Colton Underwood of ‘The Bachelor’ Comes out Gay

Charisma Media’s Director of Content Development Jeff Struss asked me to write the biblical worldview of “Former ‘Bachelor’ Star Colton Underwood Comes out as Gay,” as reported by “Good Morning America” on April 14.

After receiving my final draft (below), Mr. Struss became unresponsive – has not replied to email or call. This is not uncommon. Unpopular Bible truth puts mainstream media out of business. Anything deeper than a “God is good” message has them running scared (2 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 Timothy 6:10). We had similar experiences with Cornerstone TV and the 700 Club last year. Nonetheless, in Christ, nothing is wasted. Here it is:

According to Colton, he knew at six years old there was something different about him. He cites being “more emotional” than the other boys in his class. He realized in high school that he was “more attracted to” males than females. But it was not until the Covid lockdowns of 2020 that he decided to stop running away from “his truth”.

God loves Colton Underwood. Strange desires do not indicate God’s lack of love. But the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). And from beginning to end, across multiple contexts, homosexuality is consistently condemned as sin. It is a counterfeit, a perversion of God’s brilliant design (Genesis 1:27, 2:7, 18, 21-24, Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:20-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:10; Jude 7).

Underwood’s “coming out” testimony exalts the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). It makes numerous misguided claims, whether explicitly or implicitly. Let’s walk through them:

LIE: The Bible is an old book with commandments tied to ancient cultures that no longer apply to you and me. Granted, passages can be taken out of context. For example, Mark 11:24 alone would lead us to believe that we could ask the Lord for $1 million. Money didn’t arrive yet? What’s wrong? Weak faith? Scripture interprets scripture. The Bible, read as a whole, tells the whole story. For example, 1 John 5:14-15 further clarifies that prayer requests made according to the will of God will be granted. Is it His will for us to have $1 million? Maybe not (1 Timothy 6:10).

Rooted in Creation doctrine, we see that the Lord’s brilliant design does not allow for two men and sodomy (Genesis 1:27, 2:7, 18, 21-24). A popular attempt to shoot-down Levitical warnings against homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13) hinges on the notion that some Bible passages only apply within their cultural context. However, warnings/doctrines that the Lord reiterates across multiple contexts throughout scripture certainly apply to us today.

Some also contend, “We are in the New Covenant. Old Testament law no longer applies to us!” Romans 1:20-32 suggests a root cause and contains one of the New Testament’s strongest warnings against homosexuality. Liberal academics have fought hard to redefine the subjects of 1:26-27 as those practicing idolatry coupled with extreme sex acts and body mutilation. They claim this cannot be applied to today’s remarkably civilized gays. By definition, transgender requires self-mutilation. As an ex-gay man myself, I can assure you that common practices in contemporary gay circles are anything but civilized. Along with many other offenses, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 condemns homosexuality as sin. Verse 11 reveals a way out of a gay lifestyle (Praise the Lord!), introducing ex-gays as proof that, “With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

LIE: Feel free tear out the pages of the Bible that don’t agree with your lifestyle. Curiously, Underwood and Roberts seem to agree over concern that he may have “misled the public”. If we agree that lying and deception are wrong but homosexuality is fine, what is our source of truth? Is it popular opinion? Two decades ago, most agreed that homosexuality was wrong. If this generation has approved it, what will the next generation endorse?

LIE: Truth is relative. The article begins with, “Colton Underwood is ready to live his truth.” The notion of “his truth” vs. “your truth” or “my truth”, comes from the postmodern belief that truth is relative. Hippies of the baby boomer generation would have said, “If it feels right, it must be right.” Unfortunately, our hearts are not accurate gages of right and wrong (Jeremiah 17:9). God, the author of truth, does not bow to our hearts. This is a convenient way to trivialize the power of God’s Word and its warnings designed to save us from deceit and everlasting punishment (Proverbs 14:12; Matthew 25:46). Acting on homosexual desires is wrong for him, her, you, me and them.

LIE: God makes people “gay” or “straight”. “Gay” is a God-given identity. God created Adam, then Eve to be his help mate (Genesis 1:27; 2:18, 24). His creation was perfect. We sinned and ruined it all. We are born with a sinful nature (Romans 3:10, 23). Homosexuality abounded in Sodom and Gomorrah. Lust was so powerful that the men who demanded to rape the angels (who appeared as men) groped at the door even after being blinded (Genesis 19:1-29). God did not create anyone to be gay. Homosexuality is a result of the fall of man (Genesis 3).

LIE: Temptation is given by God and indicates identity. Longing for us to be “happy”, God intends for us to follow our temptation. “I used to pray for him to take the gay away,” Underwood said. Typically that means that I prayed for the Lord to remove the temptation. I know because I used to do the same. When the temptation did not go away, I tried to convince myself / justify my sin by aligning with the cultural misnomer, “Well, I guess I’m ‘gay’ then!” (runs off to the gay bar) The truth is that God does not tempt us (James 1:13-15).

LIE: The Catholic Church teaches the biblical way of salvation. Colton says he grew up Catholic and attended Catholic school. The Catholic Church teaches many heresies including idolatry (Exodus 20:3-6) and works-based salvation (John 3:3; Ephesians 2:8-9). This would not unite him in personal relationship with Christ and undoubtedly led to a sense of, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

LIE: It is possible to live a gay lifestyle while having a close relationship with the God of the Bible. “I got closer to God this year,” says Underwood. According to the Word of God, we cannot have a relationship with the Lord while living in sin (Isaiah 59:2). Colton claims his relationship with God is no longer “conditional”. One might presume that he means God loves him no matter what. That is true (Romans 5:8). And the Lord is patient with us (2 Peter 3:9). But only a born-again believer can have a relationship with the one true God. Being born again requires repentance (Matthew 3:2) and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18). “Gay Christian” is an oxymoron.

After her interview with Underwood, Reporter Robin Roberts closed by saying, “I shared with him something my mother said when I told her… that I am gay… ‘God loves you because of who He is, not because of anything you do or don’t do.’” It is true that God loves us, so much that He sent His Son on a rescue mission to die for us. He rose again and provided the only way to heaven. A Holy God must punish unrepented sin. If it were okay for us to remain in our sin, Christ’s death would have been in vain. We must turn away from following our deceitful hearts (Jeremiah 17:9) to follow the Lord Jesus Christ according to His Word. Jesus is the only genuine way out of any sinful lifestyle (John 3:3, 14:6; Matthew 3:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Even after we give our lives to Him, we become works in progress – called to die daily to self and live for Christ (Philippians 1:6; Matthew 10:38).

LIE: When someone “comes out as gay”, he is likely to be happier and healthier than before. It’s a win/win. “I’m like the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been in my life,” Colton tells host Robin Roberts. Albeit temporary relief, this was also my experience. I hated living a double life and felt so relieved to finally tell people. It was not until many years later when the Lord called me to repentance I was able to see (Acts 9:18) that I had been deceived.

When a Christian shares his testimony of having repented and given His life to Christ, God is glorified through him. People are encouraged to follow Christ. He walks away filled with the joy of the Lord. Similarly, when someone “comes out gay”, his testimony glorifies Satan. It encourages others to follow their own deceitful hearts and the god of this world.

Underwood speaks of demonic oppression leading to suicidal thoughts, “…if this car goes off the cliff, it’s not that big of a deal…” As he has carried out the will of the enemy, he is rewarded with temporary relief from demonic torture. “…I don’t feel that anymore.” Sadly, now Satan will use his example to lead many more off the cliff.

LIE: The man living a gay lifestyle can look forward to a normal life that parallels a “straight” life, the only difference being the gender of his partner. Optimistic about the future, Underwood expresses, “I’ve never had an emotional connection with a man.” In all my years in the gay lifestyle, interacting with a large number of men who identify as gay, I never witnessed a same-sex couple that had truly been monogamous (both partners) for more than a few months. Among older couples who had been together for many years, it is far more common to discover that they invite third parties into the relationship. Common practices include frequenting “bath houses” and meeting casual sex partners via apps such as Grindr. Not ordained of the Lord, homosexuality is a counterfeit of God’s design. Although lust is the norm, true love is not found in homosexual relationships. Over the long term, two men cannot satisfy one another.

Some might wonder if this is all a publicity stunt. Not long after he finished playing professional football, there was “The Bachelor”. When the spotlight began to fade, there was the controversy around him and Cassie Randolph in 2019. Again when the spotlight begins to fade, he announces that he is gay. Fans are now calling for a gay version of “The Bachelor”. Whatever the motive or level of authenticity, the everlasting destiny of many rests with Underwood and others like him.

The story hinges heavily on the notion that “gay” is an identity. If he truly was in love with Cassie Randolph and was apparently able to perform in the bedroom with her, one might wonder what in his mind constitutes being “gay”. He answers that by saying that in high school, he realized he was “more attracted” to males than females. I wish my situation had been that simple. I longed for some genuine attraction to a woman but did not have one. So my question for him is – “So what’s the problem? You could have a wife and kids and live the life that you claim to want. Why not? Who cares about this ‘other attraction’?” As long as you are honest with your wife and get sexual fulfillment out of her, I don’t see why this should be a barrier.

LIE: In the Christian life, God just wants me to be “happy”. Underwood closes the interview with some advice, “…Keep fighting for you. Keep choosing you every morning…” In sharp contrast, the Lord calls us to put Him first and others second (Matthew 22:36-40). Through surrender to Christ and self-denial, the ex-gay man finally finds the “Perfect Man” for whom he had been searching (Matthew 16:25).

The gay lifestyle is not what it appears to be. Sign warns not to cross a crocodile-infested river. Go anyway? Up to you. I suggest heeding the Bible’s warnings instead. Father knows best.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”   Jeremiah 17:9

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”   Proverbs 14:12

This critique is written as a loving warning by a man who learned these lessons the hard way.

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(Stock photo from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Colton_Underwood_2020.png)