"A Grosser Sin"

There's something that's been on my mind for a while, and I just want to put my thoughts in writing. I hope that will help me decide where exactly I stand as I don't know yet if my thoughts are entirely supported.

Intolerance bothers me, so I am going to get "the bothers" out on here. I understand that homosexuality and just sin in general is wrong. I understand that being around poor influence can affect us negatively. But, is it not a greater sin to shut out the sinner?

Did Jesus not say, "This commandment I give above all, that ye love one another as I have loved you." He interacted with sinners, even touched them. If we are to love as He loved shouldn't we be friends with everyone? No amount of my dislike or hatred toward a sinner is going to make them change their ways. If I were to completely ignore my gay and lesbian friends, it would not turn them straight; it would only hurt them.

So my thinking, and I could be wrong, but, like I said, I'm trying to write this out in hopes that I may be able to find some flaw in it if there is one, is that no matter how many good we do in our life, it won't matter if we didn't obey the ultimate commandment to love each other as Jesus loved us. Now, He died for us. I don't think He expects to go dying for strangers, but when if you think about all He did in his life for the sinners and wrong doers, we can certainly all be friends!

I think I'm in a "peace and love" mood, as my Dad would say. "Make love, not war!"

Anyway, I know we don't support homosexuality, but I think if I cut ties with my friends because of their gender preference that I could not stand blameless before God.