Craig Gross, Jason Harper Share Jesus' Unbiased Love at Annual Gay Pride Event
Contact: Jodi Phillip, A. Larry Ross Communications, 469-438-3729
ATLANTA, Nov. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- In an effort to apologize to the homosexual community for the way religious people too often target and treat gay individuals, pastors Craig Gross and Jason Harper shared the unprejudiced and unconditional love of Jesus to people at the 39th annual Atlanta Pride Festival, held this past weekend.
"We came to simply say we are sorry for the way people in religious circles have attacked gay people and caused them to feel like outcasts," said Gross, founder of TripleXChurch, a Web network that helps those struggling with pornography and workers in the adult entertainment industry. "The Jesus that we believe in does not discriminate. He loves all people -- no matter who they are or what they have done."
At the event, Gross and Harper had a booth in the festival marketplace where they dialogued with attendees. They handed out white bracelets inscribed with the words "We are Sorry" and pink bracelets that said "It's True, He does," referring to Jesus' love for gay individuals. During the Pride Parade, held on Sunday, Nov. 1, the pastors and a volunteer force of 60 people passed out more than 1,000 water bottles with "Jesus Loves You" labels to both those in the parade and those lined up on the streets to watch.
"The gay community has been singled out and condemned by people who have hijacked the Jesus of Scripture," said Harper, director of community outreach at Capital Christian Center in Sacramento, Calif. "Many people we encountered had never had a positive experience with a religious person or the name Jesus. We desired to talk about their spirituality, not their sexuality, and focus on the hope and love of Jesus."
Gross and Harper's trip to Atlanta concluded a national tour they have been on since late August surrounding their book, "Jesus Loves You ... This I Know" (Baker Books, ISBN: 978-0-8010-1329-4, $17.99). The unconventional tour took them to cities across the nation, where they sought to connect with groups of people often neglected by the Church -- gluttons, adult film stars, the disconnected, outcasts and even the overtly religious.
Confronting hate with love, Gross and Harper started their tour at the infamous Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas church known for its offensive protests, where they modeled love to the congregation. Also a part of the tour, Gross and Harper gave away 400 free lunch buffets to gluttons in Las Vegas; debated adult film star-legend, Ron Jeremy, in Los Angeles; and helped to give away a house to a deserving family plagued by the economy in Detroit.
Outreach to the gay community and to other groups that the Church often considers taboo is not new territory for Gross and Harper. Harper ministers at similar gay pride events in California and Gross, best known for his ministry to the pornography industry, has a heart for sharing Jesus' love with residents of and tourists in Sin City. After moving his family to Las Vegas, he founded The Strip Church, an organization that travels around to Las Vegas hot spots to show love to the people there. The Strip Church operates a shuttle that provides free rides to people anywhere on the strip.
Recently, Gross and members of his ministry team did some remodeling work on a brothel in Ely, Nev., helping to improve the conditions of the women's living quarters -- not where they conduct business. This coming spring, Gross will be attending a gay pornography show in New York City to talk about Jesus' love with people there.
"I want to take the love of Jesus to people who have had bad experiences with religion or who are ignorant to His love," said Gross. "Whether that is at a gay pride event, an adult film expo or a church, I want to communicate with people that Jesus does indeed love them and show them that they can belong even if they don't act, think, behave or believe like me."
For more information about Gross and Harper or their book, "Jesus Loves You ... This I Know," visit www.JesusLovesYou.net.
