Kirk Franklin “Apologizes” To Gays And Lesbians Over “Discrimination” In Black Churches

Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin, who released his new album “Losing My Religion” on Friday, told reporters this week that he “apologizes” for “homophobia” in the Church, stating that Christians have turned the Bible into “a homophobic manual.”

“I want to apologize for all of the hurtful and painful things that have been said about people in the Church that have been talented and gifted and musical, that we’ve used and we’ve embarrassed them and made sermons—‘Adam and Steve,’ and all this other horrible crap that we’ve done,” Franklin told The Grio. “We have not treated them like people, human beings. We’re talking about human beings, men and women that God has created as people.”

He acknowledged that the Bible does count homosexuality as a sin along with fornication and adultery, but said that the Scriptures also talk about grace.

“That’s what the Bible talks about,” Franklin admitted. “And you know what else the Bible talks about along with that? It talks about grace. It talks about love. It talks about mercy, because we are all in need of that.”

“I want to apologise for all of the hurtful and painful things that have been said about people in the church that have been talented and gifted and musical, that we’ve used and we’ve embarrassed… and all this other horrible crap that we’ve done,” Franklin told The Grio. “We have not treated them like people. We’re talking about human beings, men and women that God has created.”

Franklin even spoke on how he doesn’t want the LGBT community to feel as if they are being kept away from the love of God, stating, “More than anything, I’m trying to peel back those layers that keep people away from God and keep people away from experiencing the love of God and knowing God’s love as a father,” he says.

“It is horrible that we have made it where the Bible is a homophobic manual. That’s not what the Bible is,” he continues. “I mean you want to talk about things that God gets at… pride and jealousy and envy and arrogance. But what we also see is God sending his son to save us all, because we were all…straight, gay or whatever, lost and in need of a savior, and there’s room at the cross for all of us.”