rumitoid wrote:
The modern debate over LGBT issues is like Moses’ staff: it has the power to part the world into two disunited halves.
This became more apparent last week when Jen Hatmaker affirmed same-sex marriage and relationships in an interview in this forum. I did not anticipate the article would create such widespread conversation. After all, Jen is hardly the first Christian leader to make such comments. But I was surprised at the level of anger and frustration the article produce among those with differing opinions. (Perhaps we’re all just amped up from the insanity of the impending election.)
For the past week, I’ve watched Christians play judge, jury, and executioner with Jen and with each other. Name-calling. Villianizing. Public statements. Calls for boycotts. All actions taken by Christians and directed at their spiritual siblings.
The whole affair has me wondering whether it is possible for either side to disagree about LGBT issues in a loving way. That is, without demonizing others as haters or heretics, Pharisees or apostates.
To explore this question, I decided to speak to my friend Andrew Marin, a straight man who works to build bridges between Christian communities and the LGBT community. He is also author of Us Versus Us: The Untold Story of Religion and the LGBT Community, a book that discusses this topic through the lens of the largest national scientific study ever done in the LGBT community regarding religion and sexual orientation.
Here, we discuss how to dialogue about these issues with love. But more importantly, I’d like to know what you think. So feel free to leave your opinion in the comments section below.
(If you truly care about a Christian way to address this issue, please read the rest of this article. Very enlightening:
https://religionnews.com/2016/11/01/on-lgbt-issues-how-can-christians-disagree-in-a-loving-way/The modern debate over LGBT issues is like Moses’ ... (
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God loves all people, regardless of how they live or identify.
But it is imperative I also explain that:
1) God is not pleased with all lifestyles and behaviors and identities.
2) We will all give account to Him one day.
3) Jesus died to forgive us all our sins and to grant us transformation and new life.
4) While God does not simply call us to change -- whoever we are and however we live -- He does call us to repent. And you can be assured that repentance means a changed life.
Does this mean that if you're happy being a "gay Christian" God is happy with that? If you're "fulfilled" in your same-sex relationship, the Lord is OK with it? That you can be active "LGBTQ+ Christian"? Absolutely, categorically not.
Jesus calls us to holiness, not fulfillment, to obedience, not happiness. He calls us to deny ourselves, not indulge ourselves. And that means taking up our cross. Daily. (See Luke 9:23.)
It's the same message for everyone. Gay. Straight. Promiscuous. Celibate. Single. Married. "Be holy, because your God is holy!"
So, let's be perfectly clear. Sin is sin regardless of how we feel about it. Sin is sin regardless of whether it brings us temporary happiness or fulfillment. And all same-sex relationships -- by which I mean sexual and/or romantic -- are always sinful in God's sight.
Jesus offers everyone forgiveness of sins, acceptance in the Father's family, eternal life, and a radically transformed life.
That is the power of the gospel. Let us proclaim it without fear, apology, or shame.