In Theory:

The Glendale News-Press reported on Friday that Glendale City Seventh-Day Adventist Church was one of 17 churches across the country to commemorate the day of prayer to the Ugandan lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. A bill being considered in that country would sentence LGBT people to life in prison for “engaging in homosexual acts, which are already illegal,” the News-Press reported. Penalties would also be imposed against companies that promote gay rights. What are your thoughts on this bill? Do you believe that events such as City Seventh-Day Adventist Church’s are enough to make a difference? What should be done?

The Rev. Clifford L. "Skip" Lindeman:  While it is always tempting to think, “What difference can one person make?” with a negative outcome expected, it’s important to realize that God calls us to be faithful, not necessarily successful.

I applaud Glendale City Seventh-Day Adventist Church’s willingness to speak out in favor of the LGBT community in Uganda. If nothing else, the church’s position at least makes us all realize the cruelty of the Ugandan regime. My denomination, the United Church of Christ, as well as other denominations, has ordained gay and lesbian clergy because we believe that people don’t “choose” to be homosexual any more than a straight person “chooses” to be born heterosexual.

It’s a terrible bill because it discriminates against those who are regarded as “different.” Remember racial segregation in this country? Black people couldn’t help being born black any more than white people could help being born white. So the majority whites discriminated against the minority blacks because they were perceived as being “different.”

The anti-gay sentiment, whether it’s here in America or in Uganda, is fear of somebody different — and that fear goes counter to the best instincts of both Judaism and Christianity. The ancient Hebrews were instructed to look out for, to be concerned about, the “alien” in their midst. Christians need to remember that great parable of the Good Samaritan as told by Jesus in Luke’s Gospel: instead of “samaritan” substitute “gay person” or “transexual person.”