how i can spend the time to look up the plural of spectrum but still miss the obvious typo… **sigh**

Part of a secular/gay worldview is respect/tolerance for other worldviews. Part of an evangelical worldview is a certain disdain for other worldviews. This is not meant to pass a value judgment on their worldview; it is just to point out that their worldview starts & stops with their interpretation of John 14:6 (or 3:16). The idea that only through Jesus Christ one is saved is the essence of being an evangelical regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum.

TRiG.

TRiG.

So from our perspective it appears he’s attacking, but from an evangelical perspective he’s telling them to think outside the box. To:

… educate ourselves. We must listen to stories and to the real-life experiences of people. We must be ready to contextualize our message to the subcultures in our own culture like we do in foreign lands.

Of course he’s misplacing blame: American culture shifted decades ago into Post-Christian & the gay rights movement is just the latest (and from his perspective, most difficult to empathize with) incarnation of that shift. But at least he’s pointing out that the traditional messages that work in other contexts have to be rethought.

That bit about Pride parades still ruffles my feathers, but in re-reading the article in context (ie with the mindset in mind of the audience he’s trying to reach: Baptist Post readers) it becomes possible that he’s using that illustration to point out that this situation is different from an evangelical perspective . So that bit about “gluttony neighborhoods” or “liars bars” is a play on the traditional understanding of gayness in an evangelical context. He’s rehashing failed arguments to illustrate why they have to recognize the cultural differences between our worldviews or they’re never going to understand how to reach us as Christ demands Christians do: with humility and love.

He’s saying that traditional approaches to sin, ie witnessing and condemnation, do not work in the context of confronting homosexuality because of the cultural worldview which is evidenced through open expressions of same-sex love.

Now, of course, from our perspective, there is not the need to confront us because what we are doing is perfectly moral, but they don’t/can’t see that through their straight/Christian/(probably) white privilege.

It’s a flawed commentary, yes. But it is a step in the right direction. He’s on the same highway as Exodus and Chambers, he’s just in a different lane. His fellowship is not about witnessing to us, its about witnessing to our families and friends and trying to preserve an Evangelical-Christian Cultural worldview. What he illustrates is the very model of an anti-gay religious position that I can live with. And we do have to live with these folks. Plus as more people examine our worldview they’ll be more likely to adopt it. Or, at very least, fear us less. He’s arguing for empathy over hate; for love over intolerance.

Also check out his ministry’s positional statement which can be found here under the About CPM tab: http://www.stonegatefellowship.com/www2011/cpm2012.html