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LifeWay drops books of author because of LGBT beliefs

LifeWay Christian Resources decided to stop distributing the books of best-selling Christian author Jen Hatmaker due to the comments she made in support of same-sex marriage.

"In the past, LifeWay Christian Resources published several resources with Jen Hatmaker. In a recent interview, she voiced significant changes in her theology of human sexuality and the meaning and definition of marriage — changes which contradict LifeWay's doctrinal guidelines," said LifeWay spokesman Marty King in an interview with Baptist Press.

Jen Hatmaker appears in a screen capture of a video from RightNow Media | YouTube/RightNow Media

Hatmaker made the remarks in an interview with Jonathan Merritt from Religion News Service on Tuesday. She expressed her support for same-sex marriage and added that she would be glad to attend a same-sex wedding if one of her LGBT friends got married.

When she was asked whether it is possible for an LGBT relationship to be holy, she replied, "I do. And my views here are tender. This is a very nuanced conversation, and it's hard to nail down in one sitting."

"I've seen too much pain and rejection at the intersection of the gay community and the church. Every believer that witnesses that much overwhelming sorrow should be tender enough to do some hard work here," she added.

Hatmaker has been vocal in her support of the LGBT community. In a Facebook post, she urged Christians to be more welcoming towards them. She asserted that gay Christians are more likely to commit suicide because of the condemnation that they face.

Merritt also asked Hatmaker about other political and social issues. The author described herself as a "left-leaning moderate." She maintained that she is pro-life but she said that she is open to the possibility of voting for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

According to Christianity Today, LifeWay has also stopped the distribution of books by several Christian authors over doctrinal issues. Some of the books that have been discontinued include those authored by Joel Osteen, WIlliam P. Young, Joyce Meyer and Mark Driscoll.