Why Labels Fail: Church Clarity, LGBTQ Inclusion, and the Limits of Binary Thinking in Faith Communities

Voxology

Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Society & Culture

4.7 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 6 November 2017

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How ChurchClarity.org is sparking a deeper conversation about transparency, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and the theological complexities facing modern American churches. Mike Erre and Andy dissect the origins and intentions of the platform while offering thoughtful critiques around its methodology, impact, and assumptions. Addressing the polarizing affirming/non-affirming binary, this episode navigates the messy tension between the demand for clarity and the pursuit of faithful community centered on Jesus. With guest insights from progressive Christians and celibate gay believers, Mike and Andy reflect on the costs, contradictions, and consequences of forced doctrinal stances in the digital age.

Key Takeaways:
• The Mission of ChurchClarity.org – Exploring the site's goal to rate churches based on their LGBTQ+ policies and how clearly they’re stated online.
• Critiques from Across the Spectrum – Why progressive allies, gay celibate Christians, and even pastors question Church Clarity's labeling system.
• The Cost of Binary Categorization – How terms like “affirming” and “non-affirming,” along with color-coded scores, oversimplify complex theological and pastoral realities.
• Center-Set Community vs. Boundary Marking – Why Vox refuses to take an official “stance” on LGBTQ inclusion and instead invites people from all perspectives to the same table.
• Can True Safety Be Assured? – Wrestling with the illusion of safety in online classifications versus the lived experiences of hospitality and harm in real church communities.

Resources Mentioned:
• ChurchClarity.org – https://www.churchclarity.org
• RNS Article by Barbara Wheeler – Progressive critique of Church Clarity’s effectiveness
• Nashville Statement – https://cbmw.org/nashville-statement/
• Preston Sprinkle – https://twitter.com/PrestonSprinkle
• 1 Corinthians 9:19–23 – Paul’s posture of becoming all things to all people for the sake of the gospel

Join the conversation as we explore how the church can move beyond rigid categories to embody the radical hospitality of Jesus. Subscribe to Voxology, leave a review, and follow us on social media for more discussions that hold space for tension, faith, and transformation.

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Music by Timothy John Stafford
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Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, Internet.
0:13.2	Mike and Andy here from the Vox dueling world headquarters in Dana Point, California.
0:20.4	Right? You're in Dana Point, right? I'm on the border,
0:22.9	San Juan and Dana Point. It's basically the same thing. It's really the same town. Yeah. And,
0:27.5	and, uh, and the world Vox headquarters in a suburban Columbus, Ohio. And interestingly enough,
0:34.5	sweet listeners, um, are, our, our two, we're recording on a Friday, and Columbus
0:42.4	is only two degrees cooler than Southern California, which will rarely ever happen.
0:47.9	So, hallelujah for that.
0:49.8	Do you have gray skies, though?
0:51.9	They're spotted right now.
0:53.3	It rained yesterday morning, and then it's been kind of spotty clouds throughout the past couple days.
0:58.2	A little bit of overcast, a little bit of sun.
1:00.4	It's really pretty.
1:01.2	The sun sets this time of the year insane.
1:02.8	They look amazing.
1:04.0	Right.
1:04.4	We don't, what is this sun that you speak up?
1:06.7	Yeah.
1:07.6	It's the gray, the gray is already socking us in, man. Holy cow. So, so Andy,
1:15.6	Andy's got his ducks gear on, which, you know, it's that time of the year again, which is good
1:20.9	news for football lovers like myself and good news for hockey lovers, although a lot less people pay attention to that sport.
1:30.3	And Andy's got a mustache that literally he has to watch if it touches the microphone,
	...

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