APU, LGBTQ and WWJD

…“Go. From now on sin no more.” John 8:11b

On or about September 21, 2018, Azusa Pacific University announced that it would be dropping their policy preventing students from engaging in “romanticized” same-sex relationships. They would, however, continue to be hard-fast on celibacy prior to marriage and that marriage is ordained by God to be between one man and one woman.

I intended to write this blog the week of September 24, but delayed it because there was an immense amount of research that needed to be done before I could write a cogent article. I’m still not sure if I know enough to articulate deeply on the subject. 

I do know what concerns me about what is happening. I will share one of those things.

According to one of APU’s Associate Deans, “Our values for the pilot program are inclusivity, love, bravery. Our goals are care, connection and conversation. These all seem like Christian values to me,” the Associate Dean continued. “I believe that our program’s mission is alignment with the values of the university in caring for students and creating conversation about difficult topics.”

The Associate Dean continued, “I’m not a big fan of who’s right and who’s wrong in this conversation, I’m a big fan of caring for people.” This is the statement that concerns me the most. (Citation: Calvin Freiburger, Follow Calvin; along with several other blogs and articles)

While caring for people should always be one of our highest priorities, Christians (and institutions that represent themselves as Christian according to their beliefs) should also be very concerned about what God thinks is right and wrong. As a result, we should be very concerned about who’s right and who’s wrong as a natural and necessary extension of what God thinks is right and wrong. If God thinks “romanticized” same-sex relationships are wrong, then we should think they are wrong rather than setting up a standard of behavior that is contrary to God’s Word. 

I agree with Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary when he said on his podcast, The Briefing, that APU’s decision is “…a complete reversal and repudiation of the historic Christian understanding of what romance is to be as defined by scripture and what is appropriate as sexual and gender identity as described by scripture.” 

Then, on October 1, 2018, it was reported by Christianity Today’s News and Reporting that “Days after Azusa Pacific University (APU) dropped a ban on “romanticized” same-sex relationships from its code of student conduct, its board of trustees reversed the changes” according to statement by the APU Board of Trustees.  

It was also reported by ZU Media, a campus newspaper, that “The school’s much-discussed shift on same-sex relationships had been approved by APU’s administrative board, but not the board of trustees”. 

So things are back to normal. Or are they? If the Associate Dean’s thinking is prevalent at APU then this isn’t even close to being over. 

What’s more important? Doing what we think is right or doing what God thinks is right? 

Another way of saying this is, “What would Jesus do (WWJD)?” I know what Jesus said, “Go. From now on sin no more.” John 8:11b

Something to think about…