What to call ‘progressive’ Christians who struggle with LGBT equality?

While covering the New York International Fringe Festival, I caught the Scanadnavian American Theater Company’s production of The Fundamentalist. In this play, an evangelical pastor becomes a minor celebrity by marketing himself as this scandalous priest who preaches the need for the church to be the first to reach out in support of women and LGBT people. However, in his real life, he sits on the fence as he feels conflicted about how he should actually live out his faith.

Such represents the dilemma facing Sojourners, a leading U.S. evangelical social justice organization. Despite their long history of advocating on behalf of “the least of these (Matthew 25:40),” they rejected an LGBT welcome ad scheduled to run on Mothers Day 2011. This ad represented part of Believe Out Loud’s campaign to help churches become fully inclusive of all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

On the God’s Politics blog, Jim Wallis, President and Chief Executive of Sojourners, justified their decision not to run this ad on the grounds that “LGBTQ issues may not be our primary calling as our work against poverty and hunger, and for peace.” The subsequent outcry over this decision raised the question if one can claim to be a progressive Christian leader if they do not stand solidarity with all who are marginalized .

Brian McLaren, who served on the Board of Directors for Sojourners, offers this perspective regarding Sojourners stance on the issue of “homosexuality”:

In the September 2011 issue of Sojourners, this organization accepted an ad from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the Ali Forney Center for Homeless LGBT Youth that focuses on LGBT homelessness. So while Sojourners might not be prepared to call on congregations to welcome LGBT people into their midst, they were willing to take on the plight of LGBT homeless teens.

In statement from GLAAD, this organization notes they are “proud to have played a role in helping Sojourners understand the intersection between LGBT people and poverty, war/peace, and environment.… At the same time, GLAAD is aware that there is much more that Sojourners could do. As we continue working together, GLAAD will continually call on Sojourners to address and support other issues that are important to LGBT people: employment nondiscrimination, violence against LGBT people, transgender discrimination in housing and employment, and yes, even marriage equality.”

Tim King, communications director for Sojourners, commented on the God’s Politics blog about the invisibility of homeless youth, thanking Ali Forney Center for their ad in Sojourners magazine and the work of GLAAD to help highlight the intersection between Sojourners’ mission around poverty and this justice issue that disproportionately affects those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

According to King, the God’s Politics blog will post a series of blogs highlighting various aspects of youth homelessness. Hopefully this discussion will include an exploration of the tenets of evangelical theology that demonizes LGBT people as less than human. This teaching leads some Christian parents to disown their LGBT children, thus rendering them homeless.

Joseph Ward, III, Communications Director for Intersections International, the sponsor of the Believe Out Loud Campaign offers this reflection on what it means for a church community to be radically welcoming to LGBT people.

While we understand there are a number of social justice challenges that confront different communities, we are consistently reminded that the root of LGBT injustice stems from the church. This can come from hostile congregations who reject LGBT people; pastors and lay persons who use scripture to encourage violence and hate; and other religious based channels that promote discrimination towards them within the broader society. Because of this, it is increasingly important that progressive Christians take a firm unambiguous stand and decide they want fellow Christians to welcome the LGBT community in the church.

On Patheos’ progressive portal, I explored the tension facing those Christians who want to “do good” to the other but have theological reservations when it comes to “homosexuality.” As a direct descendant of Roger Williams, I do not wish to force anyone to go against their conscience by forcing them to endorse any given cause.

So I’d like to propose a compromise. Why not designate those “progressive evangelicals” who do not feel called to welcome LGBT people into their church communities by advocating equal rites for all as traditionalist progressives?” (The term “conservative progressive” appears to be quite the oxymoron.)That will distinguish them from those religious progressives in largely mainline and spiritual but not religious circles who advocate for women’s rights and full inclusion of LGBT people. Such a distinction will allow for funders and followers to have a clearer scope of the organization’s mission, so they can ascertain if this ministry is in line with their values. Also, this shift would be a start toward educating the media and the public at large about the growing multicultural nature of religious progressivism.

Becky Garrison  | Aug 19, 2011 5:21 PM