Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Linda & Rob Robertson’s Story: From Fear to Love

Linda & Rob Robertson’s Story: From Fear to Love

Last updated on: October 21, 2013 at 9:00 am by Susan Cottrell

Linda & Rob Robertson’s Story: From Fear to Love 2013-10-21T09:00:15-05:00 Susan Cottrell

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

425243_393376490690017_529299023_n

We lost the ability to love our gay son because we no longer had a gay son. What we had wished for, prayed for, hoped for — that we would not have a gay son — came true… but not at all in the way we had envisioned. – Linda Robertson

Linda and Rob shared their story at Rain City Church, Bellevue, WA, of how their fear that their son was gay eventually turned into the nightmare of him overdosing on drugs. It’s a hard story, and as I expressed when I posted the original story in April, I do not blame them at all for their son’s death — and I hope you don’t either. They were doing what the wisdom of the church advised, the only option offered.

That points to the larger problem: the Christian culture of non-acceptance of gays drove this story and countless others like it — motivated by fear, not love. The position of nonacceptance does not bring gays to “repentance,” does not make them straight, but stirs up turmoil already surrounding this challenging path.

Linda said, beautifully, “I was afraid of all the wrong things.” As the church’s message of nonacceptance flowed through Linda and Rob those torturous years, they were expressing the message of fear they’d learned there, because the church is also afraid of all the wrong things. Afraid to let go of their interpretation of elements of the Bible. Afraid that if they are wrong about this one piece, who knows what else they might have misinterpreted. Afraid to say, “I don’t understand this gay thing, but I don’t need to understand it — I just know I love you. Anyway, I’m sure God will show you whatever you need to know.”

Please, if you are a parent of an LGBTQ, listen to this heart-rending story. If you are LGBTQ, please listen. If you think the church is being too hard on LGBTQ or not hard enough on them: please listen.

Homophobia Stops Here, by Rain City Church, Bellevue, WA.

Find Linda’s blog.

christians with gay children

ex-gay ministries

exchanged life

gay Christian

gay christian community

help my child is gay

homosexuality

homosexuality and sin

homosexuality and the bible

homosexuality and the church

how to respond to a gay child

parent of a gay child

parenting in Christ

parents of gay children

parents of gay kids

ryan robertson

to christian parents of gay children

trusting God with our children

what do you do when your son is gay

when your family rejects you

Previous Post

October 16, 2013

A Mom's Letter: Her Daughter Left Husband for a Woman

Next Post

October 22, 2013 A Trans Made Me Blush

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Church & Religion Dear Susan Family Support Gay Weddings & Marriage GCN Conference Jesus Blog LGBTQ Support Parenting Personal Stories Suicide The Real Jesus Theology Transgender Uncategorized X Archived Posts

Select a Month August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 June 2022 December 2021 May 2021 February 2021 November 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 May 2019 March 2019 January 2019 November 2018 March 2018 January 2018 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many books does the Old Testament have?

Select your answer to see how you score.

51 39 50 41

Support this
Column