I grew up in a Christ-centered environment, similar to a large portion of the United States population. From kindergarten to fifth grade, I attended South Hills Academy – a private Christian school – and prayed to God at chapel service every Wednesday. Along with math and science, I also studied the Bible: reading and embracing God’s holy book.

My teachers preached the stories of Job and Abraham. And so I learned to always have faith in God because no matter what adversities I may face, He has a plan and through Him I can overcome any obstacle.

Through stories of Moses and Noah, I feared Him, His almighty presence and power, and the punishment that may fall upon me if I strayed from His guidance. But I also learned that He is kind and forgiving – a lesson taught from the sacrifice of His only son, Jesus Christ.

I learned about and believed in a loving, tolerant and forgiving God, one who loves all of His children with no exceptions.

The Bible teaches us to love our neighbors. So how can people deny certain rights for a group of individuals simply because of their sexual orientation?

I’m talking about protesters justifying discrimination and opposing gay marriage by quoting the Bible.

Reinforcing hate against the LGBT community, many quote Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination,” and it continues that one who commits such an “abomination” shall be condemned to death.

And more would argue that opposing gay rights and gay marriage is not their belief but God’s. Well, I’d say that I hate to break it to you, but I’m actually going to enjoy breaking it to you.

The Bible teaches us all to act in kindness and respect for all people and to avoid judging others, as stated in James 4:12: “There is one lawgiver who is able to save and destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?”

You are not God; you do not have power that is close to God’s. Living by God’s word doesn’t give you some moral obligation to force the Bible on everybody you encounter. Preach the holy book, but do not impose it.

And if you so strongly believe that every word of the Bible should be practiced, then allow me to direct you to some verses you may or may not be aware of.

Leviticus 11:7 states that touching the skin of a dead pig is unclean, so should we ban football and the Super Bowl? Boycott, lobby and suppress the rights of the players?

Every Sunday, Daily Campus editors meet to lay out Monday’s page, so am I allowed to kill them myself or should I alert the police? For Exodus 35:2 clearly states, “Anyone who does work on that day (Sunday) must be put to death.”

And here’s a downer for all the sexually active college students at SMU; Leviticus 20:10 says, “The adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”

Unfortunately, the Crum Common’s walls aren’t that thick and I can hear some of you guys doing the nasty. Sorry, kiddos. Bible states that if you commit adultery, you have to die.

Now some may argue that these are not civil rights issues such is homosexuality. So can we lawfully bring back slavery? Ephesians 6:5, 1 Peter 2:18, Titus 2:9-10, and Colossians 3:22 are only a few of many Bible versus that act as guidelines for slaves to obey their masters. Unless one coerces a Christian into forced labor, the Bible has no problem against slavery.

At this point, many would argue that the Bible defines a marriage as one between a man and woman: 1 Corinthians 7:2-3 states, “Since there is so much immorality each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.” Pretty clear cut, right? Not exactly.

The Bible also describes men with multiple wives. Abraham had two wives, Jacob had three, and Deuteronomy 21:15 offers instructions for men with two. So it’s not really Adam and Eve, it’s more like Adam and Eve, Monica, Erica, Rita, Tina, Sandra, Mary, and Jessica. Now, I’m not advocating polygamy; I’m simply stating that certain men in the Bible have held multiple wives.

Not everybody in the United States believes in the Bible. So how can a Christian politician, activist, or lobbyist be so self-righteous and believe that their beliefs should be embedded into the federal law of a country where we have a melting pot of Jews, Atheists, Muslims, Hindus and other people with different faiths and beliefs?

The United States does not affiliate with any specific religion, so it is hard to support any lawmaker who tries to base new laws on the Bible, especially when those laws are used to discriminate against a group. I can never support a politician who forms his platform based on religion because he won’t represent the country as a whole, but rather only those who share in his faith.

South Hills Academy taught me that God cares for everyone: men, women, elderly, young, disabled, gay, straight, colored, white and even the lost and condemned. So when a “Christian” protestor proudly pickets a sign that says, “God hates fags,” I feel ashamed. I pity the protestor that overlooks God’s loving side and uses His words to judge another man or woman.

I believe in a God that loves everybody, live by the Bible that preaches kindness and tolerance, and hold faith in a religion that teaches me to respect everybody I meet.

For the sake of preserving the holy book as God’s caring and loving words towards humanity – rather than one implemented for hate and prejudice – I plead that you do not base your bigotry off the Bible.