Sorry, been busy. I modified that last post slightly, (as I'm wont to do) a little of it needed to go somewhere else,
and I needed to add a little.
By the way, sorry if I got a bit overzealous in the other post. I'm known to get a bit passionate about some subjects.
I would like to think I have the 'mind of Christ' on them, but some would disagree.
I don't know Tim, you posted an awful lot here to respond to. Let me just say that I agree with much of what your saying, but I would also say rebellion, idolatry and homosexuality go together like a hand in a glove.
One problem I have with what you're doing, (and a lot of other Christians do) is to down play the seriousness of this problem in our Society. So I think I'll focus on that for the most part, since you already know what the Scriptures say and can decide for yourself if God takes it seriously:
Homosexuality may be sinful but so is gossip, lying, back biting, and tons of other things. Yet I don’t see Christians ranting and raving about all those sins. The hyper focus on homosexuality makes no sense to me what so ever. It’s a sin. Big deal. So what? How many sins do you see each day on TV, at work, going out to the stores in your community. How many sins each day do each of us commit?
Yes, gossip & lying are also sins, just not usually as harmful or as serious, unless done habitually & viciously. Some sins are worse than others. Some have terrible consequences, intended or otherwise. And some, such as homosexuality, adultery, murder & abortion have been capital offenses throughout most of human history until only recently.
Homosexuality seems to be something that is particularly repulsive to God, I think mostly because it is unnatural, but also particularly destructive. It is a personal 'slap in the face' and rebellion against their Creator, the 'natural order of things', and His command of: 'Be fruitful and multiply'. Hence, setting themselves up as their own gods as Romans said: (Idol) worship of the creature, (themselves) rather than the Creator.
Is it possible for a Christian to backslide & rebel from God enough to fall into homosexuality? I'm sure it is. Is it extremely rare? I would think so. Should a Christian receive the same punishment from the governing authorities as a non-Christian? Absolutely. Gossip isn't criminal nor is lying except perjury, which is rarely prosecuted but can be quite destructive. All sin is serious, but if I were a Judge, I would be more harsh with a purse snatcher who stole a widows last dollar than a man who stole a loaf of bread to feed his hungry family.
Let me just share a little about the destructiveness on society of homosexuality:
Promiscuous homosexuals (as most are) have killed people by donating AIDS blood. Mrs. Quintana, with a fungus growing in her throat, died in a Denver courtroom while suing over the AIDS blood she received from a homosexual who testified that he thought he was a safe donor since he had fewer than 1,000 partners, which was his idea of the promiscuity threshold.
An alarming number of Boy Scouts have been molested, but not one has ever been heterosexually molested by a scout leader! homosexuals, while making up only 3-5% of the population, are responsible for over half of the sexually molested children!
homosexual activists admit this, but absurdly maintain that a man who penetrates a boy is not necessarily committing an act of homosexual molestation. They should read a dictionary. Further, many of the girls molested are hurt by known bisexuals.
The average homosexual dies at age 38, unless he somehow avoids AIDS. If he dies from another cause his life expectancy is still only 41. (Based on over 5,000 obituaries published by homosexual newspapers throughout the U.S.)
Liberal media has so brainwashed America, that it's even accepted among Christians now. It is rampant in our schools and aggressively pushed. It has infiltrated even the grade schools: 'Heather has two Mommy's.'... 'Daddy's new roommate'... and other such trash. Last Friday, April 24Th, 2009, there was a National Day of Silence in the Public Schools in support of homosexuality. Planned Parenthood is even more aggressive in their approach, handing out brochures like: 'I think I might be a Lesbian'; with very graphic descriptions of lesbian sex.
A prominent gay magazine, 'Out', quoted Damien Martin, the head of New York's homosexual Harvey Milk High School (Sean Penn just played him in a movie Hollywood loved), as saying, 'No kid has ever been hurt by oral sex'.
I could go on and on... How about 'Nambla'? A mainstream homosexual group that marches in gay pride parades.
Nambla stands for 'North American man-boy love association. Their motto is: 'Sex by 8 or its to late.'
Not 8pm, 8 years old! They have received support from Planned Parenthood, Time Magazine, the ACLU & others.
Many large corporations are very supportive of the homosexual agenda, not to mention the National Education Association (NEA). You won't read any of these things in our Nations newspapers, You won't see it on the evening news, CNN, MSNBC, etc. You won't hear a peep out of Dr. Phil or Oprah, who supposedly care a great deal about protecting children. Why? Because they have been blinded by the god of this age... 2Co. 4:4.
At their march on Washington, homosexuals were chanting, 'Ten percent is not enough! Recruit, recruit, recruit!'
Wake up America! They want my children. They want your children. I will resist.
I really would like to see them repent, but that isn't likely to happen to often with the approach of the modern church in my opinion. REMEMBER CHURCH!... Non believers are under the law, not grace. Many Christians today want to put nonbelievers under grace and fellow believers under the law! The Law is the tutor that brings men to Christ, then we are no longer under the law. We are however, still subject to the criminal code under the governing authorities.
I agree with God, Homosexuality is a serious criminal offense for a non-believer or a believer, regardless of rather you or I thinks he will go to Heaven or not. And criminal prosecution is quite a deterrent. (If carried out swiftly)
Saudia Arabia which bases much of it's law on the Old Testament, has virtually no homosexuals or AIDS.
Neither did early America, when our laws were more reflective of Biblical principles.
The answer therefore, is not to compromise with the world, but to agree with God. Re-stigmatizing and re-criminalizing.
Christians today want to be NICER than God. (there is another article)
Gentiles (as symbols of the godless) and sodomites are called 'dogs' in the Bible. (Mat. 7:6; 15:26; Duet. 23:17-18; Ps.22:16; 59:5-6; Phil. 3:2 Rev 22:15).
Jesus was harsh (not only to the Pharisees, as some believers wrongly assume but to all the unrepentent; see His use of 'hypocrite'). Jesus instructs Christians to not 'Cast your pearls before swine' (Mt. 7:6) Yet who could he have possibly meant by that, for we are far to loving, tolerant, and polite to refer to any human being by that mean-spirited term. It was not uncommon for God, (and men of God) to use such language when appropriate.
Yes, Christ is coming back soon, of that, we can be thankful; but the more we, as a Country, decriminalize God's 'criminal justice system' and exchange it for whatever is politically correct, the more we will, 'Slouch towards Gomorrah'.
PS:
Some of this info is 10-20 years old, so you know it's worse now.
Note: If this bill passes, it won't be long before I can be arrested for what I just wrote. Call your Congressman or follow this post and use their info, if you love free speech and want your Pastor to have it as well.
http://capwiz.com/gopusa/issues/alert/?alertid=13232641
