Recalling his conversation with the grandmother, who he shared called him crying because she was a “gravely” concerned for her grandchild’s salvation, Begg said that his concern at that particular time “more than anything else” was for the “well-being” of the grandmother’s relationship with her grandchild.
“In that moment of time, all I was thinking about was, how can I help this grandmother not to lose her granddaughter who has already publicly turned her back on God and her back on God’s design and in every other way,” Begg told the congregation. “And in the course of that conversation, I said, ‘You know, one of the ways in which to catch your granddaughter off guard is actually do the opposite of what she expects you to do.’”
Since the grandchild expected the grandmother not to attend the wedding, Begg asked, “What would happen if you actually went?”
Begg’s response shocked the grandmother, resulting in what he described as a “great pause.” The pastor advised that she discuss it with her husband but counseled her not only to attend the wedding but also to bring a gift.
“How would I ever know that I would set the cat among the pigeons because, after all, it was a personal conversation between myself and somebody that I’ve never met in my entire life,” Begg said. “And it was borne out of the kind of conviction that I was personally reckoning with myself…I don’t like this. I’m opposed to this. I do not endorse this. I have no interest in this, but this is my grandchild.”
Begg warned the congregation to be “very, very careful when you hear your pastor or your teacher, whoever it is, lambasting a certain area of life, especially in the realm of morality.” Begg said that “time and time again, you will discover that that loud protestation actually sadly, tragically, proved to be a very thin smokescreen for what was actually going on in the hearts of these people.”
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The pastor asked that people not misunderstand the comments he gave to the grandmother because it was solely based on concern for that particular relationship.
“Don’t misunderstand that in any way at all. If I was on the receiving end of another question about another situation from another person and another time, I may answer absolutely differently,” he added. “But in that case, I answered in that way, and I would not answer in any other way no matter what anybody says on the internet as of the last 10 days.”
Interrupted by applause, Begg continued, “If that were the case, I would have never have said it in the first place.”
Begg addressed those asking for him to recant and repent of what he said. “To repent!” Begg emphasized. “I repent daily, because I say a lot of things that I shouldn’t say.” He joked that people should just ask his wife. “But the fact of the matter is, I’m not ready to repent over this. I don’t have to,” he said.
“I come from a world in which it is possible for people to actually grasp the fact that there are nuances in things,” the Scottish native said after claiming that he’s “never been a product of American fundamentalism.”
, Pastor Alistair Begg of Parkside Church in Cleveland addressed his controversial comments about Christians attending LGBTQ+ weddings. ){kind=link}