John 3:16 NIV
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
This is the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus, the Christ, that God loves me so much that he forgives my sins, at his own expense, so that I can be with him and he with me forever. This is my statement of faith.
I have been asked if I love this politician, that sexual orientation, or that capitalist pig, or that communist jerk. Yes. As we love our children unconditionally, so I love them.
I have been asked which of these are sins. From an extensive study of the Bible, I do not know which are sins and which are cultural norms of the reader or the writer. I have spent 100s of hours studying at the master's level and the Ph.D. level, and I return to John 3:16 each time. I love them because God loves them. I only need to control my behavior, not another's. When Peter was confronted by the religious authority of his time and told not to preach the Gospel of Jesus, he said, "We must obey God rather than human beings (Act 5:29, NIV)! Thus, it is with me. I will confront those who pervert the Good News, but not Judge sinners, or potential sinners, or those different than myself, for I am human too.
I have been reminded of the violent reaction Jesus had in the temple and told that this was a license to behave with righteous indignation. I do not believe it is. I believe it is a license to remind those who represent the Church Universal, when they are following man's rules, rather than God's, that they insult the nature of God.
My faith in Jesus demands that I love you. How that shows itself is a function of my emotional maturity, which is frequently less than adequate. However, the Gospel is of Love, not exclusion. God is the only Judge. Jesus said, immediately after asking us to be as merciful as God is merciful, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37, NIV).
I am a conservative, Bible thumping Jesus Freak. I, however, am under represented in my own faith by those who Love people because God loves people. I remain Proud of my God, but ashamed of my own behavior.