Free Republic

I do my best to be sensitive in the language I use, not wanting to drive people away from a life-giving message because of controversial terminology. Yet there are times when being blunt is essential, and now is one of those times. That is why Pastor Andy Stanley must be called out publicly for inviting practicing homosexuals to speak at his Unconditional Conference. The fact that these men claim to be committed Christians makes the sin all the more grievous. I’m speaking specifically of Justin Lee and Brian Nietzel, both of whom are not only openly “gay Christians” but are...

Jesus Christ went to cross to pay the price to pay for all sin, including that of homosexuality, but the problem starts with people who think that homosexuality is not a sin. The very idea of Christian LGBTQ+ people is an idea that opposes itself from start to finish. Someone who drinks too much goes to AA to be told that what they’re doing is wrong and potentially deadly, and there given steps to become sober. Someone who goes to AA drunk is asked to leave, I think you get the idea of what I’m telling you. “In meekness instructing...

Being a celibate gay Christian means being an object of suspicion. The wider LGBTQ community sees you as shockingly conservative (“You think gay sex is wrong?”), while the wider evangelical community sees you as worryingly liberal (“You call yourself gay?”). One day, someone will be expressing disgust toward your “fundamentalist” beliefs. On the next, someone else is targeting your “perverted” sexual orientation. Disparate groups see you as an existential threat, and their attacks can be fierce, as recent online responses to conferences like Revoice and ministries like Spiritual Friendship and Living Out would attest. Researchers Mark Yarhouse and Olya Zaporozhets...

Between the faction of gay Christians who are happy with their sexual identity and "ex-gays," who say they've removed their homosexual yearnings, is a third group that gets little attention. These so-called Side B Christians identify as gay and believe it's not sinful to do so. But because they see acting on their orientation as ungodly, they commit to a life of celibacy. Now, for the first time, a sociologist has taken an in-depth look at what makes Side Bs tick, particularly how they navigate their same-sex desires and their awkward position as stuck in the middle of ex-gay groups...

A letter from 150 Iowa pastors was delivered to Iowa lawmakers today stating their support for same-sex marriage. Because this I run an ELCA focused website I am going to list the ELCA pastors that signed this letter. But you should look at the news article. (http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/02/16/150-iowa-clergy-we-support-same-sex-marriage/ ) There are many denominations represented here. This is a another sign of the Christian, church-wide problem with liberal theology and denial of Biblical Authority. The last paragraph of the letter says, "As clergy, we stand together in support of civil marriage equality for ALL families. We ask for your support of civil...

The Archbishop of Canterbury today issued a "profound apology" to the lesbian and gay Christian community. In a powerful address to General Synod Dr Rowan Williams warned that any schism within the church would represent of a "betrayal" of God's mission. But he made clear that he regretted recent rhetoric in which he has sought to mollify the fears of the traditionalist wing of the church. The Archbishop is from the Church's liberal Catholic wing and a man who once espoused equal rights for gays within the Church. More recently he has adopted a conservative line for the sake of...

A popular teacher at a Brooklyn parochial school is in hot water after a sixth-grader stumbled onto his gay personal home page - then got punished in front of classmates. Denton Black was pulled out of his classroom at the St. Mark's Day School in Crown Heights last week after 11-year-old David Brown E-mailed the teacher about a homework assignment and was exposed to the racy Web page. ...The day after David's mother complained to school administrators last week, the boy was forced to stand in front of his class for more than an hour, Greenwood said.