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
Evangelical
Polyamory Is Not “Next;” It’s Here Now, In the Churches

Polyamory Is Not “Next;” It’s Here Now, In the Churches

Last updated on: June 28, 2023 at 8:07 am by Roger E. Olson

0 Comments

Polyamory Is Not “Next;” It’s Here Now, In the Churches 2023-06-28T08:07:05-05:00 Roger E. Olson

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.

Polyamory Is Not “Next,” It’s Here Now, In the Churches

This blog post is a follow up to an earlier on where I asked the Texas Baptist minister who wrote a column for the Baptist News about “embracing the slippery slope.” I won’t repeat that blog post here. I will only say that I asked him where the slippery slope ends. Many churches have become “welcoming and affirming” with regard to gay marriage if not extra-marital gay sex.

I need to say here again that I am NOT addressing the practice of gay sex or gay marriage or even polyamory outside of Christian churches; I’m only addressing a question about how far churches will go in departing from traditional moral norms.

I asked what “welcoming and affirming” churches will do when polyamorous people want to be accepted within the churches. One responder here said that he is “anti-mononormative.” That means he opposes keeping monogamous, heterosexual sex and marriage as the norm even within Christian churches. Other responders rejected or ignored my question, brushing it off as unlikely ever to be an issue.

Here I want to suggest that you all look at three web sites: “Southern Baptist Preacher Affirms Polyamory (Interview with Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood)”; “Lutheran ‘Love’: ELCA Bishop Leila Ortiz Praises Polyamory;” and “United Methodist Queer Clergy: Gospel Can Affirm Polyamory.” These illustrate my point, that polyamory isn’t “the possible next thing” but already here, accepted by some in American Christian churches.

Again I ask what progressive churches will do when an openly and proud polyamorous person or family comes into the church seeking acceptance. It is bound to happen in many especially progressive Protestant churches.

One responder here argued that “love” cannot be healthy between more than two persons. Polyamorous people will strongly disagree; they do strongly disagree—as do some church leaders.

I predict that the “slippery slope” mentioned by the Texas Baptist minister who wrote the opinion column for the Baptist Press will not end where he leaves it. It may for some progressive churches, for a time, but as the culture comes to accept polyamory as normal, they will struggle to exclude it from their ranks and ultimately be unsuccessful.

*Note: If you choose to comment, make sure your comment is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*

Uncategorized

Previous Post

June 24, 2023

“Why?” Part III, Chapter 16: “God Is Different”

Next Post

June 30, 2023 “Why?” Chapters 17 and 18: “Which Model?” And “God Is Changeable”

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"“Secular” means non-religious. No religion is embraced by American society anymore. Christianity remains the leading ..."

Roger Olson

Billy Graham’s Successor?

"I will look him up. Never heard of him."

Roger Olson

Billy Graham’s Successor?

"Where and when and how did I “support” a leader or church…? I said I ..."

Roger Olson

I’m Proud of Adam Hamilton (and ..."

"4-5% of the population is atheist or literally 'secular' not the entire country.Thats a really ..."

davidt

Billy Graham’s Successor?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Against Liberal Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 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 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the name of the sea that Moses parted?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Sea of Galilee Jordan River Dead Sea Red Sea