Saturday, May 26, 2012

Homosexual Concentration Camps?


"I figured a way out, a way to get rid of all the lesbians and queers, but I couldn't get it past the Congress ... Build a great big, large fence 50 or a 100 miles long and put all the lesbians in there ... Fly over and drop some food. Do the same thing with the queers and the homosexuals, and have that fence electrified so they can't get out. Feed them. And you know in a few years, they'll die out. You know why? They can't reproduce." 

Charles Worley, pastor of Providence Road Baptist Church in North Carolina, uttered these words in his May 13th "sermon," and the video recording soon went viral on the Internet. Under normal circumstances I might be inclined to make a few cute remarks; maybe a few sarcastic comments. In this case, I am in no mood to mince words. This man has done nothing but demonstrate his abject and baseless bigotry for homosexuals. He has proven himself to be overflowing with hatred and I cannot consider these to be the words of a true Christian (or at the very least I have *serious* doubts about the present state of his soul based on his actions). He has shamed the name of Christ, and I pray that the Lord brings him swiftly to repentance from his hatred, bigotry, and idiocy.

There are no two ways about it, folks. The man is an ignorant fool and he has done immense harm to the reputation of Jesus Christ. Christians need to be outspoken against this and all who imitate him. I thank God that we have a government built on laws that prohibit the very kind of hateful Nazi-esque goals of Mr. Worley.

It is true that Christianity is incompatible with homosexuality, but Christians are required by holy Scripture to take a completely different approach than Mr. Worley in how we interact with and speak to the LGBT community. The reason being that Christianity is also incompatible with Mr. Worley's religion. Whatever religion he is promoting, that is not the same religion I belong to. The Apostle Peter offers some insight into how Christians should respond to the world:

13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. (1 Peter 3:13-17, NASB)

Verse 15 is surely one of the most well-known verses by Christians in the New Testament, yet the surrounding context offers invaluable insight into what Peter meant. He begins by making the point that if you do good no one will generally harm you, and even if you end up suffering for doing what is good then you are blessed. Only at this point does Peter venture into saying what he says in verse 15: "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." The believer in the Lord must always be ready to offer a defense and an answer for the hope that is in him. Do I need to even add that Peter's point is a 180 degrees different direction than the views held by Pastor Worley? What do I mean? In a nut shell, that a defense of the Biblical understanding of marriage and human sexuality as designed by God is a logical and rational viewpoint. All Mr. Worley has done is blurt out a few unmeaningful, irrational and bigoted statements jumbled together in a single message.

How is the positive message of the defense for the hope that we have as Christians supposed to be delivered? "With gentleness and reverence." Mr. Worley was anything but gentle and reverent. In fact, the following verse was intended to warn Christians against the very behavior we saw in Mr. Worley: "and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame." Unfortunately for the pastor from North Carolina, as he faces criticism it could not properly be called slander because he is guilty of bigotry. 

Where do Christians in our society fit into this discussion? First and foremost, very differently than how Charles Worley has decided to make his ridiculous contribution. We are ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are to love our fellow sinners by delivering our message with gentleness and reverence. If you count yourself a slave of Christ then you must not remain silent ... for two reasons: (1) out of love for God; and (2) out of love for fellow sinners. The Lord of the Universe had compassion on you and you ought to have compassion on your neighbor, your friends, your co-workers, and your family who have yet to experience the undeserving grace of Jesus Christ. We should pray for the unbelievers in our lives - that God might be merciful to them and grant repentance unto saving faith in Him, and that we might be instruments to preach the foolish message of the gospel of Christ to all people (including the homosexual community). 

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Same-Sex Marriage Dialogue

The following is a conversation on facebook about homosexuality and same-sex marriage. First will appear the initial comment, followed by my response. I will be adjusting the names and personal references in brackets.
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Hi [Metzger]! It's your [friend] from West Hollywood. I'd love the opportunity to have you experience our life for a day...being gay, that is. It's the way I was born and it's a valid lifestyle, that while you do not have to agree with, you should not discriminate and preach against. I think that often times it's too easy to judge. I don't agree that you are a "hater", in fact I remember how sweet you and [your siblings] all are! I would suggest that you take a second and maybe closer look at what you are protesting so much, you might just be surprised that we are all the same and there isn't that much to be afraid of. It's just love and it deserves equality, like every other type of love. Congrats on creating your amazing family - they are truly beautiful. Love and light! xo [NAME]

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Thank you for your thoughtful comment. It is great to hear from you, I only wish that we had connected over something more pleasant - in fact, we should schedule that sometime because it has been far too long =).

I appreciate the fact that your thoughts were direct and well-meaning. I will do my best to respond in turn to you. But before I get to the meat of what I have to say, I would like to add a few things that are obvious to all, but are helpful to hear again. Firstly, you are [my good friend] and no matter your sexual preference I will love you and care about you because [we are friends]. Second, my caring for you will not change if you continue in the homosexual lifestyle. Third, if we end up disagreeing, I hope that we can remain loving towards one another.

And now ...

I also wish you had the opportunity to experience my life for a day … being a Christian. Consideration of the other side’s perspective is vital in having a better understanding of one’s own beliefs about something. While I do not doubt the sincerity of your experience(s) as a gay man, I also have firm beliefs about homosexuality and human sexuality that are different than yours (not that that’s a surprise =)). Please let me just say that I very much appreciate that you recognize that my differing viewpoints as a Christian do not automatically make me hateful towards the homosexual community. Thank you for that. Of course, I am going to afford you the exact same privilege in my assumption that you are not hateful for disagreeing with me.

To add further breadth to my perspective on how I have arrived at my conclusions, I need to begin by saying that my Christian faith is the single most important part of my life. Christianity is not, like some would prefer, one compartment of my life that I only express at church on Sunday. Rather, it is the central tenet of my experience in this life. I live and breathe my Christian faith every day, and I will go so far as to say it impacts how I behave at work, in public, at home, at church, even intruding upon my very thoughts, beliefs, and my worldview. So to say that Christianity is important to me would be an understatement. I love the triune God of the Bible more than I love my wife, my daughter, my career, or my possessions.

You can begin to see how I, as a Christian, will approach the issue of homosexuality and human sexuality in general. You said: “I think that often times it's too easy to judge.” I couldn’t agree more! People are too rash in their decision-making, especially when it comes to moral judgments. Rather than depend on my feelings, or my inclinations, I look to the unbiased source: the Bible. The Bible is the absolute authority for the believer in Jesus Christ, and is required to adjust his viewpoints based upon what God says in the inspired Scriptures.


Specifically, with regards to sexuality and marriage, the Bible does address this issue very clearly. In fact, the Lord Jesus was asked by the Jewish religious leaders whether “it [is] lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” Jesus’ response is something we should note: “4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘ For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Matthew 19:3-6, NASB).

Jesus’ approach was to take the Pharisees head on in their absurd question. What I enjoy most about the Lord’s response was that he took the discussion back to the source: the creation itself, dealing with the ordaining of the roles of men and women. Jesus asked whether they had read from the book of Genesis that “He who created them from the beginning made them male and female.” From that, Jesus led right into an interpretation of the institution of marriage: between one man and one woman.

This is why Christians believe marriage is between one man and one woman. This is also why Christians believe homosexuality is a sin - not only because the Bible directly states it as such - but because the Bible positively explains that human sexuality is to be exclusively expressed heterosexually in the covenant of marriage.

You stated that you believe you were born gay. From a Biblical perspective, this is not so. While I would never presume to doubt the sincerity of feelings or inclinations you have - same-sex attraction, etc - what I would say from a Christian standpoint, is that feelings and inclinations do not justify behavior. For example, one thing that I have struggled with my entire life is envy. I have had desires to have more stuff, or the traits and abilities of others. This has been something I have felt and experienced from a very early age. Here is the question though: would I be justified to practice being envious of others … or going a step further … would I be justified in defining my entire life by my envy? Obviously, I would not be justified in doing that. But why? Because God’s Law requires that human beings not be envious (in fact, He says so in the same passage in discussing homosexuality in Romans chapter 1). Bringing it all back, in the same way homosexuality is not justified simply because one feels same-sex attraction.

Now, what I have to say next is important. I am a sinner. You are a sinner. Every human being that has ever lived or ever will live is a sinner. What that means is that everyone is born into this world guilty of breaking the requirements of God’s Law, and continues every day of his/her life rebelling against that Law in some way. Practically, this is how Christians are able to not be self-righteous, because … how can we? Christians are awful people just like non-Christians are awful people. I am not better than non-Christians, and I am not better than homosexuals. We are all on a even keel when it comes to how we would inherently stand before God in-and-of ourselves.


This leads me to mention why I am passionate about this subject, and other subjects involving sinful behavior, human sexuality, religion, worldviews etc etc … Because the good news about Jesus Christ is one that says that sinners should turn away from their sinful desires and behaviors unto faith/trust in the living God of the universe. It is my greatest desire to see you turn from a homosexual lifestyle and love the same God that I worship. I mean that, with all sincerity. This does not mean that if you remain gay, and a non-Christian, that I will suddenly harbor ill will towards you, or cease loving you. Quite the contrary! As we have seen, I view myself equally inherently guilty before God, no better than the homosexual community … all of this is used to keep my own pride in check (and believe me, God knows I need the help with fighting against pride). But whenever I have written about homosexuality, you have always been in the back of my mind. Why? Because you are [close to me]. But more than that, I can relate to you because I am also a sinner - only that I have been delivered from the consequences of my sin by the grace of God that I do not deserve. I hope the same for you.

One final note I will add for the sake of clarity: in response to a second comment you made in this thread, you stated: “The bible states that we should stone a woman who cheats on her husband? And that shell fish is an abomination as well.” First of all, I need to ask: have you read the entirety of the Old and New Testaments? The reason I ask is because this is a common misconception made typically by atheists and others trying to prove inconsistency in the Bible between the moral standards of God. There is a clear distinction in the Bible between moral aspects of God’s Law (that has existed since the beginning of Creation) and the ceremonial aspects of the Law (that existed only as a part of the Jewish nation-state in the Old Testament that were meant to differentiate the Jews from the surrounding peoples). The ceremonial aspects of the Law were actually done away with with the arrival of the New Covenant started by Jesus Christ. There is an entire book in the New Testament that deals with this subject: the book of Hebrews. For further reading, I would recommend a book written by one of my elders at church: The Same-Sex Controversy by Dr. James R. White (co-authored by Jeff Neil).

What we are talking about are among the most important topics, and should be taken seriously by both sides. We may not end up agreeing, but I will say that regardless of whether we agree or not, I will never support legislation that tries to take away one’s liberties for being a homosexual (if, at some point, we want to discuss whether continuing to define marriage as between one man and one woman would then take away liberties of homosexuals, I will be happy to do so).

You stated later in your added comment: “You realize that one day very soon from now these views of "faith" are going to be completely viewed as hatred - and that is when the religious right will have to explain to their children and grandchildren that they were one of the people who hid behind God to promote hatred and violence by calling homosexuality a sin.”


Actually, I believe many in our culture have already begun viewing the views I just expressed as hateful. What do I have to say in response? It is irrational to say that my well thought-out argument stems from hatred of any sort. I have demonstrated very clearly that I believe the behavior of homosexuality is sinful, but that I distinctly do not hate or harbor any negative feelings towards the homosexual community, whatsoever. Again, how can I if I take my religious faith seriously? If I really believe that the Christian message is true: that all people are sinners before a holy and just God, then how could I possibly view myself as better in value or in dignity than any other human being? Answer: I couldn’t.

What I will explain to my children and grandchildren (and maybe … great-grandchildren =)) is what the Bible says, regardless of whether it is popular. I don’t expect my beliefs to be popular … they never have been in my lifetime. But I don’t believe what I believe because I hope to join the majority opinion. I believe what I believe about homosexuality, and the Christian faith because I believe my God is reigning over the universe, and I love Him more than anything else.

Thank you for considering what I have to say, thus far. I do want to extend an invitation to either continue dialogue on this subject, or other related subjects, via facebook, email, telephone or in person.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Is it Hateful to Believe Homosexuality is Sinful?

Bigot. Hateful. Close-minded. These accusations are becoming more and more commonplace against Christians in our society today. And over what issue? All sorts of issues, actually, but one is gaining more momentum ahead of the others: the issue of homosexuality. On Tuesday, an anonymous commenter commented on an article I posted accused me of being hateful and close-minded towards homosexuals. Thankfully, Scott and Cory ran to my defense by pointing out the irrationality and utter insanity of those accusations. But let's face it folks, as soon as someone in Western culture uses terms like "bigot," "hateful," "hate speech" or "close-minded" the thinking part of people's brains shuts down and irrationality takes over.

Otherwise how could this anonymous poster make these kinds of accusations towards me? Did he not read where I specifically stated that I do not hate homosexuals? I stated that I am a fellow sinner with homosexual men and women; I am no better than they. I, likewise, was born into this world deserving of death, judgment and Hell. Please let me spell it out even further ... homosexuals are equal in value and dignity to Christians and non-homosexuals. I am not prejudiced against them, and wish them no ill will or harm whatsoever. In fact, if ever there was a law designed to physically harm homosexuals I would march in the streets to defend their human and Constitutional rights for a peaceful existence.

Having stated all that, Christians are required to recognize the lifestyle and behavior of homosexuality as sinful as taught in the Bible. What some folks are unwilling to accept is that Christians can disagree with a lifestyle choice and not hate someone. Going beyond that, Christians don't stop with not-hating the LGBT community, we do our best to love them. This doesn't mean that we approve of homosexuality, but we can still care about them as our fellow citizens, neighbors, coworkers, friends and family members. We desire to live peaceably with all men, so far as it depends on us.

The following video is from the National High School Journalism Convention this past April. It features a few minutes of Dan Savage attacking Christians and the Bible for supporting bullying of homosexuals. Be warned that Mr. Savage uses some foul, strong, and inappropriate language in this video that is not suitable for children at all.




Let me ask you something: were the Christians under attack the bigots in this video? Or was it Dan Savage? Ironically, and so far, Mr. Savage has been given a pass because he is defending homosexual rights (that they don't have?), therefore he must be left alone. The double standard and the inconsistency is almost too much to bear.

As Christians, we must be ready and willing to answer for our beliefs. It is unpopular to believe some of the things we are required to believe ... like homosexuality being a sin. But there are good reasons, logical reasons, reasons that actually make sense for us to believe them. If we want to love our fellow man, including the homosexual community, then we cannot pretend that their lifestyle is not sinful. Disregarding the natural order of male-ness and female-ness as designed by God would be the most hateful thing we could do to the LGBT community. It is out of love for them, and for the triune God of Scripture that we steadfastly hold to these truths.

We disagree with the homosexual lifestyle, and yet we do not hate gays and lesbians. Christians are able to do this, because we have experienced the undeserved love of God.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Facebook Meanderings

[The following is a response to anti-Christian and pro-gay comments on facebook]

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Miranda -

(Miranda, for the sake of citing you, I will be referring to you in the third person at the beginning of each citation =))

Miranda said: “I think there is a huge difference between two loving and consenting adults and pedophilia or bestiality or incest or murder. The last four inflict harm on an another being, but homosexuality harms no one involved. Even if you believe it does on a spiritual level, it still doesn't compare to the physical harm that comes from the practice of the last four. Even if incest is practiced between two consenting adults there is still harm caused if a child is conceived, since that child has an exponentially higher risk for genetic disorders. I love you and respect you opinion, but I think in this case comparing homosexuality to such destructive actions is kind of like saying a breeze is really a hurricane.”

There is not a dispute about whether murder or homosexuality cause more physical harm. Beyond question murder causes more physical harm. However, homosexuality not only causes spiritual harm, but also causes physical harm to him/herself and to his/her sexual partner(s). Considering not only that gay men have (on average) many sexual partners, the sexual acts and the lifestyle itself significantly reduce their average lifespan. Therefore, homosexuality literally is a matter of life and death.

But apart from the harm to oneself and to one’s sexual partners, is homosexuality harming anyone else? The answer is: yes. Our actions and behaviors have an impact on those around us: our friends, family, and the culture of our society. It is a destructive influence to marriage and to the family because a family starts with a husband and wife (one man and one woman).

This is not hateful. This is not discrimination. This is also not a denial of Constitutional rights - in fact, homosexuals have the same right as everyone else … to marry a member of the opposite sex. And to claim that because they love one another therefore they should be allowed to marry, is simply a redefining of what marriage is. To deny this is to deny the truth behind what the homosexual agenda is all about: not about being persecuted, but the demand that everyone applaud their behavior. This is something that the Christian cannot due, and for two reasons: (1) out of love for God and His truth; (2) out of love for the homosexual community.

You see, it is unloving towards homosexuals to openly endorse their sinful behavior. How can we, who claim to want what’s best for our fellow man, openly endorse a lifestyle contrary to the very core of how we are designed as human beings? We can’t, and also seriously claim to love them.

Miranda continued: “I don't want to start an argument, I just think you should put yourself in the position of a homosexual man, say someone told you that you couldn't marry Mindy for no other reason than it was morally wrong.You couldn't help the fact that you loved her and it would rip you to shreds inside. I'm not saying you have to change your beliefs, just asking you to allow someone to make that decision for themselves without being told they are wrong.”

At the core of the Christian worldview is the belief that one’s personal happiness is not the most important thing. I will say that again: one’s personal happiness is *not* the most important thing. This can mean that we may have desires or inclinations that are immoral to act upon. Here is an example: sometimes while driving I might be upset at someone who cut me off and I may think a thought of hitting them with my car. But … this is a sinful thought, and I thank God that He has restrained the evil within me from acting this way. My point is that just because one has a desire to do something, does not make that desire okay. Homosexuality is an example of an immoral desire.

You might ask: “Why is homosexuality considered immoral?” Answer: because God is the Creator and has designed how we should function, including our very sexuality. You cite John 8:7, and conclude that Christians are required to love sinners even though they are sinners. This is true, however, Christians are not to endorse sin or sinful lifestyles. Jesus actually addresses human sexuality in Matthew 19:3-6,

“3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” 4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate”” (Matthew 19:3-6, NASB, Caps is from the NASB).

Trying to trap the Lord Jesus, the Pharisees present Jesus with a silly question: can a man lawfully divorce his wife for any reason at all? Jesus’ response was to go back to Creation and remind them from the Bible how God created human beings. He cites Genesis that God “made them male and female” and “the two shall become one flesh.” Men and women were made as sexual beings for one another, and it is here that God ordained the institution of marriage.

It might seem obvious to some, but I will point it out anyway, … it is not one man and one man that become one flesh. It is not one woman and one woman who become one flesh. It is not two transgendered people who become one flesh. No, marriage is exclusively a relationship between one man and one woman.

Miranda added in a later post: “First of all, as a student in a university one of things we discuss is the problems with the Bible in regards to translation. Unfortunately many times some of the translations have been wrong and unless read in the original language and with knowledge of the slang of the time (something only well studied ancient historians have) some of the work has been altered. Another problem is that the Bible itself was altered after the original work was written.”

It is odd to me that you cite the Bible as an authority to remind us that Christians should love the ungodly, but then you attempt to discredit the Bible by attacking its authenticity. Based on your attack on its authenticity, I assume that you do not believe the Bible has been preserved through time or accurately translated? Furthermore, I assume you do not believe in what the Bible says? (If I am incorrect, please let me know). The issues you are raising are actually an area of particular interest to me, because I, like you, went through secular high school and university and was constantly faced with liberal presentations against the veracity of the Bible. I came to discover the field that deals with this subject is the field of textual criticism, which deals with how the Bible has been preserved and how it should be translated. The facts are these: from the many manuscript copies of the Bible that we today possess even the most liberal of scholars (such as Bart Ehrman) recognize that we actually have all of the original Bible. What liberals attempt to point out is that because of textual variants - which simply means that the copyists of the Bible did not produce photo-copies - that we can’t know what the original was.



To use a specific example, the New Testament is considered one of the greatest records among works of antiquity. There are approximately 5,600 manuscript copies of the Greek New Testament, which among the textual variants exist what the Bible originally said. These variants are actually a source of confidence because they provide the means by which the original is recognized, and this is done by textual criticism. Entire volumes have been written on the subject, but I would invite you to look at Bart Ehrman’s mentor, Bruce Metzger, … or even my own elder at church, Dr. James White, on the subject. If you do need a specific book to read, I would recommend “The King James Only Controversy” by Dr. White. It is an excellent introduction to the subject of Biblical textual criticism and the reliability of the Bible. Works by Metzger are likewise good reads.

When it comes to translation, the reputable English translations include the NASB, ESV, NIV, among others. But since the original has been preserved (and is documented as such from the manuscripts themselves), the translation is a matter performed usually by a committee. When in doubt, one can always check the translation using either the UBS or NA27 editions of the Greek New Testament. I, myself, have both, and know 2 years of New Testament Greek - it comes in handy in conversations like this =).

In another post, Miranda said: “As for your argument that Christianity is the only basis for morality I think this is very close-minded of you. There are many cultures around the world who do not share the Christian basis of morality and yet still have their own moral compass. Now, I know your argument was that God put morality in everyone, but there have been civilizations with morality long before the invention of Christianity.”

It is close-minded to believe that the Christian worldview is right and all others are wrong? I also wonder … close-minded as opposed to open-minded? And how would an open-minded person see things different than a Christian does? Like you see things? And how do you see things? Don’t you believe that the Christian worldview is not right about homosexuality, and that your worldview is correct? Could we not, on the same grounds as you, claim you are likewise “close-minded?”

My point is this: if claiming that what we believe is true and other viewpoints are false means we are close-minded, then so be it. But the fact remains that the Christian worldview does have a consistent worldview when it comes to interpreting the world around us, including morality. Why is it that other religions also express the same moral principles? Because, as you point out, the Bible discusses how God has written His moral requirements on the hearts of everyone. This is why there are moral standards in every society - even though some societies go to further lengths to suppress that truth in an unrighteous way.

Romans 1:18-22 talk about this: “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools” (NASB).

I also wanted to point out that I agree with you that Christian morality existed long before Jesus Christ came into the world. In fact, it goes back before Christianity, before Judaism was established, all the way back to the moment of Creation. God’s moral standards were there in the beginning, and have been a moral standard ever since.

Miranda continued: “Besides, if we followed everything the Bible preached we would have things in our society we value as immoral. One of these, for example, is polygamy. King Solomon had many wives, and yet in our society we put people in jail for that sort of practice.”

King Solomon was also living in sin by taking on more than one wife. Did you know that the Bible never endorses Solomon for this, but demonstrates the severe consequences of taking on that many wives? The Bible’s revelation is very clear that marriage is between one man and one woman. Amazing as it is, God chose to preserve in His Word the good and the bad about His followers. Solomon did many good works in the name of God, but also many wicked things. To demonstrate this from Solomon’s own perspective, I would recommend to you the book that Solomon wrote: Ecclesiastes.

Miranda concluded this post by saying: “And as for our country being based upon the Christian faith, that is only partially true. While many of our founding fathers based their ideas of morality from Christianity, they also wanted to allow anyone the freedom to practice what they chose. If they wanted a country based upon religion they would have put it in the Constitution, very much like laws that were in place in the countries of Europe at the time. If you read some of the writings of our founding fathers this idea becomes very clear, many of these I have read and encourage anyone wanting to find the basis of our country to read them for themselves.”

The United States being based upon Christian principles is “only partially true”? It is overwhelmingly true. The first immigrants - and many later immigrants - came to the New World to have the right to freedom of religious expression. Which religion was that? … the Christian religion. Entire colonies were created with the express purpose of being a light to the world of how a true Christian society ought to live. Once we arrive at the time of the American Revolution, it was led and founded by men with intense Protestant Christian backgrounds. In fact, the basis for the “unalienable rights” was a gift from “their Creator.” These rights were derived from “Nature’s God” and is the basis for which all men were “created equal” before one another.

John Adams, the man who believed in a nation of laws, firmly believed that our government ought to be based on justice with a foundation resting on Christian principles. It would be an understatement to say that the Constitution was written with Biblical principles in mind, especially those of the 10 Commandments, and the Law of God found elsewhere in the Bible. Even the few Deists (such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin) that signed the Constitution and contributed to the founding of our nation, believed firmly in upholding a Christian worldview, or at the least, Christian morality. The idea that homosexuality would ever be applauded as something acceptable, much less to be included in the definition of marriage would be out of the question.

Why do Scott and I care about the subject of homosexuality, marriage, “homosexual marriage,” and other family values? Because we care about our fellow man, but we love our God even more. The most important thing for the Christian is to serve His Lord faithfully by embracing the truth He has revealed and proclaiming it to the world. We are sinners, just as homosexuals (and all people) are sinners, and we recognize that we are no better. As we are born into this world, we all deserve death, to face the judgment of God, and to be sent to Hell to pay for offending God’s Law. But as Christians we have been delivered from the consequences and the slavery of sin because of our faith in Jesus Christ and what He did on earth 2000 years ago. We have a positive message of hope for sinners, and we cannot budge on this point. To budge on the issue of marriage would be asking us to deny our faith, and the Christian cannot do this.
 
But we do want to be loving enough to our friends and our family to warn them of the dangers of sin, and the consequences of sin. For example, the Apostle Paul discusses how homosexuality (among other things) is a display of God’s judgment on society and on individuals:

Romans 1:24-27: “24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” (NASB).

This is why, out of love for people, and love for God we warn others of the consequences of sin and encourage others to turn from their sinful ways and embrace the truth of Jesus Christ.

Thank you for reading,