Evangelicals Can Support LGBT Rights, Too

Is evangelical Christianity a big tent religion? Meaning, can there be a diversity of views among evangelical Christians over certain social issues?

In broad terms, the most famous evangelical leaders in the country would seem to say no, particularly when it comes to issues like LGBT rights. From Pat Robertson to James Dobson, from Joel Osteen to Rick Warren, all are on record saying that homosexuality is intrinsically bad. Who can forget Pat Robertson's comment that gays caused terrorism, or Joel Osteen's dig that homosexuality wasn't God's best.

But for every Joel Osteen, it's good to remember that there's a Rev. Mark Tidd out there. Rev. Tidd is a bunch of things. He's an evangelical. He's a pastor of a Denver-area church known as Highlands. And he's not only supportive of LGBT people inside his Church, he's actually a proponent of same-sex marriage.

Talk about an alternative to the Dobson and Warren crowd.

Rev. Tidd was profiled earlier this week in a Wash Post article, where he said that he's part of a new breed of evangelical Christianity that seeks to affirm all members of the Church, including LGBT members. You know that tired "love the sinner, but hate the sin" refrain that comes from many religious circles? Tidd wants to throw that line out with yesterday's bath water.

"Our position is not one of lenience, but a matter of justice," said. Rev. Tidd. "It's not that we don't acknowledge the reality of sin. It's not a sin to be gay or act in accordance with your nature."

Now that's a radically refreshing view of evangelical theology. Is it one that's catching on? Maybe, at least according to Jennifer Vanasco. Earlier this year, the editor of 365gay.com wrote a piece over at Huff Post that talked about the growing trend of evangelicals, particularly young evangelicals, who don't have the time or the energy or the theological justifications to demonize LGBT people like the ministers of yesteryear. Instead, they're starting to show real openness on the issue of homosexuality, and at least a willingness to dialogue.

"The 'New Evangelicals' think that their churches should focus on poverty and improving the environment. In 1987, 73 percent of white evangelical Protestants thought that a teacher should be fired for being gay," writes Vanasco. "This year, only 40 percent thought so. [And] younger evangelicals are, like the rest of the country, more likely to approve of -- or just not care about -- equal marriage."

Pastors like Rev. Mark Tidd may still be in the minority inside American evangelicalism, but it's clear that they're growing. And during a year where we learned just how crucial religious groups can be in the fight to win equal rights, this is a huge development.

Despite a year where conservative religious groups pummeled gay marriage in places like Maine, California and New York, it's game-changing to hear a pastor like Rev. Tidd say that from his evangelical perspective, there's nothing sinful about homosexuality. Now that's a theological principle that could not only change the church, it could change the world.

(Photo courtesy of iboy_daniel's photostream on Flickr.)