Join the Gay Christadelphian Network!
Launches 1st July 2007

Frequently Asked Questions

This site gets a lot of email. This page has samples of the most frequently asked questions.

About the Bible

But the Bible says same-sex relationships are sinful!

No it doesn't. Please read What the Bible Says. If you think it does, please contact me and let me know what you believe, and why.

Are there really affirmations of same-sex relationships in the Bible?

Yes. See Biblical Affirmation.

How can you look at the beautiful friendship between David and Jonathan and debase it by suggesting that it was sexual?

Consensual sexual relationships are beautiful. A beautiful friendship that is sexual is still a beautiful friendship. The presence of sex in a relationship does not debase it in any way.

Will God apologise to Sodom?

He won't. Sodom wasn't destroyed because of homosexuality. Sodom was destroyed because the people of Sodom were proud and uncharitable. See Sodom in What The Bible Says.

Why do you use the NIV? Isn't the NIV biased towards being pro gay?

I use the NIV because it is usually clearer than the KJV. With its translation of 1 Corinthians 6:9, the NIV is one of the more anti-gay translations.

What about 1 Kings 14:24? What about other passages?

See the Scriptural Index for references to specific passages.

You quote from Tobit. Why were you quoting from the Apocrypha? Do Christadelphians regard Tobit and the rest of the Apocrypha as inspired?

The quote from Tobit is used because it is a good example of "brother" and "sister" being applied to a husband and wife in ancient Hebrew literature. It was used in the same way as the quote from the Penitential attributed to John the Faster: just to illustrate a point about how a word was used.

Christadelphians do not think the books of the Apocrypha (or the Penitentials) are inspired.

About Same-Sex Relationships And Being Gay

"Is homosexuality not a lusting after the flesh?"

No. Same-sex relationships can be about lust, but opposite-sex relationships can be too. Relationships, same-sex and opposite-sex, can and should be about love.

How can you justify the homosexual lifestyle?

There is no such thing as the homosexual lifestyle. It makes as much sense to talk about the heterosexual lifestyle. Gay men and women have the same range of lifestyles as straight men and women.

Do people choose to be gay?

Why would anyone choose to be gay? Even in a liberal city, gay men and women are subject to many different prejudices and harassments. There are probably some bisexuals who can choose to be gay or straight, but for most people sexual orientation is not a choice.

Why do you say "gay", not "homosexual"?

Lots of reasons. In my experience, "homosexual" is a negative word. Many people feel that "homosexual" puts too much emphasis on the sexual aspects of being gay. In my experience, "gay" is a neutral word with less emphasis on sex.

And now a question for you. This site uses phrases like "same-sex relationship" and "opposite-sex relationship" rather than "gay relationship" and "straight relationship" (or "homosexual relationship" and "heterosexual relationship"). Why do you think that is?

How can two men, or two women, make a lifelong commitment to each other?

How can a man and a woman make a lifelong commitment to each other? One way is to make a public covenant with each other, before God, and in front of their friends and family. The relationship is often strengthened by this public covenant, and the friends and family support both parties in the relationship, through the good times and the bad. Tradition calls this sort of covenant "marriage".

A same-sex couple can make a public covenant with each other, before God, and in front of their friends and family. The relationship is often strengthened by this covenant, although all too often friends and family do not support both parties and the relationship the way they would for an opposite-sex couple. Tradition has no name for this sort of covenant, but that does not make it less important or less real to the couple involved. Many people believe that examples of this sort of covenant are found in Ruth and 1 Samuel.

Same-sex relationships deny the purpose of God. God made a woman (not a man) as the perfect companion for Adam.

See Marriage and the Purpose of God in The Meaning of Marriage.

Same-sex relationships are wrong because it is impossible to expect a "godly seed" (Malachi 2:15) from a same sex relationship.

If same-sex relationships are wrong because it is impossible to expect a "godly seed" from such a relationship, then many other relationships are wrong for the same reason. You cannot expect a relationship between an infertile man and a woman to produce children. You cannot expect a relationship between a post-menopausal woman and a man to produce children. Non-reproductive relationships are not wrong. Reproduction is not the only reason or justification to have sex.

About the Christadelphians

Where can I find out more about the Christadelphians?

Updated 10th June 07 Where can I find an ecclesia that would accept gay people, or people with "alternative lifestyles"?

Join The Gay Christadelphian Network. Try to get to know Christadelphians through discussion forums, such as Truth Alive and the forums on TheChristadelphians.org. You will get hostile responses as well as friendly ones.

About Me

Are you really a Christadelphian?

Yes, I am.

Are you male or female? Are you gay?

Does this make any difference? Most people assume that I am a gay man. You may assume whatever makes you happy :-)

How can you call yourself Christadelphian when your beliefs go against Christadelphian beliefs?

The only book or document that defines Christadelphian beliefs is the Bible, and the Bible is not opposed to same-sex relationships. The main Christadelphian statements of faith do not mention same-sex relationships.

Have you stopped attending Christadelphian services?

No. I still attend a service every Sunday, just as I have done since I was baptised many years ago.

I have heard that you are not in fellowship with brothers and sisters in Central Fellowship. Therefore you should not call yourself Christadelphian.

I'm sure the Berean Christadelphians, Dawn Christadelphians, Old Paths Christadelphians, and the other Christadelphian fellowships would disagree with this. Being Christadelphian is a matter of belief, not of belonging to a particular group.

There are lots of rumours about me, about who I am, where I live, who I love, what ecclesia or fellowship I do or do not belong to, whether or not I still attend Christadelphian services. Rather than putting effort into discussing these rumours or finding me, you should be considering the issues discussed on this site.

Why isn't your name on this site?

There is an established tradition of anonymous publishing in the Christadelphian community. I have two books, Sex and the Bible Believer and Letters to George and Jenny, neither of which has the name of the author or authors on it. Many Christadelphian websites are anonymous. Neither God's Truth nor The Bible--God's Word Wholly Inspired and Infallible have the name of their webmaster on them.

I once got an email, from a Christadelphian, that said "I will kill you" because of this site. In the face of that kind of threat, not having my name on this site is the only sensible course of action!

Another question for you: why should my name be on this site? If you knew who I was would that make my arguments easier to refute?

You underestimate the Christadelphians if you think they are out to get you

I don't think the Christadelphians are all out to get me.

Have you read the recent article in The Christadelphian?

No. Haven't read the Christadelphian for ages.

In the privacy statement, you say "I also want to protect my family from abuse arising as a result of this site." Do you think Christadelphians are the sort of people who will hassle your parents?

Most Christadelphians are decent people. A small minority have harassed me and my family, and people they think might be me and my family. This is sad, but true.

Like most people, my family includes people in addition to my parents.

If you believe that the traditional Christadelphian position is wrong, then why don't you try to correct us instead of hiding behind this website?

Yes, someone really asked this. From another page:

This site is here to show that there are gay Christadelphians, and that there are Christadelphians who do not believe the Bible is opposed to all same-sex relationships.

This website is here to challenge the "traditional", and misguided, Christadelphian position. I'm not a speaker. This is the best way for me to do it.

Why are you so disdainful about the Christadelphian community? Why are you so embittered?

This is another one of those questions that really confused me. I am not disdainful about the Christadelphian community, and I'm not embittered. Although I disagree with the common Christadelphian position on same-sex relationships, I am not disdainful towards the Christadelphians who disagree with me. Even when being harassed by individual Christadelphians, I know that those Christadelphians are not representatives of the community as a whole.

You are upsetting a lot of people. This isn't very Christ-like!

Which is more Christ-like:To stand up and preach the Truth, or to keep my mouth shut to avoid upsetting people?

I recognise you from the way you format your HTML code! I recognise you from the design of the site!

I reformat the HTML using HTML Tidy, and I based the design on one I took from a site that gave away free designs, so you don't recognise me from the HTML source, or design. Nice try though.

What is your email address? I want to send you a document I wrote

Please convert the document to text and use the contact form. If you can't do that, try emailing contact at inherit-the-kingdom.org. I am unable to open binary attachments, such as Microsoft Word documents.

Why haven't you answered my email?

I answer less than 1% of the email sent to this site. There's no real excuse for this—sorry. Normally if the question is worth answering it will be answered on this page, or elsewhere on the site. Sometimes the other stuff gets forgotten.

Can I contact you in person or using MSN?

Not easily. If you need to contact me, send an email, or use the contact form. If you make it clear what you want to talk about I will try to make time to contact you. Make it clear that you would like a response.

New 10 June 07 I want to know more about you

I was recently interviewed for the Being Gay Being Christadelphian blog. You can find out more there.

Other Questions

Could you post some of the counterarguments you have received, with your responses to them? What about responses to books, articles, and websites that oppose your point of view?

This site is here to argue that the Bible is not opposed to same-sex relationships, not to become a series "tit-for-tat" arguments. I have published a review of www.gay-christadelphians-a-response.co.uk, and reviews of other Christadelphian websites may be published in the future. There are no formal plans though.

From time to time I do get good counterarguments sent to me. As I find the time I update this site to address them, and I will publish any reasonable responses to the monthly challenges. So far I have only received one response to any of the challenges.


Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world
Matthew 25:34, NIV

Join the Gay Christadelphian Network!
Launches 1st July 2007