Homosexuality: Your Opinion

I guess I have a different view on all this Christian/Gay stuff. First let me say that I grew up in a VERY Christian home, I believed and abided by everything the Bible, and my pastor taught. But that all changed one fateful night many years ago. I'll get into that later. But now I want to say that I'm not here to get into a Bible debate. I just want to tell you my story and maybe, just maybe, make both Christians and non-Christians think a little bit.

When my youngest brother was born, it was the greatest thing to happen in my life. I had a connection with him immediately. I can't explain it, but it was very real. His name was Randy, and I loved him more than anything in the world. Growing up, it was me, more often than not, that comforted him, bathed him, diapered him...not because my parents didn't want to, but because I was the only one he wouldn't give fits to. We were bonded, period. Now, jumping ahead. I was 13 years older than Randy, and had moved into my own place and he visited quite often. One night when he was 13, he was sleeping over, we sat watching TV, when I looked over to him and he was crying. I asked him why, and his response was "I don't want you to hate me". I, of course, asked why in the world would I hate him. That's when he told me that he thought he was gay and exploded in tears. I grabbed him and hugged him and told him that even if he was, it didn't matter, I would ALWAYS love him. On his 14th birthday, he decided to tell our parents the news. They told him he was no longer their son and to get out. He came to live with me, and we rarely ever talked to our parents again. We became even closer then. He was going through a little trouble at school and with friends about his being gay, and he was troubled by what the pastor and others would say about what the Bible says about it, but we always seemed to talk it out and he would feel better. Then, the night before his 16th birthday, I came home from work and didn't see him anywhere, I called out, but no answer. I walked back to his bedroom and opened the door. My gay brother had taken a .38 caliber pistol, put it in his mouth and pulled the trigger. This was devastating enough, but even more so was his "suicide note". Beside him on the bed was an open Bible. Highlighted in the Bible was Leviticus 18:22. That famous verse that so many Christians use to tell gays that they are wrong, and that God says so. That night was the last time I ever looked at a Bible, and the start of living my life for Randy instead of some "higher being" saying I couldn't live my life the way I wanted.

Well, I've said my piece. Sorry it was so long. I just want all you Christians to think of Randy next time you want to quote Lev. 18:22 to an already confused, scared teenager trying to deal with being gay.