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Post by Berean on Jan 22, 2024 23:49:12 GMT -5
Alistair Begg Caves to LGBTQ Movement, Suggests Christians Attend LGBTQ Wedding Ceremonies
by Publisher | Jan 18, 2024 In 2014, Russell Moore, then president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) advised Southern Baptists to attend a “gay wedding” reception as a gesture of affection towards a homosexual friend or relative. Moore was criticized for this stance, and rightly so, yet this stance was quickly adopted by the progressive stream of Southern Baptists and Evangelicals and has become the norm within movements such as Revoice. Yet, Moore’s advice is inextricably entangled with a fundamental flaw—it tacitly endorses what Scripture explicitly identifies as an ungodly union. The Bible’s portrayal of marriage as a sacred covenant between a man and a woman is clear and non-negotiable. Deviating from this divine decree is not merely a transgression, it’s an act of defiance against God’s sovereignty. Participation in such ceremonies is far from benign, it’s a visible, public affirmation of a relationship that stands in direct opposition to the sanctity of marriage as ordained by God. But, to be fair, Moore only suggested that one attend the reception, but not the actual wedding. Which is why it is amazing that any supposedly solid, Reformed Christian would not only take that stance, but take it even further, recommending to his followers that they not only attend the reception, but the actual ceremony as well—and to buy them a gift. But this is what Alistair Begg has done. Alistair Begg is a widely respected pastor, author, and Bible teacher known for his evangelical Christian teachings and his leadership as senior pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio. During a recent podcast, Begg took a question from a listener who asked him about their grandson getting “married” to a transgender person. I asked the grandmother, does your grandson understand your belief in Jesus? Yes. Does your grandson understand that your belief in Jesus makes it such that you can’t countenance in any affirming way the choices that he has made in life? Yes. I said, well, then, okay. As long as he knows that, then I suggest that you do go to the ceremony, and I suggest that you buy them a gift. Listen to the justification Begg gives for allowing such evil. The Bible doesn’t say that we can participate in evil so long as the people we are participating in it with understand that we believe in Jesus. The Bible says the exact opposite—it says to Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph 5:11). What is a more unfruitful work of darkness than celebrating something that God despises with every fiber of His being? Was God there celebrating? No. What is God’s disposition toward such wickedness? That should be our disposition. This is absolutely horrifying to hear coming from a man who is supposed to be as well-respected as Alistair Begg. Sadly, he’s been sliding for a number of years, and this is just the logical end of his compromise and typical of those influenced by The Gospel Coalition. Here’s the clip: At link
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Post by Berean on Jan 25, 2024 19:15:23 GMT -5
Alistair Begg Doubles Down on Gay Wedding Remarks, Gets the Boot From American Family Radio
by Publisher | Jan 25, 2024 Last week, The Dissenter reported that Alistair Begg, a prominent pastor associated with The Gospel Coalition, urged Christians to not only attend homosexual weddings, but to also buy them a gift—a position that starkly contradicts the biblical view of marriage as a sacred union exclusively between a man and a woman. This alarming advice from Begg, a respected figure in evangelical circles including the late R.C. Sproul’s Ligonier ministry, represents a growing trend of Evangelical leaders to abandon sound Christian doctrine in favor of man-pleasing cultural orthodoxy. It is a glaring example of the moral compromise seeping into the church under the guise of progressive tolerance. While Begg continues to state that he believes homosexual marriages are invalid and that homosexuality is wrong, by advocating attendance and gift-giving at such ceremonies, Begg not only disregards the scriptural condemnation of homosexuality but also encourages believers to participate actively in what is portrayed in Scripture as an abhorrent act to God. This is a distressing trend within certain evangelical factions, indicating a troubling drift from biblical authority and the command to flee from sin—not tacitly endorse it. Yet, despite confrontation with other Evangelical leaders and lay people alike, Begg has doubled down on his position causing American Family Radio (AFR), who hosted his show, Truth for Life, to drop him after 12 years. AFR Vice President Ed Vitagliano along with American Family Association (AFA) Vice President Walker Wildmon, reached out to Begg’s team to ask for clarification or withdrawal of these statements. According to Wildmon and Vitagliano, Begg’s team defended Begg’s comments and said that he would be standing by them. Now, let me just say from the outset, and then I’m gonna get Walker to join in here too, that the the two individuals that we talked with, as Walker and I with two individuals from Alister Begg’s ministry, they made it clear that Alistair Begg believes that homosexuality is wrong, he hasn’t changed that his views on that he does not believe that homosexual marriage is valid, and that the practice of homosexual activity is, as the Bible says, an abomination. So all four of us were in agreement with that. But Walker, what we could not get them to change—and they said that Alistair Begg is not going to change his mind—was on the issue of whether Christians should attend because that is what Alistair Begg was saying. Yes, he was saying Christians should attend and bring a gift. Yes, that’s right. And the goal of the call, and the goal of all Christians when approaching these issues should be reconciliation, but reconciliation and truth. And so that was our goal with a call with Alisha Begg’s team. And unfortunately, we didn’t get there. But we did press the issue multiple, multiple times. And we even asked point blank, “So are you guys stating that Pastor Alistair Begg is standing by his original comment? He has no regrets? He didn’t misspeak? He doesn’t want to further clarify? Nothing?” and they said, “Yes, he’s standing by his original comment.” So very disappointing. AFA and AFR presidents also argued, as we did, that attending a homosexual wedding is, in fact, a tacit approval of the abomination and that there really is no escape from that truth. They gave the example of a man who wants to divorce his wife and marry his secretary. If this man were to ask one of them to be his best man, would you do so? According to Begg’s line of reasoning, the answer would be yes. Let’s be clear, Begg has embraced an extremely dangerous teaching that if worked out to its logical conclusion, is a damnable heresy. Hopefully, he will see his error and repent, and hopefully, other influential leaders who surround Begg and his ministry, such as Voddie Baucham, Steven Lawson, and even John MacArthur, will press this issue with hm call him to repent of these statements. We understand that even the best among us can make mistakes and have blind spots, but the fact that he has now doubled down on these statements is extremely disturbing and not something his ministry partners should take lightly. We are grateful that AFR has done the right thing, and we agree with them that the goal is always reconciliation, but reconciliation in the truth. You can listen to the full audio at the link.
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Post by Midnight on Feb 3, 2024 4:19:45 GMT -5
Alistair Begg DROPPED By Ligonier Ministries Radio Network Over LGBT Wedding
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Post by Berean on Feb 4, 2024 21:29:03 GMT -5
Alistair Begg Dropped from MacArthur's Shepherd's Conference Amid "Gay Wedding" Remarks
By Publisher This past weekend, Alistair Begg responded to the backlash from his critics, expressing surprise at the intensity of the reaction he received amid giving advice to a grandmother that she should not only attend her grandson’s homosexual wedding, but also purchase them a gift, so as not to seem judgmental. He says he had hoped to convey compassion, yet found himself at the center of an unexpected controversy. In a video message to his congregation, Begg remarked: “I didn’t expect to address the significant discussion my previous comments sparked, especially online. My intent was to offer a compassionate perspective, yet it seems to have ignited a far-reaching debate.” The casuistry of Begg’s position is evident and it is difficult to align the concept of compassion with actions that contradict biblical teachings. The crux of the matter lies in understanding how such a stance coexists with the decision to support actions deemed sinful, a topic that continues to stir significant dialogue and reflection. Yet, Begg not only doubled down, but tripled down on his position, leaving other Christian leaders no choice but to hold him accountable for his remarks. Not only was Begg dropped from American Family Radio, but he has now also been dropped from John MacArthur’s Shepherd’s Conference—a move that is hopefully a wake-up call to Begg as he says he is “not ready to repent” of his position. According to Religion News Service, Begg had been scheduled to speak in March at the Shepherds Conference, a major Reformed evangelical pastors’ gathering led by California pastor and author John MacArthur. After Begg’s comments became public, he and MacArthur talked and decided the controversy would be “an unnecessary distraction,” according to a spokesman for Grace to You, one of the conference sponsors. “Pastor MacArthur’s counsel on that issue would be completely different from the counsel Alistair Begg said he gave an inquiring grandmother,” said Phil Johnson, executive director of Grace to You told Religion News Service in an email. “So both agreed that it was necessary for Pastor Begg to withdraw.” This is a promising development, as many had been concerned that Begg, despite his compromise, may ultimately still end up speaking at the Conference which has historically stood on solid doctrinal ground. We are thankful that MacArthur and his colleagues have done so, and we pray that ultimately, Begg will see his error and repent of it. The ultimate goal is reconciliation. link
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