As happens frequently in this day and age, there have been a couple of stories in the news regarding homosexuality. In both cases the stories reflect badly on that sort of activity. The first was a column in Town Hall on Monday discussing the life of a Marine Corporal who had been a gay porn star and has since come out against both the gay and the porn-star lifestyles. Another is an Associated Press piece on Tuesday concerning a declaration by General Peter Pace, USMC, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who called homosexuality "immoral."

As happens in stories like this, where decent people express any sort of reservation about the homosexual lifestyle, those who claim to represent the "Gay Community" come out and blast anyone who is "intolerant" of homosexual behavior. Usually the claim is something to the effect of: hatred of the act equals hatred of the person. Predictably, a number of those who support "tolerance and Diversity" (capital D) complain loudly about Christianity and its "intolerance" of gays.

Well, now that I've had some time to think about it, they're right. Note that this comes from a person who has been a devout Catholic Christian all his life and is a staunch defender of the faith. Christianity is not about "tolerance and Diversity", it's about Truth. The Truth that God the Father is the Creator of the world. The Truth of His Law as handed down to Moses. The Truth that His only Son was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, was buried (A fact we will remember on Friday, 6 April), and rose again from the dead on the third day (A fact we will remember and celebrate on Sunday, 8 April). The Truth that Jesus' suffering and death on the Cross was for our redemption from sin. The Truth that His Resurrection was proof of His divinity. And so forth.

Some of the other truths we accept as Christians: the truth that salvation through Christ is the only way, the truth that sinners must repent their sins to be saved, and the truth that we are all sinners. All of us. There are two people who have ever lived who did not sin, and one of them was God made man. (The other, in case you are wondering, was the Virgin Mary). The rest of us have varying degrees of work to do (spiritually and temporally) to be saved. Tolerating sin is not what we are about.

The sin of homosexuality is by no means the worst that could be committed, but it is still sinful. Now, I can say that homosexuality is sinful all I want. You, the reader, can believe me or not. That's up to you. I don't like it because I find it wrong on many levels, but I'm not about to condemn anyone to hell for practicing it. That's a job that's a bit above my pay grade, and I will never claim that authority. I don't want it, because I don't want the responsibility that comes along with it. I think God is more than qualified to handle that quite a ways better than I. So it does you no good – if you are gay, or you support the gay lifestyle, that is – to complain to me about what I think. I'm no one. I don't matter. It's not me you have to please.

Another of those pesky truths is that while God is all-merciful, you have to seek His forgiveness. And in seeking His forgiveness, you have to have the desire in your heart to "go forth and sin no more." Catholics believe that one step in the process requires that you actually go before a priest and confess your sins, other sects of Christianity have their own outward expressions of how to go about this, but it all comes down to the same thing: asking for forgiveness with the intention of sinning again or with the belief that what you did really wasn't sinful is an empty act and accomplishes nothing.

Gays complain that Christianity is intolerant of them because gays choose to believe that homosexuality is morally acceptable behavior. To that end, that is actually probably true. It is also true that right now Christianity as a whole is focused on the sin of homosexuality, far more so than perhaps it had been in the past. That is simply a reflection of society as a whole, and the gay privileges lobby in particular, who have been force-feeding us homosexuality for several years now. It's fashionable in Hollywood, it's brought up every time someone is "outed", it's become politically correct to demand "marriage" privileges to "nontraditional" couples, it's been forced on the military (which policy is still decried by gays because it does not allow them to be gay first and soldiers second), it's even being declared "moral" by some Christian churches – in defiance of scripture, mind – because they believe that it is acceptable behavior for their clergy. The focus on homosexual behavior in society has forced Christian churches – at least those that still follow scripture where homosexual behavior is concerned – to focus on teaching the truth of its sinfulness, as such being declared "intolerant" by the elite.

So what is the effect of Homosexuality being considered immoral? Well, decent people who believe that will make that point, and leave it at that. If someone comes to me and asks me my opinion on homosexuality, I'll say that it's wrong, period. If pressed, I will explain why, both Biblically and scientifically. Having said that, I don't refuse to deal with someone who is openly gay, and, depending upon the person, I can actually be friends with them without ever going into my distaste at their lifestyle. I would certainly never deny someone a job or a promotion in any situation I am likely to manage just because of that one aspect, so long as it doesn't affect their job (such as someone dating a co-worker.) Those who are actively spiteful toward gays, and especially those who commit violence against people just because of their homosexuality, are committing sins at least as serious as homosexuality itself. As I said, it's not our place to condemn people to hell, nor is it our place to dispense moral justice on earth. Leave that to radical Islam.

The bottom line is this: Homosexuality is wrong, period. It is gravely sinful and disordered behavior. My opinion on the matter, however, is inconsequential. It's not me that decides who goes where when they die. It is not important for anyone who is gay to admit that their lifestyle is wrong to the world. It is important, however, that they admit it to themselves. Those who do deserve the support of those close to them. Those who don't do not deserve our condemnation or discrimination, but they also don't deserve special privileges. What happens in our final judgment is up to God, but I wouldn't recommend taking chances with His mercy. Presumption of His forgiveness, regardless of what you do, is a good way to take the wrong elevator.

HJG