In a hyper-sensitive culture where religious freedoms seem to disappear at every turn, Christians are at a crossroads with how to address homosexuality within their families and communities.
With Friday’s Day of Silence (DOS) meant to draw attention to LGBT bullying and discrimination, some believers are boldly speaking out.
“I fully support the healing of the homosexual and therefore fully support most any attempt to put a halt to this destruction of our nation’s youth by its own leaders—yes, leaders—for it is the leaders who are underpinning and allowing the travesty of a ‘Day of Silence’, which is a veiled attempt to promote a very dysfunctional and destructive lifestyle,” says David Kyle Foster, the founder of Pure Passion Ministries.
“I was in the gay lifestyle for over a decade and am sincerely appalled that America’s school system has caved to gay activist demands to support such a life-shortening, mental health-damaging and relationship-destroying way of life,” Foster says.
“Countless tens of thousands of people who have left that lifestyle can attest to the fact that the environmental and developmental issues that cause homosexual confusion can be overcome, just as they can for the alcoholic, drug addict and any number of other dysfunctional conditions. That is what America’s school system should be supporting!”
Foster isn’t the only former homosexual concerned about the DOS.
Janet Boynes, founder of Janet Boynes Ministries, says the ideological day exists to indoctrinate children.
“This is a political agenda that exploits children and impacts the educational environment by interfering with classroom teaching,” Boynes says. Boynes wrote Called Out: A Former Lesbian’s Discovery of Freedom about her salvation and deliverance.
The American Family Association issued an action alert, asking parents to keep their children home from school Friday to both protect the children and protest the DOS.
Boynes supports families who choose to keep their children home.
“Parents need to protect their children’s impressionable minds from LGBT indoctrination,” she says. “Yes, it’s time for moms and dads to take a bold stand for the truth and shield their kids from the DOS homosexual propaganda that will harm and corrupt their thinking.”
For cultural commentator Alex McFarland, DOS should force Christian parents to consider the kind of education their children are receiving in public school.
“Christian parents, if your child in public school, this is a day your child should not go to school,” says McFarland, an apologist.
McFarland says he comes from a long line of teachers, with family members who have spent time in the public school system, but the agenda is changing.
“Our teachers union so thoroughly in bed with secular progressives, public schools, with rare exception, are under the sway of pluralists,” McFarland says. “They’re not only anti-god, they’re anti-America, anti-Bible and anti-patriotism. On the Day of Silence, moms and dads have got to protect the souls and worldview of children. At the same time, same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria is always the result of abuse or pain. We love people. Part of the reason this is such a volatile issue, why people have such an emotionally charged reaction is because it cuts to core of their very psyche, heart and mind. Understand that we in church have to love, build relationships, cultivate trust, honesty, respect so we can, with help of the Holy Spirit, share God’s truth. In the quest to love our neighbor, we must not compromise truth. We cannot endanger heart and soul and worldview of our children.”
For some Christians, like Landon Schott of REV Ministries, the Day of Silence should be the exact opposite, at least for believers.
“The body of Christ has been silent for too long. I’ve called it ‘scared speechless,'” Schott says. “We are allowing a spirit of fear and spirit of intimidation to keep the church silent. We don’t need a Day of Silence; we have had years of silence. Silence, as pastors and ministers won’t go near the subject from the pulpit or even in the foyer when directly asked by individuals.”
Schott wrote Gay Awareness: Discovering the Heart of the Father and the Mind of Christ in 2016 to equip believers with the tools necessary to spread truth in an age of deceit. When he was writing his book, he says a pastor told him he wouldn’t “go near your book with a 10-foot pole.”
“Due to a lack of biblical knowledge and the silence of the church, people are confused, left to wonder and end up making unhealthy decisions that can be very destructive to everyone. Leaving this issue unaddressed helps no one and can end up hurting everyone. Every church must address homosexuality. And every church must use the Bible as its ultimate guide for wisdom, love and truth. I wanted to encourage Christians to use this Day of Silence to reach out to friends, family members and loved ones that you know struggle with same-sex attractions and show them the love of God,” Schott says.
What should Christians do about the Day of Silence? Sound off below!
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