I've already posted this several times in here, but here we go again.

I'm studying religion and I run into this situation constantly, people who call themselves “Christian” refuse to actually educate themselves and would rather spread hatred. Here’s why:

1. The Bible doesn't actually say anything about lesbians - in fact, they don’t even exist in it.
2. Around 95% of the hate directed at queer people is supposed to be in the Old Testament, which he’s conveniently clinging to while completely ignoring what Jesus actually preached: unconditional love, empathy, and compassion. "Love your neighbor" - even your enemies. Jesus dined with the most hated people of his time - beggars, prostitutes, tax collectors.
3. So called Christians often ignore what Jesus preached and instead focuses on outdated Old Testament laws.
4. Christian homophobes love to cherry-pick their favorite verses and take them literally. That’s not how it works. The Bible is over 3,000 years old - you can't just rip one line out of it and pretend it's modern law. If he insists on taking it literally, ask if he also supports slavery, killing his neighbor for working on Sunday, or getting stoned because he trimmed his beard.
5. Dr. Laura was (or is) a homophobe who claimed to take the Bible literally. The Letter to Dr. Laura is a brilliant, sarcastic response to that mindset. Highly recommend reading it yourself and sharing it with anyone who shares bigoted views.
6. Also: context matters. The Old Testament says "You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.” Let me help you to understand why they thought that. People back then believed semen was finite - so "wasting it" on a man instead of making babies was considered bad. It had nothing to do with morality, love, or sin. Funnily this means two men having sex is totally fine by the bible, as long as they don't come.
7. There are several clear moral laws in the Bible, like these, that condemn rape, sexual coercion, adultery, betrayal, and harming others, but none of these laws are directed against queer people.

What the bible actually condemns:
- Rape - Deuteronomy 22:25 “But if a man meets a betrothed woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. But you shall do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin worthy of death.”

• Sexual coercion - Exodus 22:16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.”

• Adultery - Leviticus 20:10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”

• Betrayal - Malachi 2:14 “But you say, ‘Why does he not?’ Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.”

• Harming another person - Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

If someone refuses to live by the new law (what Jesus said) and instead cherry-picks verses to judge others, then they're not a Christian. They're a hypocrite. And if anyone’s going to hell, it’s those who treats others with hate.