While gay people can and do lead very normal and fulfilled lives, there is a history of stigma and hostility toward gay people in our society and across the world. Often, such negative and hurtful attitudes are rooted in traditional religious teachings about sexual orientation. These teachings have helped create a social climate in which many people simply do not understand how hurtful it is when a religious or moral stamp of disapproval is placed on a person’s life.

Many children, as well as adults who remember their own childhood, can relate to how painful it is to be made to feel inferior because of a number of reasons – the way we dress, physical appearance, economic status or some other reason.

However, in almost all these cases there is never a stamp of approval given to such mistreatment of others. In fact, just the opposite is true. Most everyone would agree that looking down upon someone for such reasons is simply not the way we want to treat others, and reflects the opposite of the good character we hope to instill in ourselves.

Affirming as meaning the church does not view homosexuality in and of itself as a sin, and therefore they would welcome and treat a homosexual person no differently than any other person who walked through their church doors seeking Christ.