LGBTQ is a very hot topic right now especially between the group and the religious sector. But as a Christian, shouldn’t we learn to accept people whether they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender as children of God?
“I don’t want to be a Christian” said the Author, Caleb Kaltenbach. But he’s attempt to discredit the bible leads to a surprising situation: Accepting Christianity and welcoming it into his heart, mind, and soul.
Being raised by three gay parents in an activist environment makes it surprising to believe the theological views and faith of Kaltenbach.
“My parents divorced when I was 2 and they both went into same-sex relationships,” he told the “Edifi With Billy Hallowell” podcast.
That led to Kaltenbach and his family be an activist of pro-LGBTQ. He encountered a lot of hate and anger from the ones who called themselves “Christians”.
“I learned real quick from things that I saw in pride parades, the way how I saw Christians treat people, the way how I saw families ignore their young sons dying of AIDS in the 1980s — I saw real quick that Christians hated gay people,” he said. “And I thought to myself, ‘Man, I never want to be a Christian. If Christians are this bad, I can’t imagine how awful Jesus must be if he’s their leader.’”
But then, something happened during his teenage years. Kaltenbach joined a Bible study when he was 16 years old in an effort to disprove Christianity. No matter how hard his efforts are, Katenbach found himself captivated by his scriptures instead. And that changes everything.
“I became a Christian, changed my view on sexuality to what I hold today — that God designed sexual intimacy and affection to be expressed in a marriage between a man and a woman,” he said.
It is not an easy journey for Kaltenbach, as a matter of fact, when his family found out about his conversion, they kicked him out of the house from which they later on reconciled.
“I think my parents realized eventually that I was not one of ‘those’ Christians,” he explained, referring to the angry people his family had encountered during his younger years.
Kaltenbach decided to go into the ministry to became a pastor. His parents too became Christians in their later years.
In addition to holding biblical views on marriage, Kaltenbach said he also embraces another contention: that “theological beliefs should never be catalysts to devalue others.”
He discussed and explained the meaning behind his words in his new book, “Messy Truth: How to Foster Community Without Sacrificing Conviction“.
He’s tackling these beliefs in his new book, “Messy Truth: How to Foster Community Without Sacrificing Conviction,” as he continues to help Christians find a balance between truth and love and to create “a sense of belonging for all people.”
“We need to employ a lot of empathy … I don’t mean empathy as being a pushover,” he said. “To me, empathy is similar to humility … empathy is acknowledging somebody’s reality.”
Kaltenbach believes that people can be reached with the gospel. As for culture’s current swing away from traditional values, he admitted that it has been difficult to watch, but he continues on his journey to help Christians process societal changes in positive and uplifting ways.
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