This past weekend, many ISU students traveled home to enjoy Easter with family. Some attended church services that taught about the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This teaching is known as the gospel or “good news.” However, there are some churches who are distorting this “good news,” and limiting this gift of God to only a few people.

One infamous example of a church distorting the good news about Jesus would be the Westboro Baptist Church. They claim, “God does not love everyone.” However, this isn’t the only ideology distorting the truth. Another common argument is: “God loves everyone, therefore, we should not disagree with other people’s beliefs and experiences.” This claim is not true either, because that is not true love. A loving father tells his child not to go into a room where a window is broken because his child may get hurt from stepping on shattered glass. In the same way, God doesn’t turn a blind eye to our sin, yet He took our sin upon himself, “But He was hurt for our wrongdoing. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so we would have peace” (Isaiah 53:5 NLV).

Jesus endured this immense suffering because He loves us and wants to be with us, so to say God hates homosexuals is untrue. However, since sin destroys us, God hates sin, and homosexuality is a sin. In Romans 1:27, the Bible says, “…Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

Many people may read this passage of scripture and get a picture in their mind of an angry God seeking out people to destroy. Although God’s anger is aroused by sin, He does not actively seek to destroy his precious creation.

Paul asserts, “Just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind…” (Romans 1:28 NIV).

God’s wrath in this particular passage is not revealed as fire and brimstone, but of actually allowing people to do what they want, because these people desired sin rather than God, God gave them what they wanted: He “gave them over.”

To finish this thought, many people do not interpret this as a loving God pursuing our hearts, but rather, an angry God seeking to punish.

Individuals who claim, “God hates fags,” are misunderstanding God’s heart for the lost. God is a compassionate god who helps us in our weaknesses (Romans 8:26), and is “patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

God does not hate homosexuals. He loves them as people created in His image, but He doesn’t approve of what they do. Jesus relates with the struggles we face, and He understands our emotions, “For we do not have a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NIV). If Jesus was tempted in every way, He must have also been tempted with homosexual desires. He empathizes with our every struggle and offers healing and forgiveness to those who realize they need His help.

It breaks my heart to see how religious people have responded to the issue of same-sex marriage. These people use religiosity and piety as an instrument of expressing hate, and by so doing they push people away from pursuing a relationship with Christ.

However, some churches have welcomed homosexuality, which is not the answer either. Christians shouldn’t welcome the sin of homosexuality, but should welcome homosexuals as people created in God’s image.

Furthermore, Christians should express God’s hatred of sin, while highlighting God’s grace toward us who accept His way of salvation. For, “there is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10), and “All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

Therefore, since we cannot save ourselves, God allowed a way for us to be made righteous. This way of righteousness is Jesus, who shed His sinless blood for us on the cross. In this way, God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus; for, “God made the one [Jesus] who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NET Bible). Therefore, Jesus became our replacement: Instead of us receiving punishment for sin, Jesus received the punishment we deserve.

So, does God hate homosexuals? The answer is “no.” God does not hate homosexuals. God loves them, and He showed His love by suffering, and dying on the cross. Jesus took upon Himself the sins of all mankind, and that does not exclude homosexuals. Jesus died so that we can be free from sins such as homosexuality, and now He is alive and living in those who put their trust in Him.

Connor Clarke is a sophomore in history from Sherwood, Ore.