Daily Inspiration Quote by Troy Perry

Perry’s line is doing two things at once: it’s a theological argument and a political countermove. He leads with “as a Christian,” not “as an activist,” staking his credibility inside the tradition that’s often been weaponized against queer people. That small credentialing phrase matters; it’s a preemptive rebuttal to the charge that affirming LGBTQ lives requires abandoning Christianity. He’s not asking for special treatment. He’s arguing from the source text.

The sentence hinges on an unusually careful verb: “cannot find.” Perry isn’t claiming Jesus endorsed homosexuality; he’s pointing to an absence that has been treated, culturally and ecclesiastically, as if it were a loud prohibition. That rhetorical move shifts the burden of proof. If condemnation is supposedly central, why isn’t it in the Gospels? In a religious culture that prizes “red-letter” authority, he’s effectively narrowing the courtroom to Jesus’ recorded words and letting silence testify.

Subtext: modern Christian anti-gay doctrine often relies on Paul’s letters, Levitical codes, and centuries of institutional habit more than on Jesus’ explicit teaching. Perry’s phrasing exposes that scaffolding without needing to attack it head-on. It’s disarming, almost lawyerly, and that restraint is strategic: it invites believers who are uneasy with culture-war cruelty to reconsider without feeling mocked.

Context sharpens the intent. Perry, a pioneering gay pastor and founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, spoke into an era when “Christian” and “homosexual” were publicly framed as mutually exclusive. The quote is less a footnote about exegesis than a bid for belonging: if the Gospels don’t condemn, why should the church?