You may recall that Dan Haseltine of the Christian (Rock) band Jars of Clay took to twitter to proclaim support for marriage equality (and gay folks) a couple of weeks ago. Our own Chrislove wrote about that here. Mr. Haseltine got quite a bit of blowback and condemnation from the (far) religious right for it.
Here is a quote from Michael Brown:
You also asked, “Just curious what ‘condoning a persons [sic] homosexuality’ does. Does it change you? Does it hurt someone? What is behind the conviction?”
Do you not realize that couples involved in consensual adult incest (and other relationships) are asking this exact same question? What do you say to them?
And, here is a quote from Tony Perkins:
Christian band Jars of Clay was supposed to be setting out on a 20th anniversary tour — but if the latest controversy is any indication, not many fans will be celebrating. Lead vocalist Dan Haseltine made sure of that last week by singing a different tune on same-sex “marriage.” The firestorm is just the latest evidence of Haseltine’s slow walk away from orthodoxy that made the band famous.
So, Haseltine has issued an apology for the firestorm his tweets caused (to the religious right) and has issued a statement. I will reproduce that statement for you below the famous orange design.
Dan Haseltine's statement regarding the big Hoo Ha:
In my questions and dialogue with people on Twitter, it became evident that the issue I had chosen to discuss was far too personal, nuanced, and deeply connected to faith and our human condition to honor the amount of wrestling that others have done on this topic. And though they were my questions and it was a dialogue provoked by me, it bled into the Jars of Clay world, and my other band mates felt people’s dismay, frustration and the projection of my views and ideas back on to them. It is not theirs to shoulder.
It was a poor choice of venue on my part. I chose some of my words poorly. And I was unable to moderate the conversation in such a way that it kept everyone’s views with a shared validity and civility as I had hoped. And so, I am not going to continue the conversation on that forum. I do apologize for causing such a negative stir.
In the coming days, I will begin posting some questions on my blog (www.danhaseltine.com, and even doing some interviews around this topic, as I believe there can be healthy dialogue and better understanding even if there is not shared agreement. I am dedicated to being a life long learner. With a full heart- Dan
So, he hasn't actually changed or retracted his own beliefs. He just wants to be a bit more discreet about commenting on them and hopes to have a more "healthy dialogue" regarding the issues.
David Badash over at The New Civil Rights Movement makes this observation:
Isn’t this what Christianity is supposed to be about? Finding ways to be better human beings, more loving and generous and understanding?
Michael Brown and Tony Perkins are among the worst examples of Christians and Christianity. Dan Haseltine seems among the best.
I totally agree.