Last week, gay activists worked tirelessly to gather support as Uganda prepared to consider legislation last Friday that would have made same-sex activity a crime punishable by death. With the enormous response from both inside and outside of the nation, Uganda tabled the bill, marking a victory for those who opposed it. As a result, many lives have likely been saved.

I mention this here for one simple reason: I am a Christian who believes in the traditional teachings of the Bible regarding sexuality; I also joined petitions to help stop Uganda’s “kill the gays” bill.

And I believe these two views are completely consistent.

Whether I agree with a person’s view regarding sexuality, I fully believe it is our goal as followers of Jesus to stand up when a person’s life is at stake–unconditionally. The story Jesus shared regarding the Good Samaritan is appropriate here as it encouraged helping a person in need who was different, with no strings attached. Why? Because the right thing to do was to show love that helped a person in need.

As Jesus said then, “Go and do likewise.”

To my fellow Christian readers out there, I encourage you stand firm in your spiritual beliefs. Yet we must remember that God’s call to stand for those in need must include being an advocate for those who face death or mistreatment for being different from others, including those in the LGBT community.

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DILLON BURROUGHS is an author, activist, and co-founder of Activist Faith. Dillon served in Haiti following the epic 2010 earthquake and has investigated modern slavery in the US and internationally. His books include Undefending Christianity, Not in My Town (with Charles J. Powell), and Thirst No More (October). Discover more at ActivistFaith.org.