This will be a brief post.  I’ve already had my say about the so-called “Pastor Protection Act” on the pages of the Orlando Sentinel.  

Much of the response to my op-ed piece has been favorable. Of course, there were also negative responses.  I know the issue of marriage equality stirs up deep feelings within people of faith, and I respect those who disagree with me on religious grounds.

I do wish, however, that Christians could talk about this matter without ad hominem attacks and accusations of apostasy.  Here is an excerpt from e-mails to illustrate my point:

Brant Copeland’s letter in the Orlando Sentinel on Sunday calling the Pastor’s protection bill “homophobic” is a perfect example of why the Presbyterian Church USA is bleeding members. Spineless apostate hirelings like Copeland that support same sex faux “marriage’ is the type that Jesus spoke of when He said  ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’ If Copeland wants to throw around the stupid and worthless word “homophobic” he need (sic) to call God homophobic since He declared sodomy an ABOMINATION! And don’t forget Paul who said in Romans 1 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts . . .

If the Presbyterian Church USA wants to support homosexual phony “marriage” please stop calling yourselves a church. Hang a disco ball over the alter (sic) and write ICHABOD over the door and turn it into a “gay” bar.

And this:

Your Orlando Sentinel op-ed article is highly offensive.   I am a pastor; however, my feelings are not limited to what you might suspect would be my objection. 

Yes, it is obvious that I would be offended by your perversion of God’s word.  Your position on homosexuality and gender politics indicate that you either are not aware of God’s word on the subject or you simply choose to ignore God’s word.  I believe that more than likely you have chosen to ignore it.  And, yes, that is offensive to the Gospel as it totally ignores truth  . . .  Your positions are not as “progressive” as you may think.   There were heretics in the First Century Church too . . . Further, while you claim pastors don’t need protection from those who may choose to sue then for not performing same-sex marriages, your words actually prove why we do need a law that protects pastors from people with ideology such as you espouse. 

And so it goes.  It’s probably a good thing for a boring straight guy like me to get this kind of mail.  It gives me a tiny taste of what folks in the LGBT community have been enduring for a very long time.

That so many LGBT sisters and brothers have remained in the Christian fold bears testimony to the power of God’s grace and love revealed in Jesus Christ. To my mind, that amounts to a kind of miracle.