At least one major Christian group is against homophobia that is prevalent among followers of the Christian faith. The Most Rev Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, called on Christians to repent for their treatment of gays, particularly their outlook that such kind of people are wicked.

In an address to an audience of born-again Christians in London, who are usually very narrow-minded in their stand on homosexuality, the archbishop said as a result of the homophobia common among most Christian groups, people below 35 find such beliefs incomprehensible and is considered tantamount to racism and other forms of injustice.

However, he stood by his decision to vote against same-sex marriage legislation which received royal assent in July and would allow gays and lesbians in England and Wales to marry in 2014.

"What I voted against was what seemed to me to be the rewriting the nature of marriage in a way that I have to say within the Christian tradition and within scripture and within our understanding is not the right way to deal with the very important issues that were attempted to be dealt with in that bill."

He said that redefining marriage is not the right way forward, but he is committed no to exclude people who have different views from his view and is committed to listen to them very carefully.

But the archbishop said he would still vote the same way given the choice again.

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