The 3 - July 22, 2018

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is news of a guide released by the gay advocacy group, the Human Rights Campaign, which is designed to make accommodation for LGBT individuals and their identity and behavior in local churches.  Also, an American pastor continues to languish in a Turkish prison after his third court hearing.  And, a Federal judge has ruled against Planned Parenthood in its bid to receive funding from Title X grants.

3 - Gay advocacy group releases guide for integration into evangelical Church

Recently, the pro-LGBT advocacy group, the Human Rights Campaign released a "guide" that purports to accept gay practice and identity in the Church.  According to the Christian Post:

Last week, the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign released "Coming Home to Evangelicalism and to Self," a 32-page guide containing resources, advice, and testimonials for evangelical Christians who are "on the journey toward living fully in their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and in their faith and its traditions," according to its website.

The guide features personal stories and practical suggestions from what they call a "wide variety of evangelical voices" in order "to spark new ideas, new dialogue and new courage," citing recent surveys and polling data showing rising support for same-sex marriage among younger generations.

The voices featured all favor more liberal LGBT iterations of the Christian faith, among them Brandan Robertson, Mercer University ethicist David Gushee, and author Matthew Vines.

The article referenced Robert Gagnon's Facebook page, in which he said:

"If 'Coming Home to Evangelicalism and Self' means denying Jesus' teaching on a marital binary and destroying what Scripture treats everywhere as the foundation of God's standard for sexual ethics, then, yes, 'come home' Evangelicals to a world and self-made in your own image rather than God's."

Gagnon, according to his Facebook page, was recently removed from Facebook temporarily due to a post on the upcoming Revoice conference, which attempts to blend affirmation of LGBT identity with Biblical teaching.  He was reinstated.  In that post, he stated seven "consequential concerns."  One of which is:

2. The adoption of terminology for self-identity that cannot be sanctified and inevitably brings in the whole "LGBTQ" baggage ("sexual minority," "gay," "transgender"). This terminology is normally associated with self-affirmation rather than sin and switches the obligation of the church from a call for repentance and restoration to a call for inclusion and diversity that celebrates what should be mortified. The fact that evangelical proponents of the "sexual minority" language are unwilling to use it of those with a pedophilic or polyamorist orientation should tell us all something.

In a piece on the PJ Media website, Tyler O'Neil, an Assistant Editor for the website, who has written for the Christian Post, Breakpoint, and others, in commenting on the HRC guide, says:

Christians must be careful to preserve the teachings of Jesus while extending His grace to those who struggle with these issues. God calls Christians to love LGBT people, but not to affirm LGBT identity, and HRC's "guidance" undermines that crucial mission.

O'Neil also states:

The HRC guide is peddling a falsehood in saying LGBT people can "remain faithful both to God and to their understanding of themselves." No true disciple of Jesus can remain true to his or her psyche — that must go. This is part of what Paul meant when he said, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Repentance from all sin is a fundamental aspect of this transformation. Jesus constantly calls on His followers to repent. Even in the famous John 8 passage where Jesus offers forgiveness to a woman caught in adultery, he urges her to "go, and from now on sin no more" (John 8:11).

Not only does the HRC report conveniently leave out the call to repent, but it also peddles the idea that people are somehow "worthy" in their own right to receive God's grace.

2 - American pastor will stay in prison in Turkey after hearing

American pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been in a Turkish prison charged with terrorism and espionage, has now faced three hearings in front of a court there, and will face another in October, according to WORLD Magazine. WORLD reports:

Brunson lived in Turkey for 23 years and pastored Izmir Resurrection Church. He faces up to 35 years in prison if found guilty. The case was adjourned until Oct. 12.

Turkish judges previously denied his requests for release on April 16 and May 7. In the courtroom, Brunson said the court had no concrete evidence as he denied the testimony of two witnesses who claimed he supported Kurdish militants. “The disciples of Jesus suffered in his name, now it is my turn,” he said, Reuters reported. “I am an innocent man on all these charges.”

The report states that outside the courtroom, a U.S. official said, “Our government remains deeply concerned about his status," and denied that there was any evidence that Brunson had "committed any offense," according to the article.

The day of the latest hearing, President Trump tweeted out: "A total disgrace that Turkey will not release a respected U.S. Pastor, Andrew Brunson, from prison. He has been held hostage far too long."  he President stated that President Erdogan, "should do something to free this wonderful Christian husband & father. He has done nothing wrong, and his family needs him!"

1 - Judge rules in favor of Administration's attempt to cut off one of Planned Parenthood's funding streams

Earlier this year, the Trump Administration had issued new rules governing Title X grants, which, according to LifeNews.com, "fund family planning programs across the country." The article stated, "In February, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services introduced a new grant application that prioritizes sexual risk avoidance strategies, including abstinence. That decision would leave abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood out of the funding equation."

The report said that Planned Parenthood had filed a lawsuit against the new rules, even though no funding has been denied as of yet.  Life News states:

A federal judge has ruled in favor of the Trump Administration and its impending decision to defund the Planned Parenthood abortion business from the Nations Title X family planning program. The Planned Parenthood abortion company has multiple federal funding streams, but cutting off the taxpayer dollars it gets from Title X would zap its second largest source of federal funding.

The article quotes from Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins, who said: "Planned Parenthood and abortion vendors seem terrified that people will discover just how easy it will be to live a healthy life without them,” and added, “People make many medical choices that don’t include Planned Parenthood, and the Trump Administration is to be commended for attempting to redirect Title X dollars away from abortion vendors. … The greed of the abortion lobby is on display as once again they go to court to force taxpayers to fund their enterprise.”