An influential evangelical pastor’s challenge to Christians who celebrate the recent US Supreme Court’s decision to redefine marriage has gone viral.
In a post for The Gospel Coalition website, US pastor Kevin DeYoung posed 40 questions for Christians who are ‘flying the rainbow flag’.
It has been shared on Facebook more than 380,000 times.
Long history of the church
The questions include: “How long have you believed that gay marriage is something to be celebrated?
“What Bible verses led you to change your mind?”
“As you think about the long history of the church and the near universal disapproval of same-sex sexual activity, what do you think you understand about the Bible that Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, and Luther failed to grasp?”
“What arguments would you use to explain to Christians in Africa, Asia, and South America that their understanding of homosexuality is biblically incorrect and your new understanding of homosexuality is not culturally conditioned?”
Freedoms threatened
“On what basis, if any, would you prevent consenting adults of any relation and of any number from getting married?”
DeYoung also asks if fellow Christians who disagree with homosexual practice should be allowed to “exercise their religious beliefs without fear of punishment”. He also questions whether pro-gay marriage Christians will speak up for other Christians when their “freedoms are threatened because of this issue”.
In his introduction to the post, DeYoung commented that it is “difficult” to see some of our friends, family and “folks we’ve sat next to in church giving their hearty ‘Amen’ to a practice we still think is a sin and a decision we think is bad for our country”.
Sincere questions
He explained that these questions are not meant to be “snarky or merely rhetorical”.
“They are sincere, if pointed, questions that I hope will cause my brothers and sisters with the new rainbow themed avatars to slow down and think about the flag you’re flying”.