I was observing during GA - their hazing routine - when the GA Pope (now a district president) dressed gay, many years ago. |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fuller Theological Seminary, an evangelical school in Pasadena, California, is deliberating whether to become more open to LGBTQ+ students who previously faced possible expulsion if found to be in a same-sex union. Fuller Theological Seminary, an evangelical school in Pasadena, California, is deliberating whether to become more open to LGBTQ+ students who previously faced possible expulsion if found to be in a same-sex union. That’s according to a draft of proposed revisions to the seminary’s sexual standards that was obtained by The Associated Press.
If the board votes to approve these revisions, Fuller could become the first evangelical seminary in the country to adopt standards acknowledging the diversity of thought among Christians pertaining to human sexuality, according to retired professor John Hawthorne, an expert on Christian colleges.
WELS college students were so proud of plagiarizing Party in Fire Island Pines that they uploaded it to YouTube and bragged out how popular it was, many years ago. |
Such a decision would carry Fuller into uncharted territory, Hawthorne said. “It’s a bold step for a school that fought off lawsuits on this very issue a few years ago.”
At the same time, several current and former students and faculty believe this move would preserve Fuller’s existing status as a “third space” where Christians with diverse views on sexuality are welcome — a space that has been shrinking nationally amid increasing political polarization on the issue.
Fuller issued a statement Thursday saying the deliberations on this topic are ongoing and drafts of possible revisions have been created solely for discussion and reflection. It says no proposals have been submitted to trustees for a vote and it is unclear when the board might even consider the matter.
Hawthorne, whose upcoming book argues that Christian colleges should put students front and center instead of worrying about critics, anticipates “significant blowback” from conservative Christians should Fuller move forward with the revisions.
“I hope they have a plan on how to manage the aftermath, the storm, when it comes,” he said.
Men in cheerleading uniforms? That's Michigan Lutheran Seminary, which is neither a seminary nor Lutheran. |
Martin Luther College graduate. |