Evangelical Christian explains why he marched for gay rights

[Christa]

A Step in Faith

Evangelical Christian Brent Childers explains his journey from believing that homosexuality was an abomination to marching in a pro-gay march on Washington

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans are a diverse, extraordinary, resilient, and passionate group of forgiving men and women. I wouldn't be standing beside them demanding full and equal treatment under the law and speaking out against the harm caused by religion-based bigotry at the National Equality March in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11 if I thought they were not created in God's image the same as myself, same as my family, as we all are—we are all God's children.

And I know better than anyone, since six years ago I was one of those bigots. At that time it would have seemed abominable to even consider attending a "gay-rights" event. To me, these would have been the people tearing apart the very seams of our culture and our country.

Today, it is a natural expression of who I am. Some might call that a miracle.

/snip

It's because something deep inside told me that I needed to step out in faith onto a bridge of knowledge and understanding. I didn't know where this bridge would take me but something was telling me it was a path I needed to walk. My own mother challenged me in 2003 to look at my beliefs and the true intent behind the teachings I held in blind faith. "Do you think your views are Christ-like?" she asked me. Her question was dead on: once I walked away from the Church's teachings of rejection and condemnation, my relationship with God transcended to a higher spiritual plateau. I realized an unparalleled sense of spiritual clarity when I opened my heart and mind to a genuine expression of love, compassion, and acceptance of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/216910

As an atheist I think it is more the voice of reason and none of the voice of Christ - but I take my hat off to him. Small steps ...


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[Taverner]

1. Send this to all of your Evangelical Friends

He makes a case that no Evangelical should deny

[grace0418]

8. They shouldn't deny it, but they will. Their beliefs don't require a shred of logic.

Sadly, I wish more of them could see things they way this man does.

[Tikki]

2. My mother-in-law was a Christian like that man's mother...

She knew I was a nonbeliever...she loved me and all of her family
and showed us all how to love unconditionally.

She was a true winner in life.

Tikki

[BolivarianHero]

3. This statement's a bit odd though...

"After changing his views on homosexuality, he left the Southern Baptist Church and now attends both a local Pentacostal and a nondenominational church in Hickory, N.C."

Aren't the Pentecostals and nondenominationals even nuttier than the Southern Baptists?

[Christa]

5. Speaking for myself here

all churches are equally nutty, but apparently he feels more at home there.

As long as he is happy :)

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[intheflow]

10. Depends on the pastor.

What both the pentacostals and the nondenominational churches share in common is local autonomy--that is, they don't get their marching orders from a centralized denominational HQ. That puts a lot of power into the hands of the minister. I have heard of many nondenominational churches that work from the social gospel, taking to heart Jesus' sermon on the mount. I've never heard of a pentacostal church working from a social gospel framework, but this gives me hope that some shreds of sanity are working their way into at least some of those congregations.

[SacredCow]

12. It varies.

Generally speaking, it's very true that Pentecostals and Non-denominationals can be absolutely the WORST nutjob homophobes, but there are exceptions. Southern Baptists are consistent with their hatred- not just of LGBTs, for the record.

[stray cat]

4. the same reason the rest of us have - not a surprise

[FiveGoodMen]

6. Go, Brent

:thumbsup:

[Bluenorthwest]

7. This makes my day

[newtothegame]

9. Is he Episcopalian? n/t

[struggle4progress]

13. " ... he left the Southern Baptist Church and now attends both a local Pentacostal and

a nondenominational church in Hickory, N.C. ..." http://www.newsweek.com/id/216910/page/2

[Toasterlad]

11. Thanks, Crazy Dude!

[Divine Discontent]

14. I think it's Christ speaking to his heart, and also decency & reason.

He could have came to the same conclusion without his faith. But, because he is a believer in a higher power as most are, that could be a roadblock for some to have compassion, which is something within us which is amazing. We don't have to have compassion in life, it's survival of the fittest, greed, lust, desire, etc for most, but even some who have no belief in anything higher, have compassion, it grows on one's 'self' or 'spirit'. I am thrilled that this evangelical has found his compassion! May he spread it to his fellow evangelicals.