I recently went into a coffee shop to grab a coffee to go. But something was different that particular morning. As I ordered my coffee the barista leaned to grab the to-go cup, and in that moment I brought confusion into the situation. I asked very politely “could I please have my coffee in a normal to-go cup and not a rainbow one?” After a look of confusion mixed with unbelief, I was walking away flat white in hand.
Why am I telling you this? I’m telling you this story because it’s an illustration of how tolerance is on the decline!
In recent years the LGBT community has become more outspoken, we now have ‘pride month’. A month where companies change their logo to include the rainbow (not with the same meaning as Genesis 9). A month where coffee shops change their to-go cups. A month where the LGBT community is celebrated and presented everywhere.
A whole month where the LGBT agenda is celebrated by society and you cannot stand or say anything against it. To speak out leads to interesting conversations like I had that day with the barista, at best. Today the topic of sexuality has become absolutely taboo, if you disagree with the LGBT community. If you do not hold the same understanding and conviction then you’re ridiculed, called names and declared a hater.
But there should be a recognition that not everyone agrees with the LGBT agenda. To ignore it whilst trying to silence those voices corrodes any idea of tolerance and free speech.
Christians do not disagree because we are filled with hate, it is not because we think certain people are evil and it is not because we think that we are better than anyone else. Christians don’t agree because we hold the Bible as God’s Word and authority over our churches and lives. We don’t agree because we understand that the whole of humanity is broken and living in rebellion against God and His created order. We don’t agree because we believe that God gifted sex and marriage to the world with a plan and a purpose.
LGBT websites such as charities, trusts and foundations all say that they are inclusive, loving and want to enable everyone. That might be true, but only if you agree with their worldview. I understand that it can be a difficult topic because many people base their identity on their sexual preferences, but to silence people because of that is not right.
I’ve sat with teenagers who have lamented over the fact that their schools push the LGBT agenda and neglect anything that is different. One teen said this “it’s as if you only have a voice if you’re in their community and if you agree 100%. If you don’t agree then you’re cast out and treated like a nobody”.
How did we come to this stage? A movement which promotes ‘inclusivity’ will only include you if you agree. If you do not agree then you’re labelled a bigot, a hater of love and an evil person. I absolutely understand that the world and the church have done some very harmful things in the past to the LGBT community, we must admit our faults and our wrong doings.
But the problem goes beyond just the LGBT community. Now free speech is at stake, people are trying to trip up ministers and churches with their words. Christians are the targets of ridicule and loaded questioning. Christians are being bullied because we aren’t confirming to what the world thinks is right. It has gotten to the point where some people are reluctant to say anything against this shift in society for fear of loosing their job or friends. Today it seems that people are only free to speak if they agree on the topic of sexuality and identity.
It has gone so far now that some non-Christians, who don’t hold the same convictions that Christians do, wonder why the LGBT agenda is almost being forced on people. If a Christian group were as outspoken I doubt that the outcome would be the same. I doubt I’ll see the day that companies add the cross to their logo, or that a bus company has a special Easter and Christmas bus. I doubt I’ll see the day when the average Christian feels able to speak up about their views on sex, marriage and identity without being mocked and ridiculed by the world.
Christians are not perfect. We are all sexual sinner, we all need Jesus and we all need to deny ourselves take up our cross and follow Him. Christians are no better than the rest of the world, but we have a message of hope and reconciliation that we want to tell the world about.
The only charge that should be able to be brought against the Christian is that we are Christians. The gospel will offend people, we should not share it in an offensive manner. We should not be silent about the Biblical understanding of sexuality and identity but we should stand firm and point people to Christ.
Chalmers' Blog 
The end indeed is drawing nigh! God will always deliver His own from destruction.
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We are to live with the expectation that Christ will return and have confidence in the fact that our future is secure in Christ. But I fail to see what that has to do with this topic, could you elaborate?
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Well said. ✅
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they ask us to be tolerant .. but if it is something we do not agree with and we ask for something else ..without insulting their way of life and they have NO TOLERANCE for us …. hmmm ….. wonder why they say we are the ones who are racist and not tolerant
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Well-said. We have entered into the looking glass, where words mean the mirror image of what we expect.
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There is no “LGBT Agenda” that is a myth. I also find it interesting how you present this as if there are only two options: For LGBT or For God. But the truth is there is a 3rd option that you neglected to mention. That is that we can love God and love the LGBT community. I also find it interesting that one quote from your own article disproves your own theory. You said “understand that it can be a difficult topic because many people base their identity on their sexual preferences, but to silence people because of that is not right.” So, you just said “to silence people is not right” Yet you are perfectly willing to silence the freedom of the LGBT community. Who….if you know the LGBT history has been abused and silenced by people (especially Christians) for generations. Did you knoe there are gay churches? Yes people who love the Lord and are gay? Yes, I am very well aware of the few scriptures that mention homosexuality in certain translations. So for all the people who are reading this and now want to bombard me w scripture I promise my professors did a great job of that when teaching me Hebrew and Greek in seminary. I simply have a broken heart for the LGBT community. How do we expect to have had generations if sexual abuse go on and be hidden in families yet have no consequence for those “secret sins”. I did my dissertation in seminary on homosexiality and the Bible and I found that 80% of homosexuals (back in 2006) had been molested by a same sex adult when they were a child. So how does the christian community help those children who grow up with those desires that were forced on them as children. We reject them. We tell them they are going to hell, and we punish them with articles like this one. Yes there are a few verses in the bible that address homosexuality. However there are at least 106 verses that tell us to love our neighbor. Love our enemies. Love everyone. So in my view love is the more important verses for we believers to focus on. Not to mention the at least 37 verses that command us to “judge not”. Yes I am straight. But I have enough security in who I am in Christ that carrying around a rainbow coffee cup wouldn’t phase me. I mean seriously. And the worst phrase used in this article is “LGBT Agenda” that is a term only used by ultra conservative people who hate LGBT people and think they are better than they are. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. There is no agenda. There is no secret meetings. There is no “gay membership card”. All those types of stereotypes just encourage hate and exclusion. How about instead of judgement and pointing out others we all love one another and live humbly before God. Grasp the true meaning of Gods Grace. And start living out radical Christ like love!! Because thats the only thing that will really change the world.
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Thanks Dawn,
I am not saying that the LGBT community should be silenced at all, I am saying that there is an imbalance where they are pushing their views on others and anyone who speaks out is called a bigot and unloving.
I am also not saying that we should not love the LGBT community. We should love every person because they are made in the image of God and are His creatures. But to love someone doesn’t mean that we let sin go unmentioned does it?
I disagree about your argument that there is no LGBT agenda. It is being pushed in school and universities and children are being told that they can choose their own gender. There is an outcry when teachers speak about Christianity and yet this worldview is facing little opposition in the secular world.
Many people in the LGBT community are hurting, I know that, which is why we need to present them with Christ and the gospel. He is the only one who can give them the help and comfort that they really need! We are called to love people and we should do that, but I don’t see how simply discussing this topic is not loving someone.
Yes, there are gay churches and people who believe that it is ok to be gay. However, I think that is a misinterpretation of Scripture. How we deal with that when it comes to caring for the person is very tricky and it should all be done in love. Therefore, Christians need to be able to speak about this.
I’m not sure where you live, but if you’re ever in Edinburgh I’d love to continue this conversation in person over a coffee.
Thanks
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I TOTALLY AGREE! Why should these DEVIANTS have their sinful gay pride when we can’t have STRAIGHT pride without the loony left shouting filthy insults at us? WE are the oppressed ones here. What about MALE pride? What about WHITE pride? Remember, my brother, it is MEN (REAL MEN) who are ordained by GOD to lead others and teach them right from wrong. If we don’t stand up for the straight white male then who will?
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Hi Christian,
The point is not to attack homosexuals, our goal as Christians should be being the best friends, family members, neighbours and church that thy have ever encountered. That means that we share the truth with them in love and stand firm on what the Bible teaches. But it does not mean that we hate them.
What do you mean by ‘real men’?
What does the colour of a person’s skin have to do with this topic at all?
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