An increasing number of evangelicals are affirming the LGBTQ+ community.
This is a significant departure from past evangelicals. If you’ve been around the evangelical church for any length of time, you know they haven’t looked favorably on the gay community. From evangelical pulpits you can still hear sermons proclaiming they are hell-bound. Some conservative denominations, such as the Church of the Nazarene, accept the gay community as long as they remain celibate. But the number of evangelicals taking this position is dwindling. More and more evangelicals are affirming the LGBTQ+ community..
Before sharing why I think there’s a shift, let’s define “affirming.” Merriam-Webster gives three nuances to the word:
1. validate; confirm.
2. to assert as valid.
3. to show or express a strong belief in.
In the church world, “affirming” means that a person validates and believes in members of the LGBTQ+ community. Church people who are affirming, believe that queer people ought to be treated as straight people.
Here’s 3 reasons why I think the number of affirming evangelicals is growing.
First, affirming evangelicals argue that Jesus affirmed the marginalized when He encountered them.
Even a casual reading of the Gospels validates this statement. Jesus embraced the tax collector, the adulterer, the foreigner, and the poor. If there was a group on the outside looking in, Jesus was right there beside them. In contrast, think about the ones who Jesus chastized. He cut no slack to the rich, the powerful, and the super religious.
Not only did Jesus affirm the marginalized, He tried to improve their lot in life. He wanted to move them from point A to point B. He saw people as people, not as physical embodiments of theological positions. Evangelicals who become affirming, point out that Jesus never spoke against the gay community. Some evangelicals would even argue that Jesus would be affirming. They wonder if Jesus didn’t vilify this group of people, why should we?
Second, affirming evangelicals are searching for a consistent hermeneutic.
They see the need to approach scripture as a whole and apply the rules of understanding with consistency. For example, the Apostle Paul writes that women should be quiet in church and ought to wear hair covering. The majority of the evangelical world ignores this scripture. But when Paul writes a few verses that seem to vilify the gay community, people ignore the context and arrive at dubious conclusions. Affirming evangelicals insist this is an inconsistent hermeneutic.
They note the same inconsistency applies to Old Testament texts. Many clear Jewish rules for living are ignored. And yet, the few passages used to paint the gay community as spiritual outcasts are embraced as solid reasons to be straight. Some evangelical are quick to point out that God made male and female; as if this ends the discussion. But in that same creation story God made light and dark, night and day. But wait! This is not the end of the discussion. We recognize and affirm the existence of twilight. Every twenty-four hours there are those transitional moments which qualify as neither day or night. The creation of day and night doesn’t rule out the existence of twilight. Affirming evangelicals recognize the creation of man and woman is not the end of the story.
As evangelicals search for a consistent hermeneutic, they are less likely to condemn the gay community.
Third, affirming evangelicals are in the midst of theological deconstruction.
Theological deconstruction starts when you give yourself permission to think for yourself. Too often in the church world we are taught WHAT to think but not HOW to think. Deconstruction provides permission to reexamine your faith. Those on this journey often compare it to remodeling a house. During the remodeling process sometimes only one room needs a make over. In other instances, a remodel might mean a total gutting and starting with only the framework. Whether the deconstruction is minor or major, it invites a reexamination of your faith.
Evangelicals in deconstruction reexamine how personal faith relates to current issues. It’s no wonder they take another look at how they view the LGBTQ+ community. Part of this journey, as outlined above, involves the desire for a consistent hermeneutic. Deconstructing evangelicals observe that often Bible verses aren’t uniformly interpeted and applied. In fact, they discover the tendency is to embrace only bible verses that align with our current understanding. This becomes a real problem; especially relating to understanding the gay community. It is the process of deconstruction that allows for questions like this to be raised.
Growing up in the church I remember bible teachers saying we shouldn’t be afraid to question our faith. If we have the truth, they assured us, there was no reason to fear questions. But this tide has shifted. We have entered into an era, in the church, where certain questions, especially those related to the LGBTQ+ community, aren’t welcomed.
But as more evangelicals give themselves permission to think, the numbers migrating to an affirming posture will increase.
These reasons for evangelicals becoming affirming is based on observations and conversations. Agree or disagree, the number of affirming evangelicals will likely increase.
This is a helpful post. It’s in living between extremes that discernment can be embraced. Indeed Jesus was an “includer”. That should be enough for us to implement how we include all people in hearing and living the Gospel. Keep challenging us. Thanks.