A message from ACSI President, Dr. Larry Taylor

 

Dear Head of School, Trustee, and Christian Educator,
 
Indeed, the number of issues involving human sexuality—everything from sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) to transgenderism and more—has accelerated during the past few years. I was personally relieved when the + sign was added to the LGBTQ+ acronym—I could no longer keep up with the numerous identities. The changes and additions seemingly greet us every day. Society cannot keep up with the unlearning and relearning cast upon them, much of which crosses the commonsense lines.
 
In times like these, I think of C.S. Lewis’s framing of the virtue of prudence in “Mere Christianity”:
 
“Prudence means practical common sense, taking the trouble to think out what you are doing and what is likely to come of it. Nowadays most people hardly think of Prudence as one of the ‘virtues.’ In fact, because Christ said we could only get into His world by being like children, many Christians have the idea that, provided you are ‘good’ it does not matter being a fool. But that is a misunderstanding. In the first place, most children show plenty of ‘prudence’ about doing the things they are really interested in and think them out quite sensibly. In the second place, as St. Paul points out, Christ never meant that we were to remain children in intelligence: on the contrary. He told us to be not only ‘as harmless as doves’ but also ‘as wise as serpents.’ He wants a child’s heart, but a grown-up’s head. He wants us to be simple, single-minded, affectionate, and teachable, as good children are; but He also wants every bit of intelligence we have to be alert at its job, and in first-class fighting trim.”
 
I believe it is somewhat easy for Christians to deal with LGBTQ+ matters in the abstract, especially amidst like-minded people. It is different, though, when a Christian educator is sitting with a student who is struggling with one of these issues. These conversations are becoming routine with Christian educators today—you are on the front lines. Like you, over my Christian school tenure, I have sat with a young man who was convinced he was supposed to be a woman; listened to both a teenager and, on another occasion, a teacher expressing their same-sex attraction. This is real. It is hard. But it is also an opportunity to demonstrate Christ-like love and compassion, while unwaveringly sharing the truth from God’s Word. The ‘woman at the well’ comes to mind—a Jesus-modeled case study (John 4:1-42).
 
We also have an opportunity to train a generation to lean into these issues with a resolute yet approachable spirit. And we must. It is not an option to remain passive. Avoiding difficult discussions is not biblical. We must be mindful that the worldview that allows for the LGBTQ+ movement to grow exponentially day by day is not the LGBTQ+ movement itself but simply the most visible expression of it. We must prepare our students to counter not just this expression but also the foundational system of beliefs it is built upon. Our schools have a powerful example to follow in Acts 19. Paul worked with 12 men for two years in the lecture halls of the school of Tyrannus. He developed their spiritual muscle, compassion, and discernment (Hebrews 5:14). It was these men who took the gospel to Asia. Sitting in our classrooms, our schools of Tyrannus, are future ambassadors for Jesus Christ, and they must be prepared to run with the horses (Jeremiah 12:5)—the thickets by the Jordan can devour an untrained follower of Christ. And the thickets are real.
 
Prudence? Commonsense? Crossing the line? We have reached the point where there is no line. It is outrageous that we must deal with biological males competing against biological females. It is unconscionable that female student-athletes must share a locker room with males identifying as females. It is egregious to be denied basic parental rights to help our children navigate these realities of identity and sexual orientation. We are not okay with the expectation that we must willingly submit to the celebration of imaginary gender fluidity. We cannot stand on the sidelines while this social engineering takes place. The abolition of women’s sports and women’s private spaces is not an overstatement considering the increasing number of biological males competing against biological females. 
 
We will be accused of hate, bigotry, and discrimination. These accusations, as well as the possibility of other nefarious tactics these groups have used, should not intimidate us whatsoever. We are simply disagreeing. An ACSI school was removed from membership by their state’s association when the girls’ basketball team forfeited a playoff game because the opposing girls’ team had a biological male over six feet tall. Another state association mandated that all schools must accommodate a visiting team’s transgender athletes. Several states are advancing legislation that would prohibit a school from sharing with parents their child’s sexual orientation. These examples, and many more, cross the line. If Christian schools are being hateful or demeaning while communicating their disagreement, then they are also crossing the line.  The point is that silencing techniques such as false accusations should not distract us—what is at stake is protecting women, girls, and parents. 
 
ACSI has been working on these issues for some time. Our membership count is a substantial factor when representing you on public policy issues and in court. We have worked with state athletic associations to safeguard women’s sports in interscholastic leagues. We have argued in amicus briefs before the courts for the protection of children's rights to privacy and human dignity. ACSI intervened in the Tennessee Title IX lawsuit, which has enjoined the application of the Administration’s distorted guidelines supporting males competing against females in certain states. We will gratefully continue to advocate on your behalf—both on public policy issues and legal affairs. For more than 12 years, ACSI’s Vice President of Public Policy & Legal Affairs, George Tryfiates, and ACSI’s Vice President of Legal Affairs, Philip Scott, have diligently served our schools. 
 
What are we to do?
 
We are asking our Christian schools first and foremost to imitate Christ while dealing with students, parents, and those who disagree with us, even those who view us as bigots. We encourage you to continue standing with us to hold this line in society and in our own communities. Genesis 1:27 is still the focus of the modern challenge: “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” And right in the middle, appropriately enough, is the heart of the matter: “in the image of God He created him.” The reality of our current culture is that Christian schools—both covenant and evangelistic—will likely experience a growing presence of students struggling with some form of sexual orientation issue. Again, we are reminded of the ‘woman at the well’ (John 4:1-42). Even if we disagree with people, they should experience love and compassion from us. 
 
Secondly, I want to clearly communicate that you have our full support as we walk this path together and seek to hold the line for our school communities and our larger society. We are praying for you and encouraging you as you deal with these issues. We are also prepared to assist you with upcoming webinars, resources, student leadership training, and legal guidance. We will continue to address public policy and legal issues at the federal and state levels to provide strong advocacy for our network of schools. Our corporate partnership with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) means you have even more options from a strong, biblically faithful team of experts. The bottom line is that you are not alone—we stand with you as you advance your mission amid these major cultural disruptions. We believe that your school can flourish even more, and we are prepared to serve you as you guide, lead, and love your students and families.
 
There is plenty more to say, but there is also much more we can do. To resource you, we have created an online community group in which you can share helpful solutions with other Christian educators. Additionally, we will be arranging a series of webinars for you and anyone you want to include from your school. We are also finalizing a global statement on Guiding Principles on Biblical Sexuality. All of this will be available at acsi.org/Gen127.
 
I am grateful for your continued leadership. God has certainly called you and will sustain you during these bizarre times. Your ACSI Team stands with you, but more importantly, our Lord is with you (Joshua 1:9).
 
Sincerely,

Larry Taylor, Ph.D., 
ACSI President & CEO