To me, one of the most surprising aspects of evangelical discourse on LGBTQ issues is the insistence by some believers that same-sex attraction is a sin, even in the absence of action. For example, many conservative Presbyterian denominations in the United States hold the view that it is unbiblical for believers to accept same-sex orientation or identity as legitimate.
In 2022, Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis and its single gay pastor Greg Johnson left the Presbyterian Church of America after facing considerable opposition to Johnson’s ministry within the denomination.
Gregory Coles, senior fellow at the Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender and author of Single, Gay, Christian, has approached the position from the perspective of someone who experiences same-sex attraction. He graciously agreed to answer some questions in his typically candid and sarcastic manner. I hope you found his comments useful and worth sharing.
Bruce:
People who think same-sex attraction is a sin clearly can’t get into their head and experience what you feel every day. What do you most want them to know?
Gregory:
In my ideal world, being gay and single would not be a big part of my thought life.
The day before the release of my book Single, Gay, Christian, I published a blog post that begins with these words: “In my ideal world, being gay and single wouldn’t be a big part of my thought life (after all, being sexless doesn’t take that long).”
At the heart of the debate about the sinfulness of same-sex attraction is the following question: What goes on every day in the mind of a single homosexual or a person who is attracted to the same sex? Are people like me in a state of permanent sexual temptation, where we are constantly giving in to sexual temptation because of a permanent same-sex desire? Or perhaps we all have brains that function more or less like other people’s brains?
I spend very little time experiencing sexual temptation.
When I say, “I’m gay,” what I mean is, “Throughout my life, I have found that whenever sexual attraction or temptation occurs, it is always directed toward the same sex.” This is not to say that we experience temptation every moment of every day (or that we mentally succumb to it out of lust). Quite the opposite. The amount of time I spend experiencing sexual temptation is fairly small in proportion to everything else going on in my life, brain, and mind.
Let me be clear: I experience sexual temptation. (I’m sure most of you reading these words are doing it in some way, too.) But when temptation comes, I think it’s most helpful to remember that the Bible’s message to those who are being tempted is one of exhortation and solidarity, not condemnation (see 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:15).
These Bible verses apply to me and other single gay people just as they apply to other Christians. Some people argue to the contrary, but in my opinion this cannot be done faithfully to the Bible.
Bruce:
You have had intense discussions, both verbally and in writing, with people who have different opinions on this topic. Has this experience shaped your own views in any way?
Gregory:
One of the many things I admire about people like Denny Burke and Rosalia Butterfield is their obvious passion to see Jesus’ disciples faithfully honor him throughout their lives. I share this passion with them.
Although we have reached some strikingly contradictory conclusions, we do not want to lose sight of the underlying common ground. In fact, it is precisely because we share a common motive that we often come to diametrically opposed conclusions.
Consider my debate with James White in 2023 over whether Christians can identify as “gay.” White suggested that people who begin to describe themselves as single gay Christians are more likely to affirm same-sex marriage over time. The implications of White’s argument seemed clear. Christians should avoid using the word “gay” to reduce the risk of deviating from historic Christian sexual ethics.
I share White’s desire for Christians to remain committed to their faith, especially to the historic Christian sexual ethic. If I think White is correct that the use of the word “gay” causes people to disproportionately abandon any of these things, I would join him in advising Christians not to use the word.
Well-intentioned but reckless attempts to change people’s sexual orientation pose a major threat to people’s faith in the long run.
But as I shared in my response to Mr. White during that discussion, I have never seen this happen. In fact, my observation is that well-intentioned but reckless attempts to change people’s sexual orientation pose a greater threat to people’s faith in the long run.
As a result, White and I find ourselves on opposite sides of this debate over the use of the word “gay,” but the underlying reasons for our respective positions are oddly consistent. We both want to see followers of Jesus faithfully follow Him throughout their lives.
White believes my position is theologically incorrect, pastorally unhelpful, and undermines discipleship. I think White’s position is equally inaccurate, unhelpful, and harmful. Nevertheless, I admire his apparent underlying concern for discipleship. I hope he says the same about me.
The more time I spend interacting with people in the White, Butterfield, and Burke camps, the more I become convinced that I need to be tolerant of and look for the good in people who disagree with me. In fact, especially when those people don’t seem keen on being generous or looking for the good in us.
Bruce:
Many believe that evangelicals’ traditional stance on LGBT issues undermines our outreach to surrounding cultures, especially young people. do you agree? How could we do better?
Gregory:
I believe that evangelicals can and should repent. For example, we can repent of false promises and failed attempts to “correct” same-sex attracted people by turning them heterosexual. (See Greg Johnson’s excellent book Still Time to Care.)
We can repent of the religious right’s gleeful celebration of gay men who died during the AIDS epidemic. (See Tony Scarcello’s forthcoming book, Love All Your Neighbors.) Our collective refusal to repent of these mistakes is certainly damaging to our work—and rightly so, since falsely promising a change in sexual orientation or celebrating the tragic death of a neighbor is not Jesus’ way.
I do not believe that Christians can or should repent of historical Christian sexual ethics.
On the other hand, I don’t think Christians can or should repent of historical Christian sexual ethics. Jesus’ call to his followers to submissively manage our sexuality, whether in lifelong marriage between a man and a woman or single celibacy, is certainly countercultural today. But it was also a counterculture 2000 years ago.
Consider the horrified reaction of the disciples when they learned of Jesus’ views on remarriage after divorce. “If there is a situation like this between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry” (Matthew 19:10). Rather than apologizing for the strangeness of Christian obedience, let’s accept it as a proper subset of the totality of the fundamental strangeness of Jesus’ way of crucifixion. I once wrote my story, somewhat jokingly, “Gay celibacy is weird, but it’s good.”
Originally published on Bruce Barron’s “Gently Provocative Thoughts” Substack. Republished with permission.
Bruce Barron has had a varied career researching charismatic movements, dominant theology, political movements, and public policy in the United States. She volunteered with the World Evangelical Alliance as a Communications Assistant from 2015 to 2024, and served as Editor-in-Chief of WEA’s Theological Magazine from 2018 to 2024. Among other activities, he directs the editorial operations of the Association of Christian Scholars. Bruce writes a regular Substack blog, which you can subscribe to at https://brucebarron.substack.com.
