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While I understand and can see from your point of view, you seem to be missing my point.
Based upon the teachings you have received in your life you equate God to be forgiving. Your basis for this statement comes from the New Testament as you have stated, referencing the teachings of Jesus.
What you do not know is how Phelps interprets the Bible, the New Testament included. No individual, including you, has the right to say he is wrong in his opinion or perception of what may be truth. Jesus is not standing before all of you stating what the New Testament contains.
Another point of view that one can take would be if you stood by your decision to be a homosexual in life and accept the consequences it brings, then why in death would you shun your chosen path? With that notion in mind one can conceivably come to the conclusion that the homosexual person will indeed go to hell. Here is where the contradiction occurs. Religion, no matter how you look at it, is nothing more than an opinion, and since opinions are neither based on fact or tangible results, but the educated guess one creates based upon their perception of a situation, you cannot inequitably say that your previous statement is 100% true.
I myself do not support nor deny the existence of God. I simply state that with the information I have been provided I cannot choose a path and accept my decision. Therefore, I will abstain for either conviction until a time when I am either capable of making that distinction or until death when I will have the question answered.
According the Bible, I am not damned to hell. The bible as you stated says the only true sin is the total rejection of God. So when I die I should just be able to say, “Wow, guess the big guy does exist,” and be able to walk right into heaven. I most definitely will not deny something that sits in front of me.
Anyways, this has taken a large detour from the original conversation. What is trying to be conveyed here is that no one truly knows what the other is thinking, and your perception of the situation could conceivably be different when compared to that of the instigator. So we either allow total freedom of speech (religion) or we do not allow any freedom at all. There is no middle ground and we cannot turn to morals, ethics, or beliefs when trying to determine the validity of something someone wishes to say.
On a last note, anyone citing the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus should never say someone is wrong in their convictions. According to the book used for citation, only god may pass judgment on another.
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