Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin

The Church and the LGBT community

86
Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin
STACKS magazine

I've grown up hearing the phrase, "love the sinner, hate the sin." If you aren't aware, this is a phrase commonly used by the Church when referring to members of the LGBT community. In theory, I guess you could say that it makes sense. While you shouldn't hate people who identify as LGBT, you should hate the fact that they choose to be LGBT. Ohhh my god... I apologize in advance for the rant I'm about to go on. Actually, I'm not sorry. It needs to be said.

The idea that you should love someone who you believe is behaving in a way that is morally wrong doesn't work most of the time. When thinking about it in terms of one-on-one relationships, it has a greater likelihood of making sense. A mother, for example, who is anti-LGBT can still love her son despite not accepting that he is gay (some may argue that this is actually not possible, but for the sake of the argument, let's say that it is). If this is true, "love the sinner, hate the sin" allows for individuals to continue to love people that they loved before "the sin." What the concept doesn't do is allow for the acceptance of an entire community.

I've watched a pastor stand in front of a congregation of hundreds of people and say that it was ok that gay marriage had been legalized, but that it was a serious threat to the structure of the family. I've heard a Sunday school teacher say that we should love our gay friends and family, but "God did say there would be a punishment and AIDS happens to be more prevalent among gays." I've sat while 500 people stood and prayed in support of the Church's decision to continue to stand against gay marriage. I've seen people shout "amen" when a pastor described crashing the wedding of two men only to judge and ridicule them. I've sat at my dining room table and cried, unable to understand how hundreds of people can think and treat other human beings this way.

If "love the sinner, hate the sin" is something you say, you are wrong. It blows my mind that ANYONE thinks it is ok to say this phrase. All this phrase allows you to do is hide your hatred, fear, disgust, and ignorance under a layer of fake love. If you want to be anti-LGBT, own up to it. Stand up and announce your hatred to the world, so those of us who know the truth can show you what you fail to see. But don't pretend that the way you think and act stems from a place of love and care. It doesn't.

Many will say that they are allowed to have their opinions; yet, while children are still being kicked out of their homes for being queer, church leaders are teaching young kids that being gay is wrong, and 50 people are being shot in a nightclub for being gay (and people are failing to even acknowledge that the shooting was an attack on the LGBT community), your opinion is toxic, dangerous, and harmful and I will continue to stand against it. I will never understand why people still believe that being gay is a choice. If you believe that God makes us the way we are, why is it so difficult to believe that he could create people who are LGBT? And if that's the case, how can that be a sin?

One of my favorite Youtubers, Tyler Oakley, sums up my hopes on this issue in one clear and concise tweet: "I can't wait to someday tell my kids about the fight for gay rights. It'll sound as absurd to them as racial segregation sounds to me."


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

190533
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

15078
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

457989
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

26702
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments