The Revolution
In the late 1950’s and 1960’s, the feminist movement train began to pick up steam by challenging female exclusion from the job field and political positions; but, within this movement, a much larger and subversive variable was at play—the challenge to traditional sexual roles. The central concept of the sexual revolution revolved around female sexual empowerment.[1] The result—sexual freedom for all. No longer would women (or men, for that matter) be bound by traditional values when it comes to sexual exploitation or exploration.
The advent of medically provided birth control—commonly referred to as “The Pill”—in 1960, certainly added coal to the engine, increasing the momentum of the sexual revolution.[2] Now it would be possible to engage in sexual intercourse with a greatly reduced probability of pregnancy. This prompted an enormous increase in sexual promiscuity that made the promiscuity of “The Roaring ‘20’s” look like child’s play.
Later in the same decade, the infamous Stonewall Riots took place in lower Manhattan. These riots stemmed from a police raid on the mafia run Stonewall Inn—a popular Greenwich Village gay bar—based on a liquor license violation.[3] The scene quickly devolved into chaos with men and women throwing bottles and bricks at police while chanting “gay power.”[4] This was not the first homosexual related riot in US history, but it was the most significant because of all the variables that existed in that moment (e.g., Vietnam War protests, the civil rights movement, and gender equality).[5] The result was the short-lived Gay Liberation Front, “the first group to use the word “gay” in its name,” a more aggressive, confrontational organization determined to force cultural reform.[6]
The next monumental event in the sexual revolution was the decision of the landmark abortion case of Roe v Wade on January 22, 1973, which secured a woman’s legal right to obtain an abortion.[7] Norma McCorvey, whose pseudonym name was Jane Roe, never received the abortion she wanted, despite winning the case.[8] At this point, it would be easy to assess that the sexual revolution was moving full steam ahead and highly benefitting women. Fast forward to 1997 and an announcement that only added more heat to the fire: Ellen DeGeneres, an actress on prime-time television, publicly identified as a homosexual—changing pop culture, and culture in general, forever.[9]
While Gay Rights have been on the scene in various forms since 1924, it was DeGeneres’ announcement that thrust homosexuality into the mainstream of American culture, thus causing the sexual revolution to evolve into the homosexual revolution.[10] The result has been a never-ending line of high-profile celebrities and television personalities joining the ranks of professing homosexuals and homosexual activists. Politicians, who never miss an opportunity to gain popularity or votes, sunk their teeth into the homosexual debate by advocating “for” or “against” gay-marriage, gay-parenting rights, government benefits, and a slew of other controversial issues.
Then came Obergefell v. Hodges and the next landmark event for the sexual and homosexual revolutions. Under the umbrella of civil rights, this Supreme Court decision on June 26, 2015, “struck down all state laws that discriminated against gay and lesbian unions and made same-sex marriage the law of the land.”[11]Within hours of this decision, court houses across America were full of men and women seeking marriage licenses for same-sex unions.
Since 2015, there has been an intentional uptick on the part of local programming and Hollywood to include same-sex couples in commercials, TV shows, daytime talk shows, and yes, even children’s programming. In an article in 2021, Kate Schweitzer, highlights the fifteen groundbreaking moments in children’s programming and movies that she considers windfalls for the homosexual revolution, which has now evolved into and is commonly referred to as the LGBTQ+ movement. She wrote that recent events, especially those in the last five years have, “moved the needle on children’s programming with such magnitude [that it] is a clear sign of a cultural turning point not necessarily in film studios, but in the homes of families who now demand inclusion.”[12] She continues that “families come in all forms, and they all want to see themselves represented on screen,” and “they want these characters to be normalized.”[13]
The problem with Schweitzer’s assessment is that these ground-breaking moments for the LGBTQ+ movement are only ground-breaking for 5.6% of US adults who identify with the movement, according to a USA Today poll taken in February 2021.[14] That means that some 19,600,000 adults are driving the train on what all children (including the children of the remaining estimated 190,400,000 adults in the US that don’t identify as LGBTQ+) are exposed to on television programs that specifically target preschool and early elementary aged children. This is clear evidence that, in this arena—the evolved sexual revolution—the minority are forcing their views, opinions, beliefs, and lifestyles upon the majority.
But, the sexual revolution train has not nearly reached the end of its evolutionary tracks. The next depot—the transgender revolution. The transgender movement has been in the background of the sexual revolution from the start, some believing it began at Stonewall, but not until the last decade or so has it moved into the spotlight. In 2015, two major headlines that touted the forward motion of the transgender revolution included Bruce Jenner undergoing gender reassignment surgeries to become Caitlyn Jenner and a fourteen-year old by the name of Jazz Jennings, a transgender female and activist, was hired as the new face for Johnson and Johnson’s Clean and Clear skin care line.[15] Most recently, the transgender revolution has gained prominence through so-called political victories with Sarah McBride of Delaware, becoming the first transgender state senator in the US in 2020, and Dr. Rachel Levine, becoming the first openly transgender person to be appointed to a federal position, serving as the 17th Assistant Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services.[16]
The Rub
However, the next depot of this revolution may be the most devastating and should be the most alarming, especially to Bible-believing Christians. As transgenderism continues to storm down the tracks of history, attention within this movement is now turning toward children, specifically what LGBTQ+ activists are painting as the necessary protection of any child under the age of 18 that indicates, or even hints at the possibility of, experiencing gender dysphoria or transgender thoughts.
How are they advocating protection? Through legislation. On January 7th of this year, a Canadian law took effect that bans conversion therapy (hereafter, CT). The law defines CT as “a practice, treatment, or service designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual; change a person’s gender identity to cisgender; change a person’s gender expression so that it conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth; repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behavior; repress a person’s non-cisgender gender identity; or repress or reduce a person’s greater expression that does not conform to the sex assigned to the person at birth.”[17]
Many Americans, including Bible-believing Christians, upon hearing this news would not give it another thought. Besides, it’s in Canada. Unfortunately, not for long. In West Lafayette, Indiana, in January, 2022, the city council proposed an ordinance (Ord. 31-21) that “prohibits unlicensed persons from practicing ‘conversion therapy’ with children under the age of 18, with the penalty of up to $1,000 per day for violators.”[18] The ordinance’s definition of CT sounds eerily familiar: “Conversion therapy is any practices or treatments that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings towards individuals of the same gender.”[19]
One can easily and logically conclude that there are some massive problems within the context of both the Canadian law and the proposed ordinance in West Lafayette. For starters, neither of them provides exceptions for religious organizations, namely churches, although advocacy for these exceptions were made in both cases.[20] The language in the West Lafayette ordinance of “unlicensed counselors” most likely will, whether intentionally or unintentionally, make it a criminal offense for a pastor, minister, or Sunday school teacher to counsel a child under the Bible’s clear teachings regarding sex and sexual orientation. That is exactly what will happen to Faith Baptist Church in West Lafayette, Indiana, whose 45-year Biblical Counseling ministry will become a criminal organization should the ordinance become law.[21]
In the February city council meeting in West Lafayette, the members who proposed the ordinance in January withdrew their motion for the time being, citing potential lawsuits against the city should the ordinance pass.[22] Instead, according to local journalist, Margaret Christopherson, the council passed a resolution to “condemn the use of the controversial approach [conversion therapy] to sexual orientation” which requires further consideration and potential action to be taken by the General Assembly of Indiana.[23] The problem with the resolution, just like the originally proposed ordinance, is the definition of CT, along with no exceptions for churches and religious organizations. This should be concerning to anyone who is paying attention regardless of faith affiliation due to the constitutional ramifications involved.
In the interest of full disclosure, there are, admittedly, some concerning accusations made against Faith Baptist Church’s pastor, Steve Viars, in Christopherson’s article. There is no way to know the validity of such accusations; however, if there is any truth to them, then the only Biblical course of action is for Pastor Viars to go and be reconciled to both council members that have been offended in accordance with the teachings of Christ (cf. Matt 5:23-24; 18:15-17). However, regardless of the public back-and-forth that seems to be going on at the local level, the over-arching issue remains unresolved and potentially devastating to Christian churches and Christian ministries in the realm of offering sound Biblical counsel (which is NOT conversion therapy) to those who are seeking such advice.[24]
Before, moving on to the next depot on the sexual revolution’s evolutionary tracks, there are a few points that need to be clarified. First, the practice of CT has been banned by the American Medical and American Psychology Associations.[25] These were good decisions on the part of these associations due to the procedures and actual practice of such therapy. Some extreme methods used in conversion therapy in countries throughout the world include, corrective violence, anti-psychotic medications, electric shock treatments, drugs that induce vomiting, force feeding and food deprivation, forced nudity, and even forced isolation and/or confinement,” none of which stem from or could be embraced by a Biblical Christian worldview.[26] Unfortunately, while the bane from these associations is good, its important to note that these are the same associations of professionals who have concluded that “same-sex sexual and romantic attractions, feelings, and behaviors are normal and positive variations of human sexuality regardless of sexual orientation identity.”[27]
Second, CT, sometimes called “reparative therapy” (hereafter, RT) should be rejected by Christians, if for no other reason than the fact that it is rooted in the secular ideology that “homosexuality comes from shame growing out of a loss of parental attachment in early childhood” and RT works as a type of re-parenting that will help them turn from homosexuality by repairing this shame through the more constructive work of therapy.[28] Third, true Biblical counseling does not invoke the practice of “conversion or reparative therapy” but rather, seeks to guide individuals “to reorient disordered desires, affections, and behaviors toward a God-shaped anthropology in an effort to restore true worship of God and right fellowship with others. This is accomplished by speaking the truth in love and applying Scripture to the need of the moment by comforting the suffering and calling sinners to repentance thus working to make them mature as they abide in Jesus Christ.”[29] In other words, sound Biblical counseling is based on the sound truth of Scripture and points those seeking counsel to the inerrant, infallible, eternal Word of God and helps them apply God’s truth to their life and circumstances. [30]
With these clarifications made, where is the next depot on the tracks of the sexual revolution’s evolution? The answer is parents. The language of such proposed legislation is potentially damaging enough to the church, to pastoral ministry, and to gospel ministry, but it is the eventual and inevitable removal of parental authority within the family concerning the guidance given to a child regarding sexual orientation and gender identity that will wreak the most damning effects of laws such as the one in Canada and the continuing saga in Indiana. Why? Because words matter. The language of the withdrawn proposal in West Lafayette included the term “unlicensed counselors” and the definition of conversion therapy as “any practices or treatments…”, along with no provisional exception for churches, religious organizations, or parents/legal guardians. By the way, many who offer Biblical counseling services are not licensed by the state because of the fundamental biblical disagreement with the secular practices of psychology and psychiatry.
Therefore, as Albert Mohler rightly comments, the only conclusion that can be drawn from this language is that such a proposal in legislation is “a direct attack on the right of churches to be churches—on the right of Christian ministers to practice Christian ministry. It is also an assault upon the rights of parents to seek biblical counseling and guidance for their children.”[31] Could this be an over-reaction? Some will think so. However, it is important to note that twenty US states have laws banning the practice of “conversion therapy” by licensed counselors and five states with partial bans.[32] So, why target “unlicensed counselors?” It is not that there are Reparative Therapy Clinics abounding in every city nor are there any advertisements for such services that can be found (especially since the practice is rightly deemed harmful and inappropriate). The only reason to target “unlicensed counselors” is because the majority of “unlicensed counselors” are found within the walls of the church. Most pastors and lay persons do not have counseling licenses. They have never needed them. Most parents do not have a counseling license. They, too, have never needed one. So, why target “unlicensed counselors?” One word—control. Control over those with whom the LGBTQ+ community and activists disagree.
Our Response
How should Bible-believing Christians respond? First and foremost, by being informed regarding both sides of any issue. We need to be aware of what is going on so that we can engage our culture from a Christ-like, Biblical perspective and refuse to stick our heads in the proverbial sand. Second, we must respond by “speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15). So many times, we can speak the truth, but there is little, or no love included. We must speak from a heart of overwhelming concern for the eternal soul of the individual instead of from a brain determined to win an argument. The only conversion with which Christians should concern themselves is the conversion of a person from spiritual death to spiritual life by placing their faith and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (John 3:16-18; 5:24). Third, we need to remember that we will never be without issues such as these on this side of eternity. We must be willing to endure whatever may come, not for our sakes, but for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Fellow believers, it is imperative that we stand firm, regardless the cost (Eph 6:13).
Bibliography
[1] The Pill and the Sexual Revolution: Women in American History Series. Arkansas Public Broadcasting System. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pill-and-sexual-revolution/ [accessed: January 21, 2022]. [2] Tyrer L. Introduction of the pill and its impact. Contraception. 1999 Jan;59(1 Suppl):11S-16S. doi: 10.1016/s0010-7824(98)00131-0. PMID: 10342090. [3] Colleen Walsh, Stonewall Then and Now. The Harvard Gazette, June 27, 2019. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/06/harvard-scholars-reflect-on-the-history-and-legacy-of-the-stonewall-riots/ [accessed: February 9, 2022]. [4] Stonewall Riots: The Beginning of the LGBT Movement. Human Rights News. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. 2009. https://civilrights.org/2009/06/22/stonewall-riots-the-beginning-of-the-lgbt-movement/ [accessed: February 9, 2022]. [5] Walsh, 2019. [6] Stonewall Riots: The Beginning of the LGBT Movement, 2009. [7] Carla Hall, Opinion: Will the 49th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade be the last one? Abortion rights are under assault. The Los Angeles Times, January 21, 2022. [8] Joshia Prager, The Roe Baby. The Atlantic. September 9, 2021. [9] Hilary Weaver, Ellen DeGeneres’ Groundbreaking Coming Out: 20 Years Later. Vanity Fair, April 28, 2017. [10] https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewall-milestones-american-gay-rights-movement/ [accessed: February 9, 2022]. [11] Sasha Issenberg, 6 years After Same-Sex Marriage, Now What? Politico. June 26, 2021. [12] Kate Schweitzer, Inclusion Matters: The 15 Most Groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Moments in Kid’s TV and Movies. September 30, 2021. https://www.popsugar.com/family/groundbreaking-lgbtq-moments-in-kids-tv-movies-48530343 [accessed: January 21, 2022]. [13] Ibid. [14] Susan Miller, 'Society is changing': A record 5.6% of US adults identify as LGBTQ, poll shows. And young people are driving the numbers. USA Today, February 24, 2021. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/24/lgbtq-gallup-poll-more-us-adults-identify-lgbtq/4532664001/ [accessed: January 21, 2022.] [15] Buzz Bissinger, Caitlyn Jenner: The Full Story. Vanity Fair, June 25, 2015. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/caitlyn-jenner-bruce-cover-annie-leibovitz [accessed: January 21, 2022]. Yamiche Alcinder, Transgender teen Jazz Jennings land Clean and Clear Campaign. USA Today. March 14, 2015. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/03/14/transgender-jazz-jennings-lands-clean--clear-campaign/24762285/ [accessed: January 21, 2022]. [16] US election 2020: Sarah McBride to be first trans state senator. BBC News. November 4, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54806677 [accessed: January 23, 2022]. Doha Madani and Julie Tsirkin, Dr. Rachel Levine becomes first openly transgender person confirmed by Senate to federal post. NBC News. March 24, 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/dr-rachel-levine-becomes-first-openly-transgender-person-confirmed-senate-n1262000[accessed: January 23, 2022]. [17] Canada: Bill C-4 Banning Conversion Therapy Comes into Force. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2022-01-19/canada-bill-c-4-banning-conversion-therapy-comes-into-force/ [accessed: January 23, 2022]. [18] Steve West, “Conversion Therapy” ban threatens Indiana church ministry. World Magazine. January 18, 2022. https://wng.org/roundups/conversion-therapy-ban-threatens-indiana-church-ministry-1642524571 [accessed: January 23, 2022]. [19] Ibid. [20] West, World Magazine, 2022. Canada: Bill C-4 Banning Conversion Therapy Comes into Force. Library of Congress. [21] Ibid. [22] Margaret Christopherson. West Lafayette leaders condemn conversion therapy, withdraw proposed ban. Lafayette Journal and Courier, February 7, 2022. https://www.jconline.com/story/news/2022/02/07/conversion-therapy-west-lafayette-council-condemns-pull-proposed-ban/6698052001/ [accessed: February 9, 2022]. [23] Ibid, insertion, mine. [24] Albert R. Mohler, Jr. A Big Win for the Integrity of Christian Ministry and Christian Families as West Lafayette City Council Withdraws Proposed “Conversion Therapy” Ban. The Briefing, February 8, 2022. https://albertmohler.com/2022/02/08/briefing-2-8-22[accessed February 9, 2022]. [25] Tim Fitzsimons, American Medical Association Backs Nationwide Conversion Therapy Ban. NBC News. November 21, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/american-medical-association-backs-nationwide-conversion-therapy-ban-n1088731[accessed: January 23, 2022]. Resolution on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual Orientation Distress and Change Efforts. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/sexual-orientation [accessed: January 23, 2022]. [26] Conversion Therapy is Torture. International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims. April 23, 2020. https://irct.org/media-and-resources/latest-news/article/1027 [accessed: February 9, 2022]. [27] Resolution on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual Orientation Distress and Change Efforts. American Psychological Association (emphasis, mine). https://www.apa.org/about/policy/sexual-orientation [accessed: January 23, 2022]. For the AMA’s stance on sexual orientation see: https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/policies-lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-queer-lgbtq-issues [accessed: January 23, 2022]. [28] Heath Lambert, What’s Wrong with Reparative Therapy? Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, November 16, 2014. https://biblicalcounseling.com/resource-library/articles/whats-wrong-with-reparative-therapy/print/ [accessed: January 21, 2022]. [29] Dale Johnson and Samuel Stephens. The Nature of Biblical. Counseling. Truth and Love Podcast. Associations of Certified Biblical Counselors. July 20, 2020. https://biblicalcounseling.com/resource-library/podcast-episodes/the-nature-of-biblical-counseling/[accessed: February 9, 2022]. [30] For a well-articulated examination of the differences between reparative therapy and biblical counseling see: Heath Lambert, Oil and Water: The Impossible Relationship Between Evangelicalism and Reparative Therapy. Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, April 6, 2017. https://biblicalcounseling.com/resource-library/essays/oil-and-water-the-impossible-relationship-between-evangelicalism-and-reparative-therapy/ [accessed: January 23, 2022]. [31] R. Albert Mohler, Jr. Will Your Church’s Preaching and Counseling Be Criminalized? Will Parents Be on the Wrong Side of the Law Just for Talking to Them About Sexuality and Gender? A Warning from the American Heartland. January 21, 2022. https://albertmohler.com/2022/01/21/will-your-churchs-preaching-and-counseling-be-criminalized-will-parents-be-on-wrong-side-of-the-law-just-for-talking-to-them-about-sexuality-and-gender-a-warning-from-the-american-heartland [accessed: January 23, 2022]. [32] https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/conversion_therapy [accessed: January 23, 2022].
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