In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a recent Gallup poll that found that 7.6% of Americans now identify as LGBTQ+ - a figure that has more than doubled over the last 12 years. When you dive into the generational data from this poll, it revealed that for Generation Z, 22.3% now identify as LGBTQ+, which is a percentage far beyond Millennials or any other generation. The most pressing question is: What is accounting for this very sudden rise?
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In Dr. White's book Meet Generation Z: Understanding and Reaching the New Post-Christian World, he noted five primary marks of this generation. One of those marks is that Gen Z are sexually fluid. This means that the rise in identifying as LGBTQ+ is not so much about a true shift in orientation, but rather an openness to all things sexual. And much of that openness is a direct result of cultural pressure that would say you must be open minded enough to explore other genders and sexual orientations. For more on understanding the cultural pressures, Dr. White suggested reading the book Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say by Preston Sprinkle.
Cultural acceptance, however, does seem to be shifting - at least among religious groups. The PRRI recently released their “Religious Change in America” study, which found that support does tend to be waning. This is likely a result of the cultural overreach that has taken place. And the church does need to speak out on this. Dr. White has delivered two series at Mecklenburg Community Church that we'd suggest you check out: Holy Matrimony and Gender. And this is not the first time we've touched on this topic on the C&C Podcast. Be sure to listen to these past episodes: CCP38: On Attending Diwali Celebrations and Gay Weddings and CCP21: On Gender.
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