Alistair Begg: You should go to a transsexual wedding

[Josh]

Recently on Alistair Begg's radio show, he advised a grandma she should attend her grandson's wedding to a... transsexual. (You can hear the interview or read a transcript here: )

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.”

I am interested in hearing other people's thoughts on this topic. (It is unclear if this is a "gay wedding" or not, but we do know for certain her grandson is planning to marry a transsexual.) Should a Christian attend such a wedding?

This is quite a position for an evangelical pastor of what is often presumed to be a "conservative" megachurch to take, but I am also not too surprised, given the general trends I see sweeping over the evangelical world.

I said, “Well, here’s the thing: your love for them may catch them off guard, but your absence will simply reinforce the fact that they said, ‘These people are what I always thought: judgmental, critical, unprepared to countenance anything.’”

And it is a fine line, isn’t it? It really is. And people need to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. But I think we’re going to take that risk. We’re going to have to take that risk a lot more if we want to build bridges into the hearts and lives of those who don’t understand Jesus and don’t understand that he is a King.

I note that this is much of the same argument made in mainline Protestant denominations to allow the camel's nose in the tent for gay marriage or "celibate" gay clergy; claiming that we're supposed to show the "love of Jesus" to them, even though Jesus never did stuff like this - he did actually tell people to repent, and as far as we know, he didn't participate in homosexual or transsexual wedding ceremonies.

[HondurasKeiser]

But freedom in Christ, Josh!!!

[HondurasKeiser]

I'm not sure when Mr. Begg recorded this show but this very morning Carl Trueman, writing in First Things, addressed this very question and landed on "no you shouldn't".

In short, attending a gay wedding involves remaining silent when one should speak. It involves a concession on bodily sex that undermines any attempt to hold fast to the importance of the biological distinction between men and women. And it involves approving of a ceremony that makes a mockery of a central New Testament teaching and of Christ himself. That’s a very high price tag for avoiding hurting someone’s feelings. And if Christians still think it worth paying, the future of the church is bleak indeed.

He also linked to an article by Bethel McGrew in World that mentions this issue in conjunction with some other hullabaloo and giving the impression that ACNA (Anglican Church in North America) is rapidly drifting left.

There was also a disappointing lack of strong guidance on practical questions like whether Christians should attend gay weddings. Sam Allberry labeled it a “wisdom issue” with “good reasons” on both sides. When other panelists were invited to disagree or even offer a qualifying nuance, nobody did—not even Dr. D. A. Carson. Despite the conference’s stated theme, attendees hoping to receive a clear word on this and other issues walked away unsatisfied.

[Josh]

In my own back yard, my ACNA local diocese has a former Evangelical Friends megachurch pastor who somehow, in the span from 2008 to 2019, rocketed from being a disgraced former pastor of that church (mostly for deciding to try to take the church in a charismatic direction, which the rest of the church wasn't on board with) to somehow becoming bishop of the diocese. In this time span, he somehow has also managed to have his wife and daughter ordained as deacons. This seems to be par for the course when "women in ministry" often ends up meaning the wives, daughters, and other relatives of the already well connected and powerful find themselves sinecures and slowly work their way up the organisation.

[Sudsy]

I was wondering how long it would take for this to surface here on this forum.

Anyway, thinking about this I am reminded of Jesus attending a wedding where they ran out of wine and instead of just allowing this to happen as perhaps some had already got quite drunk, He makes more wine, more than they could ever drink at this wedding, estimated at 1,000 bottles. This could be easily taken by those in attendance that Jesus approved of drunkenness. But we know that is not the case as Jesus warned His disciples of drunkenness.

So, this indicates to me, that although many could have mis-understood what Jesus was doing with this miracle, He did it anyway for His greater purposes.

If the greater purpose in this wedding case, that Alistair was giving advice on, was to show love for someone that may help draw them to the Saviour when they know you don't approve of their getting married to the same sex, then does it matter how others might interpret this act ? Or do we guard against this being a possible stumbling block to others who look on and think this an act of hypocrisy ? As Alistair said 'it is a fine line' and his advice was that if they know you do not approve of their marriage, you still will attend and buy them a gift and that might speak more positively to them about your concern for their souls.

I had a similar thing occur in my family with one of my sister's children and I chose to not attend the wedding and/or buy a gift. Today I might think differently about this and attend with a gift and explain myself in the gift card so they know they are loved and desire that they put God first in their life. But it would be something to first pray about and ask God for His guidance in how to handle it.

[Sudsy]

Valerie, your thoughts on your pastor's stand in this area ?

[Valerie]

Valerie, your thoughts on your pastor's stand in this area ?

I have to say that caught both my husband and & I off guard- I asked my husband before listening what he thought Pastor Begg would advise - and he believed that Pastor Begg would advise "not" to go. I mean, as the interviewer pointed out, Pastor Begg just took us through Romans 1, Psalm 139 & Jude late Summer I think it was. So we knew he was stressing the firm Biblical position on homosexuality as sin. We felt glad he was again making his position unwavering regardless of culture.

So that surprised us. I have been asked the same question & advised not to attend- to "me" attending means affirming. To Pastor Begg, he stressed making sure the grandson knew his Grandmother was clear in .NOT affirming so in his view, attending didn't mean affirming.

My conviction would be not to go. It may be Sudsy he sees it like you have example of Jesus attending a wedding and people already having had much to drink but then obeying His mother by providing more wine.

I'd still have to say, I know HOW Hard these decisions are for people, In my own heart, I'd have to disagree with his counsel- His feeling was by doing that we are seen as those self righteous judgemental Christians. I think there is a way to lovingly not attend. I imagine many in our congregation that ",know him" may be surprised,-

[Valerie]

I'm also surprised Josh listens to Truth For Life. I have said before I do not agree 100% with Pastor Begg which I believe he doesn't force his views on us. He gives us credit for reading our own Bibles.

[barnhart]

I don't think I would go, but I also don't go to remarriages either if that original spouse lives.

[HondurasKeiser]

I don't think I would go, but I also don't go to remarriages either if that original spouse lives.

Agreed.