WWJD?

Various branches of the media are covering the drama of the first openly gay bishop. Gene Robinson is an Episcopal Bishop in New Hampshire and has been "out" since the 1980's but was only serving as a minister. Now as a Bishop, there is quite a bit more controversy wrapped around him and his story.

Many people have chosen to leave the Episcopal Church or join a conservative movement called "Anglican realignment." If they don't agree then ok. They join millions of other people throughout the world that do not like homosexuality. However, what really bothers me is that this morning while watching "The Today Show," he shared in an interview that he has received death threats from fellow Episcopalians.

Shocked, I took a moment to think it over and wanted to ask those people, What Would Jesus Do? Just like the saying on those bracelets that get passed out at churches. Would Jesus threaten to kill someone because they were different from him? For those people out there who like to quote the Bible directly, let's recap on a few stories from The Bible. Jesus was friends with lepers, the outcasts of his time. He also befriended Roman tax collectors and prostitutes. Some people believe Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. Some historians, including myself, would argue that she was actually his soulmate, and the men who wrote The Bible knew that she was important but wanted to downplay her importance because she was a woman, so they gave her a "dirty label."

In addition, I think that like other extremist religious movements, using the Bible to justify hatred of gays will slowly die out. Less and less people still believe that they can use The Bible to justify racism. It is quite sickening that a country that is supposed to be a "melting pot" is still so segregated. Calling myself a Christian simply cannot be an option until I see less hypocrisy and more people treating other in the way that Jesus would have. In the meantime, I am extremely disappointed and only have the best wishes and admiration for the very courageous Bishop Robinson.