First of all, I take exception to the term "homosexual lifestyle" in general. Being gay is not my lifestyle�being gay is simply being me. My "lifestyle" involves getting up in the morning, showering, eating breakfast, going to work, getting stressed out, eating lunch, feeling too sleepy to be at work, then going home, eating dinner, watching a little TV, reading a book, or playing around on my computer, before retiring to bed for the evening. It's not the most exciting lifestyle many a day, but it's my life, and I like it for the most part (hey, nothing's perfect). Do non-Gay people really think my life is so much different from theirs? Sure, if I am in a serious relationship, some things I may do in my bedroom might be a little different from non-Gay people, but otherwise, I would say my life is much more like anyone else's than they must imagine.

That notwithstanding, I generally say very little to people who are only interested in judgment, and telling me how evil I am�I've had enough experience as a college student with these so-called "Christians" to know that it is not worth the energy and effort. I say "so-called" because it is so painfully obvious that they have totally missed the central tenets of what Jesus Christ taught�love one another; do not judge others; agape ("unconditional love").

To me, these things are central to Christ's teachings; without believing in these, and practicing them as well, you are not following the most fundamental of Christ's teachings. It's that simple. It doesn't matter that you can quote every verse in the Bible; it doesn't matter that you attend Church every day and twice on Sunday; it doesn't matter that you teach Sunday school. Without following Jesus' most basic teachings, you can never truly consider yourself his follower.

This doesn't mean that I think you cannot be a good person without being a Christian�my closest friends are largely agnostics and atheists, and they are better people than many people who call themselves Christian.

My friends have largely been driven away from religion due to the way they were treated, or felt inside, because they are gay. Many have come to believe that Christianity is what they hear in their churches, or see on TV. And that is largely not the case. We mostly see a flawed interpretation of Jesus' teachings, despite the simiplicity and forthrightness of them. They hear hate, intolerance, and judgment. And it does not surprise me that they are not in the least bit interested in being a part of that. Neither am I.

Religion has always been a very important part of my life. Although I was at first mortified that I was gay, I never once believed that God hated me for being gay; not once. I knew that He had made me that way, for a reason. For the longest time I thought that that reason was to be some kind of "martyr" who would "live with this cross I had to bear." No one would ever know my deep, dark secret. I would marry a woman, have children, and go to my grave, no one having known what a good Christian I was by hiding my true self from even the closest people�my family and my friends.

It took a long time to come to terms with being gay. It was not because I was afraid of God's reaction (He pretty much already knew, I suspected), rather I was terrified of losing my family and friends. Eventually, I met other gay people, and I read, and I grew as a person. The coming out process is not an easy one, and it was especially hard on me. But it forces you to look at yourself as many non-Gay people are not forced to do. I truly feel I am a better person for having gone through this soul-searching (quite literally).

I soon realized that my true challenge was not to be a martyr who had to lie to his parents, his wife, his children, and his friends for his entire life. What sort of cruel god would do that to someone? Certainly not the God I know. I cannot imagine a god who would create his children in such a way that they be required to deceive everyone close to them for a lifetime. My challenge is to live as good a life as I can, and to try to follow Christ's teachings to the best of my ability. What does that have to do with my being gay? Very little. Living life is a challenge for everyone. And for the first time, I truly realized that I wasn't some "freak"�I was just like everyone else.

Nevertheless, many people seem to ignore these things, and point to what they "know" as fact. This generally involves quoting verses from the Bible. Well, I think I know the Bible as well as anyone, and, as a student of linguistics and critical thinking for many years, I think my background brings a unique perspective to the Bible debate.

So what does the Bible really say about homosexuality, and how does that apply to modern gay people? Read on...

Quotes

The most common Biblical passages cited against homosexuality come from the Old Testament. The two most notable are from the Books of Genesis (Sodom and Gomorrah) and Leviticus (the Code of Legal Holiness). Sodom and Gomorrah is probably the best known citation. Indeed, modern day laws in half of the fifty States still outlaw some sort of "Sodomy" (which generally entails any sort of homosexual sex, as well as non-penile/vaginal sex for heterosexuals, including oral or anal sex). The odd thing is, that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah had nothing to do with modern day gay people having consensual sexual relations. The sin was that of the attempted gang rape of messengers of God (unknown to the men at the time) by a group of heterosexual townspeople (Genesis:19, 1-11). I can safely say that I don't know a single gay person who thinks that such a thing would be even remotely acceptable under any circumstance. And it does not surprise me that such a thing would be punished by God. But what does it have to do with a gay man today who is in love with his partner? Very little. What surprises me even more in this passage, is that, when the men of the village come to get the strangers, Lot offers up his virgin daughters for them instead. How's that for family values?

The second most oft-quoted verse is from the Book of Leviticus (the Third Book of Moses). The book was given the name Leviticus by ancient Greek translators, as the majority of it deals with sacrificial and other ritual laws prescribed for the priests of the Tribe of Levi. The laws in this book served to teach the Israelites that they should always maintain a state of purity to show their union with God. There is a passage that reads, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination." (Leviticus: 18, 22). And this is quoted ad infinitum by the so-called "Christian Right." What they fail to do is read the entire passage. If they did they would find in the surrounding verses that the following things are also condemned: sexual intercourse with a menstruating woman, sowing the seeds of two different crops in the same field, eating rare meat, reaping all of the crops in a field, getting tattooed, eating meat of cloven-hoofed animals (that cuts out hot dogs at the ballpark), eating shellfish, shaving, or even wearing clothing of different fibers (I knew polyester was bad for some other reason). If you think I am joking, please take a look for yourself.

These laws were given to an ancient people thousands of years ago, and were never meant to govern modern Christians. Jesus said, "I give you a new commandment: Love one another. Such as my love has been for you" (John 13:34). Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, therefore archaic laws from the Old Testament, which we all break many times every day, from the Pope, to Jerry Falwell, to Ralph Reed, to Billy Graham, to me and you, no longer govern us.

So what did Jesus say about homosexuality? Surely, if Christians are to condemn modern homosexuals, he must have had something to say about it all. He didn't. Not a word. I think that speaks for itself.

On a logical basis, the entire Biblical argument against homosexuality is suspect for one good reason�though the Bible may have been the inspired word of God as it was written, people, mere human beings, have been transcribing and translating it for thousands of years. As a linguist, I know the difficulties encountered in translation (I have translated entire books from German to Engish, two relatively close languages, unlike Ancient Hebrew , Ancient Greek, Aramaic, Latin, Early Modern English (King James), and Modern English). A monk copying or translating a simple passage in 643 AD could very easily have added in or taken out anything he pleased, or he could have simply erred. You cannot tell me, that if I came out with Scott's New Bible, a translation from the Ancient Languages, that it might not be subject to personal interpretation, human error, or outright deception.

How sad to think that God spoke to us thousands of years ago, and then decided he has nothing more to say. I believe that God speaks to us every day; he may not whisper in your ear, but you can see him and hear him all around you if you open your eyes and your heart.

We must take Jesus' teachings as a whole and try to discern the central truth that he teaches, for we cannot be absolutely certain that the details are as he meant them. I do not believe this is blasphemous, much less difficult. "Love one another", "do not judge", "agape." It's quite simple, really.