You know I love you all, but some of the rhetoric that you post on Facebook is downright hurtful to me. I am a Christian and you are all Christians and you are entitled to your beliefs, but you have to realize that I have come to an understanding, that for me is much closer to being Christ-like (site examples about turning the other cheek and loving thy neighbor as thyself or any other ones that you like). And you need to know that some of my dear friends and neighbors and even some of my co-workers, who are friends of mine on Facebook or otherwise, are Gay. Because of them I have gone out of my way to learn more about what it means to be gay and I have come to the conclusion that these people are worthy of our love and respect, and they are decent, loving human beings, just like you and me, with families and jobs and hopes for the future, just like you and me. It’s been increasingly difficult and painful for me to read your “jokes” and anti-gay remarks. I’m sure you don’t mean any harm, but you have to realize that there are gay people all around you, some of whom may be your own friends and relatives, or friends of friends, and it is not their “agenda” to harm you or to convert you. They’re just trying to live their lives. But I often feel attacked when I read your comments about “fags” and “sinfulness and depravity” because these statements hit me very close to home, because you are defaming and insulting people that I know, people that I love and care about. I don’t expect you to change your mindset, but I’m asking you as a loving (daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, friend, whatever you want to put in the blank) and Christian woman, to please consider the words and rhetoric that you use and try to tone down some of the language. We Christians are supposed to be a loving people, and I’m doing my best to love you all, while at the same time, to love and care for my friends who following a different path, but still leading towards the same place, (then add in The Love God, or the Kingdom of Heaven or whatever seems like the right wording for where you think everybody is headed).
Good luck with this, please let me know how it turns out. I’m lucky that most of my friends and relatives have a similar set of beliefs, but I have one cousin who spews ugly stuff on FB almost every day. I love her and never confront her and just try to talk to her about the few things that we do have in common, but if it was a lot of people, I would find it very difficult to tolerate. So you have my best wishes : )