When a prominent Southern Baptist pastor quotes Levitical law prescribing the death penalty for participants in gay sex, should that be interpreted as calling for capital punishment for gay people in America today? Apparently not, according to Florida pastor Tom…
Remembering Pulse nighclub and the power of affirmation
There are some meetings that, when they’re over, you know your life will never be the same. I remember pulling into a church parking lot on a Friday afternoon in September 2016 knowing in my heart I was a fish…
Gay Christian man says he was kicked off BWA commissions
This story was updated Thursday, June 1, to reflect a brief response from Elijah Brown. A gay man who is married to another man says he was asked to resign from two Baptist World Alliance commissions. When he refused…
Medical professionals address myths and misconceptions about transgender kids
Transgender people often know by kindergarten that their bodies and gender identities do not line up, a health care expert said during a virtual panel discussion about trans health and emotional development. And contrary to the claims of conservative politicians…
Focus on the Family affiliate is the unifying force behind campaign to restrict transgender rights
Culture war fights over transgender identity may have snuck up on many Americans, but the leaders of the Family Policy Alliance, a little known but influential group founded decades ago by James Dobson, have been preparing their trans battle plan…
Why ‘affirming’ churches need to speak up
Many years ago, when my church went through the United Church of Christ’s Open and Affirming process to declare ourselves welcoming and affirming of LGBTQ people, someone in the congregation asked why we needed to make a public declaration. Of…
Tim Keller was a really nice guy, but that wasn’t enough for everyone
The one thing everyone who interacted with him seems to agree on is this: Tim Keller was a heckuva nice guy. So nice, some say, it’s hard to believe he was a conservative evangelical. So nice, others say, he caved…
‘Every single pastor at the conference should forbid their wives from attending her session’
It wouldn’t be a Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting if someone didn’t object to someone else lined up as a speaker. This year’s prize goes to Rachel Gilson, an author and speaker whose testimony is about living with same-sex attraction…
Ron DeSantis is dead wrong — again
The irony would be humorous if it weren’t so deadly. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis today signed four bills passed by his Legislature that further discriminate against the LGBTQ community in a state already famous for its “Don’t Say Gay” law….