I Am a Pro-Gay Evangelical Christian Fighting for Marriage Equality

[cbayer]

http://time.com/3642909/pro-gay-evangelical/

Brandan Robertson @BrandanJR 9:44 AM ET


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Brandan Robertson is the spokesperson for Evangelicals for Marriage Equality.

Time and time again, I encountered men and women who identify as LGBTQ and were still overflowing with love for Jesus


After spending four years in a conservative evangelical Bible College in Chicago, I had a dramatic realization: Evangelicals, which means “people of Good News,” were instead seen by the surrounding world as people of Fox News.

Evangelical Christianity had become known for its conservative politics, narrow social views, and dislike of LGBTQ people. In Chicago, I had the opportunity to visit a large number of diverse faith communities and met, for the first time in my life, faithful gay Christians.

I had previously been told that such a person couldn’t exist. One could not embrace a “homosexual lifestyle” while simultaneously claiming to follow Jesus Christ. And yet, time and time again, I encountered men and women who identify as LGBTQ and were still overflowing with love for Jesus.

How could I claim that these people I met weren’t faithful Christians?

more at link

[Warren Stupidity]

1. Kind of like the Republican Log Cabin Club.

There are always outliers. The fact of the matter is that evangelical Christians are overwhelmingly rightwing, homophobic, misogynist bigots. The only issue they are even slightly mixed on is the environment.

[Feral Child]

2. Seems to be a politician

rather than a spiritual leader.

And, doomed to fail. A fundamental lynchpin of evangelicalism/fundamentalism is their self-serving interpretation of Leviticus, a rabid and hateful interpretation that paints all persons of alternate sexuality/gender as tools of an actual living Satan.

He's not going to get much traction. He might as well announce support for atheists...

[Bluenorthwest]

3. So how many signatures did they get before October, the Time piece is from September....

The website does not say how many of the 1,000 they sought actually signed. So I'm reading this in December about a goal set for October being stated in September, but no results are shared.

[cbayer]

5. Where do you get the info that this was published in September?

It has a time stamp, but no date stamp and is listed on the TIME website as "most recent". The date of the original on the XOJane site is December 17, 2014.

http://www.xojane.com/issues/evangelical-fighting-for-marriage-equality

I also don't see anything about signatures or a goal for a petition except on the site of his organization. The organization was only started in September and it may be having difficulty getting off the ground, but I sure think it is worth supporting. They wanted, but apparently did not get, 1,000 signatures to take to the Baptist convention.

Is there anything positive about this group you think you could support?

[Bluenorthwest]

7. I asked a question based on what was posted and their own stated goals.

That question was not answered. Answer it and we can talk. The Time article said September and referred to their conference which took place in October, the goal was 1,000 signatories prior to the conference. They do not state how many they got.
This is a group for Evangelicals, run by Evangelicals. I support shelters for homeless LGBT youth, rejected by their straight parents, most often Evangelicals.
I hope they think of something useful to do for others and stop focusing on themselves so much. I will offer that support.

[cbayer]

8. I'm not following.

The organization was started in mid-September. According to their site, they tried to get 1,000 people to sign on before the SBC convention. It appears that that did not happen.

He now has an article which Time has picked up which gives them the opportunity to get more exposure and hopefully more support.

It is sad that you can find something about this to fault, BNW. Who better to provide shelter for LGBT fourth rejected by straight parents than people within their own community?

I stand with them.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. So out of somewhere around 100M evangelicals

this guy couldn't find 1000 people to sign on.

'nuff said.

[PumpkinAle]

4. I know some gays that go to

church - it is no where near an Evangelical type of church, it is a very accepting and open church.

I know Evangelicals who go to church and it is not where near accepting of people who do not believe as they do.

Brendan admits that he never knew Gays could be practicing Christians until he got away from the narrow-minded concepts of his Church - which the vast majority of Evangelicals never will. So I don't think those two groups will ever see eye to eye - but may be, just may be I will be proved wrong.

[cbayer]

6. He has chosen a very difficult road, I agree, but I have to give him credit.