It should be obvious to most observers of the Western church that the debate about the nature, place and role of homosexuality and therefore the role and place of gay, lesbian and bisexuals within the church is a critical one. It is critical for a number of reasons, because already in many Western mainline denominations the ground has shifted both in terms of ethics and in some cases also doctrine.

This will be a battleground within Western Christianity in particular probably for the rest of my life. It begins with shifts within civil society and then to the state churches, these things are not solved in a matter of months but years. However the spotlight will continue to bear down on Christians and evangelicals in particular (we are easy targets) and so I am convinced that church leaders need to be prepared to know how to articulate their beliefs without resorting to silly judgmental soundbites or mumbling meaningless platitudes. With this in mind we need to keep one eye open to the trends that are happening, the events that are taking place and consider carefully how we would respond when occasion demands it.

• For a fairly clear and robust statement of the battleground from an evangelical within the Church of England read this
• Not so long ago Frontline Church in Liverpool received some pretty positive coverage in the national media as a result of its wirk with the disadvantaged. It didn’t take long before the spotlight shifted to their views on homosexuality. ‘ But it’s not unreasonable – in fact, it’s imperative – to ask serious questions, in a society increasingly tolerant and understanding of sexual diversity, about the church’s approach to treating homosexuality.’
• Christians need to work out how to deal with the reality gay marriage and when one reads of an example like this consider how to respond tot hose who reject the source of our morality. It’s one thing to argue with another Christian about this issue (in theory we agree on the same source – God and the Bible for our ethics) but how do we talk to those who reject that source about why we see one marriage as moral and one as immoral?
• Here is one good example where the battle has got silly
• In terms of how we respond, click through and watch Bill Hybels give a lesson in gracious handling of this issue
• Looking somewhat beyond the issue of gay marriage, many think (inside and outside the church) that the next shift in societies view on marriage will be the legalizing of polygamous marriages, after all, ‘We should fight for privacy as an inclusive concept, benefiting everyone in the same way. Regardless of whether it is a gay or plural relationship, the struggle and the issue remains the same: the right to live your life according to your own values and faith.’ (HT to Challies for the links)