Becoming more gray

As I live my life I realize that coming from a "small town" in Nebraska means that I come from a very sheltered way of life. Everyday my past worldview gets rocked by a snag in my old way of thinking. Issues that I knew were black and white back in my childhood/adolescents have now become shades of gray. And in most instances I find myself changing my mind from a definitive stance to a fence-riding stance. Case in point; years ago I *knew* that I was not prejudice towards anyone for the simple fact that there was not a person to be prejudice to in my thought process. But now, I face the ever tightening clasp of stereotyping to people I haven't talk to or ever met before.

But by far the topic that has caused me the most dialogue, the most thinking, and the most grief is homosexuality. As a kid, I was sheltered from all aspects of this ever-broadening social stigma. I knew from the Bible that homosexuality was a sin, and that God would judge accordingly. But as I've met homosexuals, I find it hard to accept all that I was led to believe about that community. Yes I still believe that homosexuality is a sin (taken directly from the Bible), but as a kid, I was led to believe that I wasn't to have anything to do with homosexuals. My upbringing was that they were a form of untouchables, people you don't even associate with because they're "marked". But now, after being around more and more homosexuals, I realize that I need to be around them and to love on them, just as much as any sinner. I think though, that some christians have gone too far in accepting them and thinking there is nothing wrong with homosexuality. I'm still in lieu about whether homosexuality is a choice or by birth, but I do know that it will become even more of a gray subject in the years to come as homosexuality becomes more socially acceptable.