Can lgbtq people be christians

The Bible and similar sex relationships: A review article

Tim Keller,  2015

Vines, Matthew, God and the Lgbtq+ Christian: The Biblical Case in Help of Same Sex Relationships, Convergent Books, 2014

Wilson, Ken,A Letter to My Congregation, David Crum Media, 2014.

The relationship of homosexuality to Christianity is one of the main topics of discussion in our culture today. In the plummet of last year I wrote a review of books by Wesley Hill and Sam Allberry that take the historic Christian view, in Hill’s words: “that homosexuality was not God’s authentic creative intention for humanity ... and therefore that lgbtq+ practice goes against God’s express will for all human beings, especially those who trust in Christ.”

There are a number of other books that take the other side view, namely that the Bible either allows for or supports same sex relationships. Over the last year or so I (and other pastors at Redeemer) have been regularly asked for responses to their arguments. The two most read volumes taking this position seem to be those by Matthew Vines and Ken Wilson. The review of these two books will be longer than usual because the topic is so contested today and, wh
can lgbtq people be christians

What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?

What Does The Bible Utter About Homosexuality?

Introduction

For the last two decades, Pew Research Center has reported that one of the most enduring ethical issues across Christian traditions is sexual diversity. For many Christians, one of the most frequently first-asked questions on this topic is, “What does the Bible say about attraction to someone of the equal sex?”

Although its unlikely that the biblical authors had any notion of sexual orientation (for example, the term homosexual wasn't even coined until the after time 19th century) for many people of faith, the Bible is looked to for timeless guidance on what it means to honor God with our lives; and this most certainly includes our sexuality.

Before we can bounce into how it is that Christians can maintain the authority of the Bible and also affirm sexual diversity, it might be helpful if we started with a short but clear overview of some of the assumptions informing many Christian approaches to understanding the Bible.

What is the Bible?

For Christians to whom the Bible is God’s very written word, it is widely understood that God produced its contents through inspired

How Should Christians Respond to Gay Friends or Family Members?

Caleb Kaltenbach (M.A. ’07) is an alumnus of Biola’s Talbot School of Theology, lead pastor of a large church in Simi Valley, Calif., and a married father of two. He’s also an emerging voice in the discussion of how Christians should engage the LGBT community. That’s because Kaltenbach has an insider perspective, having been raised by a dad and mom who divorced and independently came out of the closet as a lgbtq+ man and a womxn loving womxn. Raised in the midst of LGBT parties and pride parades, Kaltenbach became a Christian and a pastor as a juvenile adult. Today, he manages the tension of holding to the traditional biblical teaching on sexuality while loving his gay parents.

Kaltenbach’s unique story is detailed in his new publication Messy Grace: How a Pastor with Gay Parents Learned to Love Others Without Sacrificing Conviction and landed him on the front page of the New York Times in June. Biola Magazine reached out to him to talk about his novel and his perspective on how Christians can superior navigate the complexities of this issue with authenticity and grace.

In your manual you say that it’s time for Christians to own the issu

Can Christians Be Gay?

This ask is a powder keg—an extremely sensitive issue. If you have homosexual or bisexual tendencies, this is not just a theological debate, but speaks to the core of how you see yourself and how God views you.

The homosexual conversation impacts not just those who distinguish themselves as LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender), but all of us. Regardless of whether you can relate with this fight, you will have to sort through your hold views on the topic. If you do not already, you will possess a good friend or family member who is gay. You will possess to make decisions about whether to go to a same-sex wedding, whether to have your daughter and her partner over for dinner, and whether to attend a church with a gay pastor.

Within the last decade, the Christian opinion on homosexuality has gone through a drastic turnaround. There has been no new scientific or theological discovery; many people have changed their minds about what they believe.

In today’s changing society, stating that homosexuality is anything but an acceptable lifestyle, approved by God, is seen as unloving, judgmental, hateful, and in some places, criminal. One of the most marvelous

This may not be a huge surprise, but we accept A LOT of questions via email, social media, and in person on Tuesdays. What benign of questions? Successfully, anything from, Should I get support together with my boyfriend or girlfriend? to What should I do next with my life? to How should I lovingly employ those in the LGBTQ community?

In this blog series “Ask The Porch,” we’re answering real-life questions that we’ve received from you. Disclaimer: our highest priority is always to first respond with biblical counsel from God’s Word. The hardest questions to answer are those in the “grey” areas. So we’ll do our finest to share our biblically-informed opinion, but know that we may have distinct convictions on the non-essentials (vs. the essentials).

Now, let’s dive into the interrogate for this week emailed in from an online listener:

Can a Christian be gay?

“Hey David,

I am a Christian and have struggled with same sex attraction since childhood. I would not want it on anyone. It’s very tough being alone and longing for someone to hold hands with. I wish the chance to love and hold someone love me back. I yearn to live a life for God but I also don’t want to live on this earth alone.