This is a response written on 11/15/02 to someone asking by email (I'm paraphrasing) how I could consider myself gay and Christian. He posited that the two are mutually exclusive and being gay is in direct contradition to the Bible. He then asked if my beliefs were such that I only considered certain parts of the Bible.
Thanks for your email. I appreciate you taking the time to ask.
For the record, there are actually six verses that, literally translated, are admonishments against homosexuality, not just one. Two are in Leviticus, three it the letters from Paul (I don't recall off the top of my head which ones), and the last one is in Genesis (which, actually, does not really qualify depending on your translation, but some people do). I'll deal with each of these categories generally and then talk about how I consider myself a Christian.
The two verses from Leviticus are part of the Holy Code (or Levitical Law). Generally speaking (and I know I'm making a broad generalization), the Code was established to differntiate Israel from the surrounding peoples. It was a way to make them look distinct. In particular, it was condemning religious prostitution (which was common in many of the surrounding pagan societies). In this light, it should be noted that there is nothing about consensual same sex activity (and actually, there is discrepancy on whether it references activity or orientation...likely activity according to most sources).
What I would point out here, though, is that there are many parts of the Levitical Code that are not followed today. For example: touching the skin of a big, eating of certain foods, wearing fabric of a mixed variety (poly-cotton blends would violate this).
As for the New Testament references, modern scholars tend to refute the translation of homosexual from the original text for several reasons. The term itself did not have any meaning in language (any language) until about the 19th century. Also, when read in context of the passages in question and the cultural norms of the time, there is an incredible gender bias that seems to be carrying through. We're seeing things like "effeminate" or "weak" men, or men who act too much like a woman, and (again), a prohibition of religious prostitution (and prostitution in general).
As for the Genesis account (Soddom and Gomorrah), this really should not even be considered a statement regarding homosexuality in any light (positive or negative or even neutral). Because it's not about homosexuality. Whatever your translation, if you look closely at *every* (not just some, EVERY) other reference to those cities later in the Bible, all of them state that the sins of the people there boil down to simple inhospitality. They treated their poor in bad ways, they were unkind to visitors, and even each other. The story in Genesis is not an account of destruction of cities based upon sexuality, it was based upon the citizens being rude and inhospitable.
It took me a good bit to reconsile these issues, so I can understand why you're questioning this. In fact, I was kept closeted for a very long time because I didn't believe one could be gay and Christian either. A book that helped a lot to clear this up for me was "Stranger at the Gate: To be gay and Christian in America" by Mel White. I highly reccommend it if you're wanting to know more about this issue.
As for a personal account, my views of Christianity have definitely changed a lot over time. I see little to none of the Bible as a literal word-for-word account for anything. The stories told there have an even deeper meaning, a more profound truth. For the most part, I believe they serve as an historical account of certain events from a few thousand years ago, but more than that, they are messages on not only how to live but how we are related to God and how to live so as to become closer to God. There are lessons of love, transformation, joy, connection, oneness, truth, all sorts of things that when properly understood can bring peace and harmony to our lives, all founded on a stronger connection with the Divine Creator.
I don't mean to sound preachy, as I'm guessing a lot of this you already know (I'm assuming you, yourself, are a Christian). I'm just trying to state (rather briefly, and probably not too eloquently) where my views stand at this point. and they will probably change with time as they have, and as I think they should. Faith should not be a stagnant thing.
So, to answer your question, no I don't believe I'm only following certain parts of the Bible. I'm striving for a better understanding and a way to reconsile all of it within myself. And it's a long process. And I'll probably never finish. :) But I do keep trying.
Thanks for the question. Let me know if I can answer anything else.