Reddit reviews God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships

Here's a few to start with:

Debating Bible Verses on Homosexuality (New York Times Article)

Queer Theology (Website)

God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships (Book)

1. God loves you unconditionally and gives more grace than we could ever deserve.
   
2. You aren't alone. I felt this exact way when I found out I was attracted to guys when I first started college.
   
3. Don't give into pressure to choose one side or the other right away or even soon. This is a process of learning and growth and it probably sucks right now, but lean into the tension. Coming out / being 100% confident of your sexuality really soon is something that is, in my opinion, overhyped. Take your time.
   
4. I don't know how much research you have done yet, but I would recuse yourself from your currently held position and take a stance of neutrality. It's important as a Christian to figure out why you believe what you believe. This can be hard to do, but see what the Side A (Affirming) crowd's arguments and experiences are. Take notes. Understand why they genuinely believe that they are not acting against God. See how and why they counter their opponents' arguments. Once you have fully done that (and by fully I mean take your time and do it for a few months), then look up the non-affirming (Side B, Y, and X) positions and do the same. Even if this doesn't help you come to a conclusion right away, this still is a healthy practice of understanding the why behind the what.
   
5. This process of testing the foundations of your beliefs is/should probably extend to issues beyond LGBT inclusion in the church. One main pillar behind any LGBT/church argument is a stance on if Scripture is inerrant or not / what does it mean for something to be "inspired by God" / Should we hold to the same values as people 2,000 years ago (we've already expanded / moved on some from that)?
   
6. Remember to take breaks from this. Be diligent, but don't let this pursuit of the truth consume you.
   
7. Find non-judgmental friends who won't try to preach at you and can support you in your time of discernment and beyond.
   
   If you would like to PM me and ask more questions, I'm always happy to help people who were where I was 4 years ago.
   
   ​
   
   Here are a few good Affirming (A) resources to start out with:
   
   Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-VS-Christians Debate by Justin Lee (A)
   
   God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships by Matthew Vines (A)
   
   Modern Kinship by David and Constantino Khalaf (A)
   
   Blue Babies Pink by Brett Trapp / B.T. Harmann (A)
   
   Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church's Debate on Same-Sex Relationships by James Brownson (A)
   
   Sex and the Single Savior: Gender and Sexuality in Biblical Interpretation by Dale Martin (A)
   
   Risking Grace, Loving Our Gay Family and Friends Like Jesus by Dave Jackson (A)
   
   ​
   
   I'm compiling a list of other good resources / bad ones (from all perspectives, not just ones I disagree with), so let me know if you're looking for something more specific.

Christianity and homosexuality are not in conflict. The idea that they are is a rather recent one, and is not universally accepted. Please read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/God-Gay-Christian-Biblical-Relationships/dp/1601425163/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426707633&sr=8-1&keywords=god+and+the+gay+christian

Being gay doesn't mean giving up your faith.

I think that this will give you a basic overview better than I ever could

For further reading (if your honestly interested) I'd suggest:

• Bible, Gender, Sexuality
  
• God and the Gay Christian (This one is written by a man who self-identifies as 'conservative' if that seems more up your alley)

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ezQjNJUSraY

http://www.amazon.com/God-Gay-Christian-Biblical-Relationships/dp/1601425163

Both explain it completely.

Like yourself, I am an ally. I, too, found it to be a huge weight in my attempt to "be a good Christian" and also recognize that homosexuality is not a sin. I'm a feminist as well, but because I haven't done my Bible research yet regarding feminism, I'm going to keep to my own experience with homosexuality and the like.

From my own my own experiences, I feel that you have two major options in order to reconcile your faith and your convictions - two options in which God will support you and guide you in whatever you choose.

The first might be to find another church, another denomination, or both. Some churches still oppose homosexuality, but are much less aggressive, meaning that you get the occasional "homosexuality is a sin," but who are much more respectful of it. This is the type of church I attend. And while their stance is annoying, they actually manage to discuss it in a loving manner so that I can tolerate it. There are also churches who are completely open to the LGBT community. Times are changing, albeit slowly.

Your second option, and probably the most terrifying one, would be to "come out" to your community. One of the problems (IMO) with the "homosexuality is a sin" stance is that they don't know any better! Some people have lived in this bubble all their life. They don't know any differently, and haven't heard the Biblically sound evidence that it isn't wrong. You don't have to start protesting sermons or get a soapbox. But it could start with "I don't agree with that, can we please stop talking about it?" A simple phrase like this almost sounds like you aren't helping by not talking about it, but it can begin to open their hearts and minds to the idea of questions and discussion. In this scenario, knowledge is power; I've suggested this book before, and I'll suggest it again. By knowing and confirming your own beliefs on a very fundamental and Biblical level, I think it will help you navigate any discussion regarding the LGBT community and their place in the church.

Two well-argued pieces by gay Christians at http://www.gaychristian.net/greatdebate.php. One believes in marriage, one in mandatory celibacy, but the important thing is that they're both sincere gay Christians.

And hopefully you'll read God and the Gay Christian.

But don't stick to reading webpages and books. Get into an a supportive church of flesh-and-blood Christians.

Then give yourself time to process the thoughts and pray. You'll be OK. God bless you!

Theology isn't about following the words of the Bible to a tee. The obvious reason for why this is is that the Bible contains a vast, often contradictory array of commands and stories. That's fine, because the project of theology is to work out what that means in our own contexts -- along with important other inputs including tradition, reason and experience. So one shouldn't expect "true Christians" to all be against gay marriage just like one shouldn't expect them to believe in the firmament.

That's the general argument. The specific arguments vary. If you're curious as to one conservative Christian's argument for SSM, check out Matthew Vines' God and the Gay Christian whose general argument can be seen here.

My coming out experience was much more... sad.

We were coming home from church, after the pastor gave an ignorant schpeel about homosexuals that had little to no reflection on what the Bible really says. Usually I was able to deflect the anti-gay message whenever it came up, but that day was different. After being tortured by the pastor's harsh words, I felt like utter shit and just wanted to cry myself to sleep at home.

But... my brother wanted In-N-Out, so my mom drove us all the way there. I said I wasn't hungry, because I had lost my appetite and was feeling very depressed. My mom knew something was up at that point since I always got In-N-Out when it was an option. I ended up ordering a double-double with no cheese to quell her suspicions temporarily.

Once the car pulled into the garage, I got out and walked inside to my room. I shut the door and started to bawl my eyes out. I heard my mom asking where I went from the hallway, and she eventually opened my door to find me in a ball on my bed, a complete mess.

The next two hours were spent with me sobbing uncontrollably while slowly picking away at my burger. I explained everything to my mom, and she was more than accepting. My brother on the other hand seemed to be grossed out and didn't talk to me for the rest of the night.

In the end, my entire family has learned more about what the Bible really says about homosexuality, and they are very supportive of me. Even my brother, who was initially disturbed by the notion of his brother being gay, came around and told me that he loves who I am.

I would just like to recommend some very good books for people who are fighting between maintaining their Christian identity while staying true to who they are as LGBT. You don't need to throw away your faith.

What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality by Daniel Helminiak

God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships by Matthew Vines

UNFAIR: Christians and the LGBT Question by John Shore

You should also check out God and the gay christian by Matthew Vines. It's a relatively short book, but it cemented the belief that homosexuality isn't a sin in my mind.

If they would be receptive to something written by an evangelical biblical scholar who is gay, I recommend God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines. http://www.amazon.com/God-Gay-Christian-Biblical-Relationships/dp/1601425163

He tells his personal story AND addresses all the biblical texts that have been used against gay people. He makes a very convincing case for an inclusive and affirming faith that's based in scripture. He also gives a compassionate account of his father's experience of coming to accept him as a gay Christian.

http://www.amazon.com/God-Gay-Christian-Biblical-Relationships/dp/1601425163/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420955198&sr=8-1&keywords=god+and+the+gay+christian

"Thank you for sharing that reading with me earlier. I also have some reading I was hoping we could sit down and look at." http://www.amazon.com/God-Gay-Christian-Biblical-Relationships/dp/1601425163

Sorry your parents are being jerks. Hopefully they'll come around.

Here is a site to help you find an affirming church:

http://www.gaychurch.org/find_a_church/


Also, if you can get your hands on this book God and the Gay Christian, it will help you with a lot of your Bible questions.

I have three books on my shelves at the moment that I'd gladly recommend:

Torn by Justin Lee. Outside of the US the book is called Unconditional.

Bible Gender Sexuality by James V. Brownson.

God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines.