David and TJ get together with friend JP from the Twin Cities. We talk about JP’s movement away from “Side B” to a more agnostic and/or “Side A” position. We also get into JP’s experience with the “ex-gay” movement, people, and ministries, and we talk about issues he sees in US Christianity that make some of these conversations difficult for queer people.
Update: Check out our response to JP and other Side A guests in episode #23 - Side B Response to Side A: Our 2022 Guests
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Timestamps
01:05 - Introducing JP
12:42 - Cultural gender norms in Christian culture and beyond
14:25 - Getting involved in ex-gay ministries, “Side B” community
23:27 - “There was this push towards heterosexual marriage”
32:36 - Leaving the “Side B” group
38:46 - Losing room to breathe in a church context
41:45 - Thoughts on celibate partnerships and why they can fail
46:42 - On churches making sacrifices, disagreeing in community
49:56 - Shifting perspectives through reading, friends, cognitive dissonance
1:04:42 - JP’s current perspectives on “Side B”
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For Your Reference
Luke 6:43-45 (NIV) (we mentioned it around 1hour, 2min)
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
Below are some links to organizations or topics mentioned in the conversation, with the caveat that linking doesn’t necessarily imply endorsement.
Outpost Ministries: https://outpostministries.org/
Twin Cities Justice House of Prayer: https://tcjhop.org/
Just for Fun: An article about Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the Football: https://slate.com/culture/2014/10/the-history-of-lucys-pulling-the-football-away-from-charlie-brown-in-peanuts.html
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If you enjoy this episode or want to discuss further, drop us a line! Email us at communionandshalom@gmail.com, or leave a comment on Substack.
#12 - JP's Story: Moving Away from Side B