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On October 9, Pastor Ted Wilson, the president of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, “Adultery, fornication, and LGBTQIA+ are in direct opposition to God’s law and heavenly plan for human sexuality. We must make a conscious choice, even though unpopular, to speak up for Bible truth and not simply go along with societal trends.” This statement was part of his 2021 Annual Council , “Trust God’s Prophetic Word in the Coming Impending Conflict.” Like many people, I found Wilson’s words regarding the LGBTQIA+ community to be exceptionally divisive and unproductive.

Whatever your stance on this topic–whether you identify as religiously conservative, liberal, or are internally conflicted about this issue–there is a strong case to be made that Wilson’s words were universally harmful, and reflect an attitude that must be reformed within the church. The following article is not reflective of 老司机传媒’s stance as a whole, or that of the student body, or even of this newspaper. These are my words—the reflections of a devastated young adult who grew up in the Adventist church.

I am not going to spend the following paragraphs arguing about whether or not being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community is a sin, as this has already been extensively covered by the , the author , and the , among others who thoughtfully object to this aspect of Wilson’s claim. What I would specifically like to focus on–and where I hope that we can find common ground–is the fact that pronouncements such as Wilson’s October 9 tweet are doing more harm than good. There are two primary issues that I take with Wilson’s statement: his language is careless, and his words reflect an overarching disinterest in connecting with anyone who is not already a fundamentalist Christian.

In naming the complete acronym of “LGBTQIA+,” Wilson’s tweet includes the following groups: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer, intersex, and asexual individuals. The mention of these first five categories is not a surprise given the church’s history. But why are “intersex” and “asexual” individuals a part of this conversation? With regard to intersex individuals, is being born with the biological traits of both men and women “in direct opposition to God’s law”? Does this mean that anyone with any sort of physiological or genetic abnormality is an abomination on this earth? Should we plead that they change their biology so that they can make it into heaven?

Furthermore, the topic of asexuality is scarcely–if at all–mentioned in the Bible. The closest instance that most scholars can point to regarding this topic is in , where Paul states that remaining unmarried can be a blessing, because it allows the believer to dedicate themselves fully to the work of God. So why are these two groups included in Wilson’s tweet? The likely answer is that, in an attempt to denounce the LGBTQIA+ movement as a whole, he did not take the time to fully consider the implications of using this entire acronym. Instead, he attempted to brush aside whole groups of people without completely understanding who he was dismissing, and his words are a compulsive reaction to a broad political movement that makes many fundamentalist Christians uncomfortable. This instance of verbal carelessness and inaccuracy is disturbing, particularly when considering that it stems from a church leader who presides over the General Conference of more than 21 million church members.

In addition to the perplexing inclusion of intersex and asexual individuals in his statement, Wilson’s tweet is damaging with regard to its treatment of the entire LGBTQIA+ community. First, it contributes to a harmful echo chamber and only serves to repel non-believers and skeptics from the church. With regard to educating people about their disruption of “God’s heavenly plan,” it is entirely unproductive to tell an atheist that a God they do not believe in is going to condemn them unless they change their sexual orientation. In what scenario has it ever been effective to try and change someone’s mind by feeding them insults? By threatening them with a form of punishment that is nonexistent according to their worldview? This attitude is silly, degrading, and unproductive.

The harm of Wilson’s words does not stop with its implications for non-believers. For those who do identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community and are members of the Adventist church, his statement is an effective way of repelling them from the spiritual communities that they once called home. For Adventists who do not identify as LGBTQIA+ and are wondering how to approach this topic, Wilson’s statement leaves them with concerning, ambiguous instructions about how to proceed. In the actual 2021 Annual Council Sermon, he states, “We are to show Christian respect to all people, but God calls us, through His strength, to follow His created plan for human sexuality.” Two sentences later, he makes the statement that adultery, fornication, and the LGBTQIA+ community are “in opposition to God’s law and heavenly plan for human sexuality.” So what exactly does this concept of “Christian respect” entail?

Does it mean that we should refrain from physical violence, but that it is our moral obligation to tell people that they are going to hell? How exactly should we do this? Should we stand by the side of the road and hold picket signs? Should we find the social media accounts of LGBTQIA+ individuals and chastise them in the comments? Or is this charge merely reactionary; do we only need to educate people about their sin when they ask for our opinions on the topic? And must we ban them from our churches and schools until they promise to change their ways? Whatever Wilson’s tweet was meant to imply, I do know this: the word “respect” does not typically entail publicly disparaging groups of people on Twitter, whether or not they share the same worldview or beliefs as the speaker.

To those who agree with Wilson’s claim, it may be tempting to say that he is just speaking “Bible truth,” no matter the effects this has on other humans. But rather than magnifying portions of scripture that have been historically used to justify discrimination, hatred, and violence, do you know what indisputably constitutes “Bible truth?”

Love your .
Treat others .
God sent his to die for you.
You are made in the of God.
You are .
You have .
You are .

For every instance that we choose to beat people over the head with condemnation rather than lift them up with these transformative Biblical truths, we have entirely missed the point–and we have failed as Christians. 

As states in a scathing Instagram post regarding Wilson’s tweet, “This is why fundamentalism is so harmful. The ability to place theology over humanity and then declare you’re doing God’s work is dangerous. It causes real and measurable harm.” Indeed, Wilson’s insistence on placing theology over humanity is simultaneously discouraging, discriminatory, and dangerous.

It has been seemingly difficult for many people to speak out in light of this issue. While Andrew Kerbs is an ex-Adventist, people such as the writer who published an opposing article have had to hide their identities in order to avoid repercussions for their views. I am in the privileged position of contributing to this dialogue without fear of being fired from a position in church leadership. My heart aches for those who are both saddened and infuriated by Wilson’s statement, but may be unable to speak out for fear of jeopardizing their careers. I am most enraged for those members of the LGBTQIA+ community who have been directly insulted by Wilson’s words. It is a troubling thing when the staunch views of church leaders do not reflect the beliefs of so many of their congregation members, and when many of those members have little sway in affecting the leadership of their church.

As many of us recoil in the aftermath of Wilson’s statement, I hope that the Adventist church slowly recognizes the extent to which this rhetoric is harmful and unproductive. No matter our ideological differences, it is imperative that Christians make a commitment to affirm the love, value, and purpose that are undoubtedly supported by the Bible–not repel people from God with fear.

If you are in search of an LGBTQIA+ affirming organization for Adventists, please visit the website for the .

If you or a loved one is in need of support as a member of the  LGBTQIA+ community, the following resources are available to you:

The LGBTQ Suicide Hotline: 866-488-7386
The American Foundation for : 888-333-2377
The LGBT Support Hotline: 866-337-6468
For a compilation of additional resources, visit this by The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center.

For those looking for resources to reconcile their Christian faith and sexuality, may be a helpful resource.

For Adventists who are not members of the LGBTQIA+ community but are looking for resources to better support friends and family members who are, the book may be a helpful resource.