The Bible is a dominant force in our culture today. It is a source of comfort and encouragement for millions and a source of abuse and pain for millions of others. As a former Southern Baptist pastor and university Bible professor and now since 1981,
In my gender community debut at the Texas “T” Party in early 1996, I described my journey to become a complete person. As I spoke, the memories of the pain I had endured from repeated rejection came flooding back. I had seen the impact on
Paul’s remarks on same-sex relations in his letter to the Romans is only an illustration of his main point. To understand the relation of this passage to our present-day lives, I don’t think it is necessary to go on and on about how the first
The notorious passages of the so-called Holiness Code in Chapters 18 and 20 of Leviticus have traditionally been used to justify the ill treatment of sexual minorities. On first reading, the text appears to be unequivocal in its condemnation of physical relations between members of
“The issues about Homosexuality are very complex and are not understood by most members of the Christian Church,” according to Bernard Ramm of The American Baptist Seminary of the West. This evangelical authority on biblical interpretation says that, “To them, it is a vile form
In the book of Acts, [10:10-16] Peter, an apostle of Jesus has a vision: And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were
I am not a little bemused by the clamor surrounding gay people who want to follow Jesus in sincerity and truth – across the spectrum, churches from exclusive fundamentalist to liberalist mount their holy high horses to crusade against our inclusion in the ranks of
Christians and “Disputable Matters” The conservative Christian Church is divided over the question of “Is homosexuality, within the confines of same-sex marriage, a sin?” Even though there have been notable exceptions, the majority of the fundamental churches judge homosexuality to be a sin and gay
I have heard it said that the book of James is for mature Christians. I think this is true. You cannot be a baby Christian and do what James says that we must do. James requires faith, humbleness, meekness, patience, ability to control our tongues,
Scripture reference: 34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the