Focus on the Family is a Christian non-profit organization founded in 1977 by Dr. James Dobson. Its mission is to promote traditional family values and provide resources and support for families. The organization addresses various issues affecting families, including marriage, parenting, and social concerns, often from a conservative Christian perspective. Focus on the Family produces a variety of materials, including books, audio programs, and podcasts, and is known for its advocacy on issues related to sexual morality, education, and family policies. It has a significant influence within evangelical communities and engages in public discussions around family dynamics and societal values.
Therefore, Focus on the Family’s compromise on homosexuality is a huge deal. The compromise entailed a page answering a hypothetical question from the perspective of a believer struggling with same-sex attraction.
Is being gay a sin? Before we say anything else, please know that “being gay” doesn’t send anybody to hell. God uses only one fact to judge the world and determine who is saved and who isn’t: faith in Jesus Christ.
Echoing Tim Keller, Focus on the Family argued that sin is not why people get sent to hell, only their rejection of Jesus. Yet Paul writes, “for the wages of sin is death,” and the Bible teaches that there are degrees of punishment and reward in both hell and Heaven alike.
Is Being Gay a Sin
Here at Focus on the Family, we take the view that there’s an important difference between homosexual feelings and desires and acting on those feelings and desires.
As with any sinful behavior, it’s not about being tempted, but about willfully engaging in activity that goes against God’s law.
The Bible clearly teaches that sinful desires are sinful. This is the 10th Commandment, and Jesus teaches specifically that lust is sinful.
So to answer the question: Can you be gay and a Christian? Yes– You can be a Christian and, at the same time, struggle with same-sex attraction. But no — you can’t be a faithful, obedient Christian while willingly involving yourself in homosexual acts.
Anybody who wants to follow Jesus Christ needs to make it their goal to stay away from sexual practices that the Bible says are sinful. Consider the great mystery of the Christian life: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27, ESV). Not next to you, not over you, but in you. That’s the deeper reason why a practicing homosexual cannot be a practicing Christian.
Focus on the Family bought into sexual orientation and uses this understanding to argue that you can be a “gay Christian.”
The same would go for anyone engaged in any sexual sin — just as Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Certainly not!” (1 Corinthians 6:15, ESV)
When we accept Christ as Savior, we also make a decision to live the way He wants us to live — righteously by the power of the Holy Spirit.
But the same cannot be said of other sexual sins. No one is calling themselves a “gooner Christian,” a “fornicating Christian,” or an “adulterous Christian.” So why does homosexuality receive the kiddie gloves when it is actually a worse sin?
Focus on the Family published this article initially in 2019, but has since edited the article to address the gay Christian question poorly. The reposting of this content on social media was called out by believers everywhere.
Correction Issued
On Tuesday afternoon, Focus on the Family issued a correction:
Focus on the Family’s position has always been–and continues to be–consistent with Scripture: homosexual behavior is fundamentally in conflict with the Christian faith. The idea of being a “gay Christian” is an oxymoron, antithetical to both the Bible and church history. At the same time, we have great compassion for those wrestling with unwanted same-sex attraction.
Now the entire article focuses on how the term “gay Christian” is oxymoronic and invites confusion. The issue of damnation and concupiscence is taken off the table as the article became a polemic against sexual orientation.
There’s a movement in Christian circles where those struggling with same-sex attractions identify themselves with terms like “gay Christian” or “gay celibate Christian.”
Others use terms like “sexual minority Christians,” “queer Christian” or even “trans Christian.”
Many who describe themselves this way – but by no means all – say they are embracing chastity or celibacy and pursuing a relationship with Christ. That is, they believe the historic, biblical Christian sexual ethic, that God created humans male and female, and sexual expression is reserved for the marriage relationship of a husband and wife.
A number of Christian writers and ministries have adopted this nomenclature, with some of them training churches and other ministries to follow their lead.
Focus on the Family does not believe these terms are biblical or helpful for same-sex-attracted strugglers. Although these groups and individuals hold to biblical teaching that transgender and homosexual lust and behavior are wrong, they fail to practice Scripture’s teaching on identity – who believers are in Christ.
The complete 180 includes an admission that lust is a sin, which was previously denied.
3. “Gay Christians” argue that “gay” is the equivalent of “same-sex attractions.” But that’s not really how most people use this language.
While people sometimes use “gay” to mean “same-sex attracted,” the term is more often used as if “being gay” were a person’s core identity. People use language like, “I discovered my true self,” or “He’s gay” or “I came out as gay” – as if revealing their central, most authentic self.
I would argue that most people assume that when someone says, “I’m gay,” it means the person is not only same-sex attracted, but also acting on their desires and pursuing same-sex romantic or sexual relationships. The redefinition of marriage to include “gay marriage” has further cemented this into people’s minds, regardless of whether someone adds the term “celibate” or “single” as a modifier.
Using “gay Christian” language is even more confusing today because so many churches, denominations and religious colleges affirm LGBT attractions, identities and relationships. Activist groups like the Human Rights Campaign, Q Christian Fellowship, “Side A Christians,” and The Reformation Project actively promote “gay Christianity.”
The linguistic sleight of hand of those who say, “Well, when I say, ‘gay Christian’ I mean I’m attracted to the same sex,” is not convincing when “gay” is so connected to sexual lust and behavior in the minds of many. Why use language that is so confusing?
It’s worth pointing out, I’ve only ever seen Side B Theologians refer to “gay” to mean same-sex attracted as opposed to fixed or aspiring identity rooted in buggery.
Focus on the Family should be commended for issuing a correction, and as should every Christian who ratio’d them on social media to get to this outcome.
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One Response
“Focus On The Family” is a subversive antichrist organization, a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothes that serves jewish supremacist interests.
If “Focus On The Family” denies this, then they need to answer to following questions:
1) Do you consider yourselves to be “Christian” zionist?
2) Do you believe that the jews are “the chosen people”?
3) Do you believe that God wants people to support the evil jews?
4) Do you believe that God will punish people who don’t support the evil jews or the earthly imposter “israel”?
5) Do you support the evil jews and earthly imposter “israel”?
6) Do you believe “anti-semitism” and “racism” and “holocaust denial” are sins?
7) Do you support interracial marriage, race-mixing, and miscegenation?
8) Do you believe that it’s fine for White women to marry Black/Brown men and submit to Black/Brown husbands?
9) Do you go around bragging about how pro-jewish you are, and how strongly you oppose “racism” and “anti-semitism”?
10) Do you believe that White nationalism is a sin?
11) Do you believe in dispensationalism?
The traditional Christian response to all of the above questions is NO.
Any pastor, theologian, influencer, or “christian” organization who responds to these questions with any other answer is a TRAITOR and a FALSE TEACHER, and CANNOT be trusted.