However, as a Christian, I have no idea how anyone can call herself a Christian and not agree with this viewpoint. I say this well aware that the Episcopal Church is about to go to pieces over these issues and well aware of the Vatican’s latest attack on gay marriage in its letter on “The Family and Procreation,” issued last summer by the Pontifical Council for the Family.

Anyone who believes in the dignity of the human person, and Jesus’s commandment to love one another and preach the Gospel to anyone who will listen, wouldn’t dare deny the right of one human being to enter into a sanctioned and lifelong commitment with someone he or she loves, or refuse a committed Christian to speak on behalf of his or her beliefs. And if, as the gospels tell us, Jesus hung out with the marginalized, the oppressed, and the outcasts during his lifetime, then who do you think he’d choose to hang out with today?

Ironically, many Christians seem to have enormous trouble grasping this idea. When it comes to the gay community, Christians often have a blind spot.

And don’t go spouting Bible verses at me to the contrary. It’s not only tiresome, it’s weak. It’s easy to cherry-pick the Bible for statements that would appear to support all sorts of topics, including slavery. And I’ve yet to meet a Christian who’d mount a Biblical defense of slavery today—have you?

I wholeheartedly believe that this country and its many Christians will some day look back on its conversations about the gay community as we do now about segregation laws and sanctioned discrimination based on race. Our children will be stunned and horrified to know that such bigoted laws about the LGBT community were once on the government’s books, and worse, supported by their parents and faith traditions.

I pray that Christians who still hold prejudices about sexual orientation will change their minds. It’s simply unChristian not to.