DOOR: Give us an example of an issue where you tick off both the conservatives and the liberals.

MILLER: One of those issues is homosexuality. Conservatives will say, Don you shouldn't embrace these people or accept them in our community or let them be in leadership positions because it's a sin, and they're all ** off. Certainly it's a sin; it's something that God probably wants to deal with people about. But homosexuality is not a sin any more than, say, gluttony is a sin. And that means we love them, we keep them in our community. If they repent about it and want to try to change, that's great. If they don't I'm not going to kick them out of our community. When science says people are born homosexuals, I would say absolutely people are born homosexuals. Satan is an unfair guy, he rules this world.

DOOR: But there are those liberal Christians who would disagree with you that homosexuality is a sin at all.

MILLER: That's an area where the liberals are all ** at me. But I think the balanced view is yes, it's a sin, and we're all sinners, and that doesn't disqualify this person from leadership or anything else. It's a hard thing for people to get their minds around but I think it's accurate and biblical.

I was reminded of this conversation when I learned that there was a Baptist church in Texas where a pastor who believes that homosexuality is a sin, is nevertheless in partnership with a ministry that is being lead by a minister who has a more liberal and fully accepting view of homosexuality. This minister quotes from the Baptist Press article and comments in a blog connected with her ministry:

Aside from the fact that Eklektos is not a "church" in any official capacity, and I am not the Senior Pastor, it's a shame that the political climate of the SBTC is such that merely associating with a ministry outreach that does not condemn homosexuals is so threatening.  Does Jesus condemn homosexuals?  No, Jesus goes out of his way to associate with people the church of his day condemned, and he offered them love.  

I realize that many people differ on the Biblical interpretation of Scripture surrounding issues of homosexuality. My hope is that Eklektos will minister within that controversy and seek Christ in the midst of it.  I acknowledge that even the most faithful Christians can disagree over whether homosexuality is sinful -- Randy and I differ on that issue -- but this ministry is here to reach people who are typically ostracized and hurt by the Church, and to offer them a loving and non-judgemental community in which to seek Christ and grow in discipleship.  Even if we all agreed that homosexuality was a sin, should a church require gay and lesbians to be celibate or "convert" to heterosexuality?  No.  Not anymore than the church should require divorced people to reconcile, wealthy people to divest their money from companies that promote unrepentant consumerism, or gluttonous people to go on diets.

While we have Al Mohler loudly representing the homophobic side of Southern Baptists and Christians on Larry King, it is good to know that we are also seeing the quiet beginnings of a love ethic that hopefully will bridge our cultural divide and diffuse the political manipulation of this issue.