After Bill Cameron, a fellow British Blogger who happens to be Gay has been so gracious in his reply to my comments it got me thinking.

Is it possible for him and I to have a conversation 'Blog to blog' as it were without coming to blows?

Now, I dont want my American readers to come wading in with accusations of me being a raging liberal, OK? yEs, that DOES mean you vesselofhonour and those like you- just try and stay out of this one ok? This is a genuine attempt to reach out with a hand of friendship accross a gulf that might be seen to divide us irrevocably. Actually if this goes well maybe I will try it with others- any sensible atheists, muslims, jews, arminians or watever out there?

I do believe that the bible is the word of God in its entirety. Of course that leaves us with a challenge, how can I relate in a modern world with a man who blogs for the Gay community?

The first thing I want to point out is that many of his concerns I have sympathy with. It quite simply cannot be right that a Gay in Ghana can report: "I had a friend who was recently told that he was evil and would never go to heaven because he talked to me." And, yes I am all for stamping out homophobic hate crime- lets just call it aggravated assault shall we- and for making discrimination in the workplace illegal where it isnt already.

One of my best friends from school turned out to be homosexual, and although sadly we have lost touch I would like very much to get back in contact with him. So I am all for friendships that cross the divide as it were.

Of course, to be fair such attitudes can come from the other side of the fence as well. There are many people out there who preach 'tolerance' but find it very hard to 'tolerate' people who still believe in God and in the literal interpretation of as much of the bible as was meant to be taken that way.

I wonder how many homosexuals and evangelicals would agree with Voltaires sentiments about each other:- "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

There are countless questions of course and perhaps the one I am most interested in, is how would Billy like evangelicals to behave towards him and others?