By Marlin Thompson ~
1. God Chooses Whom He Uses
God doesn’t make junk. He creates beautiful people. We are all wonderfully made. We were made for good works. When God creates each individual, He creates each one with special gifts and has a plan for each one. He formed us, He knows every hair on our head (Luke 12:7). Our faces and personalities are known by Him. One of the basic fundamentals of our praise and worship of God is our realization and acceptance of how wonderfully and beautifully He has created us. How can we know for certain that we aren’t an exception to the rule? When the psalmist writes, “your works are wonderful, I know that full well,” he is declaring that God doesn’t make junk. It doesn’t matter how far away we wander from Him, He never forgets us. He never forgets who we are. His love for us reaches to the far corners of this earth and to the depths of the ocean. He does all He can to bring us back home to Him. When we do come back and ask for His forgiveness, He doesn’t see our failures. In His great mercy He sees the beautiful person He created. He doesn’t see what we’ve done wrong, He sees the good we can do. Broken lives and broken bodies are not junk to God. Whatever the circumstance, God loves everyone. He sees the value of each person. He can see the usefulness and gifts of each one. When we put ourselves in His hands and allow Him to mold and shape us into the person He always saw in us from the beginning, we become a new, a beautiful creation. We are His children, created in His image, by His hands. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God!” 1 John 3:2. When we accept Christ as our Savior and recognize the sacrifice that He made for our salvation, we become as new creatures. Forget the junkyard! God is the one who does the cleansing. It isn’t a church rulebook or manmade standard of living, it is God’s gift to us because He sees through the “junk” in our lives and sees the earthen treasure He created.
Since Adam and Eve, God has used imperfect people to fulfill His purpose. Romans 3:23 states, “since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. When God calls you, there is no excuse you can give Him. We should pray this prayer, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it’s me”. Besides, you aren’t the message, you are the messenger. Throughout scripture, He used people who, even though they messed up sometimes, went on to do mighty things for the Lord. So can you. God’s ways are not our ways, and neither are His thoughts our thoughts. We have no right to question the Lord’s doings, even though at times we may find ourselves “wondering why”. We may feel these people God picked would not have been our choices. We would likely choose the eloquent, upright, healthy and wealthy (Ecclesiastes 2:26). However, we have to be careful not to judge, because Hebrews 13:2 tells us “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”. God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). In this verse we see that it’s not about outward appearance, but the hidden things of the heart that only God knows. Many people appear upright and straightforward and are inwardly devious. Then there are others who send a message they are unclean and unconcerned, but genuinely have a caring heart. Fortunately, God knows the hearts of all mankind, and will use whom He will to bring honor and glory to Him.
There are many examples of broken people in the Bible who God loved and had a plan for even when their lives or actions seemed to make them hopeless cases. Here are some of the well-known cast of characters in Scripture that God chose, and a synopsis of their shortcomings. Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lies and listened to him instead of God. Noah was a drunk. Job lost each of his children and all his wealth. His body became covered with boils and his wife walked out on him. He seemed like a lost cause, but without knowing it, he was proving Satan wrong in the accusations Satan made to God. Abraham was a liar and he and Sarah were too old. Lot had children with his own daughters. Isaac was a liar and a daydreamer. Jacob was a liar. Leah was ugly. Jacob’s sons were liars. They sold their brother Joseph into slavery. Moses stuttered and was a killer. David was an adulterer and a murderer. Solomon was a serial bigamist. Gideon was afraid. Sampson was a womanizer. Rahab was a prostitute. Elijah was suicidal. Isaiah preached naked. Jeremiah and Timothy were too young and Timothy had an ulcer. Jonah ran away from God. Peter denied Christ. The Disciples fell asleep while praying. Martha worried about everything. Mary Magdalene was an immoral street woman. Zaccheus was too small. Lazarus was dead. The Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well was living a broken life. She had been married 5 times and then didn’t marry the 6th man in her life. She failed in life and it looked hopeless for her. Paul had made a career killing Christians and was there when Stephen was stoned to death. Even though these people did wrong things, they allowed God to change them. Many people think they have to straighten out their lives first, but this is not true. You come to God just as you are, and He will take care of the rest. Remember, the people noted above were mostly the good guys in the Bible. There are also many who did evil, but with free will that was their choice.
2. Birth Disabilities – Powerful Teachers
When a baby is born “disabled”, it’s important to understand that nothing has gone wrong. This baby is not being punished for anything and neither are the parents. Why would a baby be born without the full use of its physical body? Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus that exact question. In the gospel of John, (Chapter 9), we see the disciples asking Jesus why a man was born blind. The disciples call Jesus Rabbi, that means ‘teacher’. The text is about a blind man, but it would be the same for any serious mental or physical deformity. As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life: John Chapter 9 verses 1-3 The disciples assume that if the man had been born blind then either he or his parents must of sinned terribly. It reflected the common belief then (and now) that the circumstances of life were a direct result of sin. So they asked Jesus, who they knew understood God perfectly, how could this have happened. Jesus answers the question surprisingly, nobody had sinned to cause this – that is neither the man nor his parents were responsible. It was the disciples who had assumed it. Some eastern philosophies call this Karma – the idea if you do bad, bad things will happen – if you do good, good things will happen. Jesus does give a reason for this man’s blindness – “this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” – He is talking about this man specifically. Jesus goes on to heal the man and through the healing of the man demonstrates that he is in fact God in the flesh. This was done that God’s power might be displayed. Yet the question remains, what about all the other physical or mental deformities that happen to people at birth – is Jesus going to do anything about them? The answer is yes and no. The answer is no because in this life the majority of people born with a deformity will live like that for the rest of their life. It is the sad truth. Even though they have done nothing to deserve it they will suffer. This is not a direct result of their sin but is part and parcel of living in a sinful world.
Modern examples of persons who accomplished great deeds with major disabilities are Helen Keller and Fanny Crosby. However, their handicaps developed shortly after birth, not at birth. A high profile case of a child born with Down syndrome is Trig Palin, the son of former Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Down syndrome is a chromosomal abnormality that affects about one in 800 babies born alive in the United States each year. Who can look at a child with Down’s Syndrome and deny their connection? The Happy Shiny Puppy energy simply flows from them. All who come in contact with these kids are changed by them, uplifted, brought a step closer to whom they really are. A 1999 study found that 90% of women who learn their baby has the genetic abnormality chose to end the pregnancy. With one in every 33 children born in the United States having some birth defect causing lifelong disability, a community also has sprung up to share information on the wide range of educational programs and social services available to families. Pediatric practitioners see it as particularly important that parents like Sarah and Todd Palin seek out and secure services quickly for their children with disabilities, since early intervention can be crucial to improving the function of those with Down syndrome. One study probing the effectiveness of early intervention found that a two-month delay in treatment was associated with lower gross motor, fine motor, language and social outcomes by the time the baby reached 18 months. Another study showed that newborns with Down syndrome who received immediate language intervention had better language development than those who didn’t get it until 3 months or 6 months of age.
We have to dispel the idea that being “disabled” is somehow a “bad” thing. We assume that it is, but we can never actually know what someone else’s experience is really like. When you look at a disabled person and judge their experience to be somehow “less” than yours, you’re actually doing them a disservice. Why do we assume that a life without hearing or sight or the use of one’s legs is worse than one with these supposed “shortcomings”? It is different. But different is not the same as worse. Some “disabled” people have a very hard life. They are bitter and unhappy and fully believe that if they didn’t have this disability, their life would be much better. Some people who have no visible disabilities feel exactly the same way. They are bitter and unhappy and believe that if their life was simply different in some way (born to different parents, win the lottery), their experience would be much better. Some disabled people are perfectly happy. They enjoy every minute of their lives.. Now consider a child that is born deaf. Suddenly the parents and teachers must use a different approach. The child now has an easy time tuning out the world, as well as a built in defense that the adults cannot go up against. The child can’t hear you. Many parents of autistic children say the same thing: Their children are powerful teachers and although it may have been rough at first, they (the adults) have all been changed for the better by the experience. They’ve had to learn patience. They’ve become a lot less controlling in all aspects of their lives. They’ve learned to respect the wishes of others as valid, no matter what the age of the individual. Another characteristic that the parents of autistic children invariably spoke about is that their youngsters are happy. They may live in their own world, but they are often so filled with joy that they “infect” everyone around them.
Sometimes human beings cause birth defects. In 1961, doctors in Germany, Australia and Great Britain noted a significant increase in the number of babies born with severely malformed or missing arms and legs. These birth defects were traced to the use of thalidomide drug during early pregnancy, when a baby’s arms and legs begin to form. The most well-known defect, a severe shortening of the arms or legs with flipper-like hands or feet, is called phocomelia. Affected babies almost always have defects on both sides and often have both the arms and legs malformed. In especially severe cases, the babies have complete absence of limbs. The drug also causes malformations of the eyes and ears, heart, genitals, kidneys and digestive tract, including the lips and mouth. About 40 percent of babies exposed to the drug die before or soon after delivery.
3. The Church (Nurture) Perspective.
More conservative movements tend to stress revelation and tradition. Their beliefs are anchored to the past, particularly the pre-scientific tribal culture as described in the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. Old Testament). Their beliefs are not amenable to change. They generally regard homosexuality as a deviate and disordered behavior that is immoral, changeable, chosen, abnormal and unnatural. A person’s beliefs about homosexuality tend to be determined less by their specific religion, and more by where their faith lies on the liberal-conservative divide. For this reason, conservative Christians and Muslims tend to have similar beliefs about the nature and origin(s) of homosexuality, as well as God’s attitude towards homosexuals. According to the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) there are at least seven countries today that retain capital punishment for homosexual behavior. All are predominately Muslim countries. They are: Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen. The situation with regard to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is unclear. The government of Uganda — a predominately Christian country — was considering a genocidal bill that would make certain types of same-sex sexual behavior capital offenses. However, they shelved the bill as of March, 2011.
Homosexuality is the manifestation of sexual desire toward a member of one’s own sex or the erotic activity with a member of the same sex. (The Greek word homos means the same). A lesbian is a female homosexual. More recently the term “gay” has come into popular use to refer to both sexes who are homosexuals. Determining if the practice of homosexuality is right or wrong depends upon who is answering the question. The Christian point of view is based solely upon the Bible, the divinely inspired Word of God. A truly Christian standard of ethics is the conduct of divine revelation, not of statistical research or public opinion. For the Christian, the Bible is the final authority for both belief and behavior. If we accept God’s Word on the subject of homosexuality, we benefit from His answer to the question. The Bible has much to say about sex sins. First, there is adultery. Adultery in the natural sense is sexual intercourse of a married person with someone other than his or her own spouse. It is condemned in both the Old and New Testaments (Exodus 20:14; I Cor. 6:9, 10). Christ forbids dwelling upon the thoughts, the free play of one’s imagination that leads to adultery (Matthew 5:28). Second, there is fornication, the illicit sex acts of unmarried persons which is likewise forbidden (I Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; Ephesians 5:3).
The Apostle Paul, writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, declares that homosexuality “shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (I Corinthians 6:9; 10). Paul does not single out the homosexual as a special offender. He includes fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, covetous persons, drunkards, revilers and extortionist. And then he adds the comment that some of the Christians at Corinth had been delivered from these very practices: “And such were some of you: But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God” (I Corinthians 6:11). All the sins mentioned in this passage are condemned by God, but just as there was hope in Christ for the Corinthians, so is there hope for all of us. Homosexuality is an illicit lust forbidden by God. He said to His people Israel, “Thou shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination” (Leviticus 18:22). “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:13). In these passages homosexuality is condemned as a prime example of sin, a sexual perversion. The Christian can neither alter God’s viewpoint nor depart from it. In the Bible sodomy is a synonym for homosexuality. God spoke plainly on the matter when He said, “There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel” (Deuteronomy 23:17). The whore and the sodomite are in the same category. A sodomite was not an inhabitant of Sodom or a descendant of an inhabitant of Sodom, but a man who had given himself to homosexuality, the perverted and unnatural vice for which Sodom was known. Let us look at the passages in question: But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house around, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. (Genesis 19:4-8) The Hebrew word for “know” in verse 5 is yada`, a sexual term. It is used frequently to denote sexual intercourse (Genesis 4:1, 17, 25; Matthew 1:24, 25). The message in the context of Genesis 19 is clear. Lot pled with the men to “do not so wickedly.” Homosexuality is wickedness and must be recognized as such else there is no hope for the homosexual who is asking for help to be extricated from his perverted way of life.
In Romans 1:26-31 twenty-three punishable sins are listed with homosexuality leading the list. Paul wrote, “For this cause God gave them up into vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet” (Romans 1:26, 27). These verses are telling us that homosexuals suffer in their body and personality the inevitable consequences of their wrongdoing. Notice that the behavior of the homosexual is described as a “vile affection” (1:26). The Greek word translated “vile” (atimia) means filthy, dirty, evil, dishonorable. The word “affection” in Greek is pathos, used by the Greeks of either a good or bad desire. Here in the context of Romans it is used in a bad sense. The “vile affection” is a degrading passion, a shameful lust. Both the desire (lusting after) and the act of homosexuality are condemned in the Bible as sin.
Evil in any form is a problem in the church. It always has been. The greater problem, however, is the church’s failure to discipline evil when it arises. Karl Menninger’s book, Whatever Became of Sin?, deals directly with that point. There are ministers, priests, and rabbis who never talk about sin. There was a time when the minister of God’s Word preached the whole counsel of God. Today many pulpits are silent on the sin question. Sin has become fashionable and therefore acceptable. There is prophetic significance in the recent homosexual upsurge. It is not uncommon for preachers to attach a prophetic meaning to every earthquake, riot, war, moral scandal or political disaster, labeling all such events as “signs of the times.” The modern homosexual upsweep is one phase of a declining trend in morals. When the disciples asked our Lord, “What shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the consummation of the age?” He told them that “iniquity shall abound” (Matthew 24:3, 12). There is today a permissiveness and a promiscuity in sexual behavior unprecedented in the history of America. There is little restraint upon widespread material containing pictures and writing depicting erotic behavior intended to cause sexual excitement. This would be included in our Lord’s prophecy about abounding iniquity. There is also a prophetic statement in Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy which has some bearing upon the subject we are discussing. Paul said, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection” (II Timothy 3:1-3). Homosexuality is an unnatural affection, practiced by persons “that defile themselves with mankind” (I Timothy 1:10), translated in the New American Standard Version “homosexuals,” and in the New International Version, “perverts.” I conclude, in the light of these Scriptures, that the rise of homosexuality is very definitely a trend that indicates the approaching end of the age.
4. The Science (Nature) Perspective.
Karen Hooker executed the first psychological test done to test for biological determinism in 1957, on a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. The study was meant to explore the relationship between homosexuality and psychological development and illness. Hooker studied both homosexuals and heterosexuals. Both groups were matched for age, intelligence quotient (IQ) and education level, and were then subjected to three psychological tests. These three tests, the Rorschach, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and the Make-A-Picture-Story Test (MAPS), were then analyzed by psychologists, and the results were tabulated. The results of Hooker’s experiment yielded no significant differences in answers on any of the three tests. Because both groups’ answers scored very similarly, she concluded a zero correlation between social determinism of sexuality. As a result of Hooker’s finding, the APA removed homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychological Disorders in 1973. In 1975 it then released a public statement that homosexuality was not a mental disorder. In 1994, two decades later, the APA finally stated, “…homosexuality is neither a mental illness nor a moral depravity.
A comparison of 400 autopsied brains revealed a distinct difference between homosexual and heterosexual men in the brain region that controls sexual behavior. The finding supports a theory that biological factors underlie sexual orientation, says neurobiologist Simon LeVay, who describes the study in the magazine SCIENCE. LeVay, of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, found that a particular cluster of cells in the forefront of the hypothalamus was, on average, less than half as large in the brains of homosexual men as in their heterosexual counterparts. Although scientists have yet to identify the precise function of the clump, called the interstitial nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus 3 (INAH 3), the hypothalamus is known as the seat of the emotions and sexual drives. LeVay obtained brain tissue from autopsies performed at seven hospitals in New York and California. His study included 19 homosexual men, 16 men presumed heterosexual, and six women presumed heterosexual. All of the homosexual men died of AIDS, as did six of the heterosexual men and one of the heterosexual women. As a group, the heterosexual men had larger INAH 3 regions than either the homosexual men or the heterosexual women, LeVay reports. The size difference remained statistically significant whether or not the subjects died of AIDS, ruling out the possibility that it resulted from the disease, he says. “This proves that you can study sexual orientation at the biological level,” LeVay asserts. “There are differences in the brains of adult gay and straight men.”
According to D.F. Swaab, writing in a July 2008 paper, “Neurobiological research related to sexual orientation in humans is only just gathering momentum, but the evidence already shows that humans have a vast array of brain differences, not only in relation to gender, but also in relation to sexual orientation. Swaab first reported on the relationship between sexual orientation in males and the hypothalamus’s “clock”, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). In 1990, Swaab and Hofman reported that the SCN of heterosexual men was significantly larger than in women, and the SCN of homosexual men was significantly less than in heterosexual men. Then in 1995, Swaab et al. linked brain development to sexual orientation by treating male rats both pre- and postnatally with ATD, an aromatase blocker in the brain. This produced an enlarged SCN and bisexual behavior in the adult male rats. In 1991, LeVay showed that part of the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN), the interstitial nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus (INAH) 3, is twice as large in heterosexual men and homosexual women, in terms of volume but not number of neurons. In 2004 and 2006, two studies by Berglund, Lindström, and Savic used Positron Emission Tomography(PET) to observe how the hypothalamus responds to smelling common odors, the scent of testosterone found in male sweat, and the scent of estrogen found in female urine. These studies showed that the hypothalamus of heterosexual men and homosexual women both respond to estrogen. Also, the hypothalamus of homosexual men and heterosexual women both respond to testosterone. The hypothalamus of all four groups did not respond to other common odors, which produced a normal olfactory response in the brain.
At the same time, another scientist, Laura S. Allen made a similar discovery in the hypothalamus as well. She found that the anterior commissure (AC) of the hypothalamus was also significantly larger in the homosexual subjects than that of the heterosexuals. Both Swaab’s and Allen’s results became a standing ground for the biological argument on homosexuality. The very fact that the AC and the SCN are not involved in the regulation of sexual behavior makes it highly unlikely that the size differences results from differences in sexual behavior. Rather the size differences came prenatally during sexual differentiation. The size and shape of the human brain is determined biologically and is impacted minutely, if at all by behavior of any kind.
Another line of testing done to support the biological perspective are neuroendocrine studies. The neuroendocrine viewpoint’s basic hypothesis is that sexual orientation is determined by the early levels (probably prenatal) of androgen on relevant neural structures. If highly exposed to these androgens, the fetus will become masculinized, or attracted to females. This research was conducted on rats at Stanford. The adult female rats that received male-typical levels of androgens sufficiently early in development exhibited male symptoms of attraction. The same was true in the reverse when applied to the male subjects. The female exposed to high levels of the hormone exhibited high levels of aggression and sexual drive toward other females, eventually trying to mount the other females in an act of reproduction. In the males, the subject who received deficient levels of androgen became submissive in matters of sexual drive and reproduction and were willing to receive the sexual act of the other male rat. There are other instances of homosexual behavior in animals, like two male penguins at the New York City zoo that were not attracted to females, but to each other. Animals and birds have brains, too, that respond to hormones, but they don’t hold ‘Gay Pride” parades.
5. Conclusions:
After prayerful study of the above data, I have concluded that homosexuality is nature, not nurture. It is the result of a particular cluster of cells in the forefront of the hypothalamus that, on average, is less than half as large in the brains of homosexual men as in their heterosexual counterparts. As noted above, the APA removed homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychological Disorders in 1973. In 1975 it then released a public statement that homosexuality was not a mental disorder. In 1994, two decades later, the APA finally stated, “.homosexuality is neither a mental illness nor a moral depravity”. Also, in 2004 and 2006, two studies observed how the hypothalamus responds to smelling common odors, the scent of testosterone found in male sweat, and the scent of estrogen found in female urine. These studies showed that the hypothalamus of heterosexual men and homosexual women both respond to estrogen, while the hypothalamus of homosexual men and heterosexual women both respond to testosterone. The hypothalamus of all four groups did not respond to other common odors, which produced a normal olfactory response in the brain. Homosexuality is an anomoly in that it is not a physical or mental defect or a mental illness. Since it is a birth condition, like being born blind or deaf, it is for life. Unless God decides to change their brain structure, homosexuals are born homosexual and will die homosexual, and no amount of counseling or re-education will change the sexual orientation of an individual. If they claim they have been turned into a heterosexual by Christian counseling, they are lying to themselves and everyone else. Homosexuality is not a communicable disease such as leprocy, and it won’t “rub off” on anyone else. There have been many examples of pedophile Catholic priests abusing young men in thir parishes, and while these youngsters were traumatized and scarred for life, there is no proof that they were “turned” into homosexuals. There is a special condemnation (even in prison) for pedophiles such as these convicted priests and secular individuals such as Jerry Sandusky from Penn State. In June, 1963 a panel of specialists in medicine, psychiatry, law, sociology and theology participated in a conference on homosexuality called by the Swiss Evangelical Church Union. That group reached the conclusion that homosexuality is not constitutionally inherited, it is not a part of one’s genetic makeup. They concluded that believing homosexuality results from genetic causes is an ill-founded and unverifiable myth. They were wrong. The state of being a homosexual is nowhere condemned in the Bible. I defy anyone to find a verse in Scripture that says existing as a homosexual is a sin. It is the activity that is an “abomination”. If a homosexual remains celibate throughout life or marries and has a family without revealing their sexual orientation,, he or she is not condemned.
The mantra for homosexuals should be “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t do”. When they “come out of the closet” and tell the world they are homosexual, they are admiting to committing the sins condemned In Scripture. They are the only group of persons who desire a special status because of an activity. It is this activity that is a sin, not how the individual was created at birth. When homosexuals acknowledge their sexual orientation, they are flaunting their sin. Organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America shoud be permitted to barr declared homosexuals from workiung with youths. Openly admitted homosexuals should not be permitted to serve as pastors or youth councelors in any church. “Gay Pride” parades should be outlawed. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the Armed Forces should be reinstated. “Gay” marriages should not be allowed (they have been voted down in every state where they were on the ballot, even California), and civil unions should not be allowed. How do you explain marriage ceremonies in which two persons of the same sex are united by an officiating clergyman or justice of the peace? Marriage licenses have been issued to persons of the same sex, but to call a union of two persons of the same sex a “marriage” is a misnomer. In the Bible, marriage is a divinely ordered institution designed to form a permanent union between one man and one woman for one purpose (among others) of procreating or propagating the human race. That was God’s order in the first of such unions (Genesis 1:27, 28; 2:24; Matthew 19:5). If, in His original creation of humans, God had created two persons of the same sex, there would not be a human race in existence today. The whole idea of two persons of the same sex marrying is absurd, unsound, ridiculously unreasonable, and stupid. A clergyman might bless a homosexual marriage but God won’t. A Jesuit Priest, John J. McNeill, reportedly said, “There is no clear condemnation of homosexual activity to be found anywhere in the Bible.” This particular priest, like some other supposedly Christian theologians, have totally ignored the Scriptures as the guidelines for Christian behavior in regard to homosexuality. McNeill does not speak for the Roman Catholic Church, but for a small segment of priests who, having vowed themselves to celibacy, that is, to abstain from marriage and sexual intercourse, have found sexual gratification in homosexual acts. Religious sex perverts are also plentiful among protestants. Protestant leaders on both sides of the Atlantic have gradually eased away from the Scriptures. In England men like Bishop John Robinson, in his book Honest to God made a play on the term “The New Morality,” which in reality was a plea to open the door to immorality making it respectable and thus acceptable. The Bishop went so far as to describe the unscriptural adulterous relationship as “a kind of holy communion.” This modern concept of Christian ethics rejects totally the precepts laid down by God in His Word. It is blasphemous and atheistic.
Recently in America ten homosexually oriented religious organizations, comprised of men and women from more than a dozen denominations, and from seventeen states and Canada, met at Kirkbridge, a retreat and study center near Bangor, Pennsylvania. The retreat was entitled, “Gay and Christian.” But the two terms, “gay” and “Christian” are mutually exclusive, incompatible, incongruous. Representing the women at that retreat, Nancy Krody, a lesbian, spoke on “The Lesbian Christian Experience.” Here again is a misnomer. A practicing Christian, from the biblical viewpoint, will not be a practicing homosexual. Of course, I make the distinction between a professing Christian and a practicing Christian. Calling one’s self a Christian does not make one a Christian. Malcolm Boyd speaks about “The Gay Male Christian Experience.” Boyd, a protestant clergyman, says he has been a homosexual secretly for years. Only recently he made a public announcement of his homosexuality. He claims that his public announcement of his homosexuality has brought him back to the church. Boyd does not tell us what he means by the “church”! Following is one point on which the speakers at Kirkbridge agreed: “A monogamous homosexual relationship characterized by fidelity, honesty and love is possible, desirable, and honoring to God.” The homosexual must ask himself, “Is the temporary gratification of the flesh worth all the penalty and losses I must suffer?” A Republican Senator must have asked this to his dismay when he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge stemming from his arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to state criminal records. Why would one of the most powerful men in the world jeopardize his reputation and relationship with his family for a brief sexual encounter with a stranger unless he was succumbing to some urge imbedded deep in his brain? Roll Call newspaper reported that “Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho was apprehended by a plainclothes police officer investigating complaints of lewd behavior in an airport men’s room. Roll Call reports that the U.S. legislator Craig denied any inappropriate conduct in a prepared statement, and said he now “regrets his guilty plea.”
A closed mind is not only closed to outside thoughts, it is often closed to itself as well. It is closed to new thoughts and anything that threatens the status quo. But if you can open the doors, maybe just a crack at first, the ideas that have been patiently waiting at your gates will flood in. – Anonymous
‘It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.’ – Aristotle
When one door closes, another opens. But we often look so regretfully upon the closed door that we don’t see the one which has opened for us.’ – Alexander Graham Bell
The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.’ – Henri Bergson
A weak mind is like a microscope, which magnifies trifling things but cannot receive great ones.’ — G. K. Chesterton
Minds are like parachutes – they only function when open.’ – Thomas Dewar
It’s amazing what ordinary people can do if they set out without preconceived notions.’ – Charles F. Kettering
One change always leaves the door open for the establishment of others.’-Niccolò Machiavelli
Now there’s a man with an open mind—you can feel the breeze from here!’- Groucho Marx
Marlin Thompson submits regular articles to PA Pundits International about topics of current cultural and political interest from a conservative perspective. Marlin is a Mechanical Engineer, and is now a semi-retired owner of small company designing and building custom automation machinery.