{"id":21126,"date":"2021-06-03T14:01:14","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T19:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/?page_id=21126"},"modified":"2021-09-20T14:23:43","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T19:23:43","slug":"unlearning-christian-homophobia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlearning Christian Homophobia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_section][vc_row css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1614707577274{margin-top: 40px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column][vc_raw_html el_id=&#8221;branch-edits&#8221;]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[\/vc_raw_html][vc_row_inner el_id=&#8221;intro-image&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;custom-image&#8221;][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJiZWhpbmQlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=[\/vc_raw_html][vc_single_image image=&#8221;21130&#8243; img_size=&#8221;1200&#215;600&#8243;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;60px&#8221; el_class=&#8221;display-none&#8221;][vc_column_text]<span class=\"author vcard\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/author\/adam-ericksen\">Adam Ericksen<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dark-green-text font-weight-bold letter-space-1 fdp pl-4\">Introduction: Unlearning Christian Homophobia<\/h2>\n<div class=\"pl-4 mt-4 padding-right-10 border-mobile-green\" style=\"border-left: 30px solid #68cdb6;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people claim that Christians who are open and affirming of our LGBTQIA siblings are so <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in spite<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of what the Bible says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That is false. We are open and affirming <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">because<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of what the Bible says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This in-depth resource will go over some of the passages in the Bible used to harm and exclude our LGBTQIA siblings. Throughout this article you will discover how the Bible naturally leads Christians to be open and affirming.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this guide, we will explore the following topics:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>The Radical Inclusion of the Early Church<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sodom and Gomorrah Is Not about Homosexaulity<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>What about Leviticus? Part 1: Temple Prostitution<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>What About Leviticus? Part 2: My Bacon-Eating and Polyester-Wearing Lifestyle Is a Choice<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Did Jesus Believe Marriage Is Between a Man and a Woman?<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Romans 1 Does Not Condemn LGBTQ Folks. But Romans 2 Does Condemn Judging LGBTQ Folks.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>The Misuse of Paul, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, and the Heterosexual Agenda<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>The Biblical Rainbow Is the Perfect Symbol for the LGBTQ Community<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section el_id=&#8221;color-section&#8221;][vc_row css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1616412060758{margin-top: 40px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1616152096398{background-image: url(https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/0c0caab3a0b06f49d1f4e4069f7acecc-e1562958862845.jpg?id=21054) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1622748654435{padding-top: 30px !important;}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"font-weight-bold letter-space-1 fdp pl-4\" style=\"color: #fff;\">Let&#8217;s Begin<\/h2>\n<div class=\"pl-4 mt-4 padding-right-10 border-mobile-white\" style=\"border-left: 30px solid #fff;\">\n<p style=\"color: #fff;\">Let\u2019s start with the early church in the book of Acts, where we will find God\u2019s radically inclusive nature.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;icon-box&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-angle-double-right&#8221; color=&#8221;white&#8221; link=&#8221;url:%23Unlearning1|title:The%20Radical%20Inclusion%20of%20the%20Early%20Church&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a class=\"fdp\" style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"#Unlearning1\">The Radical Inclusion of the Early Church<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;icon-box&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-angle-double-right&#8221; color=&#8221;white&#8221; link=&#8221;url:%23Unlearning2|title:Sodom%20and%20Gomorrah%20Is%20Not%20about%20Homosexuality&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a class=\"fdp\" style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"#Unlearning2\">Sodom and Gomorrah Is Not about Homosexuality<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;icon-box&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-angle-double-right&#8221; color=&#8221;white&#8221; link=&#8221;url:%23Unlearning3|title:What%20about%20Leviticus%3F%20Part%201%3A%20Temple%20Prostitution&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a class=\"fdp\" style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"#Unlearning3\">What about Leviticus? Part 1: Temple Prostitution<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;icon-box&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-angle-double-right&#8221; color=&#8221;white&#8221; link=&#8221;url:%23Unlearning4|title:What%20About%20Leviticus%3F%20Part%202%3A%20My%20Bacon-Eating%20and%20Polyester-Wearing%20Lifestyle%20Is%20a%20Choice&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a class=\"fdp\" style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"#Unlearning4\">What About Leviticus? Part 2: My Bacon-Eating and Polyester-Wearing Lifestyle Is a Choice<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;icon-box&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-angle-double-right&#8221; color=&#8221;white&#8221; link=&#8221;url:%23|title:Subsequent%20Link&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a class=\"fdp\" style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"#Unlearning5\">Did Jesus Believe Marriage Is Between a Man and a Woman?<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;icon-box&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-angle-double-right&#8221; color=&#8221;white&#8221; link=&#8221;url:%23|title:Subsequent%20Link&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a class=\"fdp\" style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"#Unlearning6\">Romans 1 Does Not Condemn LGBTQ Folks. But Romans 2 Does Condemn Judging LGBTQ Folks.<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;icon-box&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-angle-double-right&#8221; color=&#8221;white&#8221; link=&#8221;url:%23|title:Subsequent%20Link&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a class=\"fdp\" style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"#Unlearning7\">The Misuse of Paul, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, and the Heterosexual Agenda<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;icon-box&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/4&#8243;][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-angle-double-right&#8221; color=&#8221;white&#8221; link=&#8221;url:%23|title:Subsequent%20Link&#8221;][vc_column_text]<a class=\"fdp\" style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"#Unlearning8\">The Biblical Rainbow Is the Perfect Symbol for the LGBTQ Community<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section el_id=&#8221;accordion-section&#8221;][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html el_id=&#8221;branch-edits&#8221;]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[\/vc_raw_html][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;40px&#8221;][vc_row_inner css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1614701118693{margin-top: 60px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;custom-image&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJiZWhpbmQlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=[\/vc_raw_html][vc_single_image image=&#8221;21127&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;mt-m-20&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Unlearning1\" class=\"dark-green-text font-weight-bold letter-space-1 fdp\"><b>Part 1: The Radical Inclusion of the Early Church<\/b><\/h2>\n<div class=\"mt-4 padding-right-10\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What was the biggest controversy during the first few years of the church?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Was it the divinity of Christ? Or was the Trinity? Or maybe it was which books should be included in the Bible?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Actually, it was none of those. The biggest controversy during the first few years of the church created the first big split in Christian history, and that controversy was over who was included and who was excluded.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first followers of Jesus were Jews. And they had the mark to prove it. One of the most important laws in the Jewish scriptures is found in Genesis 17:10, where the law clearly says, \u201cEvery male among you must be circumcised.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was no wiggle room. The law clearly said what it said. If anyone male wanted to join the people of God, that male had to cut off part of his manhood. And if they didn\u2019t, they were \u201cGentiles\u201d and cut off from full participation in the religion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This law created the first major controversy in Christian history. There were those who demanded that every male follow the law that demanded circumcision. There were others who said that Gentiles didn\u2019t need to follow that law.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the circumcision law was a stumbling block for many Gentiles in the first few years of the church. After all, the law clearly says you had to be circumcised in order to be included&#8230;but really, who wants to do that?!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s where <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=103728850\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acts 10<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> comes in. The apostle Peter had a vision while he was on a roof. He saw a sheet coming down from heaven with many animals that, according to Biblical Law, were unclean. Peter wasn\u2019t even allowed to touch those animals. But he heard God say to him, \u201cGet up, Peter; kill and eat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peter replied, \u201cBy no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peter was being a good follower of the dietary laws. But God was changing Peter\u2019s understanding of the law.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">God said to Peter, \u201cWhat God has made clean, you must not call profane.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was a shocking transformation of Peter\u2019s understanding of the law. He lived his whole life observing the law, and now God told him that the law was\u2026wrong. Peter couldn\u2019t believe it, so God had to repeat it three times.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Peter woke up from his vision, he realized that the message wasn\u2019t merely about eating bacon. (Thank God for bacon!) It was about the law and the Gentiles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After his vision, a group of men met Peter and took him to a Gentile\u2019s house named Cornelius.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When he entered Cornelius\u2019s house, Peter said that it was unlawful for him to be in a house with a bunch of Gentiles, but then <\/span><b>he flipped the script of Biblical Law forever, \u201cbut God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was the biggest controversy in the early church. Many claimed that Gentiles needed to follow the law and get circumcised, or they would be profane and unclean.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But Peter\u2019s vision won the day. Those who insisted that Gentiles had to follow the Law and cut off part of their identity were backsliders because they continued to call Gentiles unclean and profane despite this new vision from God.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They were wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Because God has shown us all that we should not call anyone profane or unclean.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you identify as LGBTQIA, you do not have to cut off any part of your sexuality or identity to be a Christian or a member of the church. We know this because the book of Acts opens the doors of the church to all people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are not profane and you are not unclean. Nobody should call you that because you are a holy and beloved child of God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anyone who says that you need to repent and change your sexuality or identity as an LGBTQ person because according to the \u201cLaw\u201d you are profane or unclean is backsliding from the Christian message.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s because the Christian message, the Good News, is this: You are loved just as you are and just as you are becoming.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT12\">Adam explains why LGBTQIA folks are included in the Church in this TikTok video.\u00a0<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Unlearning2\">Part 2: Sodom and Gomorrah Is Not about Homosexuality<\/h2>\n<p>(TRIGGER WARNING \u2013 The Sodom and Gomorrah story isn\u2019t about our LGBTQIA siblings. It\u2019s about rape.)<\/p>\n<p>The Sodom and Gomorrah story has nothing to do with homosexuality. It is not about a \u201chomosexual act.\u201d That story is about heterosexual men wanting to gang rape other men.<\/p>\n<p>The story goes like this: two angels enter the city of Sodom. A man named Lot invited them into his house. Lot did the right thing \u2013 he showed these strangers hospitality. He gave them a feast and they ate together.<\/p>\n<p>But then all \u201cthe men of Sodom, both young and old\u201d surrounded Lot\u2019s house and demanded that Lot open his door so that the men could \u201cknow\u201d the two angelic men.<\/p>\n<p>Every middle schooler is aware that to \u201cknow\u201d in the biblical sense is to have sex with someone. But what happens in the Sodom story is *not* homosexuality. It is not about two men in a committed same sex relationship based on love.<\/p>\n<p>Sodom and Gomorrah is a story about men demanding to have nonconsensual sex with strangers. In other words, it\u2019s about rape.<\/p>\n<p>And rape is an abomination. It is a violent abuse of power. The men of Sodom had a wicked desire to humiliate these strangers by raping them, thus showing these strangers that the men of Sodom were the boss of their town.<\/p>\n<p>The sin of Sodom was not about homosexuality as we know it in the modern world. The sin of Sodom is much more like modern prison gang rape.<\/p>\n<p>The prophet Ezekiel wrote about the sin of Sodom and her daughter Gomorrah. Interestingly, Ezekiel never mentions anything about sex \u2013 homosexuality as an orientation wasn\u2019t even on Ezekiel\u2019s radar when discussing the sin of Sodom.<\/p>\n<p>Ezekiel wrote that Sodom \u201cand her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen\u201d (16:49-50)<\/p>\n<p>The warning of the Sodom and Gomorrah story has nothing to do with homosexuality. The story never mentions two men living in a committed same sex relationship. It\u2019s about the men of Sodom refusing to show hospitality to strangers and refusing to meet the needs of the poor and the marginalized.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the story of Sodom is a warning. It tells us that when we unite against vulnerable people we are going against the will of God.<\/p>\n<p>Our LGBTQ siblings are vulnerable. If they are anyone in the Sodom and Gomorrah story, they are the angels in our midst.<\/p>\n<p>When Christians misuse this story as yet another way to unite against our LGBTQ siblings, we are the ones acting like a bunch of Sodomites.<\/p>\n<p>Christians who misuse this story by making it against our LGBTQ siblings need to repent. Otherwise, Christianity will deservedly go the way of Sodom and Gomorrah.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT6\">Adam discusses why Sodom and Gomorrah isn&#8217;t about homosexuality on TikTok.<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1614781813654{margin-top: 90px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;mt-m-20&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Unlearning3\">Part 3: What about Leviticus? &#8211; Part 1 &#8211; Temple Prostitution<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many Christians point to Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 as evidence that the law claims homosexual acts are sinful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But as we saw in part 2 with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Bible never has in mind two men or two women living in a same-sex committed relationship in mind when it talks about same-sex acts. The Bible never refers to two people of the same gender living together in a committed relationship. The Bible\u2019s only understanding of same-sex acts are acts that are not done with love behind them, but with abuse.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;custom-image&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJiZWhpbmQlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=[\/vc_raw_html][vc_single_image image=&#8221;21132&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s true for these passages in Leviticus. Take\u00a0 verse 18:22, for example. The verse right before states this, \u201cYou shall not give any of your offspring to sacrifice them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, Leviticus chapter 18 begins by warning the people to \u201cnot do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the land of Egypt and Canaan, the people practiced male cultic prostitution. Men had sex with men in the temples as an act of worship. God is telling men to not have sex with other men in the Temple.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We actually know from 1 Kings 14:24 says, \u201cthere were also male Temple prostitutes in the land. They committed all the abominations of the nations that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s the point: We know that the Bible never explicitly refers to homosexuality as we understand it. That is, the Bible never refers to two men or two women living in a same sex committed relationship. The Bible only talks about same sex relationships in one of two ways &#8211; either gang rape (as in Sodom and Gomorrah) or as male temple prostitution, as in Leviticus and 1 Kings.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1614781813654{margin-top: 90px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;mt-m-20&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJiZWhpbmQlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=[\/vc_raw_html][vc_single_image image=&#8221;21136&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;custom-image&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Unlearning4\">Part 4: What About Leviticus? Part 2: My Bacon Eating and Polyester Wearing Lifestyle Is a Choice<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019d like to make a confession.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I eat bacon. I also eat shrimp. One of my favorite things ever is shrimp wrapped in bacon!!!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And I wear garments made of different materials. (Polyester!?! Oh the shame!)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, as a pastor, I have even brought these things into the House of the Lord. (Mmm\u2026God\u2026bacon\u2026and coffee\u2026)<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Leviticus, God does not approve of my bacon eating, polyester wearing lifestyles. I am living in violation of \u201cclear\u201d Biblical teachings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh sure. Sometimes I try to find all kinds of loopholes and excuses to, you know, \u201cjustify\u201d my bacon eating and polyester wearing lifestyles, but the Bible is \u201cclear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, nobody is demanding that I repent from my bacon eating, polyester wearing lifestyle\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s my confession: I 100% do not care about those passages in Leviticus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, Jesus never quoted those passages in Leviticus. Nor did he quote another passage in Leviticus that many like to bring up to condemn our LGBTQ siblings. He didn\u2019t seem to care about those passages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you know what passage in Leviticus Jesus did care about?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLove your neighbor as yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, go ahead. You boldly eat that slice of bacon. You confidently wear that polyester. If you are an LGBTQ person, live proudly into your God-given identity. For God loves you just as you are and just as you are becoming.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m off to eat some bacon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"TT3\">Adam discusses Leviticus in these TikTok videos.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT3\">Leviticus Pt. 1 &#8211; Picking and Choosing like Jesus<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"TT4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT4\">How Homophobia picks and chooses from Leviticus<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"TT5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT5\">Leviticus is not about Homosexuality<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"TT7\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT6\">Leviticus 20:13 is not about Homosexuality<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Unlearning5\">Part 5: Did Jesus Believe Marriage Is Between a Man and a Woman? (Matthew 19)<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some Christians claim that God\u2019s design for marriage is between one man and one woman because the Bible says so and Jesus backs it up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Matthew 19, some of Jesus\u2019 opponents come to him and ask him if it\u2019s lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The question of divorce was a big issue in Jesus\u2019 day, as it is in ours. Jesus actually was pretty conservative on this point. There were some who said that a man should never get a divorce and others who said a man could get a divorce if his wife burnt his toast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a patriarchal society, women were largely dependent upon men for survival. Either a father, brother, son, or a husband had to provide for the women in his family. A husband had to care for his wife, or his wife would be left vulnerable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jesus referred to the Genesis creation account to make his point. God made them \u201cmale and female,\u201d and \u201cFor this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some Christians quote this passage as if it is a law for all people and for all time. Thus, marriage is between one man and one woman.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem is that the Bible doesn\u2019t treat this passage in Genesis as a law. And neither did Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s start with the Bible. After this statement was given in Genesis 2:24, some of the most faithful and important people in the Bible quickly decided they didn\u2019t want to follow it. Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon are all heroes of the Bible, but none of them took this passage literally. They did not believe in one man and one woman. They believed in one man and many women. And not all of the women were their wives! They had sex out of marriage with their concubines!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And God never calls that sinful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But more to the point for Christians is that Jesus didn\u2019t treat Genesis 2:24 as a law. That passage states that \u201ca man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife&#8230;\u201d If we interpret that statement as a law against gay marriage, then we have to be consistent and treat it as a law for all people. Notice that the verse doesn\u2019t say, \u201cIf a man wants to get married, he will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife&#8230;\u201d There is no conditional clause. It says a man will leave his parents and join his wife.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But there is a problem. Namely, according to the Gospels, Jesus never got married. Jesus came to fulfill the law. But he never fulfilled this marriage law. Why? Because it\u2019s not a law for all people and for all time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul says that it is better for men to not get married at all! In fact, you should only get married if you are weak and can\u2019t control your sexual urges. So, if we were to follow Paul\u2019s marriage ethic, marriage would be shunned and only weaklings who couldn\u2019t control themselves would get married.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Old Testament, Jesus, and Paul knew that Genesis 2:24 was not a law. There are circumstances when men and women shouldn\u2019t marry each other, especially when those men or women are gay or lesbian.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT8\">Adam explains 1 man and 1 woman isn&#8217;t a law (Genesis 2) in this TikTok video.<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1614781813654{margin-top: 90px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;mt-m-20&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Unlearning6\">Part 6: Romans 1 Does Not Condemn LGBTQ Folks. But Romans 2 Does Condemn Judging LGBTQ Folks.<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you use Romans 1 to condemn homosexuality, you are wrong and you need to repent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And you need to read Romans 2.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First some background. Romans was written for two audiences \u2013 Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians living in Rome. Romans 1 describes things that Gentiles do. Romans 2 was written to teach Jewish Christians how to react to the Gentiles.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;custom-image&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJiZWhpbmQlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=[\/vc_raw_html][vc_single_image image=&#8221;21133&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s start with Romans 1. Since many who use Romans 1 as a reason to condemn homosexuality think they are reading this passage \u201cliterally,\u201d let\u2019s keep with a literal reading of the text. Paul wrote that Gentile<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c\u2026 women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take this literally. In Paul\u2019s day, there were women and men who gave up *natural* intercourse with the opposite gender for unnatural intercourse with the same gender.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Romans 1 has to say about homosexuality literally hinges on the word \u201cnatural.\u201d What if there are some men and women who *naturally* are oriented to be attracted to individuals of the same gender?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modern science tells us that there is a variant within nature, including human nature, of males and females who are naturally attracted to members of the same gender. And there are some who are naturally attracted to both genders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For these individuals to deny or suppress or go against their God-given nature by being with a member of the opposite gender would be to exchange what is natural for what is unnatural.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The message is a warning, \u201cDo not go against your God-given and natural sexuality. If you exchange what is natural for what is unnatural, you will have gone against who God naturally created you to be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But here\u2019s the thing: Even if you disagree with this argument about what Romans 1 literally says about nature, you need to read Romans 2. Romans 1 is a massive set up for Romans 2.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Romans 1 was written primarily to the Jewish Christians. It says, \u201cOh yes, you know that the Gentiles do all of these weird and nasty things. Some of them even give up their natural sexual desire for a woman and go off and have sexual relations with other men! Oh the shame!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those who want to condemn homosexuality because of Romans 1 generally do not quote Romans 2, so they miss Paul\u2019s major point. After Paul sets up the Jewish Christians as righteous in comparison with the Gentiles, he writes,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTherefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The word \u201cTherefore\u201d at the beginning of Romans 2 means that he is about to drop his conclusions about Romans 1. And Romans 2 says that anyone who uses Romans 1 to judge others is condemning themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter how you interpret Romans 1, if you use it in a way to condemn others, you need to repent. Because when you use Romans 1 to judge and condemn, you are judging and condemning yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Adam addresses this topic in TikTok videos.<\/p>\n<p id=\"TT1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT1\">Romans 1 is a setup for Romans 2. Don&#8217;t fall for it.<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"TT2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT2\">Romans 1 and natural homosexuality<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"TT2.5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT2.5\">Romans 1 is not about homosexuality<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Unlearning7\">Part 7: The Misuse of Paul, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, and the Heterosexual Agenda<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many times did Paul use the word \u201chomosexual\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The answer is zero. As in 0. Nada. Zilch. Nunca. Never.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, in its original languages, the Bible never uses the word \u201chomosexual.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s because the term didn\u2019t exist at the time. It was first coined in the 19<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> century.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many like to quote a modern translation of the Bible that uses the term homosexual. But these translations are not based on a literal reading of the original words Paul used. They are based on the translators\u2019 interpretation. And every translation has an agenda.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, the New International Version quotes Paul as writing,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDo not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God\u201d (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, NIV).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The original language Paul used was Greek. Again, he never once used the Greek word \u201chomosexual.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The important Greek words that he did use were \u201cmalakoi\u201d and \u201carsenokoitai.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Malakoi refers to \u201csoftness.\u201d A couch can be soft, and apparently, someone from the male gender can also be soft. The NIV translates malakoi as \u201cmale prostitutes.\u201d The male prostitute was \u201csoft\u201d because he took the passive role in sexual relations with other men.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paul made up the word arsenokoitai. It was never used before Paul in any writing of the ancient world. It comes from two Greek words that mean \u201cman\u201d and \u201cbed.\u201d Paul did not define the meaning of this term. It is generally agreed upon by scholars that when it came to same sex activity, the arsenokoitai took the more active role. The NIV chooses to translate this word as \u201chomosexual offenders.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conservative and liberal scholars both say there has been a lot of debate about what these words actually mean.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If, in God\u2019s providence, God wanted to make sure that we knew homosexuality was a sin, God would have inspired Paul to coin the word \u201chomosexuality\u201d instead of arsenokoitai. Then God would have clearly defined the word through Paul as \u201ctwo men or two women living in a same-sex committed relationship.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But neither Paul nor God defined the term arsenokoitai.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good news is that we know about certain sexual practices that were common in the ancient Roman world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, and this is no surprise to you, there were men who married women. Today, we would call these men heterosexuals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here comes the surprise: these heterosexual men frequently kept a boy in their house to use for their own sexual gratification. These boys were sex slaves. The men who owned these slaves were the arsenokoitai. They took the active role in the sexual encounter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were also other boys in the ancient Roman Empire who were male prostitutes and frequently offered their services at Roman temple cults. These boys, along with the sex slaves, were the \u201cmalakoi.\u201d\u00a0 They took the passive role in the sexual encounter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It should be clear that Paul was not at all referring to homosexuality when he used the terms \u201cmalakoi\u201d and \u201carsenokoitai.\u201d He was referring to male prostitution and to heterosexual males who sexually abused younger males.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does this have to do with the heterosexual agenda?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every translation of the Bible is an interpretation. And every interpretation of the Bible has an agenda. Sometimes those agendas are conscious and sometimes they are unconscious. But we need to be clear about those agendas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A translation of the Bible that uses the term \u201chomosexual\u201d in a negative light has a heterosexual agenda. This agenda falsely interprets the Bible as divine justification to define heterosexuality as good and holy by defining homosexuality as bad and sinful. But the original cultural context and languages of the Bible do not allow for the interpretation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s true that every interpretation of the Bible has an agenda. Our agenda should be the same agenda Jesus had, \u201cLove God and love your neighbor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paul\u2019s agenda was to name the abuse of sexual slavery and sexual abuse by heterosexuals as a sin because it does not follow Jesus\u2019 command to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To be clear, the \u201cmalakoi\u201d and \u201carsenokoitai\u201d relationship had nothing to do with two men living in a committed same gender relationship. Instead, that relationship had everything to do with sexual abuse of a heterosexual male against another male, usually a much younger male. According to Paul, that abusive behavior needed to stop. And a culture that encouraged boys to resort to sexual slavery or temple prostitution in order to survive needed to change.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Paul, that cultural change was happening within the church. He wanted the church to be a place where people stopped abusing one another and started caring for one another.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I agree with that sentiment 100%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ravenfoundation.org\/unlearning-christian-homophobia\/#TT11\">Adam explains\u00a0Paul and Arsenokoitai (1 COR &amp; 1 TIM)in a TikTok video.<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1614701118693{margin-top: 60px !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;custom-image&#8221; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwY2xhc3MlM0QlMjJiZWhpbmQlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=[\/vc_raw_html][vc_single_image image=&#8221;21134&#8243; img_size=&#8221;full&#8221;][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner el_class=&#8221;mt-m-20&#8243; width=&#8221;1\/2&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"Unlearning8\">Part 8: The Biblical Rainbow Is the Perfect Symbol for the LGBTQ Community<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The LGBTQ community has every right to claim the rainbow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some religious folks are utterly offended that the LGBTQ community has identified with the rainbow. They claim that the rainbow belongs to Christians and how dare LGBTQ folks steal it from us!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But here\u2019s the thing: The Biblical rainbow doesn\u2019t belong solely to Christians. The rainbow belongs to all of humanity, but especially to those who suffer violence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, the rainbow belongs to the LGBTQ community and they have every right to claim it.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem in Genesis is that \u201cthe earth was corrupt in God\u2019s sight, and the earth was filled with violence\u201d (6:11). People were killing one another, and the violence escalated to apocalyptic proportions. God regretted making humans because they were violent, so God flooded the earth, killing everyone except for Noah, his family, and some animals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the flood, God had a change of heart. People began to populate the earth again, and they continued to act violently. But God promised to never violently flood the earth again, and God set the rainbow in the sky as a promise to \u201call flesh\u201d to never flood the earth (9:17). The rainbow is a sign that \u201call flesh\u201d is saved from God\u2019s flood of violence. God will never do that again to any flesh, including LGBTQ flesh.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tragically, the divine promise of the rainbow doesn\u2019t save us from the violence we continue to inflict upon one another. Even worse, a certain brand of Christianity is relentlessly violent in words and actions toward the LGBTQ community. These Christians need to follow God\u2019s rainbow promise and stop being violent toward any flesh, including LGBTQ flesh.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, if you identify as LGBTQ, you have every right to proclaim the rainbow. It was made for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conclusion: Living in the Spirit<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Second Corinthians 3:2-6, Paul gives some instructions for how to live in the new realm that Christ inaugurated. He wrote this:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are the letter, \u201cto be known and read by all.\u201d This is not a letter written in stone that can never be changed. Rather, it is a letter written on your heart by the Spirit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The letter in your heart leads to a new covenant. Jesus made a new covenant when he said to his disciples in John 13:34-35, \u201cI give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jesus\u2019 new covenant and his new commandment are intimately connected. The new covenant is for all people and it is based on one command: love.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The early church, along with Paul, saw that the new covenant was meant for everyone. Despite what the letter of the law says, Gentiles were welcomed into the early church community as they were &#8211; as Gentiles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To go by the letter of the law would have led to death, exclusion, and killing. But the Spirit of radical inclusion and love leads to life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s the key to understanding not only Paul, but the entire Bible. In this passage, Paul gives us instructions for how to understand not only the Bible, but also God. God is the Spirit and the Spirit only gives life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to our LGBTQ siblings and Christianity, the fundamental question we need to ask is whether our interpretation of our sacred texts and our traditions lead to life or if they lead to death. If they lead to death, then we need to reinterpret.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why? Because the Spirit only gives life.\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator][vc_column_text]<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further Reading<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/matthewvines.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Jesus and the Gay Christian<\/em> &#8211; Matthew Vines<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/awab.org\/changing-our-mind\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Changing our Mind<\/em> &#8211; David Gushee<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/austenhartke.com\/book\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Transforming<\/em> &#8211; Austen Hartke<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.forgivingvictim.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Jesus the Forgiving Victim<\/em>\u00a0 &#8211; James Alison<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pathway-book-service-cart.mypinnaclecart.com\/pathway-catalog\/jesus-the-forgiving-victim-ppb\/\">essays<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/forgivingvictim.com\/store\/\">online course<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_single_image image=&#8221;20081&#8243; alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While some Christians uses passages in the Bible used to harm and exclude our LGBTQIA siblings, Pastor Adam Ericksen reveals how the Bible naturally leads Christians to be open and affirming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":21130,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-no-related-posts.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4457,4328,14,4582],"tags":[1304,3041,1363,548,1319,4218,55,365,1615],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - 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