Gay-Affirming Pastor: “We Believe in the Holy Polyamorous Trinity”

I just read an interview that took me aback. In it, two gay-affirming pastors say that they would not perform church discipline on members in polyamorous relationships (in which people enter an open-ended sexual relationship with more than one partner). I’ve highlighted a few sections from the published conversation of Jeff Hood and Danny Cortez, both of whom are associated with the promotion of “gay Christianity.”

Be aware: this material is not biblically sound.

Jeff Hood: I experience deep intimate relationships with persons who are not my wife. Danny, I would say that our friendship is an intimate relationship for me. I have been really blessed by knowing you. …some people decide to bring a third partner into the relationship. This situation is a result of our oppression. How can lovingly tell these folks that what they are doing is wrong? Some of these polyamorous relationships come from a desire to do no harm.

It is not immediately clear what Hood means by saying that he experiences “deep intimate relationships” with persons who are not his wife. He seems to introduce the possibility of polyamory in his own life. It could be that he is referring only to friendship by these words, but the vagueness of the language, and the advocacy of polyamory that he proffers, gets our attention. To be clear, Hood is a pastor, albeit a pastor at a gay-affirming church.

Hood and Cortez also have an exchange about “three parent” relationships:

Hood: Would you bring all three parents or four parents up during a baby dedication or any other special church service?

Cortez: I have no desire to police the relationships of our people.

The lack of interest in “policing” relationships is striking. Cortez explicitly disavows any kind of watchcare over his members. We are reminded of how the author of Hebrews teaches that elders “keep watch” over the souls of the church (Hebrews 13:12). This concept is lost in a gay-affirming context.

Lastly, in a poleaxing, fall-out-of-your-chair statement, Hood expresses his view that the Trinity is “polyamorous”:

Hood: You know we don’t believe in the holy couple. We believe in the Holy Polyamorous Trinity.

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There are three takeaways that stand out to me from this conversation.

1. Those who are on the leading edge of the “gay Christian” movement will not only endorse homosexuality, but polyamory. In other words, there will be no limits on what this movement approves of and promotes. This is not to say that every gay-affirming person agrees with this direction. It is clear, however, that those who are driving the conversation will not in the end embrace any meaningful limits on sexual activity.

To put it more bluntly, there are no brakes on this speeding train.

2. Anyone who is toying around with acceptance of “gay Christianity” should know that they are sowing to the wind. They will reap destruction. This is not a movement owing to the Spirit of God. There is nothing holy about it. There is nothing righteous about it. This is evil. It is wrong. It is blasphemous to God.

People made in the image of God are engaging in open rebellion against him. Hood shows that he is willing to sexualize even the Holy Trinity, the Godhead. He speaks of the “Holy Polyamorous Trinity,” a description that should send chills down our spine. He has corrupted even divine love, which even many openly non-Christian people would see as beyond the pale.

Let me sound the horn here: if you are confused by “gay Christianity” and are wondering if you should embrace it or at least let your guard down about it, this should be a wake-up call to you. Do not let your conscience sleep any longer; do not let your convictions be anesthetized by “progressive Christianity.” The party is over. There will be judgment for this kind of language. I tremble for Hood. I tremble for those working alongside him to legitimize blasphemy, evil, and unbridled sensuality. The church needs to wake up to the ferocious awfulness of this teaching. Again, there are no brakes on it.

This is paganism, animal lust without constraints, masquerading as Christianity. There is literally nothing Christian about what Hood and Cortez are teaching here. They have left the narrow path, and they are taking many with them. They think they are still Christian ministers, but they are filling the role of neo-pagan priests presiding over sexual wickedness without restraint. This false teaching is not fun, it is not good, and it will absolutely destroy families. It will devastate children, it will rend marriages, it will shock even the unchurched world by its sensuality.

With grave sadness, we will watch to see personal and familial fallout from this falsehood. It is inevitable. I shudder for the children of the men who advocate polyamory. Embracing lies always leads to spiritual suffering, but not only for the false teacher himself, but those forced to live in his home who must experience, through no fault of their own, the devastating effects of his lies.

3. The church must recover its moral voice. This is not an issue for ethicists and theologians. The pastors of Christ’s church who love the gospel and preach the Word must speak up against this wickedness. They cannot be silent. Satan is preying on the church. He is confusing the people of God. Too many pastors are scared to speak up about “gay Christianity” and its fallout. We must address this issue with grace and truth; we must not fall into ad hominem attack or lose sight of the fact that these false teachers are human beings like us, fallen like us, in need of conversion like us.

But with that said, we must regain an apostolic Christianity. We cannot only contextualize. We must confront. We must be courageous. We must show the world that the church has an ethical pulse. The church is not offering the world a nice little message of personal happiness, a series of precious pious moments to get you through your day. The kingdom of God must stand down the kingdom of darkness. We are soldiers of Christ (Eph. 6:10-20). We go to war not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and power who defame Jesus and hate the light.

Do not read the material above and sigh. Don’t just shake your head, and then go about your day. Read it, tremble for these men, and pray to God for him to grant them repentance such that they will escape the sure and certain judgment of God. Then, clear your throat. Speak up. Give witness to Christ and to the obedience of faith.

“Gay Christianity” may look harmless now, but if the people of God–led by the shepherds of God’s flock–will not find their voice, we will watch as Satan rains destruction on God’s people. Brothers and sisters: the men of Sodom are here, back on the scene. They would indoctrinate us to approve of their pagan lusts and their animal instincts. They would have us be destroyed. They are taunting God. They are calling down destruction on themselves, and on us, and on our churches, and on our children.

Let us now resolve, by the sheer grace of God, that we will not go out to them. We will not give them our loved ones. This bargain with the devil will not happen on our watch.

(HT: Denny Burk)