And this is exactly the problem. The Bible is not the literal inerrant word of God. It is an accumulation of writings over thousands of years whereby the various authors attempted to make sense of their world and the way that God revealed himself in his creation. They did not have the benefit of the greater knowledge we have today and often attributed mysterious natural phenomena to the hand of God at work. Beyond this, culturally the attitude of ancient peoples toward individuals condemned by mainstream fundamentalists today because they are LGBTQ or women or followers of different faith traditions were very different from the intolerance so prevalent today. Same sex relationships were an accepted part of normal behavior even during the time of Paul and Jesus. Intimacy outside of marriage was common and normal. (See King David, e.g.) The authors of the Torah (Pentateuch for Christians) recognized and accepted 8 genders, including 2 that we would call transgender today. So much is misunderstood by those who claim to revere the sanctity of the Bible. It is a wonderful book with many inspiring passages and a life transforming message for those who accept its underlying premise of loving without qualification or judgment. But it is not a literal transcription of God’s commands to humankind. It represents the best attempt by its myriad authors to make sense of the world and God’s design for humankind. Much of it is intolerant (even by the rather rigid standards of Christian Nationalists) and even internally inconsistent. It needs to be read with cultural understanding and perspective.

What you consider intolerance by those who reject the rigid condemnation of cultural diversity by literalist fundamentalist Christians such as yourself is anything but. Those who promote respect for all are those who practice Jesus’ true message of love and acceptance. Our dearest hope is that you get beyond your slavish adherence to words which do not mean what you think they do and which have been repeatedly modified over the centuries. As a very dear friend and Catholic priest frequently said, I can summarize the Bible in 3 words. ‘Love. No buts…’ That is 99% of what you need to know. Get that right and we can discuss the incidental details.” Most Christians who believe they are under attack just do not get it. Try more love and less condemnation and fewer attempts to control and dictate the behavior of others. You might just find more acceptance and respect.

The power of Christianity lies in the attractiveness of its message. It resonates with our innermost selves. I have been a Christian my whole life. My first College degree was in Philosophy and Religion. I graduated from the School for Ministry in my diocese of the Episcopal Church. I have done ministry to the homeless, prisoners and the marginalized for over 30 years. I have worked in renewal ministry for decades. In Cursillo there is a very simple lesson on how to be an effective evangelist (because ultimately that’s what it is all about, isn’t it?). Make a friend, be a friend, bring the friend to Christ. The first two are self evident. The last is more problematic. To bring your friend to Christ does not mean to hit them over the head with the Bible or to try to create fear that they will go to hell if they do not repent of their sinful ways. You bring people to Christ by living a life of peace, love, gentleness and acceptance. The person you naturally become when you seek to practice the fruit of the spirit described in Galatians 5:22 is seductively attractive. Your friend admires the person you have become, wants to know more and wants the same for themselves. That kind of Christian is above criticism and always accepted and admired. You would never find them pushing back against “political correctness” or the “woke” culture. They would accept it as part of the wonderful diversity of God’s creation. The type of Christianity you try to defend is a grotesque perversion of the authentic message—one where God is recreated in its adherents’ own image and the true nature of God is distorted beyond recognition. It is rejected by most, rightfully so. There is no room in God’s kingdom for self righteous human bigotry and intolerance. It reflects nothing of God’s true nature.