Sexual orientation is a conversation that religious communities have and continue to argue about. Despite the heated debate, some churches have adopted an accepting view of different sexual orientations and invite all types of students to their services.
"I feel like a lot of religions make the LBGT community feel awkward and not welcome," said nursing and physiology senior Spencer Winters. "There is a need in the LBGT community for spiritual help and guidance. It can be difficult being LBGT, and some of us need some sort of guidance in order to get through."
Winters, who is gay, said he does not go to church anymore.
"Some things about my faith didn't make sense," he said. "I'm not going to commit myself to something if I'm not feeling really good about it."
Some local churches, though, such as The Peoples Church — an interdenominational church open to more than one faith — are opening doors to everyone, regardless of sexual preference.
"My predecessor is gay," the Rev. Gary Autry said. "I think that speaks pretty clearly about how open this congregation will be toward the gay community."
Autry is one of three pastors at The Peoples Church, 200 W. Grand River Ave. The faiths represented at The Peoples Church include American Baptists, United Methodists, and Presbyterian USA and United Congregational churches, Autry said.
Music education junior Thomas-Aaron Price said he is not gay and regularly attends The Peoples Church. He said he has been attending for about two years.
"I used to be a member of a church that was not open to the gay community," Price said. "I thought that that was kind of dumb because Christ died for everyone. I can understand their biblical references, but I believe that we should be loving toward everyone despite their differences."
Although Price said he does not know of any LBGT students who attend the church, he said he would "hope that if someone was (homosexual), they would feel open enough to come out and say so."
German and education sophomore Kyle Callahan, who is gay, said he is looking for a local church at which to worship.
"Back in my hometown, there are pretty much no churches that are accepting of the gay community," Callahan said. "I'm trying to find one that is accepting and that I'm comfortable with."
Callahan said he has visited about seven different churches in the area.
"When I first walk in (to a church), I get this feeling like, 'Am I comfortable here?'" he said. "I usually ask people there how long they've been going there and what denomination it is."
He said he considers himself nondenominational but feels it is important to continue his journey in the spiritual lifestyle.
"I've always felt that God and my personal beliefs have always been important in my life," he said. "Even with people telling me that you can't be gay and believe in God and God wants you to go to hell, I can't get rid of that feeling.
"(Religion) has been really helpful regardless of my (sexual orientation). I think it's a part of people that they need to grow into."
Callahan also participates in one LBGT spiritual group called One Spirit.
There are also other religious groups that meet and are open to the LBGT community. Red Cedar Friends meets at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays at Everybody Reads bookstore, 2019 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing.
"We don't call ourselves a church," said Richard Lee, an academic adviser in supportive services. "We're really a meeting. We would consider ourselves open and affirming. We went through a process in the '80s where we decided as a community to be open to LBGT folks and treat folks equally."
Lee, who is affiliated with Red Cedar Friends, said the group also is partnered with the Quakers.
"We have a really long history of unpopular causes and of being ahead of the general culture," he said. "We removed slavery in 1796. We got into big trouble for that. We've also given equal rights to women, and we continue to do that where the rest of society seems to be behind."
The Quakers also give equal rights to the LBGT community in all aspects of religion and life, Lee said.
"In terms of marriage, we're probably the only church that does it the same way as we would with heterosexual folks," Lee said.
Campus Crusade for Christ is another campus group that deals with religious concerns. Marketing senior Nate Daniels is a student leader for the group.
Daniels said he is unsure if any LBGT students belong to the group, but added they are welcome to come to the meetings.
"We believe that everybody is created to have a relationship with God," Daniels said. "We feel that the Bible says that there should be a relationship between a man and a woman monogamously, but we are not going to protest them because they are homosexuals."
Campus Crusade for Christ feels that homosexuality is a sin, Daniels said.
However, it is not worse than any other sin, he added.
"The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin, and we can't disregard that," he said. "It's all the same in God's eyes. We don't accept homosexuality as a lifestyle, but we do accept those people as children of God."
Lindsay Machak can be reached at machakli@msu.edu.
