Welcome back to life and books and everything. Today I'm reading from a recent world opinions piece I wrote entitled, From Silence to Complexification to Capitulation,

why evangelical surrender on LGBTQ is almost never a surprise.

I don't often agree with David Gushy, the liberal Christian ethicist,

whose battles by his own, have included, quote,

issues like climate change, torture, LGBTQ inclusion, and white supremacism.

But he spoke the uncomfortable truth when he observed years ago,

then when it comes to LGBTQ issues, there is no middle ground.

Neutrality is not an option, neither is polite half-acceptance,

nor is avoiding the subject. Hide as you might, the issue will come and find you, end quote.

I thought of those words written way back in 2016. In recent weeks, as I read of Michael Gerson's tacit approval of gay marriage,

and of Dr. Bradley Nassif's claims that he was expunged from North Park University

because he upholds traditional views of sex, sexuality, and marriage. These aren't the first

cases of a self-described evangelical or evangelical institution moving into the revisionist

camp, nor will it be the last. I hope I'm wrong, but I have my mental list of writers, thinkers,

schools, and organizations that eventually will make the same move. I almost wrote jump in the last

sentence instead of move, but jump is not really the right word. Rarely do

evangelical leaders and institutions leap all at once from the open celebration and defense of

orthodoxy to the open celebration and defense of what they once believed was heterodoxy. In fact,

when evangelical capitulation on LGBTQ issues makes the news,

it is rarely a surprise. There are almost always a series of familiar steps. First, there is silence.

The evangelical leader or publication or institution that used to be clear on matters of sexuality and marriage

just doesn't talk about those issues anymore. No matter what controversy erupts or what new

...