Another Controversial Evangelical Preacher: What is He Hiding?

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fountainhall

Another Controversial Evangelical Preacher: What is He Hiding?

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Over the years we have heard tales of mostly evangelical – often televangelist – Christians who preach the blessings of marriage and direct hate at those who follow a different path. Several have been caught quite literally with their pants down or their safety deposit boxes bulging and generally doing unholy things. Jimmy Swaggart, Jim and Tammy Fae Bakker are arguably the most prominent of a pretty sleazy bunch.

The former pastor of another megachurch, Joshua Harris, wrote a million-selling book in 1997 titled “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” in which the 21-year old urged Christians to reject dating for “courtship” under the guidance of parents and observing sexual abstinence. Dating was a “training ground for divorce” he argued. At the same time he encouraged people to firmly reject the LGBT lifestyle.

Harris left “his” Maryland church in 2015 after it had been accused of covering up allegations of child sexual abuse. Last year, he went as far as to disavow everything he had written in his 1997 book.

This month Harris announced he and his wife are separating after 21 years of marriage. The reason? “Significant changes have taken place in both of us.” Now what change might that be, I wonder? Might he have discovered his is in fact gay? (That is purely my speculation and not in the article quoted below).

Harris has certainly been doing a lot of heart-changing recently. One is the central tenet of his book.
“To those who read my book and were misdirected or unhelpfully influenced by it, I am sincerely sorry.”
He also affirms that he is no longer a Christian.
“By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian.”
He added
“I have lived in repentance for the past several years – repenting of my self-righteousness, my fear-based approach to life, the teaching of my books, my views of women in the church, and my approach to parenting to name a few.

“But I specifically want to add to this list now: to the LGBTQ+ community, I want to say that I am sorry for the views that I taught in my books and as a pastor regarding sexuality.

“I regret standing against marriage equality, for not affirming you and your place in the church, and for any ways that my writing and speaking contributed to a culture of exclusion and bigotry. I hope you can forgive me.”
Whatever his sins, his affirmation of the LGBT community is surely to be welcomed. Perhaps he might donate some of the content of his safe deposit boxes to LGBT charities.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/ ... riage-over
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