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The Bible and Homosexuality

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Current Events Prophetic Significance of Homosexuality See also: Apostasy Preserving Marriage California Homosexual Agenda Moral Issues and The Presidential Campaign 2012 Notice: Sources often remove their news links after a period of time. Some of them move older stories to a subscription-only section. Even if the story is no longer on line, our summary will still be available on this page. Emergent Church Star Rob Bell On Homosexuality May 18, 2013 - Rob Bell, popular spokesman for emergent church concepts, was forced out of his Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Mich., after writing the controversial book "Love Wins." He has now endorsed homosexual marriage, and told a British radio host... "... it’s time the church catch up with the 'modern world' in accepting same-sex marriage and that questioning the orthodoxy of those who do amounts to 'the sort of [expletive] that really, really, really pushes people away' [from Christianity]." Carl Gallups, author of “The Magic Man in the Sky: Effectively Defending the Christian Faith,” says that Bell thinks that the church should "ebb and flow with whatever culture it is in.” In reality, Gallups counters, the church should never compromise with the culture. Source: WND - Christian Post, May 6, 2013 The Emerging Church - Commentary by Roger Oakland - Understanding the Times Prophetic Significance of Homosexuality France gay marriage: Hollande signs bill into law May 18, 2013 - France's president Francois Hollande has signed a bill supported by his Socialist Party to allow homosexuals to marry. This makes France the ninth country in Europe, and 14th globally, to legalise gay marriage. Scores of protesters took to the streets of Paris to voice their opposition to the ruling on Friday: previous, occasionally violent, demonstrations against the bill have drawn hundreds of thousands onto the streets. Source: BBC Greg Laurie to Gay Activists: 'I Won't Back Down' May 2, 2013 - Greg Laurie, pastor of a California megachurch and honorary chairman of the task force for the National Day of Prayer, has been severely criticized for his views on homosexuality. He told reporters, "I won't back down... because I believe what the Bible teaches." Laurie paralleled the efforts of gay rights activists to that of the palace officials who sought to stop Daniel (in the Old Testament) from praying and passed a law that resulted in him being thrown into the Lion's Den. Source: Christian Post Gay rights groups want Pastor Greg Laurie disinvited from Capitol, Pentagon events - WJLA Pentagon welcomes Laurie despite gay protests - 10TV Defense of Marriage Law on Trial Mar. 27, 2013 - The justices will consider a provision that defines marriage as between a man and a woman for the purpose of deciding who can receive a range of federal benefits, as part of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Source: Fox If the Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage, What Next? - Christianity Today\ Shall marriage mean anything? - Cleaveland.com Supreme Court Searches for Way Around Gay Marriage - Religion Today Supreme Court Could Redefine Marriage in Landmark Case Mar. 25, 2013 - The Supreme Court will hear arguments this week that relate to gay marriage. The High Court will consider California's Prop. 8 law on Tuesday and the federal DOMA law on Wednesday. Beyond the public drama, and central to the justices' regard for their own role, the marriage dispute offers a classic test of when courts should intervene in social dilemmas that have traditionally been the province of the states. Source: NewsMax Update: Mar. 26, 2013 - Supreme Court prepares for landmark gay marriage arguments - Fox Opponents of Gay Marriage Say They're No Bigots - Religion Today Unelected Supreme Court Shouldn't Impose Gay Marriage by Fiat - Penny Nance, President and CEO of Concerned Women for America - US News Supreme Court Legal Filings about ProtectMarriage.com's petition Religious Liberty in Peril If Prop 8 Isn't Upheld by Supreme Court? - Christian Post Scalia in Court: ‘When Did it Become Unconstitutional to Exclude Homosexual Couples From Marriage?’ - Newsmax The Supreme Court and Same-Sex Marriage (Part 1) Mar. 18, 2013 - The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on two same-sex marriage issues at the end of this month. First they will consider California's Proposition 8 (Hollingsworth v. Perry) law and then the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) (U.S. v. Windsor). Dr. Richard D Land, Exec. Editor of the Christian Post discusses the high-stakes outcome for American society and for the Court itself. Just like in Roe v Wade, a case widely discredited by legal scholars as poor law and credited by conservatives as the spark that ignited Christian activism, the court has a massive challenge ahead of it – threading the needle between state's rights and the press of coastal public opinion The Obama Administration has weighed-in on the Prop. 8 issue. They filed a friend of the court brief advocating that same-sex marriage to be declared legal. They argue that it is a civil rights case. Dr. Land writes that the court has three options: 1- Uphold Prop. 8, validating the right of the people of California to define and regulate marriage in their state; 2- Allow same-sex marriage in California alone; or 3 - Invalidate the laws against same-sex marriage in the more than 30 states that have voted in favor of such prohibitions. Source: Richard D Land, Exec. Editor - Christian Post Scott Walker: Gay Marriage Accepted by Young Conservatives - Newsfront Mar. 20, 2013 - Part 2 of this article - About DOMA - Christian Post Obama Props Up Calls to End Prop 8 Mar. 2, 2013 - President Obama's administration has filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court opposing California's Prop. 8 law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman. The administration’s controversial move marks the first time a U.S. president has called on the high court to redefine marriage as we know it: a legal union between one man and one woman. Source: Religion Today What’s Behind Obama’s Latest Evolution on Gay Marriage - Time Obama on Gay Marriage: America's Gone Through ‘Same Evolution I’ve Gone Through' - CNS Gay Marriage Opponents Make Their Case to Supreme Court Feb. 20, 2012 - The Supreme Court is considering cases involved with same-sex marriages this term, including California's Proposition 8 and the federal DOMA laws that were overturned by lower courts. Opponents have filed about three dozen briefs, complaining that upholding gay marriage could lead to penalties against objecting employers, military officials and others. The case getting the most attention from opponents focuses on California voters' 2008 ban on gay marriage, known as Proposition 8, which was declared unconstitutional by two lower courts. Supporters of gay marriage must file their briefs by early March. Source: Religion Today Obama admits Defense of Marriage Act constitutional - WND French Lawmakers Approve Gay Marriage Feb. 17, 2013 - The French National Assembly has approved a bill that legalizes gay marriage. It still needs to be approved by their Senate, but the Socialist majority likely will confirm the vote. The measure was opposed by religious groups and the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party, which led a parade of more than 1.3 million protestors through the streets of Paris. The country’s Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist leaders also joined together to testify against the proposed law before a parliamentary commission in late November. Source: Religion Today My Train Wreck Conversion Feb. 8, 2013 - This is an inspiring article by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, who was a leftist lesbian professor and despised Christians. Then somehow she became a Christian herself! It shows the power of the Bible to change lives and it illustrates the right way for Christians to interact with those who disagree with them. Source: Christianity Today Softening Rhetoric on Homosexuality - Religion Today Morally Straight? The Transformation of the Boy Scouts of America Jan. 29, 2013 - A decision by the Boy Scouts of America may come next week to drop their national policy prohibiting openly gay leaders and scouts. The BSA will offer what amounts to a local option. Each governing council and troop would come up with its own policy, in consultation with the more than 100,000 sponsoring bodies. This move will probably shock many people who have not realized the pace of the revolution in morality in America. The decision comes just six month after BSA board unanimously recommended keeping the policy. Source: Religion Today Older Articles: Before Jan. 1, 2013

Understand Prophecy... Step by step. Get More Information. Also available: Free Study Guide.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:8 (NIV)

The message of the Bible is a message of love. God is love itself, and those who claim to know Him must also be loving. Jesus' own example was the supreme gift of Himself by dying for us on the Cross.

The need for honesty about sin
- Sin separates us from God

God has other attributes too. He is not only a loving God, but He is also Holy, Righteous and Just (Exodus 15:11; Psalm 99:9; Psalm 119:137; Psalm 89:14). In His righteousness He warned that the penalty for sin is death (Genesis 2:17; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23). Our sin results in spiritual death, which is separation from God (Ephesians 2:1).

- All have sinned

What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
Romans 3:9-12 (NIV)

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23 (NIV)

- Jesus came to deliver us from sin and its power

Jesus often went out of His way to reach out to people who were caught in the trap of sin. In the well known case of the woman brought to Him in adultery, He said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." In His great love He was able to offer forgiveness because He was also going to satisfy the demands of Justice by dying for her. He did not deny that she had sinned. In fact, He said, "Go now and leave your life of sin" (John 8:7-11).

- Homosexual behavior is sinful

The Bible is very clear about the fact that homosexuality is sin. Here are some of the key passages on the subject.

Even in the first book of the Bible homosexuality was shown to be wrong.

They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing."
Genesis 19:5-7 (NIV)

This happened in the city of Sodom. Immediately after this God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone. The type of sexual activity practiced by these people is called sodomy to this very day.

Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
Leviticus 18:22

This was included among the laws which were given to Moses. In addition to being wrong, it was called "detestable." In some translations it is translated as "an abomination."

Homosexuality is also condemned in the New Testament.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
Romans 1:24-27 (NIV)

This can only describe homosexuality. It is given by the Apostle Paul as part of a four-step decline of morality which leads ultimately to "depraved minds," or the inability to distinguish right from wrong. This moral decay has characterized many previous civilizations, resulting in internal collapse rather than external conquest.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)

The Greek word for homosexual in verse 9 is arsenokoites which means "having sex with a male." It is one of many categories of people who "will not inherit the Kingdom of God." The good news is, for people in all of these categories, that if they give their lives to Jesus Christ they will no longer be these sorts of people.

Realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,
1 Timothy 1:9-10 (NAS)

The same Greek word (arsenokoites) is used here as in the previous passage. In the American Standard Version it is translated "abusers of themselves with mankind," and in the King James Version it is "them that defile themselves with mankind." Again, it is in the company of other serious offenses.

The point of all this is not that it is the only sin, or the worst sin, but if one claims to believe the Bible, it simply must be admitted that homosexuality is a sin, not just one among many acceptable lifestyles.

Even if it could be proven that there is some genetic proclivity to homosexual behavior (and the evidence for this is far from convincing), it would still be in the same class as every other sin since the Bible makes it clear that we all have a predisposition to sin. God's grace is greater than all our lustful urges, so those who know Christ as Savior may be delivered from any sinful habit.

Christians who help homosexuals are performing acts of love, not hate

Those who accept a literal interpretation of what the Bible teaches about homosexuality are often vilified as purveyors of hate. They are called "homophobes," or "those who fear homosexuality." To be honest, there are some who use the Bible as a front for hateful activity. They are not balanced. They do not allow God's love to motivate them.

However, most evangelical Christians have a sincere desire to help all people experience abundant life in Christ. They are usually active wherever people need help: providing food and shelter for the poor, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, assistance to prisoners and victims, aid to people suffering famine or disasters, comfort to the elderly, and whatever else they can do to share Christ's love.

There is a strong movement among some evangelical groups to offer assistance for those who would like to break away from the homosexual life-style. Thousands have responded, accepting Christ as Savior and embracing the Bible as God's literal Word. A series of advertisements have chronicled some of the success stories of these people. They have been carefully worded, in order not to inflame anger, but to offer love and hope to those who are interested.

Still there are people who are brutal and prejudiced. The recent tragic death of Matthew Shepard have caused some homosexual activists to blame these organizations for "providing an atmosphere of hate" which contributes to this violence.

Conclusion
The proper attitude for a Christian

Bible-believing Christians do not have the option of ignoring the stern warnings about homosexuality. But we can, like Jesus, be motivated by love in our contacts with people who are living in that life-style. It is the loving thing to do to share Christ with them and to be honest with them about what the Bible says. Compassion and assistance should be extended to them and to their families. We should pray for them. Our sins have been forgiven. Theirs may be also if they turn to Christ.