Three Things They Ignore
Just a quick introduction and post today. In my travels I’ve noticed three places where those dudes I don’t Abide with always seem to refuse to engage. They are questions and themes to which they have no response:
Are LGBTQ+ Christians, Allies, Affirmers, and Churches actually Christian?
“There are plenty of churches that you could go to that would welcome you.” Doesn’t that sound nice? A holy sorting where we would be free to be ourselves, free of the arguments and distractions, and free to come before God as we truly are. This is the priest and the teacher of the Law walking on the other side of the road. They will talk about the importance of “confessional unity” and that “denominations serve a purpose”. What they will never say out loud is that they don’t actually consider those other churches and denominations to be churches. “Go to Hell.” is a better translation of what they’re actually saying.
LGBTQ+ Christians, Allies, Affirmers, and Churches bearing fruit.
In every discussion I’ve had with the dudes I don’t abide with this is where the conversation ends. They rally back to comfortable ground. They attempt to run on a tangent. Most of the time they just stop talking because they have no response. A couple of the less diplomatic and more honest dudes will respond that there are atheists and Muslims who do good things and they’re not being saved. Obvious, measurable fruit in the name of Christ, however, can’t possibly exist.
Biblically-based justifications for inclusion.
I’ve never seen a Biblically-based, Reformed justification for inclusion. What I find interesting is that whenever one is offered there is no engagement on exegetical questions. Accuratelly translating arsenekoitai given its Hebrew context? Looking at Romans 1 and 2 through the lens of critical historical scholarship? There is never an undertaking to refute the work: only the ad hominem response of “revisionism!” and the discounting of a person’s legitimacy because of their obvious woke bias. So much for academic honesty.
As I engage with non-affirming people around LGBTQ+ inclusion these are the three areas I tend to dwell in and press back on. I’ve found them helpful.