Fact 1: I was born, raised, and remain Roman Catholic.

Fact 2: I fully support the LGBTAQ+ community and their efforts to attain equality regardless of sexual and gender identity.

Now, let me explain.

Society has made the executive decision that the LGBTAQ+ community and the Christian community are against each other. When the Supreme Court ruling made it legal for same-sex marriage in all 50 states, much of the Christian community protested. While #lovewins began to trend, so did #christian.

I am here to take a different stand.

You can be Christian and support the LGBTAQ+ community. You can be Christian and be a member of the LGBTAQ+ community. The Christian community and the LGBTAQ+ community are not exclusive to each other. You can be both.

First and foremost, I am a born and raised Christian, but I have never, nor will I ever, push my beliefs onto someone else. God granted us the gift of free will and that free will extends to faith, and so I will always respect the free will of others to not believe what I do.

So, here is why I, a Christian, support the LGBTAQ+ community in their efforts for equality:

“A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

When I think of what my faith means to me, the first thing I think of is love. To be a Christian is to love our fellow man as our God loves us, unconditionally and without a waiver. As an individual who has sinned and been loved and forgiven, I believe that what God asks of me is to exhibit that same love and forgiveness to all of God’s creation. 1 Corinthians 13 says “if I have a faith that can move mountains, but does not have love, I am nothing…it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

As Christians, we live for love, and therefore, why are many of us standing in love’s way? Marriage is the ultimate sacrifice, and the ultimate confession of love and every individual has the right to know that love and sacrifice. Unconditional love is what our God shows us every day, and it is what we need to show to all men, including the LGBTAQ+ community.

“Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone…” John 8:7

All sin is equal in God’s eyes. To Him, there is no difference between killing a man, telling a white lie, or any other sin. No man is perfect and all man sins. As a society, we all sin, every day, whether or not we choose to acknowledge it. Jesus died so that we would no longer sin, but rather so that our sins could be forgiven (and the LGBTAQ+ community is not exempt from that).

Additionally, last time I checked, I am not the judge and jury of my fellow man. It is God Himself who acts as the judge, and I do not want that job (and I don’t think you do either). It is not my job to judge or condemn another man. It is my job to love, to forgive, and to accept. That is what I will do.

The bottom line is that not one of us knows what is true until we are reunited with God after death. Not one of us knows God’s thoughts, His hopes, or whether He is glorifying us for loving our neighbors despite our differences, or if He is condemning us for allowing a sin to become legal. Christianity is not about trying to ‘fix’ or ‘judge’ our fellow man, it is about love. So instead of protesting, insulting, and condemning, pray. Pray for our country, pray for guidance in our faith, and pray for God’s assistance in growing in understanding, patience, and love.

If this debate is to continue, it needs to transform into a more reasoned, rational discussion of opposing views. If we can all work to leave labels and biases behind, we do not need to abandon our convictions, and we can change the conversation to focus on listening and understanding, and most importantly, working together.

We must move to become known for what we are for, rather than what we are against.