How to talk to your gay friends

#1113 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 16 August 2015.

Amid the chatter and vitriol of the same sex marriage debate, I came across some helpful advice from Dr David Sandifer, NSW director of Family Voice Australia, on how to talk about the issue with your gay or lesbian friends.

He says it may feel awkward, but we need to spend more time listening than talking:

Many gay people have personal stories which include a lot of pain. Most people can accept disagreement, even on a subject they feel passionately about, if they feel they’ve been genuinely listened to.

Dr Sandifer also counsels Christians who oppose same sex marriage not to feel apologetic, saying the Christian view of sex is “part of the good news: God’s good design in marriage is a blessing both for individuals and society.”

And he says we should talk about the brokenness we all share, including in the area of our sexuality, and how Jesus makes sense of this.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.