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I would like to propose a friendly outreach program to homersexuals to encourage them to change their lifestyles. Instead of being direct and telling them they will go to Hell (which the atheists apparently look down on), I thought: how about letting them continue to call themselves gay without being sinful?
Quoting from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gay
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French (surprised?) gai, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German gāhi quick, sudden
Date: 14th century
1 a : happily excited : merry <in a gay mood> b : keenly alive and exuberant : having or inducing high spirits <a bird's gay spring song>
2 a : bright, lively <gay sunny meadows> b : brilliant in color
3 : given to social pleasures; also : licentious
4 a : homosexual <gay men> b : of, relating to, or used by homosexuals <the gay rights movement> <a gay bar>
synonyms see lively
— gay adverb
— gay·ness noun
As we can see, definitions 1, 2 and 3 are all relatively decent. It is the 4th definition that is wrong. So it looks like the word has been hijacked for a rather nefarious purpose.
Perhaps we can point this out and say: you can be gay and not go to Hell. Then they will respond "Yay, where do I sign up? Can my gay friend Anton sign up too?" Then we can show the dictionary to them and let them choose from definitions 1, 2 or 3.
This may drastically lower the threshold for them as they won't have to go cold turkey. They can continue to say "I'm gay" for some time to come. Of course the other definitions would be dodgy as well... but we take it step by step.
Then, once the influx of new sinful influences has been halted, we can work on removing the built-up sin in their systems. That is where other programs may kick in. But by then, they will be much more receptive to the message.
Quoting from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gay
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French (surprised?) gai, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German gāhi quick, sudden
Date: 14th century
1 a : happily excited : merry <in a gay mood> b : keenly alive and exuberant : having or inducing high spirits <a bird's gay spring song>
2 a : bright, lively <gay sunny meadows> b : brilliant in color
3 : given to social pleasures; also : licentious
4 a : homosexual <gay men> b : of, relating to, or used by homosexuals <the gay rights movement> <a gay bar>
synonyms see lively
— gay adverb
— gay·ness noun
As we can see, definitions 1, 2 and 3 are all relatively decent. It is the 4th definition that is wrong. So it looks like the word has been hijacked for a rather nefarious purpose.
Perhaps we can point this out and say: you can be gay and not go to Hell. Then they will respond "Yay, where do I sign up? Can my gay friend Anton sign up too?" Then we can show the dictionary to them and let them choose from definitions 1, 2 or 3.
This may drastically lower the threshold for them as they won't have to go cold turkey. They can continue to say "I'm gay" for some time to come. Of course the other definitions would be dodgy as well... but we take it step by step.
Then, once the influx of new sinful influences has been halted, we can work on removing the built-up sin in their systems. That is where other programs may kick in. But by then, they will be much more receptive to the message.
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