Should churches tolerate homosexuals and transgender people? Answers in Genesis founder and creationist Ken Ham does not think so, since "giving people 'love' and 'acceptance' by condoning their sinful behaviour isn't real love or acceptance."
Ham writes on his website that it is wrong for Christians to ignore "the truth of God's Word and [allow] people to live in sin without pointing them to the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ."
"As Christians, we need to stand solidly on the authority of God's Word. We need to offer aid to those in need — but we need to do so in the name of Christ. We need to gently and lovingly call sin what it is, while never neglecting to direct people to the grace and love of Jesus Christ," he says.
Some churches think that they are showing love when they open their doors for the LGBT community and allow them to get involved in their ministry. However, Ham believes they should do more. "True love is to tell people the truth about sin, God's righteous judgment, and God's mercy and free gift of salvation," he says.
Christians who publicly condemn homosexuals and transgender people are also wrong, Ham says, since they will never attract anyone to Christ with their behaviour.
"All they are showing is that they've forgotten that every believer has been saved and forgiven from their sin! Christians are no better than anyone else; we've simply been saved and redeemed by the blood of Christ," says Ham. "We need to remember that when we're addressing sin. Sin is utterly wrong and we need to call it what it is. But we need to do so in a humble, loving way that doesn't forget what we've been forgiven of ourselves."
Ham adds that there is no compromise when it comes to the Scripture's teachings about marriage and gender, so it is never right for churches to embrace the LGBT community without exposing their sin and leading them towards Christ.
"Scripture tells us that, without Christ, every person is destined for an eternity separated from God because the penalty for sin is death. Because of His death and Resurrection, we don't have to bear the penalty for our sin if we will trust in Christ and what He has done for us. We can be freely forgiven and spend eternity with Him in Heaven. This is the message people need to hear!" says Ham.
