CARRIE UNDERWOOD: CONCERNS RAISED AFTER “GAY MARRIAGE” SUPPORTER SINGS AT “PASSION” CONFERENCE~AFA FAILS TO EXPOSE ALL THE OTHER APOSTATES
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
Concerns are being raised by a prominent pro-family organization after country music star Carrie Underwood, who has expressed her support for same-sex “marriage” and attends a church that allows practicing homosexuals to serve in ministry, recently appeared at a major Christian conference attended by tens of thousands of college-age youth.
The American Family Association (AFA) has penned an open letter
to Louie Giglio, leader of the annual Passion Conference and pastor of
Atlanta’s Passion City Church, to express concern about Underwood’s
participation in the event held January 2-4 at the Atlanta Dome.
The yearly conference regularly features worship music from
artists such as Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfill and Crowder, as well as
Bible teaching from speakers like Giglio and Francis Chan. This year,
Underwood, who had not been advertised as a guest, took the stage with
Crowder near the end of the performance of the song “Lift Your Head
Weary Sinner,” and also led the tune “Something in the Water.”
“Louie, if I can be completely transparent, I was very
frustrated that you would allow [Underwood] to help lead thousands of
people in worship. My frustration quickly turned to disappointment and
then to sadness,” wrote AFA Director of Outreach, Wesley Wildmon.
“With the many Christian artists who believe and teach the
full counsel of God’s Word available to lead worship at Passion, why
would you choose one who publicly states homosexuality is not a sin?” he
asked. “Your approval gives thousands of unsaved or weak Millennials an
untruthful image of what the Bible says about marriage.”
Wildmon clarified that he isn’t saying that Underwood should
be shunned altogether, but that her public remarks should give reason
for pause to provide a platform to someone that supports an unbiblical
view of marriage.
“It should go without saying, but I will say it anyway: her
denial of God’s Word should not keep you from being friends and
encouraging her, but it should give you hesitance in inviting her to
partner with your ministry,” he wrote.
As previously reported, Underwood,
who attends GracePointe Church in Nashville with her husband Mike
Fisher, announced in 2012 that she supports same-sex “marriage.”
“As a married person myself, I don’t know what it’s like to
be told I can’t marry somebody I love, and want to marry,” she told The
Independent. “I can’t imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we
should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we
want to love.”
“Our church is gay friendly,” Underwood continued. “Above
all, God wanted us to love others. It’s not about setting rules, or
[saying] ‘everyone has to be like me.’ No. We’re all different. That’s
what makes us special. We have to love each other and get on with each
other. It’s not up to me to judge anybody.”
She also criticized “people who use the Bible for hate,”
remarking, “That’s not how I would want myself as a Christian to be
represented.”
In light of her comments, AFA asked that Giglio be more careful about who he invites to the event in the future.
“I am writing to plead with you to consider the clarity of
God’s Word on marriage and reflect on it in the artist you choose for
next year,” Wildmon said. “It is God who has blessed you with this
platform and it is God who can remove His hand of blessing if you become
careless with His principles.”
Following her appearance at the Passion Conference this
month, Underwood thanked organizers on social media for allowing her to
be a part of the event.
“What an incredible night @passion268! Thanks for letting me
be a small part of it! & thanks @crowdermusic for letting me crash
your set!” she wrote.
Passion likewise expressed excitement over Underwood’s
performance, Tweeting, “Thanks @crowdermusic for an amazing night of
music and to our special guest @carrieunderwood for joining us at
Passion 2017! What at start!”
Giglio has not responded to press inquiries about the matter.
Underwood’s appearance may be viewed here as it was posted to the event’s YouTube page.
_______________________________________________________
SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR,
BUT NOT A SOLDIER OF CHRIST
LETTER BY WESLEY WILDMON OF AFA TO LOUIE GIGLIO OMITS MENTIONING ALL THE OTHER GROSS APOSTASIES THAT THE “PASSION” EVENT ENCOMPASSES:
SEE: http://www.engagemagazine.net/culture/an-open-letter-to-louie-giglio/;
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:
“Dear Louie,
I hope this letter finds you well. I have been seeing this year’s
Passion Conference in the headlines and images from it are flooding my
social media feeds. It is amazing how God has used you and your wife in
this way. Only He could bring your vision from a few students at your
house to over 50,000 in the Georgia Dome. That’s not to mention how
Passion is now taking place in multiple locations and streaming to
countless more. Myself and many others praise God for the platform He
has given you!
The life-changing impact of Passion is not an abstract idea for me. I was one of the 40,000+ to attend in 2012. I can speak firsthand when I say
I experienced the Holy Spirit while I was there. The teaching was solid
and the worship was deep. My friends and I took many notes. Passion
2012 was a spiritual milestone in my life to say the least.
The most popular headline and image circling social media thus far
this week show the performance of Carrie Underwood. Louie, if I can be
completely transparent, I was very frustrated that you would allow her
to help lead thousands of people in worship. My frustration quickly
turned to disappointment and then to sadness. Carrie Underwood encourages and supports homosexual marriage which the Word of God does not (1 Corinthians 6:12-20).
In fact, it calls us to flee from it and all other sexual sin. Our
message as Christians to those who practice homosexuality should reflect
that of Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6,
“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made
them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father
and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one
flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has
joined together let not man separate.”
With the many Christian artists who believe and teach the full
counsel of God’s Word available to lead worship at Passion, why would
you choose one who publicly states homosexuality is not a sin? Would you
invite a well-known artist who stated publicly that using porn is
honoring to God to speak or sing at Passion? I do not ask this with a
facetious attitude but the sincere hope of making a point. God has given
you such a major platform with Millennials it is disheartening to see
your lack of concern for biblical clarity on marriage in such a chaotic
era. Your approval gives thousands of unsaved or weak Millennials an
untruthful image of what the Bible says about marriage. It should go
without saying, but I will say it anyway: her denial of God’s Word
should not keep you from being friends and encouraging her, but it
should give you hesitance in inviting her to partner with your ministry.
Louie, I am 27 years old and one of the most important ideas I have
learned to cling to in my few short years of ministry is the difference
between preference and principle. The genre of music, what age group to
focus on, what topic to teach, etc. are preferences. They are important,
but only preferences. Someone may prefer contemporary music and another
rap. Neither is wrong. The Word of God is not a preference, but principles God has spoken. God is right about marriage and Carrie Underwood is wrong.
I am writing to plead with you to consider the clarity of God’s Word
on marriage and reflect on it in the artist you choose for next year. It
is God who has blessed you with this platform and it is God who can
remove His hand of blessing if you become careless with His principles. I
completely understand the desire of attracting more people so you can
present them with the eternal truth of the gospel. The strategy behind
it is wise, but strategy must not usurp biblical principle. Just as the
Lord continues to help me distinguish between preference and principle I
pray you allow Him to help you. “For our appeal does not spring from
error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been
approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to
please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came
with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is
witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from
others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ” 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6.”
In Christ with humility,
Wesley Wildmon
Director of Outreach of American Family Association and Social Media Coordinator for Engage Magazine
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SEE ALSO: WILDMON AS A “SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR”:
http://www.engagemagazine.net/culture/speaking-into-silence/
WILDMON’S QUOTES FROM ABOVE ARTICLE SHOW A COMPLETE AND UTTER LACK OF TRUE BIBLICAL DISCERNMENT:
“The teaching from pastors and apologists such as John Piper, Louie Giglio, Beth Moore, Francis Chan, and others was phenomenal.”
“When I hear and see the passion Christian Millennials have for life
when it comes to ending slavery, helping the poor, and caring for
orphans, I am so encouraged. We are radicals for justice in these areas.
However, I am sadly discouraged by our lack of zeal for other issues
such as homosexuality, immigration, and religious freedom. My point? If
it is a controversial issue that needs our attention, we are likely to
be silent and content with our silence.”