This is a direct response to the following Blog: Sexual Orientation: It's Not a Sin I pray its recieved in Truth and Love. . .

 

1.      Baptist Church in Rochester, NY 1870’s:  Attempting to show the readers a history of intolerance and narrow mindedness, the author cites a Baptist church in the 1870’s that had some confrontation over a piano being placed in the church. This is someone just being hot-headed. Clearly this does not line up with scripture. 1 Chronicles 15:16 says David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.

2.      Eastern Europe, late 1930’s-1945:  The author now tries to subconsciously compare Hitler and his Nazi regime to the ‘persecution’ of homosexuals today. This is both insulting to Jews and insulting to German Christians who were living in Germany at the time. The political unrest in Germany was staggering. Something I doubt very likely the author or myself will ever grasp. What Hitler accomplished was no small feat. Why else do we have so much contempt for the man? Look up and study Dietrich Bonhoeffer! A pastor of the Lutheran Church and a member of the GERMAN RESISTANCE! Hitler did not fool everyone, and the Church was aware and fighting back. Pastor Bonhoeffer was EXECUTED for his resistance to Hitler and he is a shining example of true faith in CHRIST! How dare the author compare this with anything to do with homosexuality?  2 Thessalonians 2:15 says So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

3.      Southern Baptist Convention, June  20, 1995:  What Black & other Non-white Americans suffered was NOTHING like this. You insult our intelligence. If your son gets stabbed and is bleeding to death they do not ask if you are GAY! They just treat him for the wound before He dies! In 1953 if your son is BLACK start praying! Because you can’t HIDE his skin color or CHANGE it by mental conditioning! You can live any type of sexual lifestyle you want and still eat in restaurants, or ride the bus, or VOTE! Give me a break! We need to (as the other author points out) separate our emotional prejudices and examine what scripture says. It gives an outline for the situation of slavery. No outline is given ANYWHERE in scripture on how to positively live a homosexual lifestyle.Colossians 4:1 says Masters provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

4.      North Carolina Baptist State Convention, Nov. 14, 2006:  If a denomination based on scripture chooses to expel certain people from fellowship that is their right as a denomination. If you do not like it do not become affiliated with that denomination. Do we need to be forgiving? Yes. Do we need to love people over to Christ? Yes. Do we need to act with sobriety and soundness? Yes. But we don’t have to allow continued behavior that is in blatant contradiction to the scriptures. 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 says It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?Harsh but there it is anyway! So do we just ignore all scripture we do not like? 2 Corinthians 6:14 says Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? While this does have application to marriage, it is not speaking to potential couples in the context. Paul is merely addressing the church and warning them of becoming to meshed with culture and losing their identity as believers and followers of Christ. Whether in business ventures, friendships, or marriage, we are to be careful who we tie ourselves to.

5.      Certain words that set Christians off.  Words like abortion, evolution, stem-cell research, women in ministry, Bush, and the winner for this decade, homosexuality.

 The author is doing the very thing it says not to! Lumping a group together and passing judgment. None of those topics are ‘winners’ for anything. I also could care less about abortions legality in this country! Abortion is not nearly as scary to me as raising my daughter wrong and having her grow up to be less than God designed her to be! (Read this blog for more details SHOULD ABORTION BE LEGAL? ) Topics directly related to our society are in nature nothing new before God! The bible and its author the Holy Spirit does not change! If something is wrong and we are struck to the soul there should be a reaction! The importance is how you react and what do your actions lead to or lead others to?  Jesus was ‘SET OFF’ in the bible as well! Matt 21:12-13 says Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'

6.      What if you found out your supervisor was gay?  Your nephew?  Your child’s teacher?  Your music minister?  Your brother?  The guy in the next cubicle?  Your daughter?  Your husband?  How do Christians react when someone confesses a sin or a struggle? Sure most people are shocked but that does not mean we do not love them. Do people react perfectly all the time? No. But do all people flip out? No. Also I am very curios about the author’s perspective personally. I can not understand how you could even pose the question “what would you do if your husband was gay”? In a healthy marriage there is communication and trust. If there is a sexual struggle and it is disclosed from one another their will be wounds and hurts already in place. So when one spouse confesses they are gay, there is going to be some deeply inflicted wounds. The last thing on the other spouses mind will be “Oh, I need to support my Gay friend’! I mean come on! What realms of reality do you exist in to pose such a question? The obvious answer is hurt and rejection! Now in any other circumstance you should act in love and truth and lift that person up in prayer. James 5:16 says Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

7.      Now, that said, there is a tendency to more promiscuity within the gay male community, due I think to two reasons:  The author now actually tries to blame the church for gay men being promiscuous because they are shunned!  It’s like saying I am fat because the grocery store was closed. So I had to go out to EVERY fast food restaurant I could find and pig out!??? Reason 2 was that men are more sexual in nature.  . . . WOW, I think we just agreed on something! If you are a glutton or promiscuous or a liar you are so by free will. James 1:13-15 says “When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

8.      Second fallacy:  Homosexuals can be changed into Heterosexuals. The author apparently has not read the bible entirely. Or the author chooses not to believe it in its entirety. Again not even treating homosexuality as a sin, just the fact that you say a homosexual person could not truly change is contrary to the very words of CHRIST! Either Christ has the power to change us or He does not. Either we believe scripture or we do not. Luke 18:27 “Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

9.      …An intelligent view of science and psychology is fairly conclusive that sexual orientation is not a choice  I’m sorry ‘FAIRLY CONCONCLUSIVE’? Based on what, an exit poll of homosexuals? Show me non biased FACT, or biblical conformation. Again I do not fear science or its impact on my interpretation or understanding of the Bible since I believe God Created science, the Bible, and psychology as well. I suppose if you dwell on something long enough you will make it your reality. Sinful or otherwise. The very thing you accuse Christians of, being set in their ways of thinking, is the exact same truth of those opposing Christianity! Romans 8:5-8 says Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

10.  …Why are people gay?   I don’t know. I DO KNOW it’s because they DECIDE to be! Merriam Webster’s online dictionary defines Orientation as: the act or process of orienting or of being oriented b : the state of being oriented; broadly : arrangement, alignment : usually general or lasting direction of thought, inclination, or interest b : a person's self-identification as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual orientation> The homosexual rarely decides all the events in their personal life that lead them to that decision but it is still a decision none the less. 1 Peter 4:2-4 says “As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing that pagans choose to do — living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.”

11.  The one obstacle to Christians accepting what science knows to be true is their personal interpretation of the Holy Scriptures I have yet to see or read or hear where the bible has been disproved on anything, or in any contradiction of science. There are some things that have not been proven. But nothing has been disproven. In FACT science is SLOWLY catching up with God (Whom is the PERFECT SCIENTIST!) and the clues and signs given us in the bible. Here are a few examples. Suspension of the Earth in space   Job 26:7-- He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing.

Principles of fluid dynamics. Job 28:25 to establish a weight for the wind, and apportion the waters by measure. (The fact that air has weight was proven scientifically only about 300 years ago. The relative weights of air & water are needed for the efficient functioning of the world’s hydrologic cycle, which in turn sustains life on the earth.)

The Bible described the shape of the earth centuries before people thought that the earth was spherical. Isaiah 40:22-- It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. (The word translated “circle” here is the Hebrew word chuwg which is also translated “circuit,” or “compass” (depending on the context). That is, it indicates something spherical, rounded, or arched—not something that is flat or square.)

12.  There are those who have been taught that the Bible is God’s exact words given directly to us for the purpose of telling us how to live, …Okay boys and girls today’s word of the day is Dispensationalism. Dispensationalism is a Protestant evangelical tradition and theology based on a biblical study that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants. God does not change His character, His desires or His will. But in His grace and mercy He does allow for different covenants to embrace us differently as the times and cultures change. Does that mean the bible is wrong? Does that mean the bible contradicts itself? No. Laws were split into two very simple categories, Cultural Relevance & Spiritual Relevance. The 10 commandments were Spiritual and hold eternal value. The long list of laws the author puts forth are CULTURAL laws. They were put in place before the internet and cars and cell phone and refrigerators. Cultural laws were in place to protect the Israelites and So that His followers could be recognized and set apart instantly by other nations. This is before fishes & bumper stickers to tell others what we believe! Before refrigerators, certain foods like pork and ostrich do not keep well and are magnets for disease and bacteria! Obviously if your kids are starving and someone from a church drops off some pork chops . . . cook ‘em up! Circumcision does not hurt the baby! I know I personally I went through it and I am glad for it. I am the oldest of 8. The first 6 of us were boys. Let’s just say we are not all the same and there are medical documented benefits to circumcision! My point is every law had a beneficial reason for that period of time. It does not for that reason cease to be important or not from God because it does not have current cultural relevance. Homosexuality is not just a cultural issue. By the authors own admission it is a personal, emotional, and physiological issue. This would fall under spiritual guidance or Spiritual laws. Matthew 5:17-18 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

13.  Then we are essentially saying that it is a sin for these people to be born. . .A homosexual person can no more deny his same-sex attractions . . .  I struggle with great pains to be healthy and to get my body in shape because I want to honor God and be healthy. So according to this author I was just born fat! I can no more resist the urge to eat 4 cheeseburgers than my friend could resist his urge to only have one. This is not a new theology. This is called Epicureanism or Hedonism, both state if it is in your nature if you are impulse to do so, if it feels right and does not hurt anyone, then do what is best for you. Matt 16:24-26 says Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

14.  Promiscuity is sin.  Adultery is sin.  Attraction, however, is basic human instinct.

So what you are saying is that sexual attraction is a human instinct? So we are just doing what are instincts tell us? If I want to have sex with a dog or a man or a sheep or a woman, or a minor . . . then I am not bound to sin for my ATTRACTION? Because attraction is instinct of which I can not control. Am I being too extreme? Who says sex with a sheep or minors is wrong? The Bible? Well it’s not culturally relevant enough to know about homosexuality as it is today, so maybe in the future animals are more abundant than humans and I am attracted to them by instinct! Where does this line of thinking end? Where do we draw the line of morality on the shores of society? I have said it before and I will say it forever: “In the absence of absolutes you have chaos”. I am sorry for your blindness but I do not believe in instinct. I believe in my Flesh nature which will become obedient to my Spiritual Soul, of which is created in the image of God. I do not see instinct and Human nature in the same means. Animals do not reason or process their emotions, thoughts, and projected outcomes in situations which will determine behavior. Humans do. This leads us

back to free will. We are created in the image of something, specifically someone, specifically GOD.

15.  Here is the bottom line, my conclusion or closing argument if you will.  God is not a man or a woman. God is a Spirit. God is three in one. God is beyond my human understanding expect that which is presented to us in the scriptures. The bible identifies God as our father but I do not think God pee’s standing up because I do not believe God has a body of flesh. God is Spirit. John 4:24 “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."  I believe when God created man God put all the ‘masculine-Godly’ qualities into him. Protector, provider, strength, instructor, defender, equipper, etc…I believe when God created woman God put all the ‘feminine-Godly’ qualities into her. Nurturer, lover, creator, compassionate, encourager, etc . . . So ‘men’ have half of God’s features, and ‘women’ have the other half of God’s features. I believe when God said the two become one flesh it is both spiritually and physically. Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them Genesis 2:24 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”When a man and woman join in a marriage covenant with God, they become an earthly representation of the Holy Trinity. Man, Woman, God. Three in One. Father, Son, Spirit. Three in One. No matter what anyone says sex is as close as two souls will ever come with out leaving their mortal bodies. Ask any former sex addict, prostitute, or adult who has a sexual lifestyle healthy or destructive, you are forever connected to someone when you engaged sexually. God CAN and does heal and restore the unhealthy connections, but during a sexual encounter a parallel spiritual encounter is happening at the same time. Therefore a man will never be the full image of God on his own, any more than a Woman will be the full image of God on Her own. Am I stretching? No even Paul saw this. Ephesians 5:31-32 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh."  This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church.”Is that to say it is wrong to be single? No. Is a single person less of a Christian? No. But we are not determining the single versus married theology; we are defining the validity of God’s design for marriage and relationship. Does that plan include a man and a man, or a woman and a woman? No it does not. No where in all of scripture do we find a blueprint or example of a household or God based healthy relationship with only men or only women. It just does not exist. Even in the animal kingdom there are NO examples of only male or only female families or relationships. (I understand there are things in creation that are neither male nor female, especially in the aquatic environment, but I am speaking of the infrastructure of species where there is a female and male counterpart to the species.) Sure a dog will hump another dog out of instinct because he does not rationalize with logic or spirit but is carried along by hormone and sexual drive. Are we then to reduce ourselves to animals for the sake of justification? Jesus was single not because it was a sin to have sex or be married but because that was not His purpose. Paul also a single man wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs — how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world — how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided.” Nuns, monks, priests and others deny themselves as well. They are also not ‘asexual’. I do not believe that term is correctly used. Nuns and priests are sexual they just chose to deny themselves (Matt 16:25 . . . deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.) Homosexuality is a TOOL of Satan to bait us away from the design of God’s relationships. There does not exist any reason for two men to be engaged in a sexual lifelong relationship or two women to engage in a sexual lifelong relationship. It is telling God that the original relational plan was flawed. Satan seduces us to think God either forgot or omitted a plan from the play book. We have two options ‘relationally’ speaking, singleness or marriage between man and a woman. There is no reason or clear support for it any other way. Again I have had a life long struggle with both sexual, relational, alcoholic, drug, food, and other destructive addictions. I fight and thrash about every day. I am saved by grace and I display my gratitude by the works of my hands. It is a balance and a lifelong work, but it is a relationship with Christ that defines and supports everything I am and ever hope to be. But I can admit when I am in sin. One of the main reasons Churches and homosexuals do not engage is the core difference of beliefs. Is Homosexuality a sin? I can embrace a prostitute, a drug dealer, a murderer, a homosexual or whatever if they acknowledge their activity is sin. If you had a murder that saw nothing wrong with His sin, how else is the church supposed to treat him? The rejection is not the person it is the sin. But if you never acknowledge Homosexuality as sin, because you do not acknowledge the bible as having current cultural relevance, then why even post a blog saying it is not a sin. Just go start a new religion ‘based on a true story’ like the movies. Names, dates and ‘ACTUAL’ events have been changed to protect the identity of the parties involved. Take all the artistic licenses’ you want. But to say it is for the sake of ‘challenging’ us? Come on. We have enough challenges getting through life as it is. I am forever defending the faith of Christ and warning fellow believers to act in Love and Truth. I ‘jumped’ on Brother Ken for what I thought was less than Christ-like language he used to describe homosexuals. I cringe when I am told I am either a Christian Republican or Heathen Democrat. I think some issues like abortion are not as clearly defined or thought out as they should be. We put band aids on a lot of gun shot wounds. But we either look to Christ and the Bible as an absolute or we live in Chaos until his return. You say Truth is Truth. I agree. One of us is wrong. We can not both be right. Either molesting a child is wrong or it is not. Shooting my wife over a burnt meal is wrong or it is not. Having a bad attitude is either un-Christ like or it is not. Homosexuality is either a sin or it is not. We can not spin philosophy or theorize issues, or wax eloquent or things that are this clearly outlined in our hearts in our Bible and in our God.