Biblical Scholars Warn Against False Teaching in Human Rights Campaign's LGBT Guide for Evangelicals
Some biblical scholars are warning against a new guide published by a prominent gay rights organization geared toward evangelicals who identify as LGBT, saying it amounts to "false teaching."
Last week, the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign released "Coming Home to Evangelicalism and to Self," a 32-page guide containing resources, advice, and testimonials for evangelical Christians who are "on the journey toward living fully in their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and in their faith and its traditions," according to its website.
The guide features personal stories and practical suggestions from what they call a "wide variety of evangelical voices" in order "to spark new ideas, new dialogue and new courage," citing recent surveys and polling data showing rising support for same-sex marriage among younger generations.
The voices featured all favor more liberal LGBT iterations of the Christian faith, among them Brandan Robertson, Mercer University ethicist David Gushee, and author Matthew Vines.
The booklet features the words of Shae Washington, who is in a lesbian marriage and reportedly attends the evangelical National Community Church in Washington, D.C., which has Assemblies of God roots and has several locations across the region. The HRC guide describes the congregation as a place that "considers itself non-affirming of LGBTQ people but is in a process of conversation and discernment to change." Washington explains that the NCC "leaves room for people to decide that they are affirming and still participate in the church."
The Christian Post reached out to National Community Church to ask what they made of the HRC's characterization of their ministry.
"We don't have all the answers; instead, we continue to take time to listen and learn," said Dave Schmidgall in an email to CP Monday afternoon. Schmidgall pastors at NCC's Lincoln Theatre Campus.
He continued, stressing: "NCC remains orthodox in belief and we're guided by the Jesus way of love and compassion."
"Within our community, there are many LGBTQ+ people seeking to follow Jesus. Many have shared their experiences of being wronged by friends and family and being targeted for violence and mistreatment in society. In response, we remain committed to providing a safe space for all to follow Jesus, and to building bridges in the way He modeled."
Other theologians who've long contended for the biblical definition of marriage being between one man and one woman and accompanying sexual ethics, are urging Christians to discern and resist the ideas set forth in the booklet.
Denny Burk, professor of theology at Boyce College, opined on Twitter Thursday that it's important for Christians and other observers to recognize that those in the HRC guide and group itself are "false teachers who are leading people away from Jesus."
"These teachers 'have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ," he added, referencing Jude 1:4.
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