Stumbling blocks

The New Testament does not speak well of putting stumbling blocks in the way of people seeking to know God. Many people in the Church have done just that in the past 40 years. Naming "abortion" and "homosexuality" as dividing lines between those who believe the Bible and those who do not has made these two issues major stumbling blocks.Where does the Bible  even say anything about abortion? Where does it say anything about faithful Christians choosing to be in a loving relationship with someone of the same gender? The answer to both questions is that the Bible does not. There are, of course, scriptures which people interpret to say that either one is sinful, but those are interpretations which many of us do not accept. It simply is false to say the Bible says clearly that either abortion or same-sex relationships is a sin against God.I am more than willing to look at the Bible with people and honestly, openly discuss our questions and ideas. I am not willing to simply argue back and forth - which is what the Church has been doing for too long. The result is that too many people seeking to know God, to follow Jesus, to live as a Christian have found these two issues to be stumbling blocks to their faith. And that is wrong.