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 cbmwoffice@cbmw.org with the subject “News Roundup.”

Ecclesial Trends on Gender and Sexuality

Bishops need to stand up for LGBT rights, San Francisco Chronicle (Brian Cahill)

“And church leaders, some of whom have presided over ongoing clergy child abuse scandals and cover-ups, have lost all credibility as teachers regarding human sexuality. Also, the episcopal fixation on same-sex issues is tragic in light of the overwhelming need and obligation for more of our church leaders to advocate Catholic social teaching when it comes to poverty, inequality, racism, immigration and the environment.”

Statement from The Salvation Army, Salvation Army

“we believe we are the largest provider of poverty relief to the LGBTQ+ population. When misinformation is perpetuated without fact, our ability to serve those in need, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or any other factor, is at risk.

Salvation Army disavows anti-LGBTQ stance after close call with pop star Ellie Goulding, The Dallas Morning News (Dana Branham)

“The Salvation Army was caught off guard this week when pop singer Ellie Goulding nearly called off her halftime performance at the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving game because of her concerns that the charity that sponsors the show had an anti-LGBTQ bias.”

John MacArthur Doubles Down After Telling Beth Moore to ‘Go Home’, FaithWire (Tré Goins-Phillips)

“MacArthur suggested that when women take up places of authority in society, it leaves men weakened. “When women take over a culture, men become weak; when men become weak, they can be conquered,” he said. “[W]hen all the men have been slaughtered, you [women] can sit there with all your jewelry and junk. You’ve been conquered, because you overpowered your protector.” Later in the sermon, he argued women are not suited for spiritual — or even cultural — authority and leadership because of their “typical women’s sensibilities,” which he outlined as “compassion,” “mercy,” and “kindness.” Because of these “sensibilities,” he explained, women are “more vulnerable,” and as such, are not suited to hold places of authority and are instead in need of fathers and husbands who can “protect them from deception.””

Secular Trends on Gender and Sexuality

Is America ready for a gay president? Buttigieg surge poses question, Yahoo News (Catherine Triomphe)

“A poll released last month found that 45 percent of those questioned thought America was not, or probably not ready for a gay president… Most, however, were able to overcome their reservations after hearing him speak in calm and measured tones and once he had reminded them he is a practicing Christian, the memo added. In a hyper-polarized country where Democrats want the best candidate to unseat Trump, fears that Buttigieg’s sexual orientation could be a handicap may work against him.”

The Apple Card Didn’t ‘See’ Gender—and That’s the Problem, Wired (Will Knight)

“A gender-blind algorithm could still end up biased against women as long as it’s drawing on any input or inputs that happen to correlate with gender. There’s ample research showing how such “proxies” can lead to unwanted biases in different algorithms.”

Female prisoner challenges trans policy after assault by male, The Christian Institute

“The unnamed prisoner aims to launch a judicial review against a policy which allows men who have been convicted of violent or sexual offences against women to live in female-only prisons. Her challenge says, “there has been at least one other high-profile case of a convicted sex offender being moved into the female prison estate on the basis of their gender self-identification, and that prisoner having gone on to sexually assault female prisoners”.”

Why Chick-Fil-A’s Surrender Matters Why Chick-Fil-A’s Surrender Matters, The American Conservative (Rod Dreher)

“But those good men and women are not good enough for Chick-fil-A now. Chick-fil-A is embarrassed by them. If Chick-fil-A’s executives think they’re going to get a fair shake from progressives now, well, they’re going to learn otherwise — and they’re going to deserve what they get. Chick-fil-A is going to have to start paying de facto reparations to LGBT organizations in order to buy goodwill. They’ll do it, too, because they have already demonstrated that they can be pushed around. Symbolically, this is a big deal for those who hold to what Christianity, Judaism, and Islam traditionally teach about homosexuality and related phenomena.”

Gender and Sexuality Miscellany

Eikon, CBMW.org

Mere Complementarianism, CBMW.org (Denny Burk)

“None of this precious equality diminishes at all the biological and social differences that God has woven into His design of male and female. These beautiful differences are not contradictions but complements. They are a part of God’s magnificent plan to make His glory cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14). For this reason, these differences are not a bane to us but are good for us. Embracing and living into these differences are the pathway that God has designed for our full and lasting joy.”

Thoughts on Function, Office, and Other Things: Dr. Tom Schreiner on 1 Tim 2:12, CBMW.org (Tom Schreiner)

Dr. Tom Schreiner recently spoke at CBMW’s annual banquet at the Evangelical Theological Society. His topic was 1 Timothy 2:12 (Audio)

Manage Your Household Well, Desiring God (David Mathis)

“Often a father has his wife at his side, and together, as they share the burdens, the work becomes lighter and feels freshly doable. But where does a man turn when his wife already carries as much as God means for her to bear? She is his co-manager, but he is the head. And God designed men to bear the final burden and carry the greatest weights, even and especially when they are too great for his wife to shoulder with him.”

Greet one another with a holy kiss…, DennyBurk.com (Denny Burk)

“I don’t believe that a kiss is the right way in our culture to signal the love that Paul calls for in this letter. Nevertheless, the need for simple, radical, embodied love is as acute today as it ever was. This text calls God’s people to meet that need.”