In a September 2023 Truth for Life podcast, Pastor Alistair Begg talked about advice he gave to a grandmother who wasn't sure that, as a Christian, she should attend the wedding ceremony of her grandson, who was marrying a transgender person.
Begg: "People may not like this answer, but I asked the grandmother, 'Does your grandson understand your belief in Jesus?' 'Yes.' 'Does your grandson understand that your belief in Jesus makes it such that you can't countenance in any affirming way the choices that he has made in life?' 'Yes.'
"I said 'Well, then, okay. As long as he knows that, then I suggest that you do go to the ceremony. And I suggest that you buy them a gift.' 'Oh,' she said, 'what?' She was caught off guard. I said, 'Well, here's the thing: Your love for them may catch them off guard, but your absence will simply reinforce the fact that they said, 'These people are what I always thought: judgmental, critical, unprepared to countenance anything.'"
Begg's comments just came to light, and Christian leaders are challenging the well-known Scottish pastor for his comments.
American Family Association (AFA) vice president Ed Vitagliano argues that Begg's remarks do not square with scripture. "This is the wrong advice from a pastor, and it is unbiblical," he tells AFN.
AFA has reached out to Begg for an explanation and is hoping he will walk back his comments. "We are going to wait for Pastor Begg to respond to our question about whether he really believes this or not," the AFA spokesman explained.
Vitagliano says for those who have questions about what the Bible says about sexuality and gender, AFA has produced an award-winning documentary called "In His Image."
"It handles in a loving but truthful way the biblical presentation of human sexuality, marriage, and family," says Vitagliano.
American Family Radio, the broadcast arm of AFA, airs Pastor Begg's daily radio program "Truth for Life."
Editor's Note: The American Family Association is the parent organization of the American Family News Network, which operates AFN.net.
