A Christian Response to Pride Month

[Michie]

Does the radical Christian call to love all God's children regardless of their LGBTQ+ identification demand our silence or even our affirmation of the ever-growing Pride movement that occupies our streets, shops, and inboxes for the month of June?

This question is on my mind as we recently shared on TOH a piece by our friend and colleague, Carl Trueman calling on Christians to resist Pride Month. It was met with some measure of controversy which was expected, but not sought. We have no desire to provoke for the sake of provoking, but nor do we desire to perpetuate a profoundly destabilizing ideology that increasingly demands public displaysof loyalty.

It can be hard to see clearly in an age of ideology. When looking back at the vast and varied unjust movements of the past from slavery to eugenics to Maoism, we tend to think we would have been on the right side of it all. However, the reality is that living in a sea of powerful and coercive cultural messaging is deeply disorienting. Good-willed people can get it wrong -- sometimes grievously so.

A Thought Experiment

Continued below.
A Christian Response to Pride Month

 

[Shadowkat]

The problem is God. If he exists as the Bible says he does, then he has an opinion and has given it. As long as the God of the Bible and his son Jesus live, LGBQ will never be more than an unnatural perversion.

I do not, however, wish any harm to anyone involved in that lifestyle.

 

[friend of]

They managed to get an entire month dedicated to their depravity. At this point I'm not even going to bother warning them about the consequences of their wantoness, just leave me and the children alone.

 

[Shadowkat]

They managed to get an entire month dedicated to their depravity. At this point I'm not even going to bother warning them about the consequences of their wantoness, just leave me and the children alone.

Leviticus 18:22
Don’t do it

Romans 1:26,27
It’s unnatural

Jude 1:7
God reacted in the extreme

Matthew 19:4,5
Male and female marriage only

Ezekiel 33
Ezekiel talks about how a watchman who sees destruction coming and doesn’t say anything will be held responsible. I think this applies to the Christian’s response to LGBQ. If we say nothing, I think we will not be held blameless.

They won’t leave us alone anyway.

 

[Lukaris]

I think the second chapter of the first letter of John really sums up how we must struggle with this by knowing the difference to love God & neighbor & not the world. The whole chapter must be read for this but it is the verses of 15-17 that specifically mention not loving the world & the “pride of life” ( verse 16, KJV, NKJV) that seem to really get to the core of the problem.

( per the KJV)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

CF link: 1 John 2

CF link says “vain glory of life” in verse 16,rather than “pride of…” still the same thing.

 

[Katania]

Mainly I just ignore any chatter about "Pride month" from people I know. I don't validate friends' expressions of support for it - I just stay out of those discussions on Facebook. I have a few friends who are gay, and I don't see any of them posting on Facebook about Pride month. They're not closeted about their romantic choices - but I suspect a lot of people are, irrespective of their sexuality, averse to the extent to which Pride month is foisted upon people. By which I mean corporations (public bodies, businesses...) that promote their support of Pride month.

When the corporate world does that, potentially it results in employees finding themselves coerced into expressing their support whether they want to or not. Particularly since trans rights have become a major part of it. It's a very political, activist orientated thing. So to my mind, pressurising people to accept certain dogma (eg "trans women are women") or face accusations of hatred/bigotry is highly political and has legal connotations. There's an article about that here, if anybody is interested (hopefully the link works). It's a UK article, but some of it may be relevant elsewhere.

Pride Month: Can an employer require promotion of Pride? - Christian Concern

I think in the coming years we're going to see an increase in activists of various kinds insisting that Christianity = hate/bigotry, and attempting to use legal systems vexatiously against Christians simply for being Christians. With a spike in that sort of behaviour occurring round about the time of Pride Month. Supporting those Christians who find themselves targeted vexatiously by activists would, for me, be the way to respond.

 

[RileyG]

I am grateful June is almost over so I do not have to see this LGBT+ garbage 24/7. Lord, have mercy

 

[RileyG]

Leviticus 18:22
Don’t do it

Romans 1:26,27
It’s unnatural

Jude 1:7
God reacted in the extreme

Matthew 19:4,5
Male and female marriage only

Ezekiel 33
Ezekiel talks about how a watchman who sees destruction coming and doesn’t say anything will be held responsible. I think this applies to the Christian’s response to LGBQ. If we say nothing, I think we will not be held blameless.

They won’t leave us alone anyway.

I have a brother stuck in that lifestyle. It harmed him so much it breaks my heart.

 

[Shadowkat]

I have a brother stuck in that lifestyle. It harmed him so much it breaks my heart.

As a survivor of childhood rape, it is difficult to sort out my feelings toward LGBQ. In some ways I have never recovered from my ordeal; and, though they would try to divorce themselves from the evil of rapists, it is hard for me to make that distinction given the Bible’s view of the LGBQ lifestyle. Having said that, as a Christian who finds himself in need of the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, and having seen the power of the Gospel to draw a wayward heart from the horrors of addiction and hate, I have to say that the answer to LGBQ is to show them that a vibrant Christian lifestyle is a better way, a better choice. They have a choice.

 

[Paulwat]

The problem is God. If he exists as the Bible says he does, then he has an opinion and has given it. As long as the God of the Bible and his son Jesus live, LGBQ will never be more than an unnatural perversion.

I do not, however, wish any harm to anyone involved in that lifestyle.

Jesus speaks a lot about love, justice, and not judging others, but He never teaches against LGBT people or same-sex relationships. He never once said it was wrong.

Leviticus 18:22
Don’t do it

Romans 1:26,27
It’s unnatural

Jude 1:7
God reacted in the extreme

Matthew 19:4,5
Male and female marriage only

Ezekiel 33
Ezekiel talks about how a watchman who sees destruction coming and doesn’t say anything will be held responsible. I think this applies to the Christian’s response to LGBQ. If we say nothing, I think we will not be held blameless.

They won’t leave us alone anyway.

Here’s what those verses actually mean, and why they aren’t about LGBT people:

1. “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind.” — Leviticus 18:22 / 20:13
These verses are part of the Holiness Code, a set of purity rules given to ancient Israel.
Important context:

The laws were meant to separate Israel from surrounding cultures, not to comment on sexual orientation.

The Hebrew terms focus on male dominance, ritual purity, and idolatrous temple-sex practices, not loving relationships.

Christians today don’t follow the same code (it also bans mixed fabrics, shellfish, trimming beards, etc.).
So this is not about consensual LGBT relationships as we understand them today.

2. The story of Sodom — Genesis 19
The issue in the Sodom story is attempted gang rape, violence, and violation of hospitality norms — not sexuality.
Even the Bible itself explains the sin of Sodom elsewhere:

Ezekiel 16:49 says the sin was arrogance, greed, and neglecting the poor.

Nothing in the text condemns loving LGBT relationships.

3. “Against nature” — Romans 1:26–27
Paul is talking about idolatry in pagan temples and people acting against their own nature, meaning going against their own desires as part of cult rituals.
Key points:

The word “nature” (“physis”) in Greek doesn’t mean “universal law” — it means “someone’s individual nature.”

Paul is describing people who were heterosexual engaging in ritual acts that violated their own orientation.

Paul had no concept of sexual orientation as we understand it today.
So this isn’t a blanket statement about LGBT identity or relationships.

4. “Arsenokoitai” and “malakoi” — 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10
These two Greek words are often translated poorly.

Malakoi means “soft” and was used to describe laziness, decadence, or sometimes male prostitution — not gay men.

Arsenokoitai is an extremely rare word that likely referred to economic or sexual exploitation, such as trafficking or abuses of power.
There’s no evidence i
t refers to consensual same-sex relationships.

 

[Michie]

Jesus speaks a lot about love, justice, and not judging others, but He never teaches against LGBT people or same-sex relationships. He never once said it was wrong.



Here’s what those verses actually mean, and why they aren’t about LGBT people:

1. “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind.” — Leviticus 18:22 / 20:13
These verses are part of the Holiness Code, a set of purity rules given to ancient Israel.
Important context:

The laws were meant to separate Israel from surrounding cultures, not to comment on sexual orientation.

The Hebrew terms focus on male dominance, ritual purity, and idolatrous temple-sex practices, not loving relationships.

Christians today don’t follow the same code (it also bans mixed fabrics, shellfish, trimming beards, etc.).
So this is not about consensual LGBT relationships as we understand them today.

2. The story of Sodom — Genesis 19
The issue in the Sodom story is attempted gang rape, violence, and violation of hospitality norms — not sexuality.
Even the Bible itself explains the sin of Sodom elsewhere:

Ezekiel 16:49 says the sin was arrogance, greed, and neglecting the poor.

Nothing in the text condemns loving LGBT relationships.

3. “Against nature” — Romans 1:26–27
Paul is talking about idolatry in pagan temples and people acting against their own nature, meaning going against their own desires as part of cult rituals.
Key points:

The word “nature” (“physis”) in Greek doesn’t mean “universal law” — it means “someone’s individual nature.”

Paul is describing people who were heterosexual engaging in ritual acts that violated their own orientation.

Paul had no concept of sexual orientation as we understand it today.
So this isn’t a blanket statement about LGBT identity or relationships.

4. “Arsenokoitai” and “malakoi” — 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10
These two Greek words are often translated poorly.

Malakoi means “soft” and was used to describe laziness, decadence, or sometimes male prostitution — not gay men.

Arsenokoitai is an extremely rare word that likely referred to economic or sexual exploitation, such as trafficking or abuses of power.
There’s no evidence i
t refers to consensual same-sex relationships.

You are in the Catholic forum and are not allowed to debate or teach here. The Church teaches that engaging in homosexual acts is a sin just as adultery, fornication, and masturbation are a sin. And why bump a thread concerning Pride month 2022?

 

[Paulwat]

You are in the Catholic forum and are not allowed to debate or teach here. The Church teaches that engaging in homosexual acts is a sin just as adultery, fornication, and masturbation are a sin. And why bump a thread concerning Pride month 2022?

Not debating, just trying to clarify a couple of things.

Actually, a lot of churches are now teaching how those bible quotes are mistranslated. There is a Reddit community called OpenChristian, which is for progressive Christianity and there are countless posts there about how LGBT is not sinful and people talking about how their churches are supportive of it

 

[Lukaris]

Not debating, just trying to clarify a couple of things.

Actually, a lot of churches are now teaching how those bible quotes are mistranslated. There is a Reddit community called OpenChristian, which is for progressive Christianity and there are countless posts there about how LGBT is not sinful and people talking about how their churches are supportive of it

That is revision and deception. Actually any sex outside of traditional marriage and procreation is sin & adultery. Compare Old Testament chapters like Leviticus 18, 19, & 20 to Romans 1 & the moral understanding is the same. What is different, is how people are to be treated and the key here is to read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 6, & 7 which Paul obviously knew in some way since the ascended Jesus Christ converted him in Acts 9:1-16).


The Lord affirmed the moral code we have from the law of Moses as per Matthew 15:1-20. See how St. Paul warned St. Timothy ( & all of us) regarding falling away from sound doctrine ( & how many fell away) in 2 Timothy 4:1-22. See also how Paul knew the Lord’s commandments; compare the Lord speaking in Matthew 19:16-19 & Paul conforming to this in Romans 13:8-10.