Former Homosexual: 'Tolerant' Response of Church Not Effective
by Bill Fancher

(AgapePress) - According to a former homosexual turned Christian singer, it's going to get worse as more truth is revealed about the scandal over homosexual priests and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Stephen Bennett spent eleven years of his life as a homosexual until he was changed by the introduction of Jesus Christ into his life. Bennett says the problems among homosexual Catholic priests is much worse than imagined - and he says he knows because he had a relationship with such a priest in Connecticut during his years as a homosexual.

"I rented a room from him. I sold cocaine to a variety of priests who would meet at our home on a Sunday night, [and] there was a pornography ring that would meet [there]," Bennett says. "These Catholic priests ... from Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania ... would come over to our house - they would watch gay pornography, they would get trashed with alcohol and drugs that I sold to this guy, Charles - and he's dead today from AIDS."

Bennett says the "tolerant" response to homosexuals by many religious denominations today is not helping this situation. "A lot of the denominations now, of course, are starting to embrace [homosexuality] and become 'open and affirming' churches, which is totally wrong and totally contrary [to] the Bible," he says.

According to Bennett, the church plays a role when a homosexual leaves the sinful lifestyle - but not always a positive role. He says it is tough to leave the homosexual community especially because of distrust of the church. "I think a lot of homosexuals view Christians as these hate-filled, right-wingers, when in actuality if anyone loves these people more, it's the Christians - we truly love them," he says.

Bennett adds that homosexuals are creating their own version of a god because of this distrust. "They've tried to recreate their own god, they've tried to recreate their own Bible, [and they are] starting these huge homosexual churches - and it's very deceptive," he says.Bennett says he knows what is behind these efforts. "[Homosexuals] are looking for that self-acceptance ... that they never received early on as a child," he explains. "They are trying to get America [and everybody else] to accept them - and by doing so, they're thinking that once they get that acceptance, then they'll finally have that self-acceptance."But that will never happen, Bennett says, except through Christ.

Bennett, who is now happily married with children, says Christians must be like God: love the homosexual, but hate the sin.

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