What Does the Bible Say about Homosexuality?
In the first week of December the case of the Christian baker Jack Phillips, who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple, will be argued before the United States Supreme Court. It will be one of the most highly anticipated religious liberty cases to come before the high court. But, it also reflects one of the most highly debated issues within Christian churches: “What does the Bible have to say about homosexuality? Is it condemned as a sin? Is it part of the human condition that was never properly understood? Or, is the Bible just not up to date?
I asked two pastors who hold different views on the issue to join me in studio in New York City to talk about this. Stan Mitchell, senior pastor of Gracepointe Church in Nashville, TN… and Shane Idleman, lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, California. Pastor Idleman has received death threats over his traditional preaching on marriage. While Pastor Mitchell has seen his congregation dwindle in size once he began performing same sex marriages. Each is firm in their beliefs of what constitutes the Truth. However, each expressed a loving kindness towards the other despite having different views on how to interpret their Holy Scripture on the topic of homosexuality.