Crossroads Church issued an apology in response to the negative feedback they received last week regarding one of their speakers who talked about gender identity and other similar topics.
Crossroads said in a statement sent to WCPO that "what was shared this weekend was never meant to hurt anyone, and we deeply regret that it did. This is a topic that warrants increased care and empathy and we're sorry that didn't happen this weekend."
"Crossroads also does not financially or otherwise support any political organizations and their platforms including the Center for Christian Virtue, where this weekend's speaker is employed. We have no intention of being activistic in this or any other political space. Our main goal has and will always be to bring people to Christ," the statement added.
Similarly, at this past Sunday's service, Lead Pastor Brian Tome dealt with the issue in question.
"This past week, we have heard from a wide range of people who are hurt," he told his church as per Fox 19.
"Those from the LGBTQIA+ community, those who have friends in the LGBTQIA+ community, teachers who didn't feel supported, and last but not least, those who are upset that we seem to be apologizing for everything that was said and being weak and afraid of 'cancel culture.'"
"As you know, our community's unique, and that we go to the scriptures for how life is best lived. We do this in a transparent and respectful way. Of all the mistakes I made last week, the biggest was I didn't say this, 'We love people in the LGBTQIA community, and that wasn't clear last week. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. That is on me. God loves all people," he added.
The backstory
David Mahan, policy director for the Center for Christian Virtue, was chastised for using what's considered "homophobic" and "transphobic" language in his lecture at Crossroads Church's Oakley campus in Cincinnati on July 18, 2021.
As reported by the Christian Post, Mahan talked on "gender identity and gender transitioning." This was for Crossroads' program "This Week's Special Guest: Powerful stories. Uncensored truth."
At one point in his presentation, Mahan brought up the issue of the impact of puberty blockers on transgender youth and their families.
This was confirmed by Aaron Baer, President of the Center for Christian Virtue, in a statement to the Christian Post. He said that Mahan was invited after Crossroads saw his video preaching about the "medical and political movement to put children on dangerous cross-sex hormones and sterilizing puberty blockers" at Columbus Christian Center in May.
Clinics in Ohio, Maher claims, charge $430 for hormone treatment for children every three to six months. He said that it takes courage to warn people about them while risking being canceled.
He also blasted Planned Parenthood for being not just the nation's leading provider of abortions, but also the leading distributor of sex education materials and the number two supplier of hormone treatments for minors.
"Every state is one of their goals," continued Mahan. "Their tagline is, sex ed is a vehicle for social change. So what they say is, curriculum goes beyond teaching sexual health education. In their own words, sex ed is a vehicle for social change. It's not about puberty anymore and anatomy. It's social change, and when you look at the makeup of their board, you can clearly see the kind of change they're going for."
On gender dysphoria, the Christian News quoted Mahan as saying, "We need to delineate a difference between those kids who are struggling...who are hurting legitimately. Maybe it's gender dysphoria. Whatever it is, we need to delineate them from the radical activists who are using them as human shields to push an agenda that I think most people in this room would disagree with."
"But as long as they keep the human shield of the child who's hurting and suicidal before us, the church will stay silent in the name of love and righteousness because you can't even talk about this topic without getting cancelled," he added.
He further said that many adolescents commit suicide not because they are attempting to fit into a mold they will never fit into, but because "nobody affirms a lie." "Can we think of a kid who has anorexia or bulimia?" asked Mahan.
"She's 60 pounds soaking wet [and she] comes in here talking about 'I want to commit suicide because I'm fat!' How do you respond?" "What is your loving response to that child? Does giving affirmation to someone who's not overweight show that person love? Or do you get her dysphoric mentality to herself to line up with her biological reality? " he continued.
"Why wouldn't we do that with the same dysphoric condition with transgender?" he finally said, as the congregation stood and applauded.
According to Baer, some of those in attendance and others who watched the speech online apparently were offended and condemned Mahan's message as well as Crossroads for allowing it to be heard.
Crossroads Church reportedly removed Mahan's sermon from its YouTube channel, but a copy was re-uploaded on the platform. Anyone who wants to understand the whole context of Mahan's talk may listen to it below.
