One mission of CBMW is to help Christians think through secular and ecclesial trends on gender and sexuality. Through this work, we pore over a lot of different news reports and articles as we attempt to wade through the ceaseless flow of information on the web. In our weekly Gender and Sexuality News Roundups, we aim to distill some of the more pertinent information for you.
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.”
Abuse of Faith, Houston Chronicle (Robert Downen, Lise Olsen, and John Tedesco)
“In all, since 1998, roughly 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers have faced allegations of sexual misconduct, the newspapers found. That includes those who were convicted, credibly accused and successfully sued, and those who confessed or resigned. More of them worked in Texas than in any other state. They left behind more than 700 victims, many of them shunned by their churches, left to themselves to rebuild their lives. Some were urged to forgive their abusers or to get abortions. About 220 offenders have been convicted or took plea deals, and dozens of cases are pending. They were pastors. Ministers. Youth pastors. Sunday school teachers. Deacons. Church volunteers.”
Southern Baptists and the Scandal of Church Sexual Abuse, Russell Moore (Russell Moore)
“The report is alarming and scandalous, the courage and grace of these survivors is contrasted with the horrific depravity of those who would use the name of Jesus to prey on them.”
The Reality of Sexual Abuse Hits Home: What Happened? What Do We Do Now?, Albert Mohler (Albert Mohler)
“A heinous cloud hangs over the SBC. This unchecked pattern of sexual abuse comes like a deluge as scores of churches and denominational structures fail to protect its most vulnerable.”
All schools should encourage respect and LGBT acceptance, The Guardian (Fiyaz Mughal, et. al.)
“56 members or leaders of religion and belief groups, educationists, campaigners and school leaders warn the Department for Education against any dilution of LGBT advice in the independent school standards”
Methodist Madness, First Things (Charlotte Allen)
“Duke’s president, Vincent E. Price, joined the presidents of 92 other schools also claiming Methodist ties in voting unanimously on January 4 to endorse a statement that calls on the church to jettison a 1984 provision in its Book of Discipline (its rules for church governance) that bars ‘self-avowed practicing homosexuals’ from its ministry and forbids its clergy to perform same-sex weddings. It was a statement timed to precede—and influence—a special session of the UMC’s General Conference devoted exclusively to the church’s teachings on sex, scheduled for February 23–26 in St. Louis. The statement, from the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church, urges the UMC to honor ‘the past and current practices of inclusion by amending their policies and practices to affirm full inclusion in the life and ministry of the United Methodist Church of all persons regardless of their race, ethnicity, creed, national origin, gender, gender identity/expression or sexual orientation.'”
Christian group can bar gay student from leadership role, judge rules, NBC News (AP)
“A federal judge ruled the University of Iowa was wrong to penalize a Christian student group after it barred a gay student from a leadership position.”
Peter Hitchens accuses university of ‘censorship’ after talk cancelled for LGBT History Month, The Telegraph (Phoebe Southworth)
“Peter Hitchens, who writes for The Mail on Sunday, was due to speak at the University of Portsmouth on 12 February but was told yesterday his invitation had been withdrawn because his views clashed with LGBT History Month”
‘Everyone deserves to be heard,’ Fairfax says, while four of his staffers quit, Washington Post (Laura Vozzella ,Gregory S. Schneider and Fenit Nirappil)
“An effort to consider impeaching Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) over sexual assault allegations went nowhere as lawmakers pointed out that he denies the charges and there is no obvious way to commission an investigation.
What are California’s new sex education guidelines?, ERLC (Jim Domen)
“The new framework, the lynchpin for California’s progressive curriculum, accelerates what unfortunately can only be fairly described as indoctrination to the LGBT worldview at all grade levels.”
Pro-LGBTQ laws outpaced anti-LGBTQ laws in 2018, report finds, NBC News (Julie Moreau)
“The Human Rights Campaign’s annual State Equality Index found state bills advancing LGBTQ rights and protections outpaced those seeking to thwart them.”
Can Businesses Turn Away LGBT Customers? Court Battles Bubbling Back Up, NPR
“[SCOTUS] didn’t settle the looming question on whether the First Amendment guarantees of religious freedom are more important than a state or city’s anti-discrimination laws, similar cases are again simmering in lower courts — including Arizona and Colorado.”
Why Girls Beat Boys at School and Lose to Them at the Office, The New York Times (Lisa Damour)
“Hard work and discipline help girls outperform boys in class, but that advantage disappears in the work force. Is school the problem?”
Disrupting Christian Patriarchy: Isn’t It About Time, Patheos, Anxious Bench (Beth Allison Barr)
“My goal is not to change your mind through my writing; my goal is to let you see the historical problem of patriarchy for Christianity. Then you can decide.”
Hotel Trans: Check In Any Time, But Never Leave, Family Research Council (Cathy Ruse)
“Transgender ideologues have tremendous power in our culture, and they’re wielding it against the least powerful. If children and their families can survive the pill-pushing gender clinicians, they still have to face the virtue-signaling politicians and their speech bans.”
How to talk to your children about gender, ERLC (Alex Ward)
“How do you talk to your children about sex, gender identity, gender dysphoria, and transgenderism? More importantly, how do you do so in a way that is age appropriate? That is the goal of Brian Seagraves and Hunter Leavine’s short book, Gender: A Conversation Guide for Parents and Pastors”
Yes, Churches Need Women Who Teach, Lead and Preach, Relevant Magazine (Kat Armas)
“When women are empowered, everyone wins. If this is true on a grand and global scale, wouldn’t it be true for the overall health and growth of the Church?”
The Math Behind Successful Relationships, The Wall Street Journal (Jo Craven McGinty)
“Tool quantifies couples’ interaction during an argument—and predicts who will divorce”
How I found hope after my ex-husband was convicted of sexual abuse, ERLC (Shelly Durkee)
“There are still hard days today, but there has been tremendous healing. There is still deep grief for everyone whose lives were impacted. There will always be grief, but there is also hope, redemption, and joy—real joy.”
Knowing Where We Stand: Washington Post Columnist Says Anyone Who Holds to Biblical Morality Is A Bigot–Calls for VP Pence to Resign, Albert Mohler (Albert Mohler)
“In this insidious but extremely revealing article, Cohen does all he can to dismantle the idea that homosexuality could even be imagined as sinful and morally wrong. He proceeds to smear as a bigot anyone who would dare to even think of homosexuality as sinful.”
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