This article originally appeared in The Good Men Project.

Proposition: Evidence to the contrary notwithstanding, I think there is a place for thoughtful engagement over the “clobber passages.”

Yep. The Clobber Passages. Those six (or eight, depending on who you’re talking to) passages in the Bible that appear to “clobber” the idea that God could ever love Gay people just the way they are.

As a liberal and an advocate for full LGBT inclusion in the life of both the church and the culture, I often run into a line of questioning (particularly on Social Media and the comment threads on blog posts I write—oh, the comment threads … boy howdy!) that goes something like this:

“How can you call yourself a Christian and still be for … you know … Gays? Don’t you believe in the Bible?”

I can’t tell you how many literary interactions I’ve had that began with something very much like, “You can’t believe that stuff and still believe the Bible.” It happens. (Like here or here or here).

To which I respond with as much dignity as I can muster, trying hard not to sound like a third grader: “Can too!”

Continue reading at [D]mergent . . .