Category: Gender Ideology

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The Gospel of Love: For Family and Friends

Dear Family and Friends,

This post has been on my heart for a while now. It comes with some weight—and I don’t post it lightly. But I also don’t post it in anger or bitterness. I write out of love—for my family and friends, for the Church, for the truth. I hope it will be received that way.

Over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed how much I’ve written about human sexuality—issues like gender identity, same-sex parenting, and transgenderism.

These are hard topics. They touch real people. They touch us. And because they do, I haven’t wanted to treat them casually or toss out slogans from a distance. But I’ve felt more and more compelled to speak clearly—especially because these ideas have not only infiltrated our cultural institutions, but have taken root in the Church itself.

The final turning point for me was personal. For several years, I had been attending a congregation that was a blend of Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) and Episcopal USA traditions. I loved the people. I still do. It was a generous, open-hearted community. But over time, I began to sense that the gospel being proclaimed there was subtly—sometimes not so subtly—drifting from the one I knew. The Bible’s authority and Church Tradition was increasingly treated as optional. Christian sexual ethics were reimagined to align with the culture. And then came the moment I could no longer ignore.

One Sunday morning, a woman ordained by one of those denominations—an openly practicing lesbian, whose “wife” was present in the congregation—stood before us and preached as a representative of Christ’s Church. That was the moment for me. I sat there grieving—not out of personal offense, but because something precious was being lost.

This wasn’t merely a difference of opinion. It pointed to a deeper divergence—a fundamentally different understanding of what the Church is, what the gospel proclaims (ie. that Jesus is Lord of creation), and who Jesus calls us to be.

The gospel is not merely a message of inclusion or affirmation. It is the announcement that Jesus Christ is Lord of all—that through Him all things were made, and in Him all things hold together. As Paul writes in Colossians:

"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:16–17).

This is the gospel: not a validation of our desires, but a call to live in joyful submission to the One through whom the cosmos was made.

After that Sunday, I knew I couldn’t do it anymore—not in good conscience. I couldn’t keep contributing my time and treasure to a church whose leadership had embraced a theological trajectory that I believe is deeply harmful. So I stepped away. And that decision still breaks my heart. I loved those people. I still do.

Love and truth cannot be separated. In the years since, I’ve come to believe that many parts of the Church have failed to speak the truth—especially about the body, about male and female, about marriage and children—and that failure has had devastating consequences. The cultural winds are strong. But the Church was never called to drift with the wind. We are called to be rooted.

I’ve written several blog posts recently, and I want you to know why.

The first was about gay parenting and the Regnerus Study—a work that dared to ask what’s best for children and found answers that challenge the prevailing narrative. It’s not enough to say children are “loved.” They also need a father and a mother. Our policies—and our churches—ought to reflect that truth.

The second addressed the ELCA’s 2025 Reconsideration of Human Sexuality—a document that appears to codify the denomination’s full embrace of sexual revisionism. The very truths that once shaped Christian witness on marriage, the body, and the created order are now treated as “harmful” or “exclusionary.” I couldn’t remain silent.

The third examined the ELCA’s doctrine of “Bound Conscience”—a concept I once thought might preserve theological diversity, but which has become a theological escape hatch. It allows the Church to affirm contradictory truths in the name of unity, while quietly discarding the authority of Scripture. That’s not unity—it’s institutionalized confusion.

I don’t write these things to score points or “win” debates. I write them because someone needs to say what so many faithful Christians—especially in more progressive circles—are afraid to say out loud. I write them because I fear that silence now will only mean deeper compromise later.

I believe the Triune God made us male and female—not as an accident of biology, but as a reflection of something sacred. I believe our bodies matter. I believe Christian love includes a call to repentance. And I believe that our first obligation of love is not to ourselves or one another, but to our Creator.

To affirm someone’s identity apart from the Lordship of Christ is not compassion—it is a tragic abandonment to a path that cannot yield life. And I believe the Church must have the courage to say so, even when it costs something very dear.

With love always,
d

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St. John Paul II’s “Letter to Women”

June 29 was the 30th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s “Letter to Women.” ( A MUST READ)

Some reflections on the uplifting importance of that letter….

Reflection 1

John Paul II’s first, and arguably, most profound point, is his expression of gratitude. Whether you’re a mother, wife, daughter, sister, employed in the workforce, consecrated virgin, or an educator (in whatever capacity), he thanks YOU. He doesn’t only thank you for the work you do, but for your very existence as a woman.

Reflection 2

As St. John Paul II continues in his reflection, he rightly brings awareness to the marginalization and lack of progress women have experienced. While it’s easy to see drastic progress in something like Title IX, we are simultaneously experiencing a “relapse” of this progress, spearheaded by lawmakers, organizations, and activists rushing to dismantle a law that has protected so many women. This is not the only deterioration we are seeing.

We live in a culture that no longer understands what it means to be a woman. We live in a culture that changes words like “breastfeeding” to “chestfeeding” or “women” to “wimmin” in the name of affirmation and inclusivity. We live in a culture where biological men compete in women’s sports. And we live in a culture that tells little girls they are boys because they enjoy wearing cargo shorts over dresses and prefer trucks over dolls. The list continues. So, what happened?

We not only forgot to thank women, but we also forgot to address that women are inherently different and unique, made in the Image and Likeness of God, with a specific vocation that only women can fulfill, to help. I’m not claiming the world became corrupt for this reason alone, but how are we expected to flourish in a culture that doesn’t respect or appreciate God’s given design for our bodies, let alone His plan for our lives?

Further reflections found here. But I’ll finish with this one.

“Let us remind our daughters, “tomboys” or not, that they are loved as a child of the Lord and are no less of a woman because they choose dirt over dolls, or dolls over dirt. Let us remind our friends that they can still be “mothers” by guiding their students, peers, or nieces/nephews toward the truth, single or not.”

Saint John PAul II’s “Letter to Women”

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A Court Ruling and a Cultural Moment: Upholding God’s Design in a Time of Confusion

The recent Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Skrmetti marks a significant, if limited, moment of clarity in a cultural fog. With a 6–3 decision, the Court upheld Tennessee’s law that prohibits puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for minors. The ruling doesn’t directly speak to the truth or falsehood of “gender identity”—it simply recognizes the state’s right to regulate medical interventions for children. But for those of us committed to a biblical worldview, this legal decision echoes a much older and deeper truth: we are not self-created.

As First Things rightly notes, this is a partial victory for common sense. But more than that—it is a moment to pause, give thanks, and speak clearly about what’s at stake.

Created Male and Female

From the opening pages of Scripture, we learn that our bodies are not accidents or raw material to be re-engineered at will. “So God created man in his own image… male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). This isn’t incidental to our faith—it’s foundational. God’s creation of two sexes is not a cultural artifact to be deconstructed; it is a good gift woven into the fabric of what it means to be human.

Modern ideologies that promote the notion of a disembodied self—where one’s identity can be detached from the body and reconstructed according to internal feelings—run counter to this truth. While compassion demands that we listen to those who suffer and struggle, it does not require us to affirm ideas that defy God’s design.

Loving Truth, Not Reinforcing Confusion

The great tragedy of today’s gender ideology is not just that it’s scientifically unsound or psychologically risky—it’s that it’s spiritually disorienting. It teaches children that their bodies are meaningless and malleable, that their identities are for them to create from scratch, and that truth bends to desire.

This is not love.

True love is never content to reinforce confusion. It does not affirm lies or encourage irreparable harm. As Christians, we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)—and that means calling a halt to medical experiments on children in the name of “gender affirmation.” The state of Tennessee, by passing this law, rightly chose to protect minors from irreversible decisions they are not mature enough to make. The Court, in turn, rightly deferred to the state’s authority.

But this isn’t a comprehensive victory. The ruling leaves unresolved the larger cultural question: what is a man? what is a woman?

The Role of Parents, Churches, and the State

Biblically, the family—not the state, not the medical establishment—bears primary responsibility for the formation of children (Deuteronomy 6:6–7; Ephesians 6:4). The Court’s decision, though narrowly reasoned, affirms the state’s right to reinforce that boundary, protecting children from misguided ideologies being enforced through medical coercion.

Still, the real work lies ahead. The Church must disciple parents, prepare young people for life in a confused world, and extend both truth and grace to those ensnared by deceptive ideologies. Laws can restrict harm; only the gospel can restore wholeness.

Hope Beyond the Culture War

We are not merely fighting for “traditional values” or a return to some idyllic past. We are bearing witness to a kingdom not of this world, but for this world. In Christ, we proclaim a vision of humanity that is far more than fluid identity. We are not cosmic accidents. We are creatures—embodied souls, male and female image bearers of God, called into a story of redemption, not reinvention.

The decision in Skrmetti gives us a window. It is a pause in the cultural storm, an opportunity for the Church to speak clearly and act faithfully. Let us use this time well—not to gloat, not to retreat, but to proclaim with confidence and compassion:

“You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13–14)

Embrace, Don’t Affirm