The articles below are from a wide variety of sectors and publications, organized generally into three categories. They are presented in aggregate, not necessarily endorsed.
If you see an article that you think should be featured in future CBMW news roundups, you can send it to: [email protected] with the subject “News Roundup.”
Azusa Pacific Removes Ban on LGBTQ+ Relationships, Creates Program for Students, ZU Media (Micaela Ricaforte and Brenda Covarrubias)
“Effective this fall 2018 semester, Azusa Pacific removed language from its student standard of conduct agreement that prohibited public LGBTQ+ relationships for students on campus. As an evangelical institution, APU still adheres to the Biblical principles of human sexuality—the belief that “sexual union is intended by God to take place only within the marriage covenant between a man and a woman” and it remains a cornerstone of the university’s foundation.”
The #MeToo Movement Has Educated Pastors. And Left Them with More Questions., Christianity Today (Bob Smietana)
“More pastors say they are addressing these issues from the pulpit. Still, half say they lack training in how to address sexual and domestic violence.”
The Tiny Blond Bible Teacher Taking on the Evangelical Political Machine, The Atlantic (Emma Green)
“Beth Moore grew her flock by teaching scripture to women—and being deferential to men. Now her outspokenness on sexism could cost her everything.”
English bishops: a quiet and unnoticed scandal, Christian Today (David Baker)
“The announcement that Philip Mounstephen, who currently heads the Church Mission Society (CMS), is to be the next Bishop of Truro has generally been reckoned as good news for evangelicals in the Church of England….But amid all the rightful praise, an awkward question was posed in one of the online discussion groups of which I am a member. And the query was simply this: ‘Is he a complementarian?’”
Kavanaugh accuser will testify in open hearing on Thursday, CNN (Eli Watkins, Gloria Borger, and Manu Raju)
“Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford said in a statement on Sunday that she has committed to testifying in an open hearing on Thursday about her allegation of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.”
Pediatricians’ Group Urges Acceptance of Children’s Preferred Gender, National Review (Mairead McArdle)
“The American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines on Monday urging parents to accept the preferred gender identity of their children. In a policy statement entitled “Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents,” the group recommended “gender-affirming” health care for minors who do not identify with their birth sex. In some cases, this includes “surgical intervention,” as well as using gonadotrophin-releasing hormones to delay puberty up to age 16 and prevent the development of some sex characteristics, such as breasts and a deeper voice.”
Our Infertile Future, Institute for Family Studies (Melissa Langsam Braunstein)
“While most Americans were busy enjoying the lazy days of August, The New York Times ran an article that should have caused a civilizational earthquake. In our post-Puritanical era, when casual discussions of sex are ubiquitous, a troubling number of young people lack any real understanding of their own fertility, setting up aspiring parents for potentially gratuitous difficulties when they’re eventually ready to start their own families.”
This demographic group earns more than any other, Fox Business (Brittany De Lea)
“Married men make higher salaries than single individuals of their own gender, and women, a new study showed.”
When Grandparents Divorce, Everyone Hurts, Institute for Family Studies (Scott Sibley)
“For the future of marriage and the strength of family relationships, each of us should be consciously aware of how our actions can impact future generations. May we stay committed to our own relationships and have the courage and foresight to strengthen our children so they are prepared for their own marriages.”
A Win for L.G.B.T. Rights in India, The New York Times (Editorial Board)
“So the recent groundbreaking, unanimous decision of the country’s top court to overturn a colonial-era ban on consensual gay sex was a welcome affirmation of human dignity.
“It was also proof of the power of the judiciary in a democracy — in this case, the world’s most populous democracy — to right wrongs that have long penalized, even terrorized, the most vulnerable members of society, wrongs that politicians would rather ignore.”
Hong Kong to allow dependent visa for same-sex couples after landmark ruling, Reuters (Anne Marie Roantree)
“Hong Kong said on Tuesday it will recognize overseas same-sex partnerships when granting dependent visas, more than two months after the city’s top court ruled that a British lesbian should be granted a spousal visa in a landmark judgment.”
Malaysia cannot accept same-sex marriage, says Mahathir, Reuters (A. Ananthalakshmi and Emily Chow)
“Malaysia cannot accept same-sex marriage or lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday, amid growing instances of persecution of LGBT community in the Muslim-majority country.”
Paul’s Understanding of Sexuality: μαλακοὶ and ἀρσενοκοῖται in 1 Cor 6:9, Gospel Reformation Network (Guy Waters)
“Paul’s teaching about same-sex sin in 1 Cor 6:9 is unflinching and unsparing. He allows us to make no compromises or truce with this or any other sin. But he does so in order that we would not wallow in the slough of sin but rather enter fully into the freedom that belongs to those who are ‘in Christ.’”
Revoice and the “Idolatry” of the Nuclear Family, Reformation21 (Richard D. Phillips)
“The PCA cannot afford either to endorse the Revoice message or even to stand by inactive as conferences like these are held in our churches.”
Modeling Manhood: From Homer to Paul, Crisis Magazine (Regis Nicoll)
“In Odysseus and Telemachus, masculinity is modeled by the courageous acceptance of duty. In Christ and Paul, that model is elevated to that of the servant-leader—the man who accepts his role as a leader and fulfills his responsibilities in humility and service.”
The Tears of Men: The Emotional Masculinity of Jesus and Saint Francis, Center for Biblical Equality (Mimi Haddad)
“Reading these words, I can’t help but think of the Christian leaders who claim that God designed specific ‘roles’ for us based on gender. For men, this means being strong, unemotional, rational, and a protector and provider. But is this uniformity what God asks of men? As Lewis observes, this approach better describes tyrants and conquerors than it does the saints. How easily we swallow the myth that “boys don’t cry,” forgetting that male saints, and Jesus himself, often failed to conform to the gender stereotypes of their (or our) day.”
Should I Attend the Wedding of a Couple Already Living Together?, Desiring God (John Piper)
“We have heterosexual friends who are getting married who are currently living together and sleeping together before marriage. I think we would attend this wedding without hesitation. But my question to you is this: Are we inconsistent to not attend a homosexual wedding because we do not affirm their sexual lifestyle, yet be willing to attend a heterosexual wedding of unbelievers whose lifestyle of premarital sex we also cannot affirm?”
Same sex relationships: Should we just agree to disagree?, ERLC (Sam Alberry)
“This is a gospel issue. When so-called evangelical leaders argue for affirmation of gay relationships in the church, I’m not saying they’re not my kind of evangelical, I’m saying they are no kind of evangelical.”
Gay Rights, Hate Speech, and Hospitality, Desiring God (Rosaria Butterfield)
“The best way for God’s people to say “no” to unbiblical reflections of personhood and intersectionality is to say “yes” to biblical hospitality. When you gather around the table with your perceived cultural enemy, not once, but weekly, you show that culture is not king. Jesus is. Ask good questions and listen to people’s answers. Perhaps you could start with this one: Do you believe that what is true determines what is ethical, or do you believe that what is ethical determines what is true?”
7 Ways to Navigate a Sexually Shifting Culture, The Gospel Coalition (Sam Alberry)
“We need to recognize the cost of discipleship for everyone. For many in our churches, the cost of discipleship for LGBT-background people looks cruel and unusual. I suspect in most cases that’s because we’re not counting the cost of discipleship in other areas of life. Jesus says all of us have to say a profound ‘no’ to some of our deepest longings and intuitions. That is discipleship. Jesus says it upfront; he doesn’t bury it in the small print. . . . The wonderful paradox of the Christian faith is that as we deny self we become our real selves.”
Affirmations and Denials on Gender and Ministry in the Church, The Gospel Coalition (Justin Taylor)
“This is a helpful set of affirmations and denials from The Village Church in Texas.”
The Gospel is Big Enough for Our Transgender Neighbors, The Village Church (Russell Moore)
“Our transgender neighbors aren’t enemies to be destroyed or ‘freaks.’ They are people created in the image of God, bearing heavy burdens, who we should walk alongside in love.”
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