Oprah Fans Debate Pastor's 'Gay is Gift from God' Decree

Explaining that the Bible can be used either to justify condemnation or to open the way to inclusiveness, a pastor who told Oprah Winfrey that "Being gay is a gift from God" returned to the talk superstar's program to expound on his message of good news to the GLBT community.

The religious site WorldNetDaily in a Jan. 19 article recounted that Oprah Winfrey heard from the Rev. Ed Bacon, a clergyman at Pasadena's All Saints Episcopal Church, that "Being gay is a gift from God" during the third episode of Winfrey's special series, "Best Life Week."

As can be seen in the YouTube clip of the exchange, the pastor continued with, "But our culture doesn't understand that, and consequently the culture sends messages that you ought to [be isolated]."

Added the pastor, "And isolation is the antithesis of what all of us need."

The third episode of the week-long series dealt with faith, and was titled "Finding Your Spiritual Path," the article reported. The episode aired on Jan. 7.

When the subject of homosexuality came up, Rev. Bacon, who appeared on the episode as a panelist, made his assertion, to which Winfrey replied, "Well, you are the first minister I've ever heard say, 'Being gay is a gift from God,' I can tell you that."

Another panelist on the episode, Michael Bernard Beckwith, agreed with Rev. Bacon and, reported WorldNetDaily, high-fived his colleague.

"You are the first two ministers I ever heard say, 'Being gay is a gift from God,'" Winfrey corrected at that point.

Beckwith, the article noted, is the spiritual director of Agape founder and spiritual director of the Los-Angeles-based Agape International Spiritual Center, which he also founded.

Winfrey invited Rev. Bacon to appear on her show several days later, asking him to say more on the subject over a video feed.

The Rev. Bacon said, "I meant exactly what I said."

Continued the Reverend, "It is so important for every human being to understand that he or she is a gift from God, and particularly people who are marginalized and victimized in our culture.

"Gay and lesbian people are clearly outcasts in many areas of our life, and it is so important for them to understand that when God made them, God said, 'You are good.'"

In the YouTube clip, in which Oprah's follow-up conversation with the Rev. Bacon can also be viewed, Winfrey shares viewer feedback, including one viewer who claimed to have been "appalled," and who wondered, "How many gay people did this man of the cloth lead down the wrong road with his comment?"

Another viewer expressed the opposite reaction: "You don't know how freeing it felt to hear that statement, and I was sure any gay person that heard it was in awe."

Added the viewer, "I want to thank both of them for letting my heart lift up and feel like something in this life, not an abomination."

Other comments also were posted to the show's community message board.

"So did people call you, or were they only just calling me?" Winfrey asked Rev. Bacon about responses following the broadcast.

"Oh, no, my friend," the pastor replied. "Our church was full of folks this past Sunday.

"My email was full of comments," the pastor went on, "and what I gather is that it simply unleashed a flood of healing throughout the country. And Australia. And Great Britain."

The pastor added that, "Most of the mail that I received, and voice mail, like thirty to one, was appreciative for the affirmation that being gay is a gift from God."

Asked whether he had also heard "from the right-wingers," the pastor responded that he had.

"Ironically, the most mean-spirited e-mail I received was from Christians who interpret the Bible, from my perspective, in a condemning way," the Rev. Bacon told Winfrey.

"And I think everyone has to make a decision about how they use the Bible, if they're Biblically-oriented people, as I am."

Continued the Rev. Bacon, "We have to understand whether or not we're going to go down the road of Jesus, who said, 'You have to love God with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.'"

Added the pastor, "And, God sent Jesus into the world not to condemn the world, but through him all the world might be saved.

"You have to take that orientation, the orientation of compassion and inclusion to the Bible, or you're going to have to use to beat people up and condemn them and judge them."

The pastor added that the people in his church, and from whom he had heard in this country and from abroad, were "using [the Bible] as an instrument of compassion and love."

The WorldNetDaily article reported that in the four days between his first appearance on Oprah Winfrey and his follow-up appearance, the Rev. Bacon had addressed his congregation, saying that he had received negative feedback as well as positive.

"Some of it is the most vitriolic stuff I have ever read, calling for the rescission of my ordination, saying I didn't know what I was talking about and saying, 'Show me where in the Bible it says that being gay is a gift from God.'

"Well, if those folks would read the Bible, they would see that in Genesis it says that when God created humankind, God said that we are good. All good--didn't mention any exceptions."

The WorldNetDaily article also quoted an associate pastor from Rev. bacon's church, whose comments appeared in a Pasadena newspaper.

Said the Rev. Susan Russell, "We take for granted that a message of toleration and inclusion is what God's message is about, but a lot of people have never heard this."

Added the Rev. Russell, "What I find so wonderful is that Ed Bacon [has been] able to use this national stage for an inclusive message about the love of God.

"Ed said he meant that we're all created in God's image.

"We invite those who thank us to come see us, and we explain the background of our positions to those who disagree."

Said the Rev. Russell, "We think it's an opportunity for dialogue even with those who think we'll burn in the lake of fire."