Huckabee

At the beginning of the month former governor, presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee made a joke about trans people, the other day Huffington Post Religion had an article about it.

Why Mike Huckabee Fails His Christian Duty By Mocking Transgender People
USA Today
By Kristen Powers
Posted: 06/11/2015

How should Christians treat transgender people?

The answer seems obvious: With respect and love. Yet former governor Mike Huckabee, a favorite of Christian conservatives, took to mocking transgender people at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention as he criticized city ordinances that allow people to use public restrooms based on how they identify their gender.
[…]
Though Huckabee might believe that being transgender is sinful, that’s not a uniform position. Pat Robertson acknowledged in 2013 that “I think there are men who are in a woman’s body. It’s very rare, but it’s true. Or women that are in men’s bodies.” Robertson added, “I don’t think there’s any sin associated with” transitioning to the other gender.

The church should be the safest place in the world to discuss personal struggles. Huckabee could help make it so by saying two simple words: I’m sorry.

The thing is that there are many open and affirming churches and their numbers are growing.

As one evangelical church ‘comes out’ for LGBT rights, others cast a wary eye
Religious News Service
By Heidi Hall
March 3, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Pastor Stan Mitchell’s announcement that his evangelical GracePointe Church would fully affirm gay members met with a standing ovation from some, stunned silence from others, but everybody prayed together quietly at the end of it.
[…]
The shifts and conversations within this Bible Belt congregation mirror a larger debate among American evangelicals as they engage tricky and sensitive matters of human sexuality, the authority of Scripture and a rapidly changing culture. That dialogue is being pushed by Christians who, like Mitchell, no longer believe that the terms “evangelical” and “LGBT-affirming” are mutually exclusive.

A handful of large evangelical churches are publicizing their supportive stances. The Highlands Church in Denver was among the first, suffering deep drops in attendance and donations but now recovering. EastLake Community Church in Seattle announced its LGBT inclusion and affirmation; Mitchell spent a February weekend there, huddling with church leaders.

The churches are finding out that many leave the congregation but more come in to join the church.

I think more and more people don’t want to go to a church that preaches “hate thy neighbor” but rather go to a church that preaches “love thy neighbor.”