Here is their website.
Got tipped off to this by JRD Kirk and decided to give it a listen.
A few comments on Episode One
- The first podcast (Episode 0) was on race. The LGBTQ strategy has been to follow the pathway of the race conversation. This is very frustrating many for African Americans who continue to suffer from racism even after the question of racial equality in theory was settled for many long ago. A friend of mine often says to me “when you walk into a room they can’t see that you’re gay not like they can see that I’m black.” LGBTQ people aren’t complaining about being pulled over, being shot by cops, etc. yet in some ways the LGBTQ conversation takes all the air out of the room. Frustrating. It also shows simply resolving a bias in theory does very little to resolve a bias in the real world. We are dealing with issues that are in many ways beyond us because our brokenness is beyond our capacity to heal by force of will or decision.
- Midway through the podcast the hosts (Lyons and Sprinkle) wanted to differentiate face to face treatment from a theological position or a stance on a policy like marriage equality. This arena is very much where the fight is today. “It is enough to treat your gay neighbor with kindness and respect while maintaining hetero-normality or opposing full inclusion in the church?” This is exactly the battleground Kirk made his point upon. That has become in many ways where the question is at today.
- It’s important to note the movement of the debate here.
- It’s also interesting to ask “what do we mean by ‘it’s not enough’ in this conversation?” There is a salvation narrative beneath the construal of this question that is worth exploring both from the traditional and the affirming side.
- Lyons and Sprinkle wanted to assert “posture is important” and Kirk asserts “posture is not enough”
- The comments by David Kinnaman were important and I think under-appreciated within older segments of the CRC and other churches. He noted that in the light of the broad consensus that has formed by millennials and younger the historic Christian position and Christianity itself is seen as irrelevant and extremist. Kinnaman has an article on Christianity and extremism on the Barna blog.
- The final question “what does it mean for Christians to engage?” They ask this from a position of (so far) assuming the historic Christian position.
