"In the end, we all fade to black and enter the void."
All of the math posts thus far can be summarized by one contention:
The rift between the gay world and the christian world has no substance whatsoever.
Conservative Christian condemnation of homosexuality is based on error, and the backlash against Christianity from the gay community is understandable, but distracting and counterproductive. All of the ballyhooing from one side about 'protecting family values' and the "Out and Loud" rebellion from the other side is just a bunch of noise. Underneath all of the noise, there is no inherent, fundamental, factual basis for the conflict between Christianity and homosexuality. I think the math supports this contention, so if you disagree, please do so in context. If I'm wrong, show me where.
With other societal conflicts (i.e. socialism v. capitalism) there are valid, fundamental reasons for the conflict and differences of opinion that have substance. The debate between the two is an honest one. There are advantages and disadvantages to either perspective. But the conflict between Christianity and the gay world is only smoke. There is no fire.
The noise is loud, the smoke is thick and the passion on both sides is genuine and deep. Collateral damage done to individuals, families, churches and our culture overall is measurable and pronounced. In the midst of the fog, one question remains, and seems impossible to answer:
Why does the gay world need God anyway?
At some point, married, straight guys want and need to be good fathers and husbands. They want to be successful in whatever it is they do so that their wives and families will be proud of them and so they can provide the quality of life they desire for those they love. They want to preserve or sometimes change their family tree, and hand off to the next generation a better world than their parents left to them.
There is an evolution in the human condition, a maturing process, that takes a 19 year old college kid party boy and makes him a responsible, productive adult. Usually this process involves falling in love with a girl who the guy knows is the greatest thing that ever happened to him, followed by children, which the guy knows is the greatest privilege and responsibility life could possibly offer.
Not everyone makes it through this process, and many marriages end in divorce and children are raised in a different environment than the one into which they are born. But the point is that the motivation is there. And the Christian worldview addresses the motivation precisely and effectively. The party boy of ten years ago is transformed by the teachings of Christ, and the son becomes the dad and the baton is passed and the cycle of life, love, godliness and wisdom continues from one generation to the next.
At some point, most straight guys feel the tug of a higher calling, a need to be more than a shallow, drunk, sexually liberal, self centered party boy. What about gay guys?
Why does the gay world need God anyway?
The issue isn't whether God loves or accepts gay guys. The issue isn't whether church or the rest of the world at large accepts homosexuality. The issue is how to get the gay world to recognize and want the higher calling that Christ represents.
The decision to believe in Christ is a life changing decision. The decision is made once, and the rest of one's life is spent walking out that decision. It's not easy, and (sorry Baptists) success in the journey is not automatic. It involves work, sacrifice, study, effort and a willingness to see life as fundamentally different than it was before the decision was made.
Like the wise men, who left their own country and followed the star to Bethlehem, found the baby King and worshipped him, each of us has the opportunity in this life to perceive, discover and worship the creator of the universe, the source and substance of all life. We are all, gay and straight, invited to participate in the higher, deeper, eternal, meaningful dimension of life found in intimacy and fellowship with the Father of it all.
Now, the question is, "How do I make that calling relevant to the 40 year old gay party boy who has nothing to show for his life except how much alcohol he has consumed and how many guys he has fucked, and is completely comfortable with his destiny to grow old and eventually fade to black and enter the void?"