Alistair Begg Responds to Furor Over His Counsel to Attend “Trans Wedding”

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GUEST: JUSTIN PETERS, preacher/evangelist

In case you haven’t heard the controversy that is being hotly debated in Christian circles, pastor Alistair Begg, who leads Parkside Church in Cleveland but who is even more well-known for his daily radio program Truth For Life, which features his preaching and is heard by millions around the world, said in an interview that he received a letter from a grandmother asking whether she should attend her grandson’s wedding to a transgender person.

Here is the transcript of Begg’s advice to the grandmother:

I asked the grandmother, “Does your grandson understand your belief in Jesus?”

“Yes.” “Does your grandson understand that your belief in Jesus makes it such that you can’t countenance in any affirming way the choices that he has made in life?”

“Yes.”

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.”

“Oh,” she said, “what?” She was caught off guard.

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.’”

Loving and engaging with non-believers is prescribed by Scripture but attending a ceremony that openly rejects God’s design for marriage? For the vast majority of theologically conservative Christians, this was a line that ought not be crossed.

We reported last week that American Family Radio, after discussion with Truth for Life representatives, has removed the program from their network. And this week, it has been reported that Begg will no longer be speaking at Shepherds’ Conference, a worldwide event for pastors held at John MacArthur’s church in March.

To his credit, Alistair Begg responded to the controversy in a full 40-minute message to his church this past Sunday night. We encourage you to watch it here.

This weekend on The Christian Worldview, preacher and evangelist Justin Peters will again join us to discuss whether Alistair Begg’s response was faithful to Scripture.
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