Uganda passing law that allows them to put homosexuals to death.

[Aractus]

If 25% of Christians were drug users and 20% were unemployed, I'd say they need help. Just like I say the same about the gay community in Australia. Help doesn't mean demonizing their behavior. They aren't using drugs or unemployed because they have gay sex. It's a larger societal problem.

Plenty of other Athiests on these forums would indeed claim that it is because they're Christian - they seem to have no problem using this argument for other things they want us to be the scapegoats for.

I'm glad to see you don't hold this view. Wouldn't it be a surprise if I agree with you here - it's "not because they're gay" - but it is because of something related to being gay.

They have an identity problem. They identify themselves via their sexuality. How many heterosexuals, if you asked them to describe who they are, would put heterosexuality at the top of the list? Not many.

A friend of mine, Lisa, my one and only lesbian friend, has at times attacked my view on sexuality. I've explained to her that I have an equal problem with de-facto relationships that are heterosexual - she doesn't care. I've asked why it's so important to her what I think, especially as it doesn't mean we can't be friends and I'm not interested in belittling or otherwise causing her any problems. She said "because it's who I am".

I've pointed out to her that at least I don't bullshit and try and hide my views.

Being attracted is a part of who she is, granted, but it isn't that which defines her as a person.

I'm a Christian, I accept the fact that we are going to be tempted to sin, and tempted in different ways. She may well have been born with same-sex sexuality, neither I nor anyone else can tell her she wasn't. If she isn't Christian then of course she's going to "live in sin" like the rest of the world does, but it doesn't mean that we should be uncompassionate.

Poor self image is the biggest problem that I think needs to be effectively addressed. I don't want to change her, God himself calls us to him and doesn't expect us to change who we are. But as we have a greater confidence, self-image, self-worth, we can rely more on what makes us special to others and to God, and less on trivial things we thought were utterly important.

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I wonder if Danny boy here is aware of how well those good, Christian sexual ethics have worked out here.

To start with, I've already mentioned abstinence education, right? Plain and simple, it doesn't work. I don't think I have ever seen a reliable study done that has shown evidence that it does.

Don't try to set me up as someone I'm not. You have to meet people where they are, you can't expect non-Christians to accept Christian morals, if you care about the people you wish to help, you have to reach them in ways which will work for them.