“Homophobia Is Not The Heart Of Christ. It Is Not The Love Of Jesus.” Kirk Franklin Calls Out Antigay Prejudice In The Church

In a recent interview on a Sirius XM radio show, Kirk Franklin called out homophobia in the church, saying that it has “nothing to do with the Bible.”

While promoting his new podcast, Good Words, the award-winning singer-songwriter spoke out against homophobia in the Black Church in a recent interview with Clay Cane.

Franklin told the radio host, “What is very important to understand is that the pulpit is not a bullying place, and we have to also understand that no group of people are monolithic. No Black person, all Black people do not think the same, do not process the same. Not all LGBTQIA+ people all think and process the same. It’s that you have some LGBTQIA+ people that make decisions like I have some close gay friends who make decisions based on their interpretation of the Bible, and they live out their lives based on whether celibacy, or whatever they choose to do, and they should have the right to do that.”

He then warned against using the Bible to justify homophobia.

“We have to not weaponize the Bible to cover up, a lot of times, our homophobic views that have nothing to do with the Bible,” he said. “A lot of people that maybe profess Christianity, they have views that are not even bibliocentric. It’s their personal views that they do not understand, sometimes maybe the biology of homosexuality, and so they want to find a scripture to try to justify their own homophobic views… You can’t abuse people from a platform, because that ain’t love, that’s not the gospel, to take a microphone and weaponize it to hurt people and to condemn people.”

He added, “So we have to stop majoring in the areas that God says that we minor in. The majors are the areas of our heart that need to change, the lack of compassion and empathy for our brothers and sisters does not reflect what God is, and who he is, and the messages that his son taught to us.”

He concluded by saying, “We have beat up people because of our own personal phobias. And that is not the Heart of Christ, and it is not the Love of Jesus. And I’m saying that when it comes to a Christian, if you are not leading with love, you are creating damage that can be toxic and has eternal implications when it comes to the well-being and the hearts of people.”

When he was asked about Donald Trump and the Christians, especially white evangelicals, who supported him, Franklin said, “Jesus is not aligned with any political party. Never was, never has been. It’s that your political party has nothing to do with the structure of the health of your soul.”

To the question about the comical moment when evangelist Paula White was recorded praying for the “Angels from Africa” to come rescue the US elections in favour of Donald Trump, Franklin quipped, “Angels are spiritual. They’re not geographical. And so, there’re no kente cloth angels. There’re no European angels. There’re just spiritual beings.”

Watch the interview below:

Dunder

February 16, 14:55 Reply

Jesus completely endorsed the law and the prophets, I think in Matthew 5, making their content the long form of ” love God and your neighbor as yourself”. Now as we know, the law and prophets are the gold standard of many things we recognize as ills today: slavery (which Jesus severally referenced), misogyny, racism, homophobia and punishment for it etc. This is the reality of abrahamic religion: that the way to show love to the gay children of God is to kill them. Women and non-jews didn’t have a ball either and these dictates started with “I am the lord your God” or “thus sayeth the lord”, so it’s either the lord doesn’t care about perjury or he couldn’t give a hoot about the victims of such perjury or its not perjury and he’s completely fine with the carnage. Read through the genocide of the old testament and other religious text against other tribes and see the real sorrow, tears and blood behind the testimonies we claim and the people after whom some of us are named.

I’m glad religion doesn’t bother me anymore. There was a time I would have held on to brother Franklin’s lifeline for hope to get through the day but frankly, I honestly, from a place of deep love, couldn’t give a fuck. That validation, that grounding comes from within now. Whatever extras are outside are an additional confirmation. Any one who does good does so for himself or herself. I look back at that girl in that season of my life with all the love I can muster and I cherish the lessons I picked up through the pain. There was a time I was convinced there other religions were the devil on his many coats of many colours: now I want to read, to listen and I see wisdom and lessons from the good and the bad. There was a time I could tell you that the people who were enslaved by the chosen race in my religion had a great time: today, I see the danger of such a delusion that would only endure at the cost of my neighbor’s humanity. I was resigned to taking a second job as a wife to some unfortunate fellow or as a habit-donning nanny to slightly less unfortunate children but today I realise that the only hell is denying your own bliss, living someone else’s life and denying your own story and truth.

I realize that God/the Dao, the universe/all that there is didn’t lose my number. If it in anyway demeams me or my fellow man, it’s snake oil and I’m not buying. Gone are the days of apologizing, hiding from a love that no one can hind from, pretending, lying, lacking even Satan’s confidence of approaching heaven as a son of God while jumping hurdles and contorting beyond recognition for a prize the world has never bequeathed because it has nothing to give.

I am not grovelling for the “we all sin differently” condescending and conditional acceptance either. I don’t know what y’all are up to in Straightville but I don’t t sin: rather just like my maker, I am. Let that sink in. It takes a while. I was not just born this way, I was fashioned, planned, designed. Living in denial of this is the sin. Being naked and unashamed is the state of union as it was in the beginning. Being without shame is what it means to be aligned with God. This “sin differently” is about being in a commited relationship and stepping out, acting in ways that don’t honor ones higher self, using one’s body as a tool to manipulate or obtain etc because all these are confessions of the lie called scarcity. That is where people of any sexuality act out and attract more pain. But just being on that magic rainbow is honouring God, not sinning.

And this is not about being blue-balled for decades in order to inherit a mansion in the sky. If you desire companionship, partnership, that hurts no one but maybe your ex. Go for it, committing to love and honour yourself and your partner for as long as you both shall last. To me, such restrictions that deny the innocent desire to commune are like the man-made ones that reduce housemaids to sex slaves and passed wives to surviving brothers like a beater car or restricted men with undescended testicles from showing up at the temple. As long as it is not mostly lust, go for it.

There was a time I was a church rat and was thoroughly drunk on that koolaid. Then I realized the claims had nothing on science. But quantum physics helped me to better understand and trust the experiences and my inner truths and the journey I am now on such that I don’t see Kirk, Donnie or anyone else as an enemy in the depths of my being. I truly think it’s well and I am not high 😆.

Wherever you are on your own journey, please know, that your maker does not reject you but rather, loves your gay ass behind. It is not like the love of your parents or principal, it is an unlimited stream. Anchor your hope to this and rest yourself in that confidence. Whatever Kirk or anyone says, the one who programmed you to desire the way you do has provided all you need to live the life you’ll create. It is all good. It is all well. ✌️.

6 Comments

Dyiro
February 12, 08:17 Reply

In as much as I commend him on this, I’ve got lots of reservations on this article bcos this same homophobia really originated from the Church.
If you can recall, his counterpart, Donnie McClurkin who publicly acknowledges his struggle with homosexuality in the past, but he has never stood up against homophobia, and he teaches other people that “homosexuality is a choice that they can overcome.”
Dude, rather than embracing his true homosexual identity, he identifies homosexual desire and the attending sexual acts as evidence of sexual brokenness rooted in childhood trauma or generational curses hence, tagging it a mere lifestyle just to be accepted within the International Gospel entertainment industry.
Mitch
February 12, 09:22 Reply

No dey lie give yourself, Unkul Kirk.
Christianity is homophobic. The bible is homophobic, misogynistic and vile. There’s no redeeming point or middle ground.

Know this and know peace!
- Pink Panther
  February 12, 10:16 Reply
  
  But isn’t the Bible homophobic because men made it so? Which technically means that the Word of God isn’t homophobic, but rather the interpretation of men.
- Mannie
  February 12, 13:46 Reply
  
  The Bible is homophobic?. I doubt that.
  I always believe that Christianity has to do with following Christ and his teachings. And I’ve checked from Matthew to john and there’s no record of condemnation for homosexuality. The topic never came up until when Paul became an apostle.
  Last last, just live God and live your life.
  We shall understand it better by and by.
Phoenix
February 12, 14:17 Reply

The Bible certainly isn’t homophobic. It is men who have chosen to give their own interpretation to God’s Word. Jesus when asked what the greatest commandment was said very clearly “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” and then He continued and said “Love your neighbour as yourself”. Chikena.
Dunder
February 16, 14:55 Reply

Jesus completely endorsed the law and the prophets, I think in Matthew 5, making their content the long form of ” love God and your neighbor as yourself”. Now as we know, the law and prophets are the gold standard of many things we recognize as ills today: slavery (which Jesus severally referenced), misogyny, racism, homophobia and punishment for it etc. This is the reality of abrahamic religion: that the way to show love to the gay children of God is to kill them. Women and non-jews didn’t have a ball either and these dictates started with “I am the lord your God” or “thus sayeth the lord”, so it’s either the lord doesn’t care about perjury or he couldn’t give a hoot about the victims of such perjury or its not perjury and he’s completely fine with the carnage. Read through the genocide of the old testament and other religious text against other tribes and see the real sorrow, tears and blood behind the testimonies we claim and the people after whom some of us are named.

I’m glad religion doesn’t bother me anymore. There was a time I would have held on to brother Franklin’s lifeline for hope to get through the day but frankly, I honestly, from a place of deep love, couldn’t give a fuck. That validation, that grounding comes from within now. Whatever extras are outside are an additional confirmation. Any one who does good does so for himself or herself. I look back at that girl in that season of my life with all the love I can muster and I cherish the lessons I picked up through the pain. There was a time I was convinced there other religions were the devil on his many coats of many colours: now I want to read, to listen and I see wisdom and lessons from the good and the bad. There was a time I could tell you that the people who were enslaved by the chosen race in my religion had a great time: today, I see the danger of such a delusion that would only endure at the cost of my neighbor’s humanity. I was resigned to taking a second job as a wife to some unfortunate fellow or as a habit-donning nanny to slightly less unfortunate children but today I realise that the only hell is denying your own bliss, living someone else’s life and denying your own story and truth.

I realize that God/the Dao, the universe/all that there is didn’t lose my number. If it in anyway demeams me or my fellow man, it’s snake oil and I’m not buying. Gone are the days of apologizing, hiding from a love that no one can hind from, pretending, lying, lacking even Satan’s confidence of approaching heaven as a son of God while jumping hurdles and contorting beyond recognition for a prize the world has never bequeathed because it has nothing to give.

I am not grovelling for the “we all sin differently” condescending and conditional acceptance either. I don’t know what y’all are up to in Straightville but I don’t t sin: rather just like my maker, I am. Let that sink in. It takes a while. I was not just born this way, I was fashioned, planned, designed. Living in denial of this is the sin. Being naked and unashamed is the state of union as it was in the beginning. Being without shame is what it means to be aligned with God. This “sin differently” is about being in a commited relationship and stepping out, acting in ways that don’t honor ones higher self, using one’s body as a tool to manipulate or obtain etc because all these are confessions of the lie called scarcity. That is where people of any sexuality act out and attract more pain. But just being on that magic rainbow is honouring God, not sinning.

And this is not about being blue-balled for decades in order to inherit a mansion in the sky. If you desire companionship, partnership, that hurts no one but maybe your ex. Go for it, committing to love and honour yourself and your partner for as long as you both shall last. To me, such restrictions that deny the innocent desire to commune are like the man-made ones that reduce housemaids to sex slaves and passed wives to surviving brothers like a beater car or restricted men with undescended testicles from showing up at the temple. As long as it is not mostly lust, go for it.

There was a time I was a church rat and was thoroughly drunk on that koolaid. Then I realized the claims had nothing on science. But quantum physics helped me to better understand and trust the experiences and my inner truths and the journey I am now on such that I don’t see Kirk, Donnie or anyone else as an enemy in the depths of my being. I truly think it’s well and I am not high 😆.

Wherever you are on your own journey, please know, that your maker does not reject you but rather, loves your gay ass behind. It is not like the love of your parents or principal, it is an unlimited stream. Anchor your hope to this and rest yourself in that confidence. Whatever Kirk or anyone says, the one who programmed you to desire the way you do has provided all you need to live the life you’ll create. It is all good. It is all well. ✌️.