Do Not Practice Homosexuality

HOMOSEXUALITY >> It’s A Sin Don’t Do It

There is so many people, who think homosexuality is ok, and that they will get into heaven by sleeping with the same sex.

I have even seen on TV, you know those documentaries they do on these talk shows, and nightly news, etc. that there are churches for the homosexuals and they are teaching that it is ok, and that God approves…. how wrong can they really be, these are what we call “FALSE TEACHERS” they are causing people to sin and causing them to end up going to hell.

States, that used to value the “Christian standards, and the Christian morals” have even gave in to these people and unbanned homosexuals from getting married to each other. Can, you even imagine how many people will end up in hell, because of the states approving of it?

Churches, which have come out of the woodwork, so to speak teaching being a homosexual is just fine and dandy… GOD DID NOT MAKE HOMOSEXUALS, this is their preference only they say, “I was made this way, I was born like this,” no you wasn’t.

That would mean that each and every person on this earth is a homosexual, and GOD did NOT create homosexuals.

In spite of the disagreements pertaining to male/female relationships within Christianity, perhaps an even bigger concern these days is homosexuality.

To what extent should the church accommodate homosexuals who want to get involved?

Some churches welcome homosexual couples and even perform “holy union” ceremonies, since most states don’t allow legal gay marriages. Other churches organize protests against homosexuality with a fervor that makes the Salem witch trials seem like a tea party in contrast.

This issue is causing many in the church to reevaluate long-standing positions. Many denominations are convening to discuss the matter and determine how they wish to respond.

Some are dividing based on diverse wishes of its member churches. Other scattered congregations are withdrawing from denominations in order to practice as they wish. The traditional church stance has been that homosexuality is clearly sinful, and therefore not allowed in a church setting, of all places.

The first verse we tend to hear from conservative spokespeople is Leviticus 18:22: “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable” (NIV).

The newer translations read, “Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin” (NLT).

And the consequences of choosing such a lifestyle were spelled out just as clearly:

“The penalty for homosexual acts is death to both parties. They have committed a detestable act and are guilty of a capital offense” (Leviticus 20:13).

In response, some people are quick to point out that Leviticus also contains a number of other “outdated” laws and rules. When was the last time we saw a child stoned to death for swearing at a parent (Leviticus 20:9)? When was the last time you had a priest over to check out the house after a bad case of mildew or to regulate the healing of a nasty skin lesion (Leviticus 13:18-23; 47-59)?

Our dietary restrictions aren’t nearly so stringent as they used to be (Leviticus 11). And some say that the prohibition against homosexuality is just as “outdated” as those other Old Testament laws. Not so, rebuts the conservative element.

While a number of things changed as we went from Old Testament law to New Testament grace, the fact that homosexuality remains a no-no continues throughout the New Testament.

Two emphatic passages are Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-18, also go to 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. It seems clear enough, say some people, that until homosexuals are willing to “straighten up,” the church cannot in good conscience allow them to fully participate.

As with most other issues, of course, the lines are drawn in different places. A number of conservative churches encourage attendance and participation of anyone and everyone, yet will be much more restrictive when it comes to church leadership. Homosexuals will eventually be expected to renounce their lifestyle or at least cease active practice.

The same demands would be placed on adulterers, alcoholics, and others who continued to exhibit what the Bible defines as sinful activity. Other churches place no such restrictions on practicing homosexuals, including them in leadership and even performing official ceremonies to unite them as couples.

And yet these churches also feel they conform to biblical teachings. Their argument is that homosexuality is not merely a personal choice but a predetermined natural design. Just as some people are born with heterosexual biological urges, so they say, others have homosexual passions instead. Even if some of us believe such feelings are genetically incorrect, they must be God-given.

And if this large group of people has no choice in the matter, to deny them full participation in the church is wrong. Just as Jesus gave full respect to lepers, women, Samaritans, and other persecuted minorities of His day, so the church needs to reach out in acceptance of the increasingly active homosexual community. The confusion is likely to continue for a while as both scientists and theologians debate the nature, and even the definition, of homosexuality.

Opinions remain strongly divided. It’s easy for those within the church to perceive most homosexuals to be of the “flaming” variety, with promiscuous sexual habits and outrageous lifestyles. But it’s much harder to explain why a heterosexual philanderer who regularly harbors lust in his heart is more welcome in most churches than a loving, committed, monogamous gay couple.

PRIDE IS A PROBLEM—GAY OR STRAIGHT

And in spite of any official church policy, either involving homosexuality or not, it may be that some churches tend to discriminate against homosexuals without realizing it. If we look at the New Testament command against homosexuality in its context, we see a number of other sins listed that the church tends to tolerate much more readily: “Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers—none of these will have a share in the kingdom of God.”

There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Many churches sponsor AA meetings to help “drunkards.” They work with abusers and adulterers.

And what Sunday morning church service is without its fair share of thieves, greedy people, and swindlers?

Yet some churches may tend to place more emphasis on the wrongness of homosexuality above any of these other things. Even the Old Testament refuses to isolate homosexuality as a sin more or less abominable than any other.

The twin cities of gay pride in the Old Testament were Sodom and Gomorrah, and staunch conservatives frequently like to point to their fire-and-brimstone destruction (Genesis 19) to show what God thinks of homosexuality.

But again, if we put the story into context and read the rest of the Bible, we may see the account in a different light. Centuries later, after Israel and Judah had been taken into captivity because of idolatry and other major sins against God, the Lord sent a message to them through Ezekiel the prophet:

“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters. Sodom’s sins were pride, laziness, and gluttony, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. She was proud and did loathsome things, so I wiped her out, as you have seen. . . . In your proud days you held Sodom in contempt. But now your greater wickedness has been exposed to all the world, and you are the one who is scorned” (Ezekiel 16:48-50, 56-57).

Indeed, homosexuality typified by rape, abuse, and perhaps even murder was rampant in Sodom and Gomorrah. And this is how we tend to remember those Old Testament cities. But it wasn’t just the homosexuality that was recalled by Ezekiel but the more basic problems of pride, sloth, and gluttony.

And according to God, later generations of those who called themselves by His name were guilty of “greater wickedness.” The gay pride of Sodom and Gomorrah paled in comparison to the spiritual pride of God’s people during Ezekiel’s day. Can Christians today say we’re doing any better? While believers may legitimately use Scripture to justify a stand against homosexuality, many need to seek a broader and deeper understanding of what the Bible has to say about sin in general. So do those who attempt to chide the church into justifying the blind acceptance of homosexuals regardless of their attitudes, practices, and spiritual condition.

Regardless of the tolerance levels of individuals or church boards, it would seem that at the very least, from a biblical perspective, homosexuality is included in the list of behaviors that should be abandoned by those who wish to pursue greater devotion to God in a church setting. Scripture doesn’t endorse anything-goes homosexual practice within church walls, nor does it justify the other extreme of homophobia.

It is yet to be seen what will happen on a large scale as homosexuality and Christianity continue to intersect. Some churches are certain to maintain the age-old invitation of “come as you are,” but don’t stay as you are. Others will probably become more accepting of homosexuals and will somehow justify it according to Scripture. Not so many decades ago the church took a hard stance against divorced people in leadership roles.

A few still do. Concerned Christians could point to clear biblical passages to remind us that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) and that any church leader should be the husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3:2). But as more and more pastors and church leaders got divorced and remarried, gradually the stigma of divorce faded away in many churches. While remaining a tragic statistic in the eyes of most, divorced people eventually found inclusion in the same churches that once excluded them. Will the same be true of homosexuality? We will have to wait and see.
 

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