Tag Archives: Homosexuality

I Love You and You are an Abomination to God

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I am sure you have been exposed to this kind of thinking or maybe you used it yourself when you were a Christian…I love you so much that I MUST tell you the truth. Truth, of course meaning a person’s interpretation of the Christian Bible.

People who think this way believe that truly loving someone means telling them the truth even when the person doesn’t want to hear it or the “truth” would be offensive.

Many Christians think they have a God-ordained right to offend people as long they say they are doing it in love.

Imagine trying this with your wife. Honey, I love you and because I love you I must tell you what I really think about you.  You are a fat bitch who can’t cook and, btw, the sex is lousy. How do you think that would go over with your wife? (after you got out of the hospital) Smile

This is exactly how many Christians act towards people they think are doing things that God and the Bible disapprove of.  When challenged on this, they will often say, I am just saying what God said.

They seem to be the oblivious to the fact that when they say , you are an abomination because __________________________________________ ,(fill in appropriate sin and Bible proof text) the person they are saying this to takes it quite personally. They don’t think God thinks of them that way. They think the person making the statement does.

love_sinner_hate_sinUsing the hate the sin and not the sinner line doesn’t work either. First, the Bible says God hates sin and those who do it. Second, a Christians should love what God loves and hate what God hates.

Let me illustrate it like this. Suppose you are talking a walk in the woods and all of a sudden you stumble upon a skunk. Before you can run backwards, the skunk raises its tail and sprays you. You run away from the skunk but the skunk’s smell covers your skin and clothing.

Do you say, oh I love the skunk but hate his smell? Of course not. The skunk and its smell are intricately linked. If the Christian is consistent with their theology they must conclude that the sinner is intricately linked to his sin. Who does the sinning? The sinner does.

Of course, I know why some Christians take the, love the sinner, hate sin position. They don’t want to be thought of as judgmental or hateful. Like most humans and dogs, they want to be liked by everyone.

But, trust me, when a Christian says, you are an abomination because _______________________, the person they are saying this to takes it personally. (and they should)

With these thoughts in mind, let me post a letter a former lesbian turned Christian wrote to women who are still lesbians. This letter can be found on John Piper’s, Desiring God website.

Jackie Hill, the ex-lesbian, now Jesus-loving heterosexual, wrote:

Dear ______,

I just want you to know that I understand.

I understand how it feels to be in love with a woman. To want nothing more than to be with her forever. Feeling as if the universe has played a cruel joke on your heart by allowing it to fall into the hands of a creature that looks just like you.

I too was a lesbian. I had same-sex attractions as early as five-years old. As I grew up, those feelings never subsided. They only grew. I would find myself having crushes on my female best friends, but I was far too ashamed to admit it to them — let alone to myself.

At the age of 17, I finally made the decision to pursue these desires. I entered into a relationship with a young lady who became my “first.” The first time we kissed, it felt extremely natural, as if this feeling is what I had been missing all along. After her came another woman and then another woman. Both relationships were very serious, each lasting over a year. I enjoyed these relationships and loved these women a lot. And it came to the point that I was willing to forsake all, including my soul, to enjoy their love on earth.

In October 2008, at the age of 19, my superficial reality was shaken up by a deeper love — one from the outside, one that I’d heard of before but never experienced. For the first time, I was convicted of my sin in a way that made me consider everything I loved (idolized), and its consequences. I looked at my life, and saw that I had been in love with everything except God, and these decisions would ultimately be the death of me, eternally. My eyes were opened, and I began to believe everything God says in his word. I began to believe that what he says about sin, death, and hell were completely true.

And amazingly, at the same time that the penalty of my sin became true to me, so did the preciousness of the cross. A vision of God’s Son crucified, bearing the wrath I deserved, and an empty tomb displaying his power over death — all things I had heard before without any interest had become the most glorious revelation of love imaginable.

After realizing all of what I would have to give up, I said to God, “I cannot let these things or people go on my own. I love them too much. But I know you are good and strong enough to help me.”

Now, at the age of 23, I can say with all honesty that God has done just that. He has helped me love him more than anything.

Now why did I just tell you about this? I gave you a glimpse of my story because I want you to understand that I understand. But I also want you to know that I also understand how it feels to be in love with the Creator of the universe. To want nothing more than to be with him forever. To feel his grace, the best news ever announced to mankind. To see his forgiveness, that he would take such a wicked heart into his hands of mercy.

But with that in mind, we’re in a culture where stories like mine either seem impossible or hilarious, depending on the audience. Homosexuality is everywhere — from music, to TV, even sports. If you’d believe all that society had to say about homosexuality, you’d come to the conclusion that it is completely normal, even somewhat admirable. But that is far from the truth. God tells us that homosexuality is sinful, abominable, and unnatural (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:18–32; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; 1 Timothy 1:8–10). But if I were to be honest, sometimes homosexual attractions can seem natural to me.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this may be your dilemma as well. You see what God has to say about homosexuality, but your heart doesn’t utter the same sentiments. God’s word says it’s sinful; your heart says it feels right. God’s word says it’s abominable; your heart says it’s delightful. God’s word says it’s unnatural; your heart says it’s totally normal. Do you see that there is a clear divide between what God’s word says and how your heart feels?

So which voice should you believe?

There was a time in my walk with Christ where I experienced a lot of temptation about falling back into lesbianism. These temptations caused me to doubt God’s word. My temptations and desires began to become more real to me than the truth of the Bible. As I was praying and meditating on these things, God put this impression on my heart: “Jackie, you have to believe that my word is true even if it contradicts how you feel.” Wow! This is right. Either I trust in his word or I trust my own feelings. Either I look to him for the pleasure my soul craves or I search for it in lesser things. Either I walk in obedience to what he says or I reject his truth as if it were a lie.

The struggle with homosexuality is a battle of faith. Is God my joy? Is he good enough? Or am I still looking to broken cisterns to quench a thirst only he can satisfy? That is the battle. It is for me, and it is for you.

The choice is yours, my friend. I pray you put your faith in Christ and flee from the lies of our society that coincide with the voices of your heart — a heart that Scripture says is wicked and deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). Run to Jesus instead.

You were made for him (Romans 11:36). He is ultimately all that you need! He is good and wise (Psalm 145:9). He is the source of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). He is kind and patient (2 Peter 3:9). He is righteous and faithful (Psalm 33:4). He is holy and just (1 John 1:9). He is our true King (Psalm 47:7). He is our Savior (Jude 1:25). And he is inviting you to be not just his servant, but also his friend. If lasting love is what you’re looking for anywhere else, you are chasing the wind, seeking what you will never find, slowly being destroyed by your pursuit.

But in Jesus, there is fullness of joy. In Jesus, there is a relationship worth everything, because he is everything. Run to him.

So what do you think of Hill’s letter? Please leave your pithy observations in the comment section.

Richard Mastin Says My Atheistic Immoral Ideals Killing America

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This entry is part 22 of 22 in the seriesLetters to the Editor

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Richard Mastin of Hicksville, Ohio responded to my recent rebuttal letter in today’s edition of the Defiance Crescent-News. (My letter that started it, Local Boy Scout Leaders Promote Bigotry Richard Mastin’s response,  and my rebuttal of his response )

What follows is Mastin’s continued attempt to paint me as an immoral person. There is no need for me to comment. Readers will see his letter for what it is.

Mastin wrote:

It’s true I don’t know Bruce Gerencser. His own words explain as I never could. Bruce wrote that “I object to any attempt to codify the teachings and commands of the Bible into the laws of the United States.”

Doesn’t he know that our system of life, government, laws and three branches was designed based on the Bible?

He objects to Christians trying to make biblical morality the law of the land. It’s been unwritten and in some instances written law until atheists and liberals started outlawing God in the 1960s.

Separation of church and state didn’t exist until 1947 when the atheistic ACLU and a supreme court justice, with approval of our Democrat-controlled House, Senate and presidency forced it on us. We’re losing our foundation. Government-controlled medicine is forced today.

The rights of church and state were always flexible and tolerant of the other until liberal domination in recent years. Bruce isn’t for tolerance. He wants organizations like the Christian-backed Boy Scouts to be forced to lower their moral standards to accept homosexual leaders.

Bruce wants to put the fox in the henhouse. He cares for the rights of gay persons, but not of those whose moral values lie with biblical teaching. He would destroy thousands to attain this and be happy about it. It would destroy the Scout oath.

He wrote: “I live by the precept of not doing harm to others, but be respectful of them.” Facts prove homosexual behavior is destructive to families, especially youth, and yet Bruce wants laws placing homosexuals in the their midst, hurting and destroying many. Hypocrite and disrespect come to mind.

I don’t consider any person moral who attempts to destroy Boy Scout high moral values. Bruce calls the Bible antiquated and irrelevant. Being an ex-pastor he knows God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their immoral homosexuality. If you or he think God won’t bring judgment on us, you’re wrong. This is about destroying the Boy Scouts, not equal protection for gays. His immoral atheistic ideals will bring national suicide.

The further we drift from Christianity and moral values the closer national death comes. We must stand strong behind the Boy Scouts. If homosexual leaders are permitted, the Cub Scouts, Brownies, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Campus Life and all other youth organizations will be forced to accept this immoral lifestyle and America will die.

Death is knocking on America’s door. America is like a 100-year-old barely holding onto life. If Bruce’s immoral desires don’t kill us, government’s anti-God attitude and subsidized medicine will. We must return to God now; tomorrow will be too late.

Richard Mastin
Hicksville

Pat Robertson Defends Chris Broussard’s Comment on Homosexuality

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ESPN reporter Chris Broussard had this to say about homosexuality:

If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, whatever it maybe, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. So I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t think the bible would characterize them as a Christian.

Fundamentalist Christian Pat Robertson had this to say:

…Somehow we’ve said if it’s heterosexual fornication, it’s bad; if it’s homosexual fornication — that used to be called an abomination in the Bible — now it’s a protected civil right. And so somebody that says that that kind of conduct is sinful is now being pilloried in the press. He’s telling the truth! This is what the Bible says!..

…You can’t tell them if they want to go to hell or heaven, that’s their business. But don’t tell somebody that he can’t speak specifically about what the Christian faith says about certain conduct. There isn’t anything bigoted about that…So, our hat’s off to somebody who’s brave enough to say it. But, whew, let’s hope the people at ESPN will man up and defend their guy for speaking what is truth.

These comments are in response to NBA player Jason Collins publicly saying he is gay.

The tide is turning on acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Robertson and Broussard are entitled to their bigoted opinion and the rest of us are free to ridicule and condemn their bigotry.

The Bible is not the standard we use in the United States to decide what is just. As I told a recent commenter who whined and complained about how Christians and the Catholic Church were being attacked for their opposition to homosexuality and same-sex marriage:

Here is what you epically fail to understand. Yes, I think you are a bigot. Lots of Christians are bigots. Their bigotry has nothing to do with same-sex marriage.

Any church or sect is free to marry whomever they wish. They are free to refuse anyone. ANYONE.

Marriage is regulated by the state. Because we believe in equal protection under the law and the same civil rights applying to all, same-sex should be legal in all 50 states. Same-sex couples marrying does not affect you or your church in any way. (other than exposing your bigotry)

Who cares about your religious beliefs. They have no standing in the debate over same-sex marriage. We live in a secular state governed by laws. Your church’s laws have no place in our secular state.

So, by all means, continue to be a bigot. By all means support a church that is misogynistic, anti-woman, and led by pedophiles. By all means play the martyr…but…continue to watch your membership numbers decline as people who believe in decency and civil rights for all leave.

On this issue, I have no patience or tolerance for anyone who wants to disparage someone because of their sexual orientation and deny them the same civil rights they enjoy. Their behavior and beliefs are offensive and should be rejected by anyone who believes in liberty and justice for ALL.

The Gay Problem in the IFB Church

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Officially, there are no gays in the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church. Neither are  there any fornicators, adulterers, child molesters, drug users or booze drinkers. The members of an IFB church are blood-washed, saved, sanctified, children of God, and their lives are radically different from the lives of the unwashed, uncircumcised Philistines of the world.

This is the fantasy promoted from the pulpit almost every Sunday in countless IFB churches.  From their youth up, IFB church members are frequently reminded of God’s holy, righteous standard for every church member. Church members are reminded that God sees and knows everything and so does the pastor.

While the IFB pastor is not God, he is often treated like a demigod, not God but not completely human either. The pastor has a special relationship with God, and as a man CALLED by God, he has been given the responsibility of teaching church members how to live. When the pastor speaks, he is speaking on behalf of God. (and this kind of thinking is found in many Christian sects)

A person exposed to this kind of thinking and manipulation week after week will eventually think that things really are just like the pastor says they are.

Yet, for all their preaching about moral failure, moral weaknesses and failures are frequently justified, reinterpreted, or explained away. When blatant moral failures can’t be justified, reinterpreted, or explained away, the  “sinner” is called on to repent. If the “sinner” repents their moral transgressions are expunged and put as far away as the east is from the west. The Bible says in Psalm 103:11,12:

For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

IFB church members are taught that they have a divine get out of jail free card. 1 John 1:9 says:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Any act, no matter how vile, no matter who it harms, can be expunged by a prayer to God asking for forgiveness. (there is little difference between the Catholic and the Baptist in this regard)

The average IFB church is made up of people who either have just had their sin slate wiped clean or who need to have their sin slate wiped clean. The pastor, who must make sure his sin slate is wiped clean before he enters the pulpit, is called by God to point out the sins of the church members. He might have surfed porn sites the night before, but as long as he confesses his sin and asks for forgiveness, he is spiritually fit to call out church members over their transgressions of a thrice-holy God’s law and the pastor’s interpretation of that law.

This is why a pastor like Jack Schaap, former pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond Indiana, could have sex in his office with a minor, and then go preach to church members the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ. A divine-do-over was only a prayer away, and I have no doubt Schaap regularly availed himself to the ever-flowing fountain of the cleansing blood of Jesus.

Years ago, I knew of a pastor who would have sex in his office most every Saturday with a woman in his church. On Sunday he would use this very same office to counsel people about their own moral failures. Hypocritical? Sure, but this sin-pray for forgiveness-sin-pray for forgiveness behavior is very much a part of the belief system of most IFB churches. It allows people to have an instantaneous blood-washed cleansing from sin.

IFB church members find themselves in a constant cycle of sinning and getting right with God. Instead of owning their behavior and culpability for what they do, they blame Satan or the flesh.  They see themselves as weak, sinful beings in constant need of God’s power, direction, and grace, and when they fail it is due to an attack by Satan or the weakness of their flesh.

We know that a certain percentage of people are naturally attracted to the same-sex. IFB churches deny this, saying that no one is born gay. In the eyes of the IFB pastor, a gay is made not born. Of course this way of thinking causes a big problem for them when one of their own professes they are gay.

Take the story of  Jonathan Nichols. Jonathan Nichols was raised in the Newark Baptist Temple in Heath ,Ohio. James Dennis, the pastor of the Baptist Temple, is my wife’s uncle. He has been pastor of the Baptist Temple for almost fifty years.(he is a graduate of the college my wife and I attended)

I have known James Dennis for thirty-seven years. He and I have had a love-hate relationship for many years. Right now it is safe to say we have a hate relationship, both of us hating what the other stands for. He has his pulpit and I have mine. Smile

The Newark Baptist Temple is a typical IFB church. It is a King James Only church that is known for what it is against. (and the list of what the church and its pastor is against is quite long)  Church members are expected to live by a certain moral code. This code includes rules about what clothing church members can wear. The Baptist Temple is known as the “no-pants allowed” church.

lccaSince the early-1970’s, the Baptist Temple has owned and operated the Licking County Christian Academy, a private K-12 Christian school. The school started as an ACE school and later morphed into a regular school with each grade having its own teachers. (most of the teachers received their training at schools like Bob Jones University and Pensacola Christian College)

Jonathan Nichols was raised up in the Newark Baptist Temple and attended Licking County Christian Academy. He was taught the IFB way of life and I am sure he made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized. He was a member in good-standing of the Baptist Temple.

He  likely heard countless sermons about the sin of homosexuality. (and numerous other sins) Like most IFB churches, the Baptist Temple is homophobic. In their eyes, there is  sin and then there is THE SIN of HOMOSEXUALITY.  Homosexuality is a special sin that deserves regular attention. Why is this?

Since IFB churches don’t believe anyone is born with same-sex attraction, a church member saying they are gay would cause quite a problem for them. If a gay person isn’t born with same-sex attraction, how do they become gay?

IFB churches think a person becomes gay because they choose to be.They also believe that many gays were abused and molested and this why they became gay. How then, do they explain, a person like Jonathan Nichols, the son of devoted IFB church members, a young man who spent his entire life in the IFB church and Christian School?

They don’t. Like other scandals in the past, the Newark Baptist Temple tries to conceal stories like Jonathan Nichols’s story, Stories like his are not only concealed from the public but also from church members. (the internet has made it harder for IFB churches and pastors to conceal their dirty laundry)

The secretive conduct of the Newark Baptist Temple is not unique and can be found in countless IFB churches, including the churches I grew up in and pastored.

I spent my teenage years as a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Findlay, Ohio. Sexual impropriety by church leaders and church members was routinely covered up. The church choir was a hot-bed of sexual misconduct. These things were never talked about from the pulpit but everyone knew what was going on.

I saw the same conduct at Midwestern Baptist College. From teachers having affairs, to students engaging in illicit sexual activity, the College had its hands full putting out the sexual scandal fires.

Every Midwestern Baptist College dorm student knew of the homosexual teacher that lived in the dorm. He had students who lived with him, students that heterosexual dorm students thought might be homosexuals.

As as pastor, I preached against sexual sin and, like James Dennis at the Baptist Temple, I considered homosexuality to be a sin above all other sins. (IFB pastors will tell you differently, but listen to their sermons to see what  they really think) No matter how much I ranted and railed against sexual sin, church members still committed adultery and fornication.

However, when it came to homosexuality, (at the time, I thought all homosexuals were sexual predators who preyed on children) if I got wind of someone being a homosexual I immediately ran them off. Yet, for all my homophobic diligence, there were still some boys and girls raised under my preaching that turned out to be gay,

These children were exposed to hardcore hellfire and brimstone preaching that made it clear that homosexuality was an affront to God and that no homosexual would inherit eternal life. Some of these children attended the church’s private school and God’s moral standard was frequently talked about. Yet, they turned out gay.

Why? Because they were born that way. What other explanation can there be? Everything in their upbringing, both at home and church, promoted heterosexuality and condemned homosexuality. Every effort was made to make sure they turned out heterosexual. I protected them from being influenced by homosexuals and I constantly reminded them that God was the God of the heterosexual. Yet…they turned out gay.

The truth is, the IFB church movement is no different from the non-IFB public. The only difference is they live in denial over what is really going on behind closed doors. They convince themselves they are a called-out, chosen, separated, sanctified band of righteous people who live above the fray. They hate people like me because I not only know different but I dare talk about it in public.

Jonathan Nichols had to leave the IFB church to find people who would accept him as he is. Of course, by leaving, Jonathan proved:

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. (I John 2:19)

You see, Jonathan being gay means he never really was a Christian, he never really was one of them. How else do they explain a son of the church now being gay, and not only being gay but being willing to tell the world about it?

The Jonathan Nichols Story, Growing Up Gay in the IFB Church

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What follows is a brief excerpt of a story about Jonathan Nichols. Jonathan grew up in the Newark Baptist Temple,  the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist church ((IFB) pastored by my wife’s uncle, James Dennis.  The Pastor (Jamie) Overton in this story is married to my wife’s cousin.  Polly’s parents have attended this church since the late 1970’s. The Christian School in this story is the Licking County Christian Academy in Heath, Ohio. It is owned and operated by the Newark Baptist Temple.

The following story is excerpted from Part One and Part Two of Jonathan’s story.

My story is going to be slightly different than the others featured on this blog because I actually never attended Bob Jones University. However, before you stop reading, you should know that I would be finishing up my freshman year at BJU had I not been outed in high school, expelled, and ultimately forced to leave home. My parents are both BJU alumni, and the principal of my Christian school in Ohio was a BJU-pusher. In fact, while I was growing up, BJU was presented as the only viable choice of college by my family and a few teachers. Because of that, my story isn’t too different from the others here, I just went through the same things earlier, before I actually went to college.

I grew up in Newark, Ohio and attended an independent fundamental Baptist church since I was born. That church was more conservative than Bob Jones, and my parents were more conservative than the church. My mom, the church pianist and school music teacher, was forever busy taking the “sensual” triplets out of songs like “Some Trust in Chariots” and campaigning against songs like “As The Deer” and “Bow the Knee.” As you can probably deduce from that, practically no modern music was allowed in our household either. I grew up on classical music and only classical music and quickly learned that there was no such thing as likes and dislikes when it came to music. There was just good and bad. You are to listen to good music and not to listen to bad music. What music you “like” has nothing to do with anything.

That mentality was carried into every area of life.

I suppose being the music teacher’s son allowed me to be a little gay boy without thinking anything of it or being called out about it. I was totally into music and art and pretty things, and nothing was weird. I would play with scarves without feeling odd. Well, without feeling too odd. I knew that none of the other guys my age were playing with scarves. Fortunately, I didn’t think about it too much.

Ok, so I can’t really credit my discretion for keeping me in the closet for eighteen years… Like I said, I played with scarves and wasn’t careful about making it known that I was a musician and not like those “other” guys. The atmosphere was so anti-gay that no one even bothered to think that there could be a gay kid growing up there, regardless of how obvious I made it. Besides, I was still a kid. I didn’t even know what it meant to be gay. Heck, I didn’t even know that it meant anything besides “happy.” So in the minds of the church and my parents, there was no way I could have chosen to be gay yet. And since being gay is a choice, that meant that I was a good, straight little boy. Just like God intended. Right? Totally….

….wanted so much to be able to be honest with someone that I was actually in contact with. I hinted to my closest friend that my friendship with Ryan wasn’t just a friendship. She was, naturally for someone in our atmosphere, worried for me. So, despite her promises that she would trust me to do what I felt was right, she went to my youth pastor for help. He promptly told the senior pastor, who is superintendent of the school. The next day, I was called into Pastor Dennis’s office for questioning. Pastor Overton was also in the room, sitting to my left with a legal pad and a pen, taking notes. Dennis tried to start off nice enough, but it was obvious that they found out. I decided that a clean breast of the issue would be best, and went into my research on the matter, hoping at least to get an opposing rebuttal and at best to convince them. How naive I was. . . I don’t remember much of that conversation, but one thing rings vividly in my mind. I mentioned that the Greek word malakoi in I Cor. 6:9 was never elsewhere, in the whole of Greek literary writings, translated “effeminate.” It carried a whole different connotation. His response? He turned around, pulled his Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance off the shelf, looked up the word, and pointed to the definition. He never for one second imagined that Dr. James Strong was not infallible and that his concordance was not holy writ. In those several hours, my pastor beat me down. Hard. I was totally conquered, save in one regard. I would not tell him who I was “dating.” I did not see that it was my place to get someone else, especially someone I loved, in trouble like this. Dennis found out anyways. He had me break up with Ryan. I cried all night…

Why Every Evangelical Christian Should Get Rid of their Computer

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We show what we think is important by what we support and give our money to. Evangelicals are known for boycotts and for not using, watching, listening, or reading certain products, movies, music, or books that go against their Christian beliefs.

According to Ken Ham’s Facebook page:

“…when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”” (Luke 18:8)
If you stand upon the authority of God’s Word without compromise, and stand for the doctrines of Scripture (such as Marriage being one man and one woman), you will really stand out today among the rampant Godlessness that is permeating the nation.

“A recent advertisement released by the Microsoft Corporation shows the tech company’s support for same-sex marriage, as it features a wedding between two women in an attempt to promote the new set of social media features accompanying the company’s free email service Outlook.com.”

But–it’s not just Microsoft–there’s hardly a company that isn’t supporting anti-biblical Gay Marriage. For example, you can watch this youtube Huffington Post news item about Facebook, Google, Apple and Ebay all supporting anti-biblical Gay Marriage:

(as always, please read the comments on Ham’s Facebook post. They are interesting and  reading them is an excellent way to learn how Evangelicals think)

If Evangelicals are consistent, it seems to me they should stop using any product or service from Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook. If Evangelicals really want to take a stand against the evil in this world, and against homosexuality in particular, what better way to do it than taking the Amish approach and not use computers or the internet.

Of course this will NEVER happen. How would Evangelicals get free porn without a computer and the internet? Smile

Evangelicals talk like they are a holy, called out, separated people, but their actions betray them.

The only reason this matters to me is because Evangelicals present themselves to the world as a people who are special, a people who have a direct line with God. Yet, as any casual observer can clearly see, Evangelicals are no different from their atheist, humanist, agnostic, pagan neighbors. They only difference is what they do with their time from 11:00 A,M. to Noon on Sunday.

When Evangelicals admit that they are no different from the rest of us…I will quit poking them and ridiculing their hypocrisy.

Gay Conversion Therapy According to Bill Maher

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From the Friday, March 22, 2013, episode of Real Time with Bill Maher.

Speaking of Governor Chris Christie coming out in opposition to gay conversion therapy, Maher said in his monologue:

Do you know what gay conversion therapy is?

This is the idea that you can send a gay kid away to religious summer camp and he will come back changed.

And he will.  He will come back tan and gay.

Classic Bill Maher. Smile

Christian Love For Senator Rob Portman

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Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman

Ken Ham, a Fundamentalist Christian and an evangelist for young earth creationism, posted to his Facebook page the story about Ohio Senator Rob Portman coming out in support of same-sex marriage.

The comments on Ham’s Facebook page about this story by Christians provides an excellent view of how Fundamentalist Christians think, how hateful and vicious they can be, and how quickly they can turn on their own.

I hope you will note how the comments develop. The last comment suggests that Senator Portman is gay!! Keep in mind that Ham deletes ALL comments that he feels are contrary to his “message”, so don’t be surprised that there is only ONE comment in support of Senator Portman. (and that will probably be deleted once Ham sees it) All spelling errors belong to the commenter.

Another fool. A false conservative. A RHINO(Republican in name only.)

Despicable.

God will judge these Hypocrites who simply have the label of Christianity…making bad image for Christ and His church…better they convert to something else they go for their own desires to gratify the flesh….Thank you Mr.Ken Ham for your stand for God & His word! God bless you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are no absolutes anymore; it appears all consciences have been seared and soon God will give us over to our own demise. Quite Sad… God forgive us!

The end is speedily approaching. I pray for all those deceived that’ll be left behind and the millions each day that die either without Christ or in a false version of him. I also pray fore all the babies born to unbelievers and the ones murdered in the womb.

sin is sin,whether your relative or friend or chruch or even the whole world adopts sin doesnt make it right. Once you accept sin and say its right then you’re saying to God you’re right and his wrong. And you’re making you’re self a god and making the most high irrelevant in your life. This issue is very senisitive to many but just because you or people are accepting it or struggling with it doesnt make it right. What God says is right and true,it doesnt matter what we say,feel. God is prefect and we are not.

I don’t see an ounce of hate in these comments. Just truth.

My aunt is homosexual. I love her, but I don’t approve of her lifestyle. When I found out she was homosexual, I was surprised, but I didn’t compromise my views so that I could make her feel better. Politicians need to grow a backbone and stand up to this nonsense.

Not to mention the fact that we Ohioans elected this man based on his conservative platform, which included his stance against gay marriage. It seems like he pulled a fast one on us…saying what he needed to say to get elected under the Rep. ticket, now he’s in there, he can “change” his stance without considering his constituents. Seems like fraud to me. I for one am furious to be duped like this.

I see it so often – people change their view for emotive reasons: a family member or a friend who is homosexual. What a shallow basis for determining right and wrong! And utterly misguided…..

that just shows how shallow the republican party is. That is why they are losing. No Bible based beliefs anymore = no standards of what is right or wrong.

I won’t assume that you’re a hater. Please don’t assume that of us. That’s called being judgmental.  Homosexuality is a very unhealthy lifestyle in a variety of ways. We oppose homosexuality, but we love those trapped in that sin.

Tell it Ken! Either the bible is 100% right, or 0% right. There is no cafeteria-style approach

The RepubliCON party is just as much of a joke as the DemocRAT

All of us have to say no to temptations of whatsoever nature. It is not only ‘homosexuals’ who have to deny self, take up our cross and follow Jesus. Luke 9:23. That is why Jesus is Lord and we are His disciples. It is us who need to convert to God’s way, not He to ours. Did God create man in His image or did man create for himself a god in his imagination?

And the rot continues… so very sad! Where are the men of integrity and courage?

I think it’s sadder that the senator probably taught his son to be happy and follow his heart rather than to follow God.  Jeremiah 17:9-10. This chapter speaks of God’s chastening of Judah because they lusted after their sin (they wanted their happiness more than they sought out God).  9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways,according to the fruit of his deeds.”

And we have increasingly become sycophantly a nation of sheep, lemmings, and “feel-good” trend followers. Forget what God says while setting aside our Relationship with Him, and therefore our moral compass. Most days now I hear, “Well, I guess we’ll have to go along, since everything is going that way.” Our schools are making us a nation of “reed watchers” who base our beliefs and support on whatever trend breeze comes down the pike.

It’s sad that instead of loving his son and telling him the truth about homosexuality from God’s word, he has chosen to accept the sinful behavior of his son and lead him into further darkness. I believe that in the attempt for republicans to try to be more relavent and win votes they are going to become more and more morally corrupt like liberals. Another reason why I’m no longer a republican. The only side I want to be on is God’s and hopefully there will be some politicians on His side as well.

One Ron Bell compromising on the authority of scripture has a devastating affect on the masses. Because of his leadership position his compromising serves as justification to treat absolutes as mere suggestions.

I believe homosexuality is immoral and unbiblical. I believe any God-fearing parent teaches their children that homosexuality is an abomination and should never be acceptable. I would never vote to make gay marriage legal. However, I am indifferent if gays are given the right to marry because I don’t believe the government should dictate morality. The government is entirely too involved as it is. I think people should have the right to choose between right and wrong. Regardless of what ‘the world’ calls legal, true or right, me and my house will serve The Lord and 100% of what the Bible instructs.

The government doesn’t deny homosexuals the ability to get married. What they don’t do is force everyone to accept that marriage as legit, which is what they want.

This is very tuff, maybe the hardest a Christian parent has to deal with so be careful please what you say you never truely know untile you are in the middle of it how you will respond. Im in the same situtation but choose to love my son regardless and NOT compromise on the WORD OF GOD!! It has produced many great opportunities to share with his friends.I choose to love him and him know I trust God and HIS Word, then to falsely love him and say you maybe God changed HIS mind,, we can evolve”!!! And then you have to deal with the self-righteous in the church a whole different battle, but I trust in GOD alone!!

May God have MERCY on our sin-sick nation!!!! Nowhere does the Bible say that when we arrive in the 21st century, we no longer have to uphold the TRUTH! Sin is SIN IS SIN! That WILL NOT CHANGE — EVER!

Michele, I agree with just about everything g you said, but, we do as a nation and our government, legislate morality. We have laws against stealing, lying, cheating, murder. rape, incest, polygamy, and so on. These are all moral issues and we should have laws against these to protect our citizens. These laws all come from God to begin with. Why is homosexuality not illegal? I don’t know. It should be since it does physical and emotional damage. But maybe at this point in time people are willing to push the bounds of immorality only this far. Who knows when society will decide sodomy is legal?

Any sin your child engages in is hard. Period. It would be hard for me if my child were gay, had an abortion, became a thief, murdered someone, moved in to live outside marriage, had a child outside marriage, and the list goes on. Just because our children say they are now in some sinful lifestyle doesn’t mean we have to accept it, and it doesn’t mean it is easy, it is not. Of course we still love our children, but we don’t help them rob banks.

Our kids do a lot of things that is sinful(as we did growing up)…we still love them, but it does not mean that it is what God wants for us, and in His word, it states that it is an abomination.

But “the overriding message of love and compassion that I take from the Bible . . . and the fact that I believe we are all created by our maker . What about Matthew 22:35-39, 35 One of them, [a]a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and [b]foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

He say’s Love the LORD!!! 2nd he say’s love others. If you love someone do you encourage them to continue in sin?

It’s a good thing he didn’t find out his son’s an ax murderer, huh? This man has no integrity if his morals are so easily swayed. Vote him out

OK… so here’s my problem; If your personal life isn’t supposed to sway the way these idiots make laws (example; Christian, Mormon, Catholic values) then why should the SON of a Senator sway him in such a way? These people have no moral backbone. Sadly though, I think most people who call themselves “Christian” have no backbone either. If they did we wouldn’t have all the stupid things going on in the Congress and Senate that they do.

if my daughter told me she was a liar or murderer or any other sin…would i change my views on how God expects mankind to behave?-i think not…but i would certainly pray that repentance would follow any sin.

He needs to step down.

Convenience, not belief. The real question, I believe, for everyone is not regarding homosexual marriage but who is God? Who is Jesus?

This news is very sad, but very typical for our world today…they don’t care what the Creator believes and how He made us, just what they “feel” and look for others, going through pastor by pastor, minister by minster, and other religious leaders to find a view that supports sin. They will have their time now, but such wickedness will not be in Heaven.

So basically, If a person that’s close to me rapes someone, I should support him as a rapist. Ridiculous. Situations like this should never change your beliefs.

It really does make you wonder what other kind of pressure was put on him. If my son overdosed on drugs, I wouldn’t condone drugs!

So that made it okay and acceptable in God’s sight. The devil sure knows how to work things!

So if his son decides he’s not gay any more will he change his position again?

Situational Ethics at its finest. Don’t expect a lost man to follow God’s law. We get our hopes up for politicians to correct the ills of our society when what we need are preachers to stop compromising truth in favor of a crowd and start preaching the whole council of God and God’s people (myself included) to turn from our own wickenedss. God’s man with God’s people surrendered to reaching and teaching others would go much further than any man made law would ever go in helping our nation.

what kind of pathetic argument is it to equate marriage equality with pedophilia?
glbt marriages are based on two consenting adults in love. children are NEVER consenting adults.  your logic is flawed to no end.  i hope that jesus comes back like he has promised, just so he can tell hateful people like u that u have had his message wrong for centuries.

ewww, grose

The legal solution to this problem is to separate marriage and state. Marriage is a religious institution. It is an image of Christ’s relationship to His church. Christ is the husband and the church is His bride. The government has no proper place in marriage. The more important solution to the “gay marriage” issue is to preach the gospel to homosexuals and those accepting it as a legitimate lifestyle. My uncle once said, “Homosexuals need to be loved not tolerated.” What he meant was we need to love them enough to tell them the gospel instead of tolerating them on their path to Hell.

This shows how weak in character and wishy-washy our politicians have become….how pathetic! So if your son starts murdering babies maybe you can become Pro-Choice also…..

Senator Portman looks gay ???

The Homophobic Rant of Michelle Shocked

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michelle_shocked

In 2008, musician Michelle Shocked said:

“Right now, the evangelicals are staking out a ground. And they are saying there is reconciliation between God and man for every human being on this earth – except for gays. And I don’t know who gave them that right!

“I’m here to say, not that homosexuality is wrong. I’m here to say that there is reconciliation through the blood of Jesus Christ for every human being on the face of this earth. And no one is entitled to speak on God’s behalf and say who does and who doesn’t have that right. Because that price was paid – purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ.”

Fast forward to a concert Shocked gave in San Francisco on March 17th:

“When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilization and Jesus will come back,”

“I believe the Bible is the word of God”

“You are going to leave here and tell people ‘Michelle Shocked said God hates faggots.”

Do you notice the difference in tone between the above quotes?  Shocked’s March 17th quotes are much more inflammatory. Why is this?

Simple. The longer you are immersed in the Evangelical culture, the more defined your beliefs become. The longer you are fed “absolute” truth and told  the Bible has all the answers for the ills of society, the more likely it is you will become a narrow-minded bigot.

It’s the nature of the beast.  An inerrant book, preached by a God called man, to a people filled with the Holy Spirit…what could go wrong? Smile

It seems there are two paths in the Evangelical church. Either you follow the path of Bible certainty and over time  you develop the notion that your black and white beliefs are absolutely right, or you follow the path out the door into a world filled with nuance, contradiction,  and compromise.

It is quite evident which path Michelle Shocked is on. Shocked,  in 2011, said of herself, “ You are looking at the world’s greatest homophobe. “

I doubt many people will argue with her self-description.

Amazing What Having a Gay Son Will Do For You

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gay marriage

In a lesson of, principles be damned,  Rob Portman, U.S. Senator from Ohio, has changed his view about same-sex marriage. NBC News reports:

Republican Senator Rob Portman has announced his support for same-sex marriage, saying he reversed his position on the divisive social issue after his son came out as gay.

“I have come to believe that if two people are prepared to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in good times and in bad, the government shouldn’t deny them the opportunity to get married,” Portman wrote in an op-ed published Friday in the Columbus Dispatch.

“That isn’t how I’ve always felt. As a congressman, and more recently as a senator, I opposed marriage for same-sex couples. Then something happened that led me to think through my position in a much deeper way,” Portman wrote in the op-ed.

The decision came after long consideration, the Ohio lawmaker told newspapers from his home state on Thursday. Portman’s 21-year-old son Will, who is a junior at Yale University, discussed his sexual orientation with Portman and his wife in 2011, the senator said.

His son said that his sexuality was “not a choice, it was who he is and that he had been that way since he could remember,” Portman told Cleveland.com during an interview in his Washington, D.C. office.

“It allowed me to think of this from a new perspective, and that’s of a dad who loves his son a lot and wants him to have the same opportunities that his brother and sister would have – to have a relationship like Jane and I have had for over 26 years,” Portman told reporters during that interview.

Portman’s changed stance comes amid spreading support for same-sex marriage. Forty-eight percent of Americans supported same-sex marriage in 2012, up from 35 percent a decade ago, according to a Pew Research Center analysis from Dec. 2012.

Arguments challenging the Defense of Marriage Act, which Portman voted for in 1996, are due to be heard before the Supreme Court later this month.

Portman was considered a potential vice presidential candidate to run with Mitt Romney in the last presidential election, and acted as a surrogate for the Romney campaign in the important swing state of Ohio…

…In the interview with Cleveland.com, Portman said that he believes the issue of same-sex marriage is “more generational than it is partisan.” He said that former Vice President Dick Cheney, whose daughter is a lesbian, told him to “do the right thing, follow your heart.”

Portman said he also considered his Christian faith, which led him to decide that “in a way, this strengthens the institution of marriage.”

“The overriding message of love and compassion that I take from the Bible, and certainly from the Golden Rule, and that fact that I believe we are all created by our maker, that has all influenced me in terms of my change on this issue,” Portman said, according to Cleveland.com.

“Especially proud of my dad today,” Will Portman tweeted on Friday with a link to the Columbus Dispatch op-ed…

Whatever the reason, I congratulate my Senator on joining the 21st century.