What Would Jesus Actually Do?

Why religion should not be cited as a reason to discriminate

Maddie Mollner, Flightline Editor-in-Chief


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In the three minutes that it takes me to walk from one class to another, the number of times I hear someone say “That’s gay” or some form of the F-word (you know the one) is not something I would like to bother counting; I did it anyway. In the duration of one passing period, I heard this all-too-normalized slang in the hallway 10 separate times.

Having been enrolled in Catholic school for 13 years, I’m well aware of the Church’s teaching regarding same-sex marriage. But it’s always been unclear to me how members of multiple denominations of Christianity can use a Catechism verse to defend discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.

This is not to say that all Christians nor their denominations are guilty of this discrimination.

But respecting teachings contrasts heavily with overt intolerance.

This week the United Methodist Church held a conference in St. Louis, MI regarding the Church’s stance on same-sex marriage. The three-day debate ended in the reinforcement of current policy, that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”

This leaves us with yet another denomination that is content with cutting out a measurable percentage of their church patrons as well as their ministers.

Denominations that are openly accepting of LGBTQ+ people include the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church. The former notes that the “Bible, though written in specific historical times and places, still speaks to us in our present condition.”

The bottom line of the teachings of Christ is to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” So how is this being lived out by Christians who deliberately discriminate against entire groups of people who are wholeheartedly willing to live in Christ’s footsteps?

Maddie Mollner
