FAITH NEWS SERVICE – In the wake of a new Supreme Court ruling that protects the rights of gay and transgender workers, it would seem the divide between conservative Christians and the LGBTQ+ community is wider than ever.

According to a New York Times article, “Even as more Americans have embraced the cause of gay rights, sexuality remains one of the most divisive issues in Christian communities.”¹ But according to Pew Research findings, America’s Christians have come a long way in their acceptance, attitude, and opinion of same-sex attraction.² Since 2007, views about homosexuality among Christians have increased from 44 percent to 54 percent in 2014.³

But still, the average churchgoer struggles internally with what the Bible says about homosexuality and what to think about it. The only thing that tends to get Christians to rethink their views is if they have a loved one or someone they know come out as gay. They are torn between what Scripture says about homosexual sin and loving their neighbor as themselves.

But according to author William Huckaby, there are other “acceptable sins” Christians seemingly turn a blind eye to, including the sins of gluttony, divorce, remarriage, pride, and other forms of sexual immorality, like adultery. He argues that even though these are serious sins, Christians don’t get as upset with people who commit them as they do with those who commit homosexual sin. His message? “Until Christians come to grips  with the fact that they are treating people unfairly, we will never represent the heart of God accurately.”

Huckaby, a professed born-again believer, used to take a staunch view against homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Having campaigned in 2000 against the homosexual agenda regarding California’s Prop 22, the California Defense of Marriage Act, Huckaby now believes God is moving him away from a judgmental attitude and toward the way God sees the homosexual—as persons He created and loves with His whole heart.

“The balance between mercy toward this sin of homosexuality with the truth of Scripture has largely been lost to the twenty-first-century church,” Huckaby says.

In his new book The Acceptable Sin, Huckaby reveals his own struggle with the sin of gluttony, which he spells out as “the acceptable sin” in today’s American church. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer—some of the leading causes of preventable death.⁴ Gluttony is considered to be one of the seven deadly sins because, according to the Bible, it is a sin against one’s own body, much like smoking, drinking too much, and drug use (see 1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

“Few church members find this sin offensive,” Huckaby says. “Why? Because many of those within the church, both men and women, struggle with it and are therefore more tolerant of it.”

While the Bible may be clear that practicing homosexuality is a sin, how should that fact define a Christian’s approach to the people who are homosexual and the LGBTQ community? Huckaby wholeheartedly believes the church often makes every effort to resolve issues fairly, knowing their actions are often viewed by the world as representing the heart of God. But his concern is that the church is blowing it in this case.

“What the world often believes about God is based upon what they see in the actions of the church. My concern has to do with whether the church is representing God to the world in an accurate, biblical, and loving way on this issue. That’s why I wrote The Acceptable Sin. I want Christians to think, Are we having a positive impact on them? Are we building bridges or walls to the Kingdom of God?”

¹ https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/u-s-supreme-court-holds-that-title-vii-42239/

² https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/us/lgbtq-supreme-court-religious-freedom.html

³ https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/christians/christian/views-about-homosexuality/

⁴ “Adult Obesity Facts,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed July 12, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
By day, William Huckaby works as a perfusionist, the person who runs the heart/lung machine during open heart surgery. In The Acceptable Sin, he sets out to explain God’s heart toward homosexual persons, who He created and loves with His whole heart. Knowing this message has largely been lost to the twenty-first-century church, William hopes to challenge the church to love them as Christ called us to. William and his wife, Cathleen, have been married for thirty-nine years and live in  northern California, and they have four adult sons.

For more information or for an interview, contact william@acceptablesin.com.

Connect with William at www.acceptablesin.com

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – According to research by the Barna Group, 60 percent of young American Christians leave the church temporarily or even permanently after age fifteen. A quarter of those say a key reason for this disconnect is that “the Bible is not taught clearly or often enough.”*

J. Warner Wallace, Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and adjunct professor of apologetics at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) and Southern Evangelical Seminary, agrees: “Much has been written about both the Biblical illiteracy of teenage believers and the flight of young people from the Church. . . . The growing statistics should alarm us enough as Church leaders to do something about the dilemma.”**

Enter pastor Tim Shorey. With An ABC Prayer to Jesus: Praise for Hearts Both Young and Old, Shorey presents rich theology couched in language and imagery accessible to children yet also appealing to teens and adults. In traditional alphabet-book style, each four-line stanza focuses on one letter to present names and attributes of Jesus in winsome ways. The verses draw on both the Old and New Testaments to convey the overarching biblical story of salvation. Rhyme and alliteration, enhanced by beautiful black-and-white illustrations in the style of woodcuts, help readers absorb and memorize biblical truths in the manner of traditional prayers and creeds. This unique Jesus-centered offering of worship and meditation will bring parents and children of all ages together. In a world that daily challenges the relevance of the Church, An ABC Prayer to Jesus provides an enduring foundation for faith.

*Barna Group. “Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church.” Barna.com. 27 September 2011. https://www.barna.com/research/six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church/

**Warner Wallace, J. “Are Young People Really Leaving Christianity?” Cold-Case Christianity. 12 January 12 2019. https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/are-young-people-really-leaving-christianity/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tim Shorey grew up in Japan, the son of missionary parents who provided him with a heritage of faith and devotion. After receiving a BA in biblical literature from Northeastern Bible College, he worked as a pastor in New Jersey for three decades. Tim now serves as lead pastor of Risen Hope Church in Eastern Delaware County, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife, Gayline. Their six children and thirteen grandchildren—so far!—inspired Tim to create a winsome worship experience that teaches big truths for all ages.

For interview and other questions, contact Tim at respecttheimage@gmail.com.

Connect with Tim at these sites:
website: https://timothyshorey.com/
blog: https://timothyshorey.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmshorey
Facebook page devoted to my published resources: https://www.facebook.com/RTITimothyMShorey
Twitter: @timothymshorey

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Fifteen million adults are affected with major depression in the United States each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.* Depression is widespread and is even more on the rise in 2020, due to the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic; there was a 1,000 percent increase in calls to a federal emergency hotline for people in distress in April 2020, compared to the same time period in 2019.** Depression is especially hard on marriages. When one or more partners is depressed, the marriage is nine times more likely to end in divorce. ***

Carole Leathem knows first-hand about the strain depression and anxiety can put on a marriage, despite the promise to love through sickness and health. Carole’s husband, Bill, a pastor at the time, began a cycle of struggling with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Learning to deal with his episodes of anger and control, in addition to his thoughts of suicide, Leathem had to learn to fight not only for her forty-year marriage but also for her own survival and well-being. She documents her story in her new book, Finding Joy in My Messy Life: How I’m Surviving My Husband’s Journey with Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Thoughts, to help others walking through similar journeys.

“I have discovered you can have joy when everything is falling apart,” Leathem said. “My story is not over. It continues to be messy, yet I still have joy and trust God in the trials.”

A recent study by Lifeway Research, Acute Mental Illness and Christian Faith, found that those who struggle with mental illness as well as their families carry shame and stigma associated with the disease. **** Indiana pastor Marcus Carlson says “The stigma around mental health in our society is destroying us. The stigma is even deeper amongst pastors and church staff.” *****

Leathem, too, carried shame of her husband’s illness, embarrassed of their situation and fearful of what people thought. When she finally understood herself and accepted that her husband suffers from a genetic, chemical imbalance that produces anxiety and depression, she was able to begin coping herself and helping others.

“I wanted to write this book to encourage people that God is a personal God, and He shows up,” Leathem said. “And with my husband’s blessing to share our messy story, I also wanted to share my biblical and practical coping tools I use daily to survive the difficulties of loving someone who struggles with mental illness.”

*https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/divorcing-depression

**https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/04/mental-health-coronavirus/

***https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mental-health/how-to-help-depressed-spouse/

****https://lifewayresearch.com/mentalillnessstudy/

***** http://revdrorange.com/check-on-your-pastors-reflections-on-the-mental-health-of-ministry-staff/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carole Leathem is a gifted speaker, teacher, storyteller, and motivator, speaking at women’s retreats and teaching Bible studies and life groups for over twenty years. She is also a blogger and vlogger, through her ministry website Carole’s Journey. Carole was a commercial actress in Hollywood for fifteen years. Married to her husband, Bill, a retired pastor, for forty-four years, they live in Bakersfield, California and have two grown children and seven grandchildren. Carole is passionate about sharing her story with those God puts in her life. She loves spending time at the beach, especially Maui, and never tires of visiting Disneyland.

For review copies and media interviews, contact:
Carole Leathem
Email: carole@carolesjourney.com
Website: www.carolesjourney.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/carolefindsjoy