An essay donated by Robert Flatt

Homosexuality: Sin? shame? cause?
A conservative Christian viewpoint

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Contrasting statements on homosexuality:

J. Kerby Anderson wrote that homosexuality is:

"... like all sexual sins represent some failure on society's part to stick to God?s path." ₁

In contrast, Rev. Troy Perry in his book, The Lord Is My Shepherd and He knows I'm Gay stated,

"One thing is sure, we homosexuals must all learn to rid ourselves of the sense of shame that we have been conditioned to accept from the heterosexual world. Such shame is no longer acceptable to any of us. How could we go on being ashamed of something that God created? Yes, God created homosexuals and homosexuality."

Issues to consider:

These two statements highlight three specific issues for us to consider:

	One: Is homosexuality a sexual sin?
	Two: Is the source of the homosexuals shame the heterosexual world or the result of their violation of God's moral standard?
	Third: By suggesting homosexuals and homosexuality are the product of God's creative act is to suggest homosexuality represents something that is normal. Is that true?

These are three questions that need to be answered but first we need to address the manner in which the debate is being carried out today. In taking a stand against homosexuality, the more often than not homosexual's response is to defend their homosexuality by charging their opposition with homophobia. Isn't strange that if you're against murder, no one suggests you have "muderophobia." This name-calling, I believe, is an attempt by the homosexual community to quiet dissent and make the discussion personal and emotional. It is also an attempt to draw attention away from the intellectual and social merits of case against them along with a quiet admission by homosexuals that there isn't a real defense for their position.

Before we go any further, I know that there are some very zealous people in their defense for traditional Biblical morality who in their misguided defense of Biblical morality have crossed the line decency with their unkind name calling, loveless actions and unkind words. This approach is unchristian and counter productive. I want to discuss my opposition to homosexuality just as I would any other Biblical issue by presenting the Biblical teaching and raising some questions.

1. The issue of morality:

The first problem we must address is the issue of morality. Is there a unchanging standard or is morality the product of an ever changing culture? The lack of a consistent moral standard creates insecurity and produces an emotional wasteland. How can you maintain emotional security and a sense of stability in society where right and wrong is in state of constant fluxion? Let me try to explain this with a simple illustration. Suppose every street in your town had a posted speed limit of 25 mph but one. Now let's suppose the town council allowed the local police to change the speed limit on the street anytime they felt like it. How secure would you feel if everyday the speed limit changed? Today the speed is 25 mph; tomorrow it's 35 mph and then the day after 30 mph. How comfortable would you feel doing 30 mph the fourth day? Would you be looking for radar? If you got a ticket for going 35 mph today and tomorrow the legal speed limit was 35 mph, how would you feel about the ticket you got for doing 35 mph?

Now the first question, is homosexuality right or wrong? Since those who advocate homosexuality want to use the Bible and or God as part of their defense, let's go to the Bible and look for some answers. First, God created a man and a woman and sanctioned their marriage [Genesis 2:21 - 25]. This was the normal order established by God for marriage and procreation. It has not been possible [expect for the virgin birth of the Son of God] until the latter end of the 20th century for conception to accomplished any other way than through the sexual union of one man and one woman. How then can we suggest the union of two women or two men is normal? If it were the normal way of things, human life would have ended soon after Eden. Not only did God create marriage to be between a man and a woman, there is NO record of God establishing any other option. Some use an argument from silence to justify their views on homosexuality but a case from silence can be made for both points of view. God's design was for the sexual relationship to stay within marriage and He maintained that design by forbidding fornication and adultery. ₂

Every time homosexuality [sodomy, the effeminate] is mention in scripture, it is condemned as being a sinful practice under the judgment of God. God even goes further and says because man changed the truth of God into a lie as part on His ongoing judgment He:

"... gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting." ₃

When it comes to what is natural and unnatural or what is morally right and morally wrong nothing can be more clearly stated.

The pages of Scripture condemn as sinful the practice of homosexuality [sodomy] from the Genesis 19 account of Sodom and Gomorrah to the final statements in 2 Peter 2:6 and June 1:7.

One issue still left to discuss is that of the modern day homosexual saying the statements of the Bible reflected the morality of the day and that in today's changing moral environment, homosexuality is no longer sinful. Isn't it amazing that for 2,000 years the church has been consistent in its interpretation of scripture on the issue of homosexuality' It is only now as society begins to accept the homosexual life style that we have this "new insight" on the scriptural teaching of homosexuality. I ask the question, why?

Why to homosexuals feel shame?

In spite of the acceptance of society, many homosexuals still deal with the issue of shame. This sense of shame does not come from the heterosexual world; it comes from innate knowledge of a holy God that resides within man. ₄ It is their very own conscience that convicts them and produces the shame they feel. Changing the world, the church and even reinterpreting scripture does not take away the shame because God does not change and his moral standards do not change. Subjectively reading into scripture something that is not there cannot nor will not justify homosexual activity in the eyes of God. The proper way to interpret scripture is to allow scripture to interpret society, not for society to be the interpreter of scripture. When society interprets scripture, morality is no longer constant and right and wrong is not always right and wrong. The second problem with this approach is that when we reject the truth of man being created in the image of God and we remake God in our image. God speaking through the Psalmist said, "thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself." ₅ Man is not like God and when man begins to think he is, that is the highest form of arrogance possible. The reasoning behind the homosexual agenda is no different today than that of Adam and Eve when the chose to choice to eat of the Tree of Knowledge. It is the desire to be like God. To not only know right from wrong but to determine and in so doing determine right and wrong. When this happens, God is no longer the immutable, holy, sovereign God of the universe but the product of finite man who is unable to see or admit the destructiveness of his desires.

Who creates homosexuals?

Now for the final question, did God create homosexuals and homosexuality? God created man and gave man the freedom to choose. God did not create homosexuality. Why is it that the homosexual suggests God created them as a way to justify their sin? If this were true the pedophile, murderer or thief will be saying I am the way I am because God created me this way. God cannot create something that is contrary to his very being. God cannot create that which He has declared unholy, sinful. For the homosexual, murderer, thief or the pedophile to say they were born that way, I would agree in that all men are born sinners ₆ and homosexuality like murder or stealing  ₇ is but one expression of that sinful nature. Can a homosexual orientation be changed? Yes for the Bible says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." ₈ It also states, "And such ₉ 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." ₁₀

God has only one solution for sin. It must be confessed and forsaken. No matter what the sin, being a new man in Christ brings victory.

References used:

1. J. Kerby Anderson, "Living Ethically in the 90?s," Page 48, Victor Books, (1990).
2. Exodus 20:14, 17
3. Romans 1:26 ?28 NKJV
4. Romans 2:14, 15
5. Psalm 50:21
6. Romans 3:23
7. 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10
8. 2 Corinthians 5:17
9. Reference 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 where being effeminate among some other things is mentioned
10. 1 Corinthians 6:11

Originally posted: 2009-JUN
Latest update: 2009-AUG-06
Author: Robert Flatt

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