LGBT Parents & Allies
A generation of young Americans is rejecting Christianity because they widely perceive it to be anti-gay and, as such, “shallow,” “anti-intellectual,” “insincere,” and even “hypocritical.” That wasn’t the finding of some ultraliberal gay group, but rather the conclusion reached by conservative Christian pollsters, the Barna Group, who conducted a groundbreaking study in the mid-2000s and found…
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It’s no wonder that my LGBT friends have often questioned my sanity when I have talked about my Christian faith. They were even more surprised when I eventually decided to go to seminary. Why would I want to be part of a religion that has caused LGBT people so much pain, and that has contributed…
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At the beginning of his second year of college, my son Nick told me he was gay, and that he didn‘t believe same-sex relationships were sinful. I am embarrassed and ashamed to say that I reacted horribly. I made him feel ashamed, unloved, and rejected. I said things a loving mother never should, and I…
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I am a certified special education school teacher who has taught various grades and subjects in the states of New York, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. Prior to teaching I was a youth counselor for many years, where I worked with youth diagnosed from moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, behavioral and emotional challenges, autism/Asperger’s syndrome, and…
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The Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists (AWAB) joined the General Synod of the United Church of Christ vs. Cooper as a plaintiff in the pending Federal District Court lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s marriage laws, including Amendment One. Among the suit’s charges is that North Carolina’s ban on same-sex marriage restricts the rights of clergy to…
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On the way to my wedding shower, I received a picture of a gift someone had dropped off at my parents’ house for the event. Yay, our first gift! It had been neatly wrapped in a pattern covering every square inch of the box—in bride and grooms. Teeny tiny men in tuxedos and women in…
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Four years ago our daughter came out to us as bi. She was 20. My first thoughts were that we’d never be the same in the church. No kidding. My daughter is telling me something very intimate and scary, several thoughts are going through my head, and I am a little surprised to realize that…
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Today’s church, the Body of Christ, is at a crossroads. Some denominations are trying to wear an accommodating mask under the guise of phrases like “hate the sin, love the sinner,” but upon closer examination, we see that these words have a less-than-Christ-like tone. How can love be a sin? The “sin” here is love,…
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“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid.” —Cesar Chavez In studying the life of Cesar Chavez, I was surprised to learn, he couldn’t demand equality for his…
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It was Saturday afternoon at 3:38 pm: the doors to the auditorium had been open for 18 minutes, and we already had a filled room. We talked about streaming in one overflow room, but we ended up with three rooms. This was the first program Andrews University, the flagship institution of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA)…
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