Can Basic Sunday School Verses Lead Christians To Accept The LGBT Community?

Christians believe in the ideology that the supreme-being, God (also known as the Heavenly Father) created Heaven and Earth. Not only did he create planet Earth and it’s great land masses (volcanoes, rocks, canyons, rivers, oceans, etc.), he also created three types of living beings: Germs/Bacteria, Animals/Insects, and finally Humans.

We are constantly confused about the Christian church’s stance on Homosexuality, though. Some say that (apparently) the bible portrays it as a negative aspect. Due to that fact, most Christians shun the existence of Homosexuality, calling it “sinful” and “hated by God.”

Source: http://www.christianheadlines.com/news/from-gay-parents-to-prom-dates-faith-based-schools-face-lgbt-dilemmas.html

Since Christians are so busy shunning the LGBT community for being “sinful,” “hated,” or “shameful,” it seems like they have forgotten what they learned in the most basic, elementary form of Christian religious teachings there is: Sunday School.

Let me refresh your memory… You probably remember Sunday School, right? Mom would make you get up super early and dress in a cutesy little suit and tie (or dress), just to go sit with a huge class of kids singing and crafting crosses out of Popsicle sticks, Elmer’s glue, and glitter? It’s ringing a bell now, huh?! Luckily you are not the only one who has forgotten about this tradition… apparently the whole Christian community has!

Sunday School did not only consist of singing, coloring, and crafting, though (although that’s what most people focus on when they think Sunday School… I mean, crafting is all the hype, am I right?!), you also recited basic, short prayer-like quotes… Three specific ones went just like this…

“God created everyone and everything.”
“We are all children of God, therefore we are all brothers and sisters.”
“God loves all of his children.”

Now, they may not seem like a lot but I assure you, they actually hold A LOT of value… Let’s put some emphasis on certain words in each of these three verses. Reread the quotes again, but pay special attention to the bold words this time around.

“God created everyone and everything.”
“We are all children of God, therefore we are all brothers and sisters.”
“God loves all of his children.”

First off, the word “ALL” is present a total of THREE times throughout all of the quotes, which is quite significant. “All” is an inclusive word. According to Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inclusive), inclusive means:

covering or including everything (or in this case, everyone)

So, this would include people of all types, backgrounds, colors, etc. Some examples are African-American people, Green-Eyed people, people who wear contacts or glasses, etc. Why aren’t LGBT people on the list? If all is an inclusive word, then EVERYONE must be included.

The second point I want to mention is in regards to the first quote. God apparently created all people and gave them each various characteristics. He made some people African-American, some people with straight hair, curly hair, some people with a lisp, Indonesian people, people who prefer to date older aged mates, people who are afraid of the dark, and EVERYONE IN BETWEEN OF ALL KINDS! That must mean he created Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender people as well… He clearly meant for them to be this way. He made some men be sexually and romantically interested in men, and some women be sexually and romantically interested in women. So Homosexuality is not a sin if God clearly meant for that to be the way some people are.

Finally, a third point I want to stress is a couple words extracted from the second quote: brother and sister. Do you treat your brother with disrespect? I am assuming you love him/her and cherish him/her (or at least I would HOPE so). If everyone is considered each other’s brothers and sisters in the Christian church, we should treat them all with respect, love, dignity, and acceptance, no differently than how you would treat your biological brothers/sisters.

By analyzing simple Sunday School verses which you may have learned 30+ years ago, you may stumble upon three main themes that the Christian faith should be about:

  • Love
  • Acceptance
  • Respect for one another

You may only recall creating those Popsicle stick crosses when you reminisce about Sunday School, but you actually learned a whole lot about core Christian themes.

Whisper, an anonymous secret-sharing app often showcases a lot of people’s thoughts on LGBT issues in correlation to religion. Here is a “whisper” shared by an anonymous Christian user displaying support towards LGBT inclusion.

LGBT citizens are not a sin. They were created that way, and deserve to be included in the diverse community of Christians. God intended for us to love one another and be welcoming and kind to all of our brothers and sisters, so why do we (the Christian community) continue to shame the LGBT community. We must love another, and the World will be closer than ever before.

(Characteristics about the Author: I come from a Christian background and I am also a LGBT person).