Andy stanley gay

But to accept that a biblically prohibited relationship is permissible—or the least-bad way forward—is to contradict the biblical sexual ethic Stanley affirmed in this very sermon.

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Andy Stanley, pastor of an Atlanta-based megachurch, spoke out from the pulpit Sunday after he led a controversial, two-day conference geared toward “support [ing] parents and LGBTQ+ children in their churches.”. In the comments Stanley made Sunday morning, he publicly affirmed the traditional view that marriage is meant to be between one man and one woman while also emphasizing the need for compassion for those with LGBTQ+ identities.

Christians who once identified as homosexual have mixed opinions about recent remarks made by Pastor Andy Stanley, in which the megachurch leader said that LGBT individuals who go to church have “more faith than a lot of you.”. These proponents (Mcs, Andy Stanley, Justin Lee, David Gushee) argue that Christians viewing homosexuality as sinful are misinterpreting biblical text, causing profound harm to LGBTQ+ individuals.

As critics were quick to note , the Atlanta-area conference featured speakers who are either in same-sex relationships or supportive of those who are, and on Sunday, North Point pastor Andy Stanley preached a sermon responding to criticisms of the event. That message is now available online. Stanley delivered it twice, and outside recordings of both services have been posted elsewhere.

Stanley spent much of the sermon providing the backstory to the conference, which was developed to meet pastoral needs both of young people in the church wrestling with same-sex attraction and parents in the church whose children who themselves were often—but not necessarily—adults were coming out to them. He argued that this pastoral purpose warranted involving these particular speakers, outlined what he teaches about sexual ethics, and spoke to how churches can move forward on this issue.

Unfortunately, though Stanley articulated a commitment to a New Testament sexual ethic, he also seriously undermined that very teaching. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Please click here to see all our newsletters. Biblical marriage is between a man and a woman, he said, noting that every New Testament text addressing homosexuality teaches that it is a sin.

This is what has always been taught at North Point and will continue to be taught there, he added. But both before and after this portion of the sermon, Stanley contradicted that ethic. But to be in a same-sex relationship whether recognized by the state as a marriage or not is to disobey Jesus, not to follow him.

Jesus defined marriage as being between a man and a woman Matt. This teaching is consistent throughout Scripture, and a same-sex union clearly contradicts it. By being in such a union, Lee and Nietzel are living in ongoing, unrepentant disobedience to Christ. That may well be true—but is that a good reason to invite them?

Why not invite speakers who grew up in church, recognized their attraction to the same sex, and then went on to live in obedience to Jesus, whether through faithful singleness or faithful biblical marriage? Speakers with that story could offer the same personal insight about their childhood experiences without implicitly validating a trajectory toward same-sex relationships. Katelyn Beaty.

They read the same Bible we do. They chose to marry for the same reason many of us do: love, companionship, and family. Granted, some churches make life more challenging for singles than it needs to be, and how to change that is an urgently needed conversation. Any church where being unmarried for whatever reason means living a life without love is failing to be a New Testament church.

But to accept that a biblically prohibited relationship is permissible—or the least-bad way forward—is to contradict the biblical sexual ethic Stanley affirmed in this very sermon. I have always been single. On the whole, it has been deeply joyous. But I am not immune from temptation, and when any leader suggests to me that chaste obedience to Christ in singleness is not sustainable, he is saying the very same thing to me that the Devil says.

Jackie Hill Perry. Two New Testament texts show us the seriousness of all this. The first is one of the three passages that directly address homosexuality:. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.