Joel Osteen of the Houston megachurch
Lakewood Church told The
Washington Post that maybe more love could turn gay folks
straight.
Osteen, who is currently pitching his
new book Everyday a Friday, told Sally Quinn that he would
attend but not officiate over the wedding of a gay couple because gay
sex is a “sin.”
“I've said, for as long as I can
remember, that I believe the Scripture to the best of my ability says
that being … homosexuality is a sin. I had never been asked about
attending a gay marriage. … If there was a family member or
somebody you love, I would look at it as a respect to that person.
But as a Christian minister, I couldn't in good faith marry two
same-sex people because I believe it's not what the Scripture says,”
Osteen said.
And he suggested that with love, gay
people can alter their sexuality.
“Somebody that maybe had this certain
difficulty now, maybe in five years they're not, if we will love
them. You know, I think one of the messages I speak on sometimes is,
you know, we can love people back into wholeness. But sometimes we
want to beat them down – you got this addiction and you shouldn't
have that, or you did this – I just don't think that's the best
way.”
(Related: On
Piers Morgan, Joel Osteen says gay sex is sinful.)