In the face of hostility, it’s easy to get stuck in one defensive posture, reacting to everyone outside our tribe in the same rigid way. In this article I’ll be reviewing four possible responses we can have to hostility: compromise, silence, withdrawal and confrontation. Looking at each of them in turn, I’ll be identifying when they can be valuable, but also showing the harm that comes by taking the response too far.
Articles referring to the modern Western culture
This is an ideal book both for Christians to read to learn more about transsexuality, and to give to those who identify as trans, irrespective of what they think about God. This is a book that, despite my high expectations and medical background, did not disappoint me in any way. Its pages flow with humanity, understanding and both biblical and scientific truth.
I was once part of a small group (around ten people at the time) from a large church (several hundred people) in Cambridge that held to the orthodox view on biblical sexuality. We formed this group of various people within the church who experienced same-sex temptations. The leader of the group was Brian, who did not personally struggle with same-sex feelings, but he had a gift for overseeing our gatherings.
"Conversion therapy" is perhaps most often used to describe any kind of attempt or intervention which aims to change a person’s sexual orientation. TFT does not aim to change anyone’s sexual attractions, nor do we practise any form of conversion/reparative therapy. In this article, I offer three principles, drawn from scripture, that inform our stance on this matter.
In November 2013 a report from the House of Bishops Working Group on Human Sexuality was published. The group consisted of three other bishops and others. I realised in the summer of 2013 that I couldn’t sign up to its recommendations, and said I would need to submit a dissenting opinion.
In our culture, if you say something that others perceive to be wrong, you can provoke a verbal lashing or a social media storm, or worse. This article explores why God allows opposition to his people and shows how the Bible presents this as the normal Christian experience.