A Defiant Jennifer Knapp Defends Homosexuality on Larry King

Posted on April 26, 2010
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(132) comments

A defiant Christian Singer Jennifer Knapp takes on a pastor of last week's Larry King Live... Watch the video, then let's discuss:

First of all, while I do think that homosexuality, biblically, is a sin, I think Jennifer makes a couple of good points:

1. She is correct when she asks why this one sin is chosen to debate. Homosexuality is the big taboo sin in Christian culture these days. I'm not saying that is a bad thing; but it is seen as a much greater sin than any number of other sins combined: lying, cheating, divorce, living together before marriage, guttony, gossip. Many of these are tolerated. We very seldom ask the glutton or the gossip to turn from their sinful ways. We just assign them to a different committee.

2. She does, I think, have a point against the pastor. He is not her pastor. He does not have the power/privelege of speaking into her life; privately or on national television.

That said,

1. Jennifer cannot condone her sin by saying that other people who sin are getting a free pass. It might be true, but it doesn't allow her to play the 'they're sinning so I can sin' card.

2. Unfortunately, Jennifer has (as have many other gay christians) found a spiritual leader that has said that homosexuality is acceptable under scripture.

This is not the first time that a Christian singer has come out of the closet. Ray Boltz came out a few years ago (no one ever say that one coming!). Kirk Talley shocked Southern Gospel fans with a scandal a few years back as well. I'm sure there are others that will happen in the future.

How will/are you responding to Jennifer's announcement? Will you buy her album (if you're a fan?) Will you continue to use her music in your services? Would you attend her concert? Would you have her sing in your church?

And what do you make of her defiant attitude on Larry King? Justified or not?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Todd

Comments

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ShaneT on Mon, April 26, 2010

POINT OF CLARIFICATION: when I refer to “moderator”—of course I was refering to Larry King not our friend “Todd”.
Todd Rhoades on Mon, April 26, 2010

Shane,

Isn’t that what this is all about? The balance between love and ministering to someone, and the uncomfortable and unthankful job of not condoning sin when it is seen?

It’s a fine balance. Come on too strong, and you make your point and lose your on-going opportunity to minister. Come on to weak, and you minister, but to what end?

Todd
K. A. Christian on Mon, April 26, 2010

I applaud this pastor for having the God given courage and Holy Spirit boldness to refute this lifestyle that has been come acceptable in many Christian & Non-Christian circles. The young lady stated she does has spiritual advisors that counsels her, but I’m affraid just as the pastor pointed out, they’re not giving her correct Biblical counseling. As pastors we don’t pick or choose which sins is good or which sins are bad… because all sin is sin and the consequences is death unless one repent and turn from that sin. (IMO, many are unclear of what is true repentance…)

Christianity is a spiritual union between all Christian believers… therefore this pastor was in the right… we’re all apart of one body… I saw his love in addressing the issue…

CS… I like your statement…
Todd Rhoades on Mon, April 26, 2010

And thanks for the clarification, Shane. I’m happily married. One time.

Todd
Peter Hamm on Mon, April 26, 2010

There was no dialog on either side there.

The pastor tried to answer her questions and was talked down.

Jennifer, I’m sorry to say, merely seemed to want to lump her now very public sin in with all others for a different reason than I would… to try and minimize it. CS, your

And Jon, Jesus was preaching to crowds. This man was talking publicly directly to an individual. big difference.

Does he have the right to speak to her in this forum? Heck yeah, he was invited by the program! duh! But he didn’t get to speak. She wouldn’t listen. Must she? Nope. Should she? Yes.

Job, nice first post here! Marty… You TOTALLY nailed it. Everybody read his blog! I love this. [The issue that puzzles me in this is that, though Knapp makes clear that she cannot argue the theology surrounding her decision, she continues to do just that.]
Jay on Mon, April 26, 2010

I must say, I liked some of Jennifer’s music, but now will not be a fan. Not because of her realization that she is gay, but more based on her attitude.

I am the first person to point at the church as a judgmental force that drives wedges into relationships in the name of Christ, and that is as much a sin as any. I truly believe that unless we adopt a more Christ-like, communication-based posture, we will continue to reinforce the bad press and bad spin we get.

Going on Larry King was not a good place for the Pastor to go, because you’re stepping onto enemy ground. You may say you’re going forward in faith to take the ground bravely for the Lord, but it ain’t gonna happen. Likewise, blogging about Jennifer’s sin is not the way to minister either.

Just let God be God. He usually does a pretty good job of speaking on His behalf, and take on the mantle of Christ by loving people W/O thinking you have to tell them what’s wrong with them.
Tye Male on Mon, April 26, 2010

Larry and Jennifer are attacking this pastor. You have one side Jennifer and Larry, and on another hill you have pastor Bob. While both sides make some good comments, and the pastor manages to stay controlled and not go into attack mode, you can clearly see that both sides never even come close to doing what is really needed. We need to build bridges with those whom we disagree.

I’m afraid that this program has fueled the world’s view of Christians hate gays. I personally would have never gone on a show like this where you have to defend a biblical position, especially homosexuality.

In the end, Ted Haggard does a nice job of helping everyone understand that the most important thing is our relationship with God. It is up to the Holy spirit to convict and this is most often done in a person’s life when there is relationship with someone who can speak those words.
Keith S on Mon, April 26, 2010

First point is that schripturally we are given specific direction in the bible on how to handle matters such as this and using a public and secular forum such as this is not it.

God has made himself very clear in His Word the some sins are more egregious than others. However, having an affinity towards the same sex, in my opinion, is not the problem, it is same with any sin and that is acting out the sin or responding in the opposite way in which our God has directed those of us who are called His.

Scripture says we are not to judge the unrepentent butt that we are to call sin ...sin and reach out with God’s love to challenge our brothers and sisters coices that are obvious sins and do not strengthen the body. Again, this was not the place for this discussion so both were wrong to take a family matter like this on to a secular stage.
Dane Gressett on Mon, April 26, 2010

Hey, I know what it’s like to use the Bible to justify my sins. I did it for years. I was deceiving and being deceived. I was impenitent. I was not right with God. I even went to church. My wife thought she was saved until she was 21. But she had never really been converted. She had believed in the “just say this little prayer” gospel. But she had never really encountered the love and holiness of God in the gospel.

One of the gross theological errors of typical evangelicalism today is that repentance can be compartmentalized.

That is, that we can pick and choose which sins we are willing to “repent” of. If I say, “Okay, God, I am willing to repent of stealing from my employer, but I’m not willing to give up my lesbian relationship,” then I haven’t repented on a biblical basis. I’m still bartering and manipulating a deal with God. This is not salvation.

This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t deal with us about specific sins - He does. But there’s this “pick and choose what parts of the Bible you want to submit to” and a “each man did what was right in his own eyes” kind of Christianity today, that is grossly deceived.

These are the many who will say “Lord, Lord…” but who will not enter the kingdom. For in doing what they thought was God’s will, they willingly resisted His rule of their lives nonetheless, and in the end will hear Him say, “You didn’t do my Father’s will…depart from Me…’

Jennifer is impenitent. She is not right with God. She is deceived and she is deceiving others. Period. The more I hear from the supposedly “restored” Ted Haggard suggests that he might be in the same boat. May God have mercy on us all.
Gregg Lamm on Mon, April 26, 2010

Todd, I watched all four parts of the Jennifer’s interview on Larry King and am not sure why you picked the word “defiant” to describe Jennifer. Confident. Respectful. Measured. Inquisitive. Patient. These are what I saw.

At the moment, Jennifer is on a nation-wide tour with Derek Webb right now ... and they’re playing at The Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR tomorrow night, 27 April. I’d go if I had the dough, ‘cause I’d like to hear these two crooners croon together. I wish Derek Webb had been on Larry King instead of Pastor Bob. Godspeed.

read.think.pray.live.

Gregg
BC on Mon, April 26, 2010

I appreciate the thought-provoking question, Todd. Ephesians 6:17 says the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. I Peter 1:23, Romans 10:16, and John 6:63 all make it clear it’s the Word of God, through the power of the Spirit that creates saving life, stirs saving faith, and converts the heart of stone.

So while we don’t help the Spirit out, we speak the Word of God in faith and dependence upon the Holy Spirit, trusting Him to do His converting or judging work..

If I’m not being convicted of my self-centeredness, laziness, lust, etc., then I better search my heart, II Corinthians 13:5, to see if I’m in the faith.

Todd, I don’t want to misunderstand your words, but you’re not suggesting that if I feel no conviction of sin, then it must really not be sin? I think we all have to consider and be carerful of a hardened, calloused heart to God, as Hebrews 3 warns of
yarrrrr on Mon, April 26, 2010

“2. She does, I think, have a point against the pastor. He is not her pastor. He does not have the power/privelege of speaking into her life; privately or on national television.”

She exactly right, but at the same time the shows producer is the one who set this segment up…. if I was a pastor, I would refuse to go… especially since the guy doing the interviewing has been divorced so many times and has a lot of drama in his personal life right now… it would have been a lot more interesting and productive to just let her have the interview to herself…
Phil DiLernia on Mon, April 26, 2010

Todd:

I love you and your site. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted any articles or comments. I am sort of saddened by your commentary on this one. Sometimes, in our efforts to not seem “judgmental” we often validate others who are clearly in the wrong. I think that in some manner you have done that with Ms. Knapp and have wrongly accused the pastor whose only fault was his inability to communicate clearly in the face of a non-believing Jewish man, a lesbian who claims that she is NOT sinning in her homosexual activitiy, and a pastor whose ministry was destroyed by his own homosexual activity.

That pastor didn’t say he was her pastor ... he didn’t set up the interview ... he doesn’t run the cable network ... etc etc. He spoke in his church (which he is allowed to do) - he spoke on a blog (which he is allowed to do) - and someone from Larry’s show called him and said “let’s do this on T.V.” You sort of make it sound like the pastor is out there like a Pharisee saying that he is without sin and is somehow less needy of God’s grace than Jennifer. However, even a cursory view of the pastor would demonstrate otherwise.

Is there any difference between the pastor and Jennifer? Yes, SHE IS THE PHARISEE by coming off as morally superior to the pastor who admits he is a sinner who needs God’s grace to make him more like Christ. How did you view him as being somehow more out of place than Jennifer? Who should speak for God’s Word? Jennifer? I think not!

And has anyone commented on this Haggard who wouldn’t just say that homosexuality is a sin? Is it the biggest sin? Not even close. But to refuse to answer the question simply speaks volumes.

OKEY DOKEY Todd ... this is the only time I’ve ever critiqued you at all ... so don’t be too harsh on the return! lol lol
Helen on Mon, April 26, 2010

Sin is sin is sin… None should be elevated above another. The difficulty lies with being loving and yet not condoning the sin. Some people have not surrendered their life to Christ. When you do that, you ARE a new creature. Continuing in sin after repentence puts you into God’s grace, however, you really are NOT a new creature. We must all work out our own salvation.
John Burton on Mon, April 26, 2010

1. This is a public issue, and if not dealt with appropriately many others who struggle with same-sex attraction will be encouraged to follow through on their desire.

2. As others have said, the reason the issue of homosexuality is being addressed differently than the other sins is because there’s a movement to deem it acceptable. That has terrifying eternal implications.

3. I have yet to hear someone admit that the call to a biblical life is a naturally impossible one. The pull of sin is so incredibly overwhelming that it can only be broken off through supernatural, invisible means. We can’t hope to call people into a moral lifestyle outside of the very active presence of God in that person’s life. The blood of Jesus didn’t grant immunity to us, it granted power. We have to walk in that power very intentionally every day. We must live and walk in the Spirit. ONLY then will we have the ability to resist fulfilling fleshly desires.