Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) is an organization that touts itself as an interdenominational Christian ministry that is primarily found on university campuses around the world. Now a global parachurch mission outfit, CRU is a staple of youth and college group partnerships with over 25,000 missionaries in nearly 200 countries. In short, CRU is an influential voice among evangelical students.
For the last several years, evangelicalism has been promoting the unbiblical notion that you can be both gay and Christian. The movement, largely influenced by pro-gay parachurch organizations such as Living Out and Revoice, has gained inroads into churches at an alarming rate. The notion that one can identify as homosexual while continuing to dress and act like a homosexual is acceptable so long as one doesn’t actively engage in sexual activity is biblically preposterous. Yet, this is the crux of the movement.
Now, CRU is pushing this idea through its influential youth gatherings. One CRU leader recently tweeted that the Bible does not call us to be “straight.”
Hartley, a student leader at CRU and an intern for CRU in California, identifies as LGBTQ and uses the hashtag “#LGBTQinChrist.”
Rachel Gilson, whom Hartley quoted in his above tweet, is a campus staff director for CRU in Boston. What Gilson said, that the Bible does not call us to be straight, is demonstrably false. Romans 1 clearly refers to homosexuality as “vile affections” and “dishonorable passions.” Regardless of the translation used, it is clear that the desire, in and of itself, whether or not it is acted upon, is considered vile to God. Why this is even a question in the Church now is baffling — no reasonable conservative theologian in the history of the Church would deny this.
Yet, the movement continues to grow, and CRU is perpetuating it by influencing young minds to accept what God sees as unacceptable.
I think the Gilson quote that Hartley posted is out of context. I didn’t hear the quote specifically, but from what i know about Cru’s stance and what i know of Gilson is that a sexual attraction is not necessary for a healthy marriage, so therefore and for example, a gay man can be married to a woman and visa versa. She is NOT saying that a gay man should marry men.
Cru teaches that same sex desire does not bar you from Christ any more than the desire to murder bad drivers or look at porn. I appreciate this article calling out potential heresy, but please do better research in case your writing damages a ministry that preaches the Gospel.
“…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Rom 12:2. Same-sex attraction stems from the sinful state of humanity and can lead to further sin. Being same-sex attracted is not okay any more than acting on it. We cannot relegate sin to acts of doing only, as Jesus clearly pointed out in the Sermon on the Mount. The question is: do we love our neighbor enough to help them through this sin and wash them in the Word of God so that their minds will be transformed?