For the better part of two days in April, I sat listening intently at public meetings as ordinary people made passionate arguments on one side or the other of the same-sex marriage debate.

At a public forum, convened by my MP, Andy Scott, any person could say anything they wanted on the issue. At the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing held in Sussex, New Brunswick, pre-approved individuals and groups presented briefs.

The debate was intensely emotiona-not loud or showy, but hushed and solemn, as if a decision of huge import hung in the balance. And it does.

As a Christian who believes in the God of the Bible and who believes the Bible is the inspired word of God, I continue to be deeply disturbed by the implications of the arguments made by the homosexual community. I cannot help but ask myself, "Do they really believe what they are saying?"

The essence of the homosexual argument is this, "What we are doing is not wrong! We were born this way." One homosexual even said, "God would not condemn me. Jesus is all about love."

How do we argue with that? Jesus is all about love. "Love your neighbour as yourself." "Judge not, that you will not be judged."

I do love the homosexual. Lord, help the part of me that does not love as I should. I sensed the pain behind their sometimes angry words. I identify with the strong pull of sexual temptation. But I also heard their determination to take God’s condemnation of the homosexual act and stomp it into oblivion.

Some from the religious community spoke passionately on the pro-gay side, arguing homosexual "fully committed relationships" are as good and right as heterosexual "fully committed relationships."

"But wait a minute," my heart says. "How can you believe that? Scripture, both Old and New Testament, condemns homosexual practise as sin."

I cannot reconcile the two views. Either homosexual practice is okay, or Scripture is right. It cannot be both.

"Love the sinner but hate the sin." That’s what I believe. Although I must admit I find it much easier to "love the sinner" from afar. I "hate the sin," but hope my accepting actions will show that I am not a hypocrite.

I fear very much being labelled a hypocrite. At least I did until recently when I saw a liberating definition of a hypocrite.

Peter Kreeft, in his book, How To Win the Culture War, says, "Hypocrisy doesn’t mean not practising what you preach; hypocrisy means not believing what you preach."

That’s liberating because it means I don’t have to be sinless before I tell others about Jesus’ power to free them from sin. I think we have made a serious mistake when it comes to relating to non-Christians. It is a mistake in our lived-out beliefs regarding God and sin. In our wanting to love the sinner, in our wanting to be seen as open-minded and loving, we have forgotten who the God is.

Before Jesus said, "Love your neighbour as yourself," He first said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength." God is perfect, sinless and holy. God cannot tolerate sin. He has rules and standards.

The world says there is no wrong or right. Nowadays, when people sin, they are told they are not sinning. No wonder they cannot figure out why they feel bad.

But God is not an indulgent grandfather who overlooks our sins, pats us on the head and say, "There, there. You just do whatever you like and I will love you anyway."

Until we Christians fall silent before a holy God recognizing His right to judge, we will be ineffective in our loving actions to the lost and dark world in which we live. We need to follow Jesus’ example when He did not condemn the woman caught in the act of adultery, but He also clearly said, "Go and sin no more."