Are crosses offensive to gay people
This article is part of the The Crossway Podcast series.
How Christians Should Respond to the Lies of Our Culture
In this episode, Rosaria Butterfield responds to many of the most common claims and arguments that we often listento related to gender and sexuality today. She also answers tough questions that many of us will encounter at some gesture in our lives, appreciate whether or not to attend your child's identical sex wedding, or how to respond to a request to use someone's preferred pronouns.
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Topics Addressed in This Interview:
00:01:24 - What’s So Wrong with the LGBTQ Movement?
Matt Tully
Rosaria, thank you so much for joining me again on The Crossway Podcast.
Rosaria Butterfield
It is my delight to be here, Matt. Thank you so much.
Matt Tully
It’s great to be in person, and to be in person to chat about a really essential , serious set of topics.
Rosaria Butterfield
Absolutely.
Matt Tully
I’m just struck by how timely the new publication that you’ve written is; how controversial some of these topics can be in our culture today, even within the church; and how emotional this could be for so many people on a
Queer Theology: Does God Abhor Gay People?
A class questions issues from hetero privilege to gaydar to LGBTQ racism
Class by class, lecture by lecture, question asked by question answered, an education is built. This is one of a series of visits to one class, on one day, in search of those building blocks at BU.
Are stereotypes about gays—for example, that gay men talk, dress, or gesture differently than straight guys—bigoted blather? Or is there such a thing as reliable gaydar that helps people, including gays, to perceive others’ sexual orientation?
You might not expect openmindedness about stereotyping to arrive up in a seminar called Queer Theology, which studies questions about God and religion posed by gay, transgender, bisexual, and gender-questioning people, many of whom, according to mentor Pamela Lightsey, ask, “Does God hate me?” because of widespread prejudice.
Lightsey herself, she says, is the only openly lesbian African American cleric in the United Methodist Church, and a fervent critic of stereotyping. But the College of Theology associate dean and clinical assistant professor of contextual theology is devoted to coming at an issue from all sides. Recently
“You want to shove those words back in and put the lid on. But you can’t. Your child is gay. This goes against everything you’ve been taught. It was not what you had in mind, and you instantly wonder where you went wrong.”
When you turn into a parent, you understand to expect the unexpected. But for many Christian parents, nothing can equip them to hear that their beloved child is gay. This is the child you have cradled, spoon fed mashed bananas, and dreamed a lovely future for. How could this be? What will the church say? What will your friends say? What does the future hold? You can’t even get your head around this.
If you are a Christian parent, family member or friend to whom your loved one has come out as lgbtq+ or lesbian, then this is for you.
I summon you to sit down, relax, maybe get a cup of tea, and soak in what I’m about to tell you. My hope is to guide you as we walk for a bit through this maze of confusion, to help you find your way to wholeness. In many Christian circles, this is not good news, and you may begin to spiral into reflection and self-searching. We’ll get to that. But at the bottom of it all, this is not about you. Most parents’ first mistake is to mak
What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
Answer
In some people’s minds, being homosexual is as much outside one’s control as the color of your skin and your height. On the other hand, the Bible clearly and consistently declares that homosexual action is a sin (Genesis 19:1–13; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10). God created marriage and sexual relationships to be between one gentleman and one woman: “At the inception the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’” (Matthew 19:4–5). Anything outside of God’s intent and layout is sin. The Bible teaches that Christians are to live for God, deny themselves, choose up their cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24), including with their sexuality. This disconnect between what the Bible says and what some people notice leads to much controversy, debate, and even hostility.
When examining what the Bible says about homosexuality, it is significant to distinguish between homosexual behaviorand lesbian inclinationsor attractions. It is the difference betwe
Coming out can be very emotional for lesbian, gay, multi-attracted , transgender, and gay (LGBTQ) people. It can be thrilling or provide a tremendous sense of relief, but it also carries the risk of rejection, discrimination, harassment or even physical abuse. A person who is coming out may experience a roller coaster combination of joy, dread, self-confidence, vulnerability, lgbtq+ fest or anxiety.
For a straight person, it isn’t necessarily any easier. Even direct people who back LGBTQ equality may still be shocked or feel awkward when their family member, friend or coworker pulls them aside to declare, “I’m gay” or “I’m trans.” They may not recognize how to react. They may also be afraid of making the situation uncomfortable or saying something they might regret.
Everyone’s experience is different, so there’s no script to follow when someone comes out to you. But if you’re respectful, polite and patient, you can avoid or minimize any achievable tension or embarrassment by remembering the following guidelines:
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Listen to what he, she, or they contain to say and let them position the tone of the conversation. Listening will show that you respect them and help put them at e
|