According to his attorneys, a Christian theologian in the United Kingdom was dismissed from a Methodist Bible college for tweeting his opposition to homosexuality. He was also allegedly threatened with being reported as a terrorist by the college.
Per his legal counsel at the Christian Legal Centre in London, Dr. Aaron Edwards, a theology scholar at Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, was fired from his position last month. This happened after he was accused of “trying to bring the college into disrepute” on social media.
His Views
The tweet that Edwards sent out on February 19 claiming that “homosexuality is infecting the church” is what started the debate.
He went on to say that evangelicals no longer see the gravity of the situation and are instead preoccupied with apologizing for their supposedly savage homophobia, regardless of whether or not this narrative is true.
He also stated that if sin were to lose its negative connotations, then people would not have a requirement for a savior.
Homosexuality is invading the Church.
Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this b/c they're busy apologising for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it's true.
This *is* a "Gospel issue", by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour.
— Aaron Edwards (@aaron_p_edwards) February 19, 2023
The tweet quickly gained widespread attention and provoked criticism.
In reaction to this, Edwards made it clear that he was articulating the viewpoint held by conservatives regarding homosexuality as a theological issue and his comments were not intended as a personal assault on anyone.
He went on to say that the belief that homosexuality is a sin is acceptable, but only so long as it is “unexpressed.”
According to reports, members of the Methodist Church in Britain experienced “distress” as a direct result of the tweets. On March 8, at a disciplinary hearing, the institution disclosed that it was considering sending Edwards to Prevent, an organization in the United Kingdom that investigates charges of terrorism.
No. Not if you mean proudly gay Christians who redefine sin. That is an exceptionally recent phenomenon.
The threat to the Gospel (and Church unity) is enormous. It completely alters how you proclaim sin/repentance. Christians who don't affirm SSR will be called "harmful", etc.
— Aaron Edwards (@aaron_p_edwards) February 19, 2023
Biased and Unfair
During the session, Edwards was asked what he’d do if asked to pray with a student regarding their same-sex attraction. Edwards believes this question was a means to trap him into affirming “conversion therapy,” which the United Kingdom Parliament has debated illegalizing.
The legal counsel for Edwards stated the disciplinary procedure did not have the “requisite fairness” and the interrogation was biased and filled with an “astonishing” disparity, exaggeration, and false representation.
Edwards is receiving assistance from the Christian Legal Center as he considers his legal options against Cliff College for possible discrimination in violation of the Equality Act of 2010.
As it pertains to the topic of gender and marriage between people of the same gender, the Methodist Church is now dealing with a developing schism on a global scale.
In recent years, the United Methodist Church in the United States has been seeing a decline in the number of congregations that it serves as a result of many of its members joining the more conservative Global Methodist Church.
