What would you think if you read this statement on a Christian site:
I ask this because I discovered an “LGBTQ+ Sensitivity Statement” with similar language on a Christian website. The author admitted sexual sins are uniquely damaging (1 Corinthians 6:18) and LGBTQ+ lifestyles are sinful. But his sensitivity statement suggests these sins aren't related to a person's character and have no damaging effects on families or communities.
The site contained no “statements of sensitivity” for liars, thieves, adulterers, prostitutes, or gossips because those sins aren't promoted by culture.
The author talked about his “love” for his LGBTQ+ friends, but admitted that he struggles with “not being fond of everything the Bible teaches.” (source)
It breaks my heart to hear a Christian say this.
No love is greater than God's. His commands are lovingly designed for our spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. Sinful lifestyles destroy people and mock God's love.
This should be our “statement of sensitivity”:
“‘Let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight, declares the Lord.’”
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight, declares the Lord.’”
Knowing God's character and His sacrificial love should give us a “fondness” for everything He teaches, because everything from God is born of love.
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I encourage you to check out today's Bite Size Bible Study: Are You Fond of God's Commands? In it, I further examine some specific claims from this website. I hope you know that I have no desire to pick on this particular website, but it represents many websites and many Christian teachings that have compromised God's truth and downplayed God's love in order not to offend people. This website teaches good biblical truth in other areas, but clearly compromises on some cultural issues. And that makes it even more dangerous because we are more likely to accept false teaching when it's surrounded by good teaching. I also tried to leave my concerns in comments graciously stated, but for some reason, they didn't go through.
I also encourage you to be aware of gay revisionist theology: Lies in Disguise: Rewriting Scripture to Approve Immorality.
Lies in Disguise is a book that can help you understand and avoid half-truths that are damaging the church. And it's concise, understandable, and filled with Scripture like all of the Bible Love Notes devotions. Click the image to find out more.
BLN
Gail, I saw your note on 16 July post about this post and it made me want to know who said the quote "We affirm adulterers as loved by God and valuable to their families..." I find it shocking someone of faith would say something like that and was concerned it may have been taken out of context someway, although its hard to imagine. So I did a Google search and everything pointed back to you for the exact quote and to other Christians of our perspective on the quote, thus I'm asking you, who said this. With all the garbage on the web these days its hard to believe anything from it and I want to believe you aren't taking any liberties. I've been a daily reader for a few years now and appreciate your work so I'm confident you'll understand why I'm asking.
ReplyDeleteV/R, Shorty
Hi Shorty,
DeleteI wrote that quote as an example. That's why I said "what would you think if you found this on a Christian site?" And then I explained that the reason I asked about that quote is because I found one similar to it regarding LGBTQ persons. And I linked that LGBTQ sensitivity statement.
My point is that we give LGBTQ special treatment as a sin. We would never say those things about adulterers or murderers or even gossips, but the site I linked said very similar things about gays.
For example, that site said LGBTQ+ people "Are beloved and valuable members of our families, friend groups, neighborhoods, communities, and country."
This refers to people actively living a gay lifestyle. We would never say the same things about unrepentant adulterers. We would be honest and say that they may be beloved, but they are devaluing their families, friends, and communities by their continued adultery.
If you read through the LGBTQ statement on the other site you will see that while the author admits LGBTQ lifestyles are sinful, he goes to great extent to affirm practicing homosexuals, and that's not how God handles sin in Scripture. It's loving to warn people about sin, not loving to tell them they can continue in their sin and still be a wonderful valuable member of their community. Scripture never does that.
I hope that clears up your confusion about the quote I used for an illustration.
God bless you,
Gail