I was passing by a local Southern Baptist church a while back and noticed they’re promoting themselves as a place where “EVERYBODY is welcome,” with the emphasis in the original. I wondered what that was all about, because SBC churches are disfellowshipped (thrown out of the club) if they call a gay or lesbian pastor, install a gay in any position of responsibility, or allows gays into membership.
Gays are allowed to sit in the pews on Sunday morning, however, if they’re inconspicuous, and it turns out that’s all that “EVERYBODY is welcome” means.
This is the new normal (more on that in in a minute) so chances are the newer and hipper churches in your town that advertise on the busses (“finally, a church for young professionals!”) — hide their policies. They may even tell the inquiring gay couple, “Of course you’re welcome!” while failing to inform them that, in the eyes of the church, their relationship is something to repent of. The unsuspecting couple enjoys the awesome culturally-current church, falls in love with the people. A year or two later they learn of the polices that discriminate against them — the age-old bait & switch. I have heard such stories over and over from credible witnesses. Often the effects are devastating (more on that too).
And here’s the thing: the better the church is — with engaging worship, relevant sermons, great kids programming, wonderful outreach — the more likely it is that the church will hide its policies. That means the LGBTQ+ people who come into the church’s spiritual orbit feel more connected when the other shoe drops … and the psychological harm is even greater. So it’s the good churches you have to look out for — not the lame, boring ones.
So gays can attend, but not … belong.
Ho-hum, it is their club, and they’re only sort of lying, et cetera, et cetera.
But why go to church at all? The Christian narrative is incontestably false, Christian teachings are degrading and demand self-abasement, and Christian ethics are destructive cult-ethics. Take your dog for a walk in the park, instead, on Sunday morning. A dog is better companionship than some yahoo eager to shove a Jack Chick tract in your hands and, if you believe in supernatural beings, there’s no reason you can’t encounter them as you listen to the birds chirp and Fido sniffs around.