Christ with people if they think that we hate them. We are making a mockery of God and using His words to serve our own agendas. The bible is not a weapon people ... it's a love letter.

Do we really want to continue to allow God to be the butt of the jokes? Do we really want to continue to be viewed as close-minded bigots who will use God as an excuse to be a-holes? The only way that we can affectively reach the world is through the power of LOVE.

Let's take back the idea of what it is to be a Christian and give it a positive meaning because I, for one, am tired of being viewed like this ...