Lessons from a suicide letter

Yesterday, 17-year-old Leelah Alcorn killed herself. She was a transgender girl who walked out in front of a semi-truck. After reading the suicide letter she left behind on Tumblr, I felt like I had to do something.

The way she was treated by Christians was a theme in her letter. She ended her letter by saying, “My death needs to mean something.” She also asked that we “fix society.” This blog is an attempt to honor those words. They are solely my opinions and thoughts.

I want to focus on what we as Christians can learn from this tragedy. Leelah was a person who was treated like a second-class citizen because she was different. Christians, we have to do better. I’m sad to say that in some churches hate and discrimination are alive and well. There are churches that don’t welcome members of different races, members of the LGBT community, or those with lower income levels. This list could go on and on. Discrimination and hate are sins!

We have to stop labeling anyone different from us as someone who isn’t loved by God. One of the first verses we learn as Christian children is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” If we truly believed this we won’t spent most of our time pointing out reasons God doesn’t love certain people. God loves everyone regardless of their race, gender, orientation, or income level....

More: http://baptistnews.com/perspectives/lessons-from-a-suicide-letter/