Dan Haseltine, lead singer of popular Christian rock band Jars of Clay, shocked fans by tweeting his support for same-sex marriage.

In his tweets, the 41 year-old singer questioned the conservative argument against same-sex marriage.

He posted:

Not meaning to stir things up BUT… Is there a non-speculative or non “slippery slope” reason why gays shouldn’t marry? I don’t hear one.

— Dan Haseltine (@scribblepotemus) April 21, 2014

I’m trying to make sense of the conservative argument. But It doesn’t hold up to basic scrutiny. Feels akin to women’s suffrage.

— Dan Haseltine (@scribblepotemus) April 21, 2014

I just don’t see a negative effect to allowing gay marriage. No societal breakdown, no war on traditional marriage. ?? Anyone? — Dan Haseltine (@scribblepotemus) April 21, 2014

 

His tweets received varying responses. Some agreed with the singer, while others tweeted anti-gay messages and bible verses.

Okay! Back online… Interesting responses. re: gay marriage. Never liked the phrase: “Scripture clearly says…(blank) about…” — Dan Haseltine (@scribblepotemus) April 22, 2014

Because most people read and interpret scripture wrong. I don’t think scripture “clearly” states much of anything regarding morality. — Dan Haseltine (@scribblepotemus) April 22, 2014

I don’t particularly care about Scriptures stance on what is “wrong.” I care more about how it says we should treat people.

— Dan Haseltine (@scribblepotemus) April 22, 2014

Haseltine continues to engage in a conversation with his 9k+ followers about marriage equality. You can read the rest of his comments on his official Twitter page.

Christian organisations are slamming Haseltine for voicing his pro-gay stance. Michael Brown of The Christian Post – the largest Christian newspaper in the world – wrote about Haseltine’s tweets saying that he was “accelerating the destruction of marriage”.

Jars of Clay are one of the most successful Christian rock acts in the world, having sold millions of albums and winning three Grammys between 1998 and 2002.