The Rev. James Lapp of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church of Santa Cruz believes the Bible is the word of God. But he also knows that’s problematic when it comes to defining God’s rules in a changing world.

"How do you read the Bible? Literally? Do you interpret the context in which it was written?" he asks. As one of the local clergy involved in Out In Our Faith, an effort to promote a full-inclusion policy for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members of local religious institutions, Lapp is challenged with finding Scripture to support his position.

"We believe the Bible is true, but you have to keep in mind the time it was written in," Lapp says. "The Leviticus verse is often used as proof that God abhors homosexuality. But later on it says that mildew is also an abomination." A subsequent chapter lists equally stern rules about wearing clothing made from mixed wool and linen, trimming hair too short, wearing tattoos, and sowing two kinds of seed in a field.

"They didn’t understand sexuality as we do now," Lapp says. "For instance, people often quote the Genesis verse, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’ Well, we’ve done that as a human race. Sexuality is now beyond that. We now know it’s spiritual as well as physical. And we know that homosexuals do not choose their orientation, they were made that way by God."

The New Testament, Lapp argues, is the lens through which Christians interpret other Scripture. A passage in Galatians, for example, reads, "We are no longer Jews or Greeks or slaves or free men or women, but all are all the same. We are Christians; we are one in Jesus Christ.

"Paul probably wouldn’t say ‘or gay or straight,’ but it would be apt to add it nowadays," Lapp says.

With recent civil and legal actions in favor of and against same-sex marriage, the inclusion of gay, lesbian and bisexual members in religious institutions’ rituals is a hot issue. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender congregants are asking for the same rights and rites as their heterosexual counterparts, and houses of worship of all kinds are responding with new policies.

National groups such as the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property decry the recent Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage as a major blow to the nation’s Christian roots, the institution of the family and the foundations of morality in society.

Members of the group are urged in its Web site to offer prayers and acts of reparation to God for the offense caused by this decision.

The Rev. Pam Langston-Daley believes quite the opposite. As head of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Aptos, she says diversity is vital to the health and strength of the community. "It’s our spiritual belief to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Jesus said, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’ Our open-door policy for GLBTs does just that."

Unitarian Universalists have been at the forefront of embracing diversity for decades, ordaining openly gay clergy, performing same-sex unions and including gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders since the 1970s. "We believe in the power of God’s love above all," Langston-Daley says.

According to Paula Marcus, cantor at Temple Beth El, embracing the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is very simple. "It’s the essence of our belief: We are all created in the image of God. There is a divine spark in each of us. It’s not for us to judge which part is bad."

The Torah, Marcus says, invites the believer to learn how to be a good human being, not by following every specific ancient ritual (for instance, we no longer use animal sacrifice), "but to listen to God as he asks, ‘What’s the loving way to be?’ That’s how we encounter God."

It’s the same at the First Congregational Church in Santa Cruz, where the congregation took part in extensive prayer, Bible study and conversation several years ago to examine the question of how to treat gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members. The Rev. Dave Grishaw-Jones, the church’s senior minister, said the congregation decided it had been called upon to embrace all members, regardless of sexual orientation.

But it isn’t always easy.

"My own homophobia is a challenge to me," says Grishaw-Jones. "It’s one thing to say you are inclusive, but how do you live it out? How do you make activities gay- friendly? And as a Christian community, we want to nurture families and bless relationships. If you are really open and affirming, how can you not include same-sex marriage?"

The First Congregational Church’s parent organization, the United Church of Christ, was a national leader in 1973 when it ordained the Rev. Bill Johnson, the first openly gay clergy member. According to Sandra Hulse, the associate pastor at First Congregational, justice and mercy are essential to her church’s beliefs. Hulse cites the word of the prophet Micah: "What does God ask of us but to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God?"

"We should be humble enough to recognize what God wants us to do next," Hulse says. "We have a saying, ‘God is still speaking to you.’ So we have to pay attention."