Preston Sprinkle is one of the founders of the pro-homosexual Revoice conference who is heavily promoted by some Southern Baptist leaders and SBC seminary professors and quite prevalent in the “conservative” Presbyterian Church (PCA) denomination. The purpose of Revoice is to open the doors to full inclusion of openly deep relationship gay (supposedly celibate) homosexuals, particularly singles, in churches and to soften the tone against homosexuality as well as diminish the stigma that usually overwhelms unrepentant homosexuals. In other words, it’s meant to make homosexuals feel more comfortable in churches.
The crux of the Revoice movement has been that homosexuals can continue to identify as “gay Christians,” and even participate in (supposedly) celibate gay intimate relationships, living together, sharing life together, so long as it stops short of bodily penetration. And one of the things they argue in an effort to normalize homosexuality is that same-sex attraction is not an inherently evil thing — it is a gift that can be “sanctified” by God and offered back to him.
Now, Christianity Today just ran an article — by Preston Sprinkle — essentially making the same argument for polyamory — that is, multiple intimate love and sex partners. While the article titled Polyamory: Pastors’ Next Sexual Frontier stops short of affirming the practice of polyamory as a moral thing, Sprinkle does argue — like they do for homosexuals — that there are aspects within polyamory that are good — especially in churches that “idolize marriage and the nuclear family.”
And in churches that idolize marriage and the nuclear family, polyamory’s focus on hospitality and community can be an attractive alternative. We can acknowledge that many of the elements that draw people to polyamory—deep relationships, care for others, hospitality, and community—are good things.
Sprinkle argues that good things are what draw people to polyamory. This is an absolutely absurd and irresponsible assertion and cannot be substantiated by Scripture. This is like Beth Moore arguing that biblical complementarianism fosters an environment for sexual abuse. It’s just stupid. The desire for deep relationships and hospitality do not draw people to polyamory. The desire for good, biblical things does not draw people into sin.
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