Imagine how crazy it would be if, on the day after the New York Giants stunning
Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, you find Patriot fans and ownership
alike relishing the previous day’s victory! Not only that, but on the Patriots’
public website, you noticed how they were recounting how they outplayed, confused,
and even caused New York Giant fans to question whether or not they should switch
their orientation and become Patriot fans. You would be scratching your head in
disbelief and be forced to admit that someone was willfully and very unfortunately
living in the land of make believe.
On Thursday, February 14th, I had the pleasure of attending a public, two-hour dialogue
between Dr. Michael Brown, Director of the Coalition of Conscience, and Mr. Harry
Knox, Director of Religion and Faith for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the world’s
largest homosexual advocacy organization. The topic was, “A Christian Response
to Homosexuality,” and after the debate, a number of the students in our ministry
school engaged Mr. Knox in respectful conversation while Dr. Brown continued to
dialogue with some gay activists.
Two days later, I was very surprised to read the following report
on the HRC website:
Last year, Dr. Michael Brown, director of the conservative Charlotte-based Coalition
of Conscience, picketed the HRC Carolinas Gala dinner and insulted attendees arriving
at the Charlotte Convention Center with incendiary hate speech. The bullying presence
of Brown and a small group of his supporters has been a disruptive and dispiriting
presence in Charlotte for a number of years. Last year, Joe Solmonese [president
of the HRC] decided enough was enough and that the people of North Carolina deserved
better. He made it clear to Brown that his anti-GLBT hate rhetoric would not
go unanswered. And he kept his word!
As both a local pastor, as well as one who has labored closely with Dr. Brown for
over eleven years, I can unequivocally say that Dr. Brown had nothing to do with
picketing the HRC Dinner! As a matter of fact, he didn’t even know that people
had planned to picket it. And under no circumstances has he ever bullied or insulted
the attendees. (It’s hard to bully and insult people when you’re not
even there!)
Everyone who has ever heard Dr. Brown speak knows that he never engages in “hate
speech,” let alone “incendiary hate speech.” In point of fact,
I was thoroughly impressed by his humble introductory remarks at the above mentioned
dialogue, indicating his sincere desire to relay to the GLBT community his hope
for ongoing open and constructive dialogue, even apologizing to them
for those that did the very things in which the HRC is accusing him of participating!
Just watch the video of the debate itself, it’s as plain as day – but,
apparently, it seems that the HRC had to twist the facts in order to garner the
support of people to oppose Dr. Brown. Someone is living in the land of make believe.
Interestingly, the leadership of the HRC was fully aware that Dr. Brown had nothing
to do with the picketers – in fact, when Joe Solmonese challenged Dr. Brown
publicly last year, he specifically made reference to Dr. Brown’s lecture
series, not any alleged picketing – but it appears that facts don’t
matter to the HRC. And the report gets worse from here. It goes on to state:
On Thursday, February 14th, Harry Knox, director of the Religion and Faith Program,
went straight into the lion’s den and debated Dr. Brown on his own turf.
The event was attended by a mixed crowd of over 350 people, approximately half supporting
Brown and half supporting Harry and the cause of GLBT equality.
Speaking from his heart and out of his deep faith, Harry electrified the crowd and
transformed many…while those who came to support Harry were ebullient, Harry's
words also seemed to leave Brown's students rattled as he clearly disturbed many
of their set assumptions about religion and GLBT people. Indeed, Harry was
nearly mobbed at the end of the event by students who found themselves unexpectedly
wrestling with the power of his words and clarity of his vision of justice.”
This is a complete fabrication!
According to the HRC report:
-
Harry Knox’s words “transformed many”?
-
He left our students “rattled”?
-
He “clearly disturbed many of [the students’] set assumptions
about religion and GLBT people”?
-
They left “unexpectedly wrestling with the power of his words
and clarity of his vision of justice”?
I am privileged to pastor FIRE Church in Concord, NC, which is both the home church
of Dr. Michael Brown as well as the students that are enrolled at his school of
ministry. I am astonished by Mr. Knox’s ability to interpret so inaccurately
what happened that evening. Because of my shock at the HRC’s rendition of
the debate, I felt to take a couple of minutes in our Sunday service on February
17th, to read the HRC report to our congregation. They responded with laughter,
gasps, and looks of incredulity and shock. People literally shook their heads in
bewilderment as it became apparent to them that someone was living in the land of
make believe.
Because the HRC report gave a completely mythical version of how the debate impacted
the ministry school students and grads, (by the way, the crowd was not just students
and graduates, but also representative pastors and leaders from many churches in
the local Charlotte area) we asked those students and grads who attended to write
up their impressions of the evening, asking them specifically if they were “rattled”
or “disturbed” by Mr. Knox’s comments. This is just a representative
sampling of their responses:
I was part of the group that got to speak briefly with Mr.
Knox after the debate. The only ‘rattling’ I got was that someone
believes that you can be a Christian practicing homosexuality. – SL
(Graduate)
I think Dr. Brown's presentation was very clear and convincing. Harry Knox's presentation
was not very consistent and a bit pitiful, trying to use fear tactics, play victim,
etc. Actually, I was quite disappointed - I thought he would argue his case more
convincingly. – TL (Graduate)
Dr. Brown was very aware of the arguments. He quoted extensively from the homosexual
viewpoint as well as his own. He constantly brought his arguments based on scriptural
evidence. Harry Knox was a classic example of somebody approaching the Scriptures
with a predetermined idea…I left much more convinced that homosexuality is
sinful. – BR (Graduate)
My overall impression of the debate was solid scripture verses emotion. I really
felt like Mr. Knox was more moved by his emotions than by actual biblical truths..
– SC (Graduate)
I want to thank God, for a clear presentation of the gospel this Thursday; a gospel
that preaches I think Dr. Brown (of whom I am a student) presented the Word of the
Lord. Clearly Mr. Harry Knox did not, as I found out, he does not even take the
Bible, the Word of God seriously. I was not rattled after last week’s debate…how
can people read this awesome, clear Word of God, and think it's okay to be gay.
– JM (Graduate)
Dr. Brown gave a clear presentation of biblical truth that confirmed the position
I already held, namely that homosexual practice is sinful and cannot be reconciled
with being a committed Christian. Mr. Knox on the other hand made an emotional appeal
that had no foundation whatsoever in an objective interpretation of Scripture. –
JL (Graduate)
Mr. Knox’s overall presentation lacked substance and coherence. – BP
(Graduate)
While I felt great sympathy for the emotional trauma Harry Knox has suffered over
the years, not only was he completely unable to answer the biblical arguments Dr.
Brown raised, he was confounded by the loving manner in which Dr. Brown presented
them. – DM (Graduate)
I thought Dr. Brown's statements were sound and very stable. I was very disappointed
in Knox's presentation. – JP (Current Student)
I was encouraged to hear Dr. Brown speak with such integrity, honesty, and humility
to address these issues in a loving way…I can assure you that my viewpoint
on homosexuality is only more clear and stronger now after hearing both speakers
and my heart only goes out to those who are blinded from the truth even more. –
LB (Graduate)
Dr. Brown did a very good job presenting and defending himself in love. I was very
disappointed at Mr. Knox’s part in the discussion. Knox showed his true colors
when he raised his experience level above that of the Bible. – MR (Current
Student)
I thought Dr. Brown did a good job engaging the topic biblically and maintaining
a humble attitude. Mr. Knox’s argument seemed to be more "victimization
driven" than facts oriented. – GW (Current Student)
We did not visit with Mr. Knox but were "shaken" by the fact that Harry
threw out slanders toward Dr. Brown. We thought that was a surprise and I was taken
aback by the lack of love from their side. Everything that they want from us, they
can't give themselves. – KS (Current Student)
My overall impression of the debate was that Dr. Brown's arguments were well researched
and thought out. He used Scripture in its correct context, whereas Harry Knox's
arguments (although they appealed to us to see the Scripture in context) were Scripturally
weak when researched later. I left more convinced that the side for being a practicing
homosexual and a committed Christian is not based on Scripture, but on emotions
and actually seeks to trade Scripture for experience in the end. – CS (Graduate)
The debate made me feel very sad for Harry Knox. It showed me how deceived the homosexual
really is. Dr. Brown used facts and quotes from homosexual theologians and scholars
while Harry Knox used nothing but emotions and manipulation. If it takes using such
tactics to prove his point rather than truth it's obvious Dr. Brown's position is
the right one. – EM (Current Student)
So, to encapsulate, every single student that attended
was deeply disappointed in Harry Knox’s presentation, believing that he relied
on emotional manipulation and twisting of the Scriptures, while at the same time
they felt Dr. Brown’s arguments were clear, biblically based, academically
sound, and compassionate. And they left even more convinced that homosexual practice
was sinful in God’s sight. Yet in the mythical world of the HRC, they left
“rattled” and “wrestling” with their belief system. It certainly
appears to me that the HRC rendition, put in the best possible light, is simply
willful self-deception and, in the worst possible light, an outright lie to garner
support from people who weren’t there.
The report also stated,
One woman in particular revealed to Harry the pain and fury she
felt over her father's decision to divorce his wife and come out as a gay man.
With compassion, Harry spoke to her about how a culture that encourages gay people
to live closeted lives filled with deceit creates terrible pain that ripples through
whole families. A light bulb went off for her, as it did for so many who attended.
What actually happened? As explained by the people involved: “The
woman he spoke about actually was sharing her testimony of her father to try to
show Harry the devastation of exchanging truth for experience, and how a family
can be torn apart when someone (especially a pastor) leaves the truth of the Bible
for an emotional experience not based on truth.” So rather than “a light
bulb” going off for this woman, the HRC had it completely backwards again:
It was the woman trying to tell Mr. Knox how a whole family can be devastated when
a father denies the clear teaching of Scripture and embraces his homosexuality –
basing his decision on emotion not on truth. Apparently – and tragically –
not only was this young woman’s point completely missed, but it became part
of the HRC’s mythical report of the dialogue. (Just for the record, Dr. Brown
did inform Mr. Knox of the errors in the report, “for the sake of truth and
justice,” but Mr. Knox responded by saying he stood by the report.)
The good news is that the DVD of the dialogue will soon be available
for all to see, and that will help separate myth from reality. And let’s remember
to pray for Harry Knox, Joe Solmonese, and all those involved in the Human Rights
Campaign, believing that, in accordance with Jesus’ words, the truth will
set them free. After all, He already did that very thing for you and me.
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and
enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being
hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior
appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because
of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy
Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope
of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7).
Michael L. Brown, Ph.D. is the Director of the Coalition of
Conscience, a network of Christian leaders and believers in the greater Charlotte
area who are working together for moral and cultural change through the gospel.
Download this document in PDF format: click here
Dr. Michael L. Brown
ICN Ministries
PO Box 1446
Harrisburg, NC 28075
704-782-3760
e-mail: ministry@icnministries.org