Apparently, I am a member of a hate group.  If I follow the logic presented in a recent New York Times article, I am a member of hundreds of hate groups.  … I always thought I was a pretty nice person, but I guess I am not.

The logic that deems me such a hateful person comes from Stuart Wilbur who lives in far-away Seattle Washington.  So far Mr. Wilbur has convinced a 100 of America’s biggest companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Avis, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Expedia that his logic is not flawed.

The logic goes like this: If I believe a particular lifestyle is not one which God approves, then I hate the people who practice that lifestyle.

According to this logic:

• I hate alcoholics because I do not believe God wants us to be alcoholics;
• I hate poor people, because I do not believe God wants us to live in poverty;
• I hate orphans, because I do not believe God wants children be orphans;

Where this logic leaves me scratching my head is that through out my ministry, the churches I have served have always supported:

• AA and NA programs in our community;
• Local agencies which feed, shelter, clothe, and provide medical care for the poor;
• Orphanages in Africa, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States.

How can someone say I hate people when I have consistently reached out in compassion to help them?

As a Pastor I have supported the formation of and have served on AIDS Care Teams.  I have sat with, cared for, and held hands of men dying of AIDS in the final days and hours of their lives.  Whenever I have been contacted by leaders of social agencies that care for homosexuals, asking if I would help pay rent, buy groceries, pay past due utility bills, etc, I have always said, Yes, if I had funds available to help.  If I did not have money to help, I’d try to find funding to help.

In all of these cases above, I was providing compassionate care for homosexual men and women.  Even though they practiced a lifestyle which I do not believe is one which God approves, my belief did not affect my compassionate care for them.

I believe this is what God wants me to do as a Christian … care for everyone at their point of need, even if they do things which go against God’s will.

While I am certain many have done far more than me to provide care to homosexuals, my record of providing compassionate care to homosexuals in their time of need is consistently positive.

Yet, according to Mr Wilbur, as reported by the New York Times in this article: Retailers Are Put on the Spot Over Anti-Gay Aid, I am a member of a homosexual hate group because of my belief that God does not want us to be homosexuals.

While Mr. Wilbur is entitled to his opinion and while he is free to hate me, I am disturbed that the New York Times and major corporations in America have bought into his logic without examining the fallacy of his logic and without examining the hard evidence that disproves the broad assumptions of his logic.

Sadly, this is America today.  It is fashionable to hate Christians and to hate the Christian Church, even with our historic record of providing compassionate care for all people in need.