I was never ex-gay. So if there is anyone who wonders why this movement inspires such passion in me, read Paul’s opening paragraph.

I’m not a super-religious guy. I’m not very holy and I don’t always live the way I think I should. I’m not one of those “good morning, praise God, isn’t this a great day the lord has made” kinda guys. My prayer is private, my devotions are quiet and I don’t wear my faith on my sleeve.

But it brings me to tears to see Christianity – and the ex-gay ministry in particular – drive people from God. It is this whole either-or dichotomy that is set up: this insistance that you cannot be gay and be a Christian. It permiates the language of the ex-gay movement. It is seeded in the media by ex-gay leaders.

And it leads to good decent people who want a relationship with God giving up, rejecting God, turning away, all because they feel that they have to. NO.. it’s because they are TOLD they have to – to please God they have to be other than the way he made them.

And I hate it. And it’s wrong.

Warren quotes the “through a glass darkly” scripture, which I held as a favorite before my swan song. The rest of the scripture, I think, being equally important to include…”now, these three remain, faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Paul juxtaposes “faith, hope and love” ( Love being Jesus’ favorite command?) with what has today become two major fundamental Christian divisions. Those who (instead?) follow “knowledge” (strict bible literalists?), and those who are more esoteric and ‘follow’ “The Spirit” (represented by “prohpesy”). By the scripture, neither of these are complete or absolute “we know in part and we prophesy in part,” so the directive is to let faith, hope, and love dominate? Which begs the question, what is it to love. Yes, of course I’ve read the whole chapter, but love cannot be a particular standard carved in stone any more than any other “law” of God. How much more must love be “written on the fleshy tables of the heart?” Many believers claim to actually be able to follow God, an actual being. They speak of “relationship” with God/Jesus. Indeed, that would seem pretty important in order to know what “love” is at any given point. Is there really such a thing as a standard loving response in ‘true’ Christiandom?

As regards ssa, why don’t all true believers get together, like the apostles did when they were determining who would replace Judas, and just let God decide about ssa by “drawing lots?”

Very true. Stick to statments of “I believe.” Did you notice the period? And try to avoid statments that start “I believe you should believe…”