I wont use the pulpit as a political format, Ayers said. I use it for Gods work.

Gay rights legislation being considered in Bowling Green wont be battled from pulpits, according to southcentral Kentucky pastors. Instead, church leaders are prone to ignore homosexuality and gender identity issues rather than take a stand, several ministers said. The majority view is that (homosexuality) is not right, but if they dont need to (take a stand), theyre not going to, said the Rev. Jeffrey W. Beebe, associate pastor of The Presbyterian Church. Not very often do you see churches in the forefront of political issues. The Rev. Steve Ayers of Hillvue Heights Baptist Church. said there simply are better uses for his pulpit. I wont use the pulpit as a political format, Ayers said. I use it for Gods work. Bowling Green Human Rights Commission will meet Oct. 19 to decide how to garner public opinion of a proposed law that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. Commission Chairman Lee Huddleston has said the commission plans to receive public comments through letters and also have a public forum in the week of Nov. 8.The commission met with supporters of the so-called Fairness Ordinance on Sept. 21 to learn more details. If the commission decides to add sexual orientation to its anti-discrimination laws, it will recommend the change to City Commission. If City Commission passes the ordinance, Bowling Green will join Lexington, Louisville and Henderson in outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Rev. Robert Brown of Life Fellowship Church said government shouldnt get involved in all moral issues. There is a fine line, Brown said. Government should get involved in moral issues like slavery but not in issues such as homosexuality, because slavery was based on a mans skin color and not on his morality. Homosexuality has nothing to do with the persons environment but his choice of lifestyle. There should be no laws to make people accept (sexual preference) because there are no laws that force people to accept the Bible and Christianity. If the Fairness Ordinance becomes a part of the citys anti-discrimination law, it wouldnt really accomplish anything, Brown said. I dont think itll do anything because society, for the most part, has accepted the lifestyle socially. The only thing itll do is produce more frivolous lawsuits. As with all moral issues, Brown said he would use his pulpit to express his views on homosexuality. But he wont share his views on the Fairness Ordinance because the law wont change what people feel in their hearts.