After Kissing Christianity Goodbye, Joshua Harris Joins Vancouver's LGBTQ Pride Parade
Shortly after announcing via Instagram that he was kissing Christianity goodbye, former pastor and author Joshua Harris was recently seen marching in Vancouver's Pride Festival.
A photo was posted on Twitter of Harris and gay rock singer, Trey Pearson at the parade on August 4.
On July 26, Harris shared that he was renouncing his Christian faith and that he and wife Shannon would be permanently separating.
Harris also used his farewell post to issue an apology to and to announce his support for the LGBTQ community. He credited his erstwhile perspectives to his "self-righteousness" and "fear-based approach to life."
"To the LBGTQ+ community, I want to say that I am sorry for the views that I taught in my books and as a pastor regarding sexuality," he continued. "I regret standing against marriage equality, for not affirming you and your place in the church, and for any ways that my writing and speaking contributed to a culture of exclusion and bigotry," he added.
Last fall, the 44-year-old author and former pastor started by rejecting his past writings, saying he "no longer agrees with its central idea that dating should be avoided," referring to his book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye," which was popular in conservative Christian circles.
Harris' more recent announcements about his marriage and loss of faith have shocked the Christian community, but evangelical leaders are urging believers to hold on to their faith.
Dr. Corne Bekker, dean of the School of Divinity at Regent University, says there are many lessons for us to learn from Harris' story.
"What's very sad for me is that Joshua has not only given up on the faith, he's given up on all of the principles he has stood for so long," Bekker explained. "The Scripture says that when we see somebody fallen and trespassed like this, that we should correct them. But do it in a spirit of gentleness. And then watch ourselves as well."
The members of the church Harris pastored for 11 years are understandably shocked and dismayed at this turn of events. How should his former congregation cope as they're struggling to come to grips with Harris' announcement?
"I would say to them 'hold on to the faith," Bekker told CBN News. "The glorious thing about the Christian faith is that it's not located in a human person. It's located in the faithfulness of God and of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior. So I would say to them, 'Hold on to the scriptures. Hold on to Christ. Your foundation is firm.'"
Harris' former church, Covenant Life, issued a statement to the congregation that included a strong message of faith.
On a recent Instagram post, Harris wrote that he has "started", but he won't "disappear."
"The inner journey that I'm on isn't something that I need to broadcast. Which is why I'm not engaging in public arguments online. It's why I'm not doing any interviews with the media. It's why I'm not writing a book or starting a podcast. I want connection and relationships and dialogue with real people," he wrote.
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