In a recent radio interview, Christian singer Lauren Daigle said that she “can’t say” whether homosexuality is a sin.
When asked what she believes about homosexuality specifically, Daigle answered, “I can’t say one way or the other. I’m not God.”
Last week, Daigle appeared on The Domenick Nati Show, which is part of the iHeartRadio platform. Nati asked the singer about the criticism she has received for performing her single “Still Rolling Stones” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Because Ellen DeGeneres is openly gay, people have accused Daigle of letting her newfound fame lead her to compromise her values. Nati wondered if Daigle found the criticism over being on Ellen to be “devastating” or “disappointing” or if she expected it.
Daigle answered, “The second you step outside of what people want for you…that’s when the criticism comes.” One lesson she says she’s learned from the experience is that it’s not fair to expect those who aren’t in her position to understand the decisions she’s facing. Other people are simply too far removed from her situation.
She said that it’s “so sad” anyone would think DeGeneres is “bad” simply because she is gay. When Daigle appeared on the show, she found the host to be “joyful,” “kind” and thoughtful.
Nati noted it would be a foolish career decision for Daigle to turn down being on Ellen just because DeGeneres is gay.
A Tough Question
Toward the end of the interview, Nati warned Daigle that he typically poses some tough questions to his interviewees. He asked, “Is that all right if I ask you just a couple ones that are tougher and you can let me know if you want to answer them?”
After Daigle agreed, Nati asked if she believes homosexuality is a sin. Daigle responded she can’t “honestly answer” because many people she loves are gay. When people ask her that question, she usually encourages them to study the Bible and come to their own conclusions. Daigle added, “And when you find out, let me know, ‘cause I’m learning too.”
Daigle’s first album, How Can It Be, went platinum and earned her a Grammy nomination. With her latest release, Look Up Child, she has only risen in the national spotlight. Look Up Child debuted at third place on Billboard’s Top 200 chart in September, beating out albums by Nicki Minaj, Drake and Ariana Grande.
Speaking to Way-FM Radio, Daigle defended appearing on Ellen by saying that she wasn’t going to show love only to some people but not to others. She said, “I think the second we start drawing lines around which people are able to be approached and which aren’t, we’ve already completely missed the heart of God.”
The feedback Daigle received for being on Ellen wasn’t all negative—some praised her for taking the message of Jesus to the world.
It’s likely that many will now see Daigle as compromising her Christian values. The singer would probably disagree. She recently said that her calling is clearer to her now than it has ever been.
Referring to her success as a crossover artist in an interview with The Christian Post, Daigle said,
I think a lot of Christian backlash is just because they’re not used to being comfortable in an environment that might feel compromising… So I think that’s the part that I just constantly go back to, “What is the Great Commission? To go out into the world, preaching about His love, sharing the good news.” That’s how I look at it.
