Well, Duh...

... to quote author Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge. She is responding here to a new Barna poll that reveals-- better sit down folks-- that lots and lots of LGBTQ people cite faith as being central to their lives. Despite being portrayed over and over by right-wing media as "godless, hedonistic Christian-bashers," turns out an awful lot of us claim--GASP!-- to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, whom we consider to be our Lord and Savior.

Of course, George Barna being the author of this poll, he helpfully points out that we're not the right kind of Christians, that our faith is somehow defective.

Don't you get tired of being told what you believe by others?

I have long suspected that LGBTQ people were pretty much crazy about Jesus (those of us who are raised within the Christian faith and who haven't taken the very reasonable route of rejecting it outright because it so many of its "orthodox" proponents degrade and bash us and do us spiritual violence). In fact, I have long suspected that LGBTQ people are over-represented in the clergy in proportion to the rest of the population.

I have a theory as to why this is so. It's pretty simple. Once you get past the Pat Buchanans and the Jerry Falwells (may peace be upon him) and Pat Robertsons to the actual, you know, core of the gospel-- what some are calling "red-letter Christianity", which I take to mean the words of Jesus-- you find a faith that is...

Inclusive.

Liberating.

Love-centered.

Focused on gathering the lost and lonely at the banquet table.

Focused on healing that which has been broken.

Well, Duh. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why LGBTQ people might run right into the arms of such a God, such a faith. Thanks be to God.