Posted in discernment, theology

An Open Letter To Beth Moore

Posted on by elizabethprata

Dear Mrs. Moore,

Hello – we hope this finds you doing well.

We as female Bible teachers ourselves write this letter to you in hopes of receiving clarification of your views on an important issue: homosexuality.

In the last few years, particularly since 2016, you have been very vocal in your opposition to misogyny and racism. Anytime a story with so much of a whiff of these issues comes to the forefront you are very quick to speak out. The actions of the Covington kids, for example, you said “is so utterly antichrist it reeks of the vomit of hell” in a January 19, 2019 tweet; a tweet you deleted, without apology to the kids, once the full video was shown that portrayed a very different reality than what initial reporting suggested.

It is this Johnny-on-the-spot readiness to engage issues related to misogyny and racism that makes your virtual silence on the issue of homosexuality so puzzling.

To your credit, in your book To Live is Christ: The Life and Ministry of Paul, you wrote, “I met a young man who had experienced freedom from the bondage of homosexuality” (pg. 119). This book was first published in 1997 and then republished in 2008 but it seems since then you have said very little if anything publicly about this issue.

Another factor prompting our open letter to you is the very public mutual affection and admiration between you, Jen Hatmaker and Jonathan Merritt.

Jen Hatmaker and you regularly exchange affirming posts of one another on social media. In just one recent example, Hatmaker on September 17, 2018 wrote “Beth Moore will enjoy my respect and devotion forever. She is worthy of being a mentor to an entire generation. And friends, I wish you knew how deeply and profoundly she has loved me these last two years” (Source). In an interview two years before this post, October of 2016, Jen Hatmaker said she was a “left-leaning moderate,” came out as fully supportive of homosexual marriage (saying it can be “holy”) and said practicing homosexuals can be part of the regenerate body of Christ (Source). It was then that LifeWay decided to pull all of her books from its shelves.

More recently, on April 9, 2019, Jonathan Merritt tweeted, “I no longer believe @BethMooreLPM is a human. I think she is an angelic being having a human experience.” (Source). Jonathan Merritt has admitted to having at least one homosexual encounter about a decade ago (Source). Today, by his own admission he rejects biblical inerrancy, says a “liberal Protestant” would be an accurate description of him, and says his sexual orientation he no longer views as “broken” (Source).

In a crass response to Dr. Owen Strachan tweeting, rightly so, that there should never be an occasion in which men “cuddle” with one another, Merritt on May 1, 2019 tweeted in response, “C’mon, Owen. You can be my little spoon” (Source). Merritt also openly affirms that “queer” and LGBTQ people are included in God’s Kingdom and it is a “carrot of false promises” that the Gospel can make such people straight (Source, Source). He supports “Drag Queen Story Time” in which drag queens read stories to young children in public libraries (Source 27:40 mark– NOTE, the video has already been deleted. Try this one.). He even appears to doubt the exclusivity of Christ (Source).

Both Jen Hatmaker and Jonathan Merritt are known for their belief that practicing homosexuals can be Christians. Given that this is such a deeply held conviction that both share and this conviction (wrong though it is) has cost them both in their standing amongst theologically conservative evangelicals, and that they both praise you so highly, it raises the natural question as to where you stand on this issue.

Given his beliefs, Merritt publicly saying that he believes you to be “an angelic being having a human experience” strongly suggests that his high praise of you is, at least partially, rooted in your views on this issue that you have shared with him privately. It seems most unlikely that he would be praising you so highly if you had told him that as a homosexual man he will perish for all of eternity unless he repents. It likewise seems unlikely that Hatmaker (a married, straight woman) would praise you so highly if you told her that her affirmation of homosexuality and homosexual marriage is sinful and that she must repent.

When all of this is coupled with your total silence on homosexuality (in stark contrast to your very vocal stance on gender/racial/abuse issues) it naturally raises the question as to what your beliefs on it truly are.

With these factors in mind, and knowing that millions of people follow your teachings, we would like to ask you:

  • Do you believe homosexuality is inherently sinful?
  • Do you believe that the practice of the homosexual lifestyle is compatible with holy Christian living?
  • Do you believe a person who dies as a practicing homosexual but professes to be a Christian will inherit eternal life?
  • Do you believe same sex attraction is, in and of itself, an inherently sinful, unnatural, and disordered desire that must be mortified?
  • Why have you been so silent on this subject in light of your desire to “teach the word of God?”

We ask these questions to you out of genuine concern. As Bible teachers, all of us are held to a very high standard and will give an account for how we handle God’s word.

As you know, homosexuality is widely discussed and debated amongst evangelicals and society at large.

Many families are affected by this issue. The most loving thing obedient Christians can do for them is to clearly communicate God’s truth. We look forward to your clarification on these pressing issues.

Thank you.

Kind regards,

Susan Heck
http://www.withthemaster.com/

Debbie Lynne Kespert
http://www.headstickdeb.com/

Michelle Lesley
http://www.michellelesley.com/

Martha Peace
http://marthapeacetew.blogspot.com/

Elizabeth Prata
http://www.the-end-time.org/

Amy Spreeman
https://bereanresearch.org/
https://naomistable.com/

Added:

Kristy Kapp
https://www.narrowmindedwoman.com

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Author:

Christian writer and Georgia teacher's aide who loves Jesus, a quiet life, art, beauty, and children.

30 thoughts on “An Open Letter To Beth Moore”

  1. This is a wonderfully thought out and sincerely genuine letter to Beth Moore concerning questions a lot of us have had for a long time about her acquaintances and the questions raised BECAUSE of those relationships. Thank you for putting into one letter what, I know, many of us have been wondering for a while now. Look forward to seeing a reply to this.

    Liked by 4 people

  2. I hope she responds. I have a feeling her silence is purposeful. I hope I’m wrong, but time will tell. Perhaps you could put this on her twitter feed? I don’t tweet, really, so don’t know if that’s appropriate or not, but if it’s not put to her where she sees it (and even if she does), she may feel like she can ignore it. At some point her response will be self-evident if not declared. She’ll be unable to keep a foot in each camp if that’s where she’s headed. So glad I discovered your blog last week! Had no idea that this blog was here and really didn’t start looking for such until all the hoopla around Rachel Held Evan’s’ death (about whom I had never heard a word; had no idea who she was). So much confusion over what constitutes salvation these days! It’s one thing when the world has no clue; quite another when professing believers don’t! God bless and keep you, sister.

    Jeri

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Welcome to the blog, and I’m thrilled you found it, too. I hope and pray Mrs Moore responds. I believe it will circulate and Mrs Moore will see it. She is HIGHLY aware regarding her name and social media. If not, then I’m sure one of her followers or someone else will post it in her Twitter page. 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  4. Are you allowing people to publicly flog you for you not preaching, teaching on every issue that’s important to them?

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      1. We are hoping that Mrs Moore will be forthcoming and answer in all earnestness the questions we ladies have asked of her therein. As a Bible teacher with 40 plus years of teaching women and her professed deep love of the church and its head, she should not find this an onerous task, but a joyful one to proclaim His truths.

        Liked by 2 people

  5. Just curious, if you were so curious why not just send this to her privately or do you feel it’s your job to make her answer something you’re personally wondering about in a public way?

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    1. Is it a problem to ask a public teacher, who has been public on other social issues, her stance on homosexuality? If so, why is it a problem? It should be a delight for a Bible teacher to proclaim His truths. Not a drudgery to “make her answer.”

      Liked by 4 people

  7. Too often, we believers prematurely offer condemnation before we sincerely seek clarity, an approach you wisely and Christianly avoided. Thank you, then, for your timely open letter to Beth Moore, a letter deserving commendation for both its content and tone.

    I’ve linked it on both Twitter and Facebook and encouraged others to do so as well.

    Lord bless.

    Peter Lumpkins,
    Cleveland, GA

    Liked by 2 people

  8. I’d be curious to know the ladies’ stances on lying, adultery, pedophilia, covetousness, emotional abuse, greed, political idolatry, slander, and a host of other sins that so many public Bible teachers—male and female alike—practice with little to no pushback.

    Perhaps Beth Moore and Jen Hatmaker do have some answering to do. But so do we all.

    Watch out for those beams in your own eyes, folks.

    Like

    1. Hello BlackXtian,

      We are not asking Beth Moore about “lying, adultery, pedophilia, covetousness, emotional abuse, greed, political idolatry, slander, and a host of other sins”. We are asking Beth Moore to state her position on the sin of homosexuality. Asking a Bible teacher to answer a question about a certain sin isn’t “having a beam in our eye”, it is simply asking a question of a Bible teacher.

      Liked by 2 people

  9. I wonder if she said that she would love others as Jesus has loved her… would you require her to tell you what that involved, or would you trust her to build relationships that show Jesus love.?

    Like

    1. Hi Debby,

      No one is “requiring” anything of Mrs Moore. She was asked if she believes homosexuality is a sin and a few other questions. There’s not a lot involved, except to answer “yes” or “no”.

      Liked by 2 people

  10. And what are the views that all of you hold on this matter? Your answers to all the above questions? And the Biblical references supporting your answers?

    Like

    1. My answers are

      1. Yes. Rom 1:26-28, Jude 1:7, Leviticus 20:13-15, Leviticus 18:22
      2. No. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
      3. No. Matthew 7:21-23, 1 Corinthians 9
      4. Yes. Romans 1:26a, Matthew 5:27-28
      And so on. Many other verses, too.

      You’d have to ask each of the other ladies their positions since I don’t speak for them, and ask Mrs Moore, too, as we did, but we women who signed the letter are united in our beliefs stated in the letter, so I strongly suspect their answers would be the same. I know Michelle Lesley’s are, she already stated her answers to these questions on Twitter. I’ll be waiting with interest to see Mrs Moore’s answers. With your interest in the topic, maybe you can ask her as well.

      Liked by 3 people

  11. I find it surprising that many appear to think that seeking clarity on a relevant biblical-moral issue from a prominent public teacher in the Christian church is apparently ill-advised. Why? Are we so accustomed to knee-jerk condemnation that seeking clarity is the exception to the rule rather than the rule? Some of those who’ve logged on here go even farther and imply, through their battering of questions on your positions having nothing to do with the issue you’ve raised, that your search for clarity for Beth Moore’s position on homosexuality is inherently offensive and disrespectful not only to Moore but strangely to them personally, a curious implication as far as I am concerned.

    I hope @BethMooreLPM chooses to respond to your well-intended open query and, set the record straight, so to speak. Since Moore possesses an undeniably large and influential following among evangelical women, one would hope she’d be both interested and courteous enough to clarify her views. Lord bless…

    Peter Lumpkins,
    Cleveland, GA

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Thank you! It is amazing to have godly women address these questions with her.

    These are not the only questions the Beth Moore ministry has created lately. I have seen with so many people both publicly and privately (and I include myself in this struggle) – that can slowly move away from Biblical Theology as they deal with life; in speaking, in popularity, in writing, with friends/family struggling, they veer away from scripture and find a way to please or assuage others in that. For some reason a story/ song/writing/relationship becomes more important than scripture. Stories can be exaggerated, songs made to rhyme, friends/family to feel better… and there is no acknowledgement /realization that the long term results of slipping on theology are devastating! For Beth Moore- the recent issues with her ministry that began in the study of scripture appears to be the relaxing on the importance of the very thing that began it all. For several years now she has been saying and doing increasingly troubling things.

    I have also been sad — with the recent reactions Beth Moore has had to people asking her about preaching a sermon on Sunday. Even if I believed it were scriptural (her leading men-which I don’t) the statements made and reactions she has had — were disappointing to say the least.

    I have known many women that learned scripture through her studies years ago. However like many ministries that start well — if they are not under authority — if they don’t go back to the theological truths of the Bible, they start veering away from Biblical truth. We have to wake up (not be the frog in the slowly boiling pot of water) — and pop out of it –unless under the gracious hand of God -these ministries correct themselves — which is my prayer for her ministry.

    I am thankful for women like you -that openly encourage these conversations.

    Liked by 3 people

  13. I think many popular teachers intentionally would not take a stand on homosexuality so as not to lose followers or receive backlash.
    It is sad how we dilute biblical standards so as to be a friend to the world.
    Jesus loves us all but the bible clearly calls homosexuality a sin.
    Why don’t preachers talk about this things?
    The same way I speak on homosexuality is the same way I will for adultery and fornication.
    I truly hope she responds to this.

    Liked by 2 people

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