Rev. Sean Harris Is Wrong – Christians Should Love (Not Beat) Their Gay Children
By Gwen Ashby, Associate Director, Believe Out Loud
As has been widely reported, North Carolina pastor Sean Harris believes Christian parents are to “crack” the limp wrists of our sons and “reign in” our “butch” daughters.
Seems Rev. Harris and I don’t follow the same Jesus or know the same God.
When I first heard the audio of Rev. Harris’ offensive sermon, I was overcome with outrage and filled with sadness. Not only for the children of Berean Baptist Church who are being raised with such constrictive gender expectations. But also for the adults of the church, many of whom I knew must be sitting there, absorbing this vitriol while thinking about their gay brothers, lesbian sisters, and other LGBT family and friends.
What conflict did Sean Harris’ hateful words cause these faithful Christians? What pain did these people who have been taught to “love their neighbor as thyself” feel when they were instructed to hurt the ones they love?
Were I to have been sitting in Rev. Harris’ congregation that day, I could have personally dismissed his expectations. I’m supported and loved by an LGBT-inclusive Christianity, one that embraces our God-given sexual and gender diversity. But what of his congregants? Do they even know such support and love exists?
I say to these people: there is another way to be Christian. There is a way to follow Jesus and love your gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender neighbors. There are 5,000 churches that welcome and affirm the LGBT community, and there are hundreds of thousands of Christians who practice their faith not by discriminating against the LGBT community, but by affirming their inherent dignity, worth and equality.
As we know, from 1 Cornithians: “If I speak God’s word … but do not love … I am nothing.”
Please join me in sending this message to the people of Berean Baptist Church.
Dear Berean Baptist Church, Fayettesville, NC:
As Christian people of faith, we were deeply saddened to hear about the recent sermon your pastor, Rev. Sean Harris, delivered about children’s perceived gender roles.
We affirm the inherent dignity and equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons not in spite of, but because of, our faith in the gospels and the message of Jesus Christ. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for (we) are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Gay and lesbian people are our brothers, our sisters, our friends and our parents. And we know they are yours too. We want to let you know that you can be Christian and unconditionally love and affirm your gay and lesbian neighbors just as God made them.
There are more than 5,000 churches in the U.S. today who fully embrace the LGBT community. We’d love to share our inclusive Christianity with you.
Your brothers and sisters in Christ,
Believe Out Loud
Image Flickr The Top Hat Bandit