Here is my response to a letter from “ONE TWU” to Trinity Western University, a Christian university in Langley, BC, Canada. (My words are in green, interspersed with the letter’s paragraphs.)

— Richard Peachey — r.d.peachey@gmail.com

ONE TWU   https://www.onetwu.com/letter-to-twu

A community of LGBTQ+ students, alumni, and allies of Trinity Western University

TO THE TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY:

Although Jesus commands us in Matthew 22:39 to “Love your neighbour as yourself”, the Christian church still struggles with how to love our neighbours when they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. Trinity Western University has similarly struggled with this same question, particularly over the past few years.

Genuine love is concerned with helping people out of their sins, not acquiescing while they remain in their sins. 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 — “Love . . . does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.“

Sexual immorality, along with other sins, will lead people to eternal destruction — unless, of course, people repent of their sins and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Then God will graciously receive them into his kingdom, as indicated in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 — “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of  the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.“

Motivated by a desire to make our community a more loving, accepting, and safe place for all students and inspired by the example of movements such as OneWheaton and OneBiola, One TWU seeks to give a voice to LGBTQ+ community members and their supporters at TWU. Towards that end, we seek to affirm and promote the following:

As a Christian educational institution, TWU is not called upon to “give a voice” to or make a “safe place” for sinners who want to remain in their sins, justify their sins, and complain against others who decline to celebrate and endorse those sins. Furthermore, those parents and “allies” who take the side of such sinners are also acting contrary to God’s will, since the Bible clearly condemns not only those who commit same-sex sexual acts but also those who approve of such acts (Romans 1:26-32).

• We believe in the equality of all people. LGBTQ+ community members are in no way inferior, abnormal, or less than their heterosexual or cisgender counterparts. Therefore, we affirm the humanity of our LGBTQ+ neighbours and seek to include them as equals in all our endeavours.

All people are equal before God in that we are all sinners, and we are all commanded to repent of our sins and come to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Saviour for sinners. To repent means to turn away from our sins, not to attempt to normalize them or justify them.

• We believe that homophobia and transphobia are affronts to our Creator God. We stand in opposition to the stigmatization of LGBTQ+ people just as we stand in opposition to racism, sexism, and the like.

Same-sex sexual acts are sins (i.e., they are affronts to God). These sins are consistently condemned in both Old and New Testaments (Leviticus 18:22,24-30; Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:9-11; Jude 7). The Bible uses a variety of negative, disapproving terms (never positive) to describe same-sex sexual activity: “detestable,” “defiling,” “sinful,” “impure,” “degrading,” “shameful,” “unnatural,” “indecent,” “perversion,” “wicked,” “lawbreaking,” “rebellious,” “ungodly,” “unholy,” “irreligious,” “immorality,” and “contrary to sound doctrine.”

Practicing homosexuals, unless they repent, will be excluded from the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). It is the Christian church’s duty — and TWU is an extension of the church — to include all ethnic groups and both sexes, but at the same time to exclude self-proclaimed Christians who insist on continuing in sin.

• We believe that LGBTQ+ people should be able to live their lives freely without fear of shame, harm, or punishment.

Asking to live sinful lives “freely without fear of shame” is the same as attempting to normalize and justify sin. Whenever we experience shame for our sins, that is God’s good gift to help us move awayfrom those sins.

Regarding “punishment”: all sexually immoral persons, unless they repent, will — like all other unrepentant sinners — be punished forever in hell. Jesus is very clear: “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12:4f.)

• We believe that love has no asterisk. “Christian Love” should never be characterized by condemnation and judgment, which can still be deeply felt regardless of how carefully worded or well intentioned the church’s statements on LGBTQ+ people may be. Rather, we believe in a church where LGBTQ+ people are loved and accepted free from conditional statements and impossible burdens.

The desire to be loved and accepted unconditionally, no matter what sins you are involved in, runs completely contrary to Scripture. Be honest before God, repent of your sins, turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and ask him for help in forsaking all attitudes and behaviours that are displeasing to God. Stop trying to justify yourself in your sins.

• While we accept that we will not always see eye to eye on every issue, we refuse to engage in judgment or tearing down one another. We will always seek to express discordant views in a way that respects the humanity of others.

Ironically, you are putting on a “non-judgmental” façade after accusing others of “homophobia.” Those who oppose your attempt to justify yourself in your sins are not “phobic.” We are actually concerned for God’s glory and for your well-being. It is we, not your “allies,” who are truly your supporters.

• We believe reconciliation and healing is needed to bridge the gap between the Christian church and the LGBTQ+ community at large. For too long, the relationships between Christians and LGBTQ+ people have been characterized by distrust, cynicism, and even hatred on both sides. Instead of accepting this as the status quo, we believe that this is a situation that can change, and we seek to be catalysts in bringing people together.

Do not ask for “reconciliation and healing” apart from repentance for your sins. Stop trying to justify yourself in your sins. Repent of your sins and come to Jesus Christ the Lord, whose goal is to sanctify you and wash you from your sins, and to justify you from your sins, not in them.

One TWU seeks to live out these goals through healthy dialogue, relationship building, and peaceful activism. In order to achieve these goals, OneTWU seeks like-minded individuals in our community to support us.

Any “like-minded individuals” you may attract to your cause will actually be your partners in sending you to eternal destruction. What you really need is people who will lovingly counsel you to forsake your sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour from sin. That is the sort of “healthy dialogue” that is needed, for you and for any others who are determined to continue in their sins, to their own eternal peril. 

If you are a member of the TWU community and would like to sign this letter as a public show of solidarity with our values, contact us at one_twu@outlook.com with the subject line “OneTWU Letter” and we will add your signature to the bottom of this letter. We hope that by collecting numerous signatures, we may show a united group of people ready to live these values out and bring change to our community and our world.

With much love,

One TWU

No matter how many may be attracted to your “united group of people,” no plan that opposes the will of God can hope to succeed ultimately. Accept the clear teaching of God’s Word, turn from your sins, and flee to the Lord Jesus Christ for relief from all your sins, your shame, and your heartaches. I implore you, be reconciled to God. Do not be conformed to this world which is passing away, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind and discern what the will of God is (Romans 12:2).

— Richard Peachey — r.d.peachey@gmail.com