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The Sin that Leads to Death
John R. Houk
August 15, 2012
I found an old Pastor Bob Yandian essay on dealing with sin. Most of the essay I agree with; e.g. he brings clarification about the command if the hand sins – cut it off or if the eye sins – pluck it out.
I do question the part that is also promulgated with Scripture to back up the assertion by many ministers that sin is sin. When one commits a sin God views all sin equally; i.e. as wrong and worthy of judgment for sin.
Repented sin is forgiven by the washing of the Blood of Jesus when repentance is an actual heart change. I say “actual” because God knows when a person deludes their self into believing they can be a habitual sinner relishing in sinning and fool God by calling on the Blood of Jesus. An All-Knowing God is not a fool to be deceived by the lies of the heart.
In my reading of Scripture I agree somewhat that unrepented sin will be judged on the Day of Judgment. But even that judgment is executed according to the sin and the prayers of others.
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. (Bold Emphasis Mine 1 john 5: 14-17 NKJV)
For me this is an indication there are different degrees of sin of which the highest degree is a sin that leads to death and no amount of prayer will release a person for the sin that leads to death. By the way the “death” spoken of here is not physical death. God is not going to throw lightning bolts from Heaven for the sin that leads to death. Rather the “death” spoken of here is the Second Death. The Second Death is eternal separation from the Presence of God. In other words the Second Death is eternal imprisonment in Hell after the Day of Judgment. The mystery to me is what is that sin that leads to death? I John does not address as if the readers the Epistle was sent to were aware of that sin. I suspect that sin that leads to death is the rejection of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Lord and Savior after the Good News was shared. AND that this rejection is perpetual in this life in the sense of ultimately blaspheming against the Holy Spirit.
28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3: 28 – 30 NKJV)
31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart[a] brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Bold Emphasis Mine Matt: 12: 31-37 NKJV)
The implication here is that blaspheming the Holy Spirit is equating Him to Satan or a demon servant of Satan. I’ll leave it to your study the many ways one might be demonizing the Holy Spirit. Tread in the fear of God and the Love of Jesus.
JRH 8/15/12
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Inward and Outward Sins
By Bob Yandian
The heart consists of the spirit and the soul (the mind, will, and emotions). The spirit cannot sin, but we can have sin in the soulish part of our inner man.
If asked to list sins, most people would begin with obvious sins such as murder, adultery, and stealing; and as the lists went on, they would vary from denomination to denomination depending upon beliefs and doctrine. But, the question we need to ask is, “What does God consider to be a sin?” Since we all agree murder is a sin, let’s take it up first. Jesus speaks of killing in Matthew 5:21 when He says to His disciples, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.”
Later, in Matthew 19:18, Jesus is speaking to the rich young ruler about keeping the commandments and the first one He mentions is the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13) But notice the way Jesus phrases it, “Thou shalt do no murder.” (Matthew 19:18) This verse is the only place where the word is correctly translated as murder in the King James Bible. However, the Amplified Bible translates the Hebrew word used in the commandment of Exodus 20:13 as murder rather than as kill.
Also, the Bible tells us there are bonafide times for killings. According to Ecclesiastes 3:3, there is a time to kill, and a time to heal. We know the Word does not contradict itself, so the key to this seeming disparity must lie in the definitions of kill and murder. Murder, is always condemned and refers to the shedding of innocent blood; whereas, killing happens during a time of war or as in capital punishment.
I’m sure most would agree with the statement in Matthew 5:21 that if a person murders, the murder will be held against him when he stands before God on Judgment Day. In Matthew 5:22 Jesus says, “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with this brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”
We tend to accept the premise that murder is an outward act, but Jesus further defines murder in verse 22. He expalains that someone who is angry (actually the Greek says “lightly angry”) with his brother without cause shall be in the same danger of judgment as the person who physically murders another. In other words, mental murder is the same as outward murder. It is not “as bad as,” but “the same as.” In other words, to think it, is to commit it.
How could mental murder be outward murder? After all, no one dies. To find the answer, let’s look at this from the point of view of forgiveness. If you were to actually kill someone, chances are you would hit your knees immediately and ask the Lord for forgiveness. However, if you were “lightly angry with someone without cause,” how long would it take you to ask for forgiveness? A day? A week? Perhaps two weeks? Perhaps you would neglect it so long you would never ask for forgiveness and this is the crux of the matter.
The need to ask for forgiveness for mental murder is as great as it is for physical murder because to God they are the same. Remember, even though man sees only the outward acts, the Lord sees the heart. Furthermore, murder doesn’t truly begin with the outward act. It starts on the inside as a thought. Therefore, if you can stop the thought of the inner man, you can stop the act of the outward man.
This idea takes us to the next sin on most lists – adultery. Jesus quotes Exodus 20:14, the seventh commandment, in Matthew 5:27, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
When we think of the sin of adultery we think of the outward act, but according to what He says in Matthew 5:28, Jesus considers thinking about the act to be the same as committing the outward act. “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
I want to make something clear. There is nothing wrong about looking at someone of the opposite sex, but looking to lust is wrong. The motivation behind the looking is what is important. If your motivation is to lust, then in God’s eyes you have already committed adultery even though you never committed the outward act.
If a Christian were to commit the act of adultery, he would probably be on his knees in no time asking the Lord for forgiveness. Conversely, if a Christian were looking in lust, it would be easy to postpone asking for forgiveness because the sin doesn’t seem as bad as the outward act. However, God doesn’t judge one sin as being worse than another. To God, looking to lust is the same as adultery. This basic idea that the thoughts of the inner man are the germination of what is manifested on the outside is emphasized in Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Jesus further equates the inner and outer acts in Matthew 5:29-30. The subject has not changed. He spoke of adultery in verse 28 and He is still speaking of it when he says, “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body be cast into hell.”
These verses are often misunderstood unless they are looked at within the context of the sin of adultery and the theme of forgiveness.
Jesus is not speaking of literally cutting off one’s hand or plucking out one’s eye. Instead, He is referring to self-judgment. Notice, the person is to cut off his hand himself. He is not to go to his neighbor and ask him to do it for him. He is to do it himself. In other words, he is to judge himself.
Also, the hand refers to the outward act of adultery and the cutting off of the hand is a reference to forgiveness. Likewise, in the previous verse, the eye refers to the mental sin of adultery and the plucking it out alludes to asking for forgiveness. If we judge ourselves and ask for forgiveness, we won’t be judged. In both verses Jesus also says to “cast it from thee.” This means, once you have purged yourself of the sin through God’s forgiveness, stop sinning.
It is interesting to note that while God considers murder and adultery as sins, He actually spends more time exhorting us about inner sins. In fact, in Proverbs 6:16-19, seven sins are named and only one is what most people would recognize as one of the really bad sins because the other sins are either sins of the tongue or thoughts.
Proverbs 6:16-19:
“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethern.”
The one sin mentioned here already discussed is murder, the shedding of innocent blood. As we mentioned, there is a time when killing is allowed, but never murder. In fact, Genesis 9:6 says, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” This is why the Bible condones capital punishment. This same idea is found in the New Testament in the thirteenth chapter of Romans. This chapter deals with governments and the law of the land and the fact that offices are ordained by God.
In Romans 13:4 we are told “He [the government] is the minister of God to do good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he [the government] beareth not the sword in vain.” The government has the right to take the life of a murderer.
As we have already said, the sins mentioned in Proverbs 6 are all the less obvious sins of the inner man except murder. Nevertheless, these sins are abominations to the Lord and we should quickly ask forgiveness for them just as we would if we committed murder.
In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus says, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
You may be wondering how a person could possibly be so guilty that he shouldn’t even give an offering until the grievance has been cleared up and the other person is no longer angry. Chances are if someone has ought against another person, it is because the person did something to offend the one who is now angry.
Therefore, we need to repent of that sin before we give an offering to the Lord. While putting an offering in the plate may sooth our consciences for awhile, it will be meaningless because we can’t buy God! After all, it is not the amount we give, it is our attitude in giving. We cannot put away these inner sins by putting money in an offering just as we can’t put away outward sins by giving money. Both types of sin require asking for forgiveness.
Matthew 5:25 deals with someone who has wronged us. “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou are in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.”
This verse admonishes us to instantly forgive someone who wrongs us. If we don’t forgive, the grievance will fester inside us and then where will we be? In sin and in need of God’s forgiveness. It’s wrong to harbor unforgiveness. It’s better to forgive, forget, and go about your task of spreading the gospel.
Let me add this, nobody makes you mad. You allow yourself to become angry. For example, if someone “makes you angry” because they told a lie about you, this anger could cause you to retaliate. The power of a lie is in the retaliation because it fuels it and keeps it alive.
Instead of becoming angry, try facing such situations with a smile and praising the Lord. There are times when Jesus did not turn the other cheek and did retaliate. His throwing the money changers out of the temple is a common example. However, when you are being persecuted for the Word’s sake, you are never to retaliate!
Matthew 5:11-12 tells us, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
Being able to rejoice and be exceeding glad in the face of persecution and obstinate circumstances indicates maturity.
Lastly, Jesus exhorts us not to “forswear” ourselves. He refers to the Old Testament in Matthew 5:33. However, in verses 34-37, He gets even more specific, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”
Jesus tells us not to forswear at all. Forswearing is calling upon someone or something else to give support to your statement. Some people say, “As God is my witness” thinking if God co-signs their statements, they will be accepted.
Jesus indicates doing this shows a weak character. He goes continues by saying we need to let our “yes” mean yes and our “no” mean no. In fact, He says anything more comes from evil.
Looking to lust, a lying tongue, and a proud look are but a few of the sins mentioned in the Bible and although they are not blatant outward sins men can see, they are sins, nonetheless, and God sees them. Thus, we need to ask for forgiveness for these inner sins just as we would for an obvious sin. Just as importantly, we cannot put off asking for forgiveness because these inner sins can and do lead to outward sins.
However, the good news is, if we repent, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.
Bob Yandian
If you like this article, check out Pastor Bob’s series Sin: Known and Unknown and Forgiveness: Just Do It at the BYM Store.
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The Sin that Leads to Death
John R. Houk
August 15, 2012
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Inward and Outward Sins
Since 1980, Bob Yandian has been pastor of Grace Church, with a vibrant and growing congregation in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is also host of the popular Real Answers television broadcast and has a weekly teaching radio broadcast called Precepts with Bob Yandian.
Bob is widely acknowledged as one of the most knowledgeable Bible teachers of this generation. His practical insight and wisdom into the Word of God has helped countless people around the world to live successfully in every arena of the daily Christian life.
In addition to the sale of over 200,000 books, CDs, and tapes world-wide, more than 22,000 books, tapes, and CDs have been donated to Bible schools, missionaries, prisoners, and people in need throughout the United States and around the world through Bob Yandian Ministries.
Bob attended Southwestern College and is also a graduate of Trinity Bible College. He has served as both instructor and Dean of Instructors at Rhema Bible Training Center in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Bob has traveled extensively throughout the United States and internationally, taking his powerful and easy to apply teachings that bring stability and hope to hungry hearts everywhere. He has authored over thirty books and has been called “a pastor to pastors.”
Bob and his wife, Loretta, have been married for over forty years, are the parents of two grown married children, and have five grandchildren. Bob and Loretta Yandian reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Copyright 2009 by Bob Yandian Ministries.
Reproduction of this material in whole or part in any format without written permission is prohibited. All Rights Reserved.
[Editor: I did not actually get permission as required so if Pastor Yandian asks me to remove this I will.]
Examining Homosexual Myths
I found this post on the Pilgrim Passing blog entitled, “Examining Homosexual Myths”. This is a post of two essays that even handily refutes many of the claims of homosexual activists. The essays use a non-confrontational approach which is excellent because I am often accused of a confrontational approach on posts confronting the homosexual agenda. Hence I am cross posting this on my blogs. Thanks for the good work Sean.
JRH 5/10/12
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Examining Homosexual Myths
Posted by Sean, son of John
05/04/2012
This is a two-part article; the first part discusses the lie that Homosexuality is genetic and therefore the Homosexual is unable to opt out of their lifestyle.
The second article examines and debunks some of the major myths concerning Homosexuality which are being fostered upon North American society by the Homosexual Agenda‘s influence in the educational system, the mainstream media, and the entertainment industries.
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Is It Possible for Homosexuals to Change?
By Sue Bohlin
Mike {1} was marching in a Gay Pride parade when God got a hold of him. He had been high for four days and his “buzz” suddenly evaporated as he heard a voice in his head say, “You don’t have to live like this.” He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was God offering him a way out. He put down his Gay Pride sign, left the parade, sat down in a nearby stairwell, and repented of his rebellion.
He gave his heart to Jesus Christ and starting walking out of homosexuality that day. Today, several years later, he is married with a child, and living a very different kind of life. Not just on the outside; his heart was changed from the inside out.
Randy was on a self-destructive path of drug and alcohol abuse and homosexual activity. When he told his mother he was gay, she threw him out of the house, and the only place he could find belonging, safety, and identity was the gay community. As he spent more and more time “escaping” the pain in his life through sex and alcohol, he began to realize how bad his life was. He wanted to die but God had something else in mind.
Randy was invited to a Bible study where he met a man who had left the gay lifestyle and was living a changed life. For the first time he honestly called out and said, “God, please help me.”
One of his friends became a Christian. He asked her about homosexuality and was angered by her initial response. She said, “I now believe it is a sin–but God wouldn’t call it a sin if there weren’t something better.” Randy eventually realized that he was a sinner who needed God’s love and grace, and in 1992 he trusted Christ as his Savior. Two months later, he was led to Living Hope, an organization that helps people walk out of homosexuality through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. He left his homosexual identity behind and embraced his true identity as a child of God, committed to holiness and purity. Randy is now director of that ministry and is helping others walk out of homosexuality. He’s not perfect, he’s still growing . . . just like me and every other Christian I know. But the “something better” God had in mind for him is an intimacy with Christ that is breathtaking.
Randy brings glory to God every day of his life by living out the abiding truth that change is possible.
Stories of Women
Carol grew up in a religious home with parents whose standards were too strict to allow her to please them. But she was smart, and a good student, and her teachers gave her the affirmation and encouragement her heart longed for. She developed very strong bonds with her teachers, some of which became profound emotional dependencies.
In graduate school, she was hit by the unexpected pain of loneliness and emptiness. Carol got into an intense relationship with a married woman, facing completely new temptations. She was totally unprepared to resist the strength of same-gender attraction, and quickly found herself emotionally and physically involved in a relationship she couldn’t believe was happening. Now she was not only emotionally needy, she was shackled by deep shame, woundedness, and guilt.
A friend told her about a ministry to those dealing with same-sex attraction, and it was like finding a door to another world. Through the support she found there, Carol was challenged to identify the lies of Satan which she had believed her whole life and replace them with the truth of Scripture. God is renewing her mind, meeting her deep heart-needs, and bringing her to a place of freedom and hope.
Diane’s story is different. She spent eighteen years in a committed lesbian relationship with another woman she believed to be her soul-mate. They went through a commitment ceremony in a gay church, and raised a daughter together. She enjoyed a position of leadership as a bright and articulate spokesperson for a gay church.
Through all those years, Diane’s mother was steadfast in three things. She loved Diane unconditionally. She never backed down about her belief that her daughter’s lifestyle was sinful because God says it’s wrong. And third, she prayed faithfully for her daughter.
Diane and her partner sought the Lord about everything except their sexuality. At one point, they were praying together for wisdom and truth about a situation that had nothing to do with their relationship. God answered their prayer in an unexpected way; He showed them the truth about the sinful nature of their relationship. It was a terribly painful and unwelcome discovery to learn that they had been deceived. Together, they decided out of obedience to God to separate and break off their relationship. It’s still painful, even as Diane experiences God’s healing touch in the deepest parts of her wounded soul. He’s changing Diane and Carol from the inside out.
Two Claims for Change
Some people deal with same-sex attraction by pretending it’s not there. Denial is unfortunately the time-honored “Christian” response. But this is not the way God wants us to deal with problems; Psalm 51:6 says, “Surely you desire truth in my inmost parts.” Acknowledging one has a homosexual orientation is like seeing the red light on your car’s dashboard; it means something is wrong somewhere. A homosexual orientation isn’t the actual problem; it’s the symptom of a deeper issue–legitimate, God-given needs for relationship and intimacy that have been channeled in unhealthy and sinful directions.
But it is not a simple matter, and it would be disrespectful to imply that there is an easy solution to the complex issue of homosexuality. Among those who claim that change is possible, there are two main schools of thought on how to get there.
The first and most recommended treatment (within the Denominational religious system) for homosexuality is reparative therapy. There is a lot of wisdom to be found here because many therapists believe that homosexuality has its roots in hurtful relationship patterns, especially with family members, and many homosexual men and women report exactly that. But reparative therapy is often just behavior modification, and it deals only with the flesh, that part of us independent of God.
Reparative therapy can make people feel better, but it can’t bring true inner healing.
The second, and I believe best, way to bring about real and lasting change is a redemptive approach. Ministries that disciple men and women in intimate relationship with Jesus Christ are able to lead them into inner healing because God transforms His people. It’s excruciatingly difficult to leave homosexuality without support. Fortunately, even for people who do not live in an area where there is an Exodus referral ministry, there are online support forums that are almost as powerful as face-to-face groups. I especially recommend the one at http://www.livehope.org. There are also some wonderful books available, particularly Coming Out of Homosexuality by Bob Davies, and Someone I Love is Gay by Anita Worthen and Bob Davies. Another excellent book is You Don’t Have to Be Gay by Jeff Konrad. But discipleship is hard work, and there is no simple and easy fix.
The Path to True Change
The most effective route to real, lasting change for those caught in same-gender attraction is a redemptive approach. This means discipleship, being taught and encouraged and held accountable to develop intimacy with Christ. Interestingly, it doesn’t seem to matter what the particular stronghold is in a person’s life–whether it be homosexuality, gluttony, drug dependency, compulsive gambling or shopping, alcoholism, sexual addiction, or any other stronghold–the most effective solution is the same: intimacy with Christ.
True discipleship is hard work. And God even gives us the energy for discipleship! But it takes tremendous self-discipline to choose to operate in the Spirit instead of in our own flesh, to depend on God’s strength instead of our own.
The real battle is in the mind.
The steps to overcoming homosexuality also apply to overcoming any stronghold.
First, the person has to stop the sinful behavior. It’s best to ask for God’s help. This is no different from the requirement for any drug or alcohol abuse treatment. You can’t work on a problem when you’re still totally controlled by it.
The second step is to work on learning what the Bible says about who you are in Christ. Just as people learning to identify counterfeit money examine real currency so they can spot the fakes, the struggler needs to fill his mind with God’s Word so he can enter into his true identity as a beloved, valuable child of God.
The third step is working on the thought life, since this is where the battle is. It’s important to identify Satan’s lies playing as tapes in one’s head, and stop the tape player! Then, deliberately replace the lies with the truth. Instead of “I’m never going to change,” repeat the truthful promise that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Instead of obsessing over the aching and longing for the unhealthy and sinful behavior, fill your mind with praise and worship and Scripture.
Next, face the fact that it feels lousy! When we stop trying to meet our needs in our own ways, we start experiencing the emotional pain that our strongholds had covered up. When it feels really really bad, we are at that very point where God can make the biggest difference. Ask, What is my true need? What is it my heart is truly longing for? Go to Jesus and let Him meet your deepest heart-needs. Let Him direct you to get your divinely-designed needs for relationship with other people met in godly ways.
This is where powerful healing happens.
Ex-Ex-gays
For the last several years, people who had left homosexuality have slowly but surely gained a hearing in telling their stories. Word is getting out: change is possible!
And there are also the voices of the frustrated and disillusioned souls who tried to leave homosexuality, who tried to change, and gave up. There’s even a name for it: “Ex ex-gays.” Their stories are full of tremendous pain, and some have even lost their faith over it. What happened?
Well, I think the same thing that happened to people who tried AA but couldn’t stop drinking, or those who tried Weigh Down Workshop but couldn’t lose weight. I have a friend who was in Weigh Down Workshop, and it didn’t do a thing for her. The problem is, she never made the commitment to “die to self,” to use a Scriptural term {2}. She never got to the point of saying, “Jesus, I choose You over food. I choose a holy relationship with You over an unhealthy relationship with my appetite. And I will do whatever it takes to allow You to change my heart.”
Many people who tried to change their homosexuality could win contests for praying and reading their Bibles. They really did try very very hard. But the prayers are often misdirected: “God, change me. Take away my desires. Let me start liking people of the opposite sex.” Unfortunately, as well-intentioned as this prayer is, it’s a lot like trying to get rid of dandelions in your back yard by mowing them. They keep coming back because you’re not dealing with their roots. The basic cause of a homosexual orientation isn’t genetics or choice; it’s a wrong response to being hurt. It’s about protecting oneself and trying to get legitimate needs met in ways God never intended. True change can only happen with the hard work of submitting to God, allowing Him to expose the deep hurts and needs of one’s heart, which means facing horrible pain, and inviting Him to bring healing to those wounded places. That’s why intimacy with Christ is the answer. A wise friend observed that homosexuality is the fruit of sinful ways of dealing with pain–sinful because they cut us off from the One who can heal and meet our needs, sinful because they place us at the center of our universe and we don’t belong there. Jesus does.
I hope you can see that real change is hard and it costs a great deal because it requires strong motivation, hard work, and perseverance. But hundreds of former homosexuals have found a large degree of change, attaining abstinence from homosexual behaviors, lessening of homosexual temptations, strengthening their sense of masculine or feminine identity, correcting distorted styles of relating with members of the same and opposite gender. Some former homosexuals marry and some don’t, but marriage is not the measuring stick; spiritual growth and obedience are.
The bottom line is, change is possible.
Also See Salvation and Born Again
Notes:
{1} All names in this article are changed except for Randy’s.
{2} See Romans 6.
© 2001 Probe Ministries International.
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Homosexual Myths
By Sue Bohlin
In this essay we’ll be looking at some of the homosexual myths that have pervaded our culture, and hopefully answering their arguments. Much of this material is taken from Joe Dallas’ excellent book, A Strong Delusion: Confronting the “Gay Christian” Movement.(1) While the information in this essay may prove helpful, it is our prayer that you will be able to share it calmly and compassionately, remembering that homosexuality isn’t just a political and moral issue; it is also about people who are badly hurting.
10% of the Population Is Homosexual.
In 1948, Dr. Alfred Kinsey released a study called Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, claiming that between 10 and 47% of the male population was homosexual.(2) He got his figures from a pool of 5,300 male subject that he represented as your average “Joe College” student. Many of the men who gave him the data, though, actually consisted of sex offenders, prisoners, pimps, hold-up men, thieves, male prostitutes and other criminals, and hundreds of gay activists.(3) The 10% figure was widely circulated by Harry Hay, the father of the homosexual “civil rights” movement, urging that homosexuality be seen no longer as an act of sodomy but as a 10% minority class.(4)
Kinsey’s figures were exposed as completely false immediately afterwards, and by many other scientists since. The actual figure is closer to 2-3%.(5) But the 10% number has been so often reported in the press that most people think it’s valid. It’s not.
People Are Born Gay.
Ann Landers said it, and millions of people believe it. The problem is, the data’s not there to support it. There are three ways to test for inborn traits: twin studies, brain dissections, and gene “linkage” studies.(6) Twin studies show that something other than genetics must account for homosexuality, because nearly half of the identical twin studied didn’t have the same sexual preference. If homosexuality were inherited, identical twins should either be both straight or both gay. Besides, none of the twin studies have been replicated, and other twin studies have produced completely different results.(7) Dr. Simon LeVay’s famous study on the brains of dead subjects yielded questionable results regarding its accuracy. He wasn’t sure of the sexual orientation of the people in the study, and Dr. LeVay even admits he doesn’t know if the changes in the brain structures were the cause *of* homosexuality, or caused *by* homosexuality.(8) Finally, an early study attempting to show a link between homosexuality and the X- chromosome has yet to be replicated, and a second study actually contradicted the findings of the first.(9) Even if homosexuality were someday proven to be genetically related, *inborn* does not necessarily mean *normal*. Some children are born with cystic fibrosis, but that doesn’t make it a normal condition.
Inborn tendencies toward certain behaviors (such as homosexuality) do not make those behaviors moral. Tendencies toward alcoholism, obesity, and violence are now thought to be genetically influenced, but they are not good behaviors. People born with tendencies toward these behaviors have to fight hard against their natural temptations to drunkenness, gluttony, and physical rage.
And since we are born as sinners into a fallen world, we have to deal with the consequences of the Fall. Just because we’re born with something doesn’t mean it’s normal. It’s not true that “God makes some people gay.” All of us have effects of the Fall we need to deal with.
View an excellent in-depth article exposing the lie of “born gay” currently being propogated by the Homosexual Agenda:
What’s Wrong with Two Loving, Committed Men or Women Being Legally Married?
There are two aspects to marriage: the legal and the spiritual. Marriage is more than a social convention, like being “best friends” with somebody, because heterosexual marriage usually results in the production of children. Marriage is a legal institution in order to offer protection for women and children. Women need to have the freedom to devote their time and energies to be the primary nurturers and caretakers of children without being forced to be breadwinners as well. God’s plan is that children grow up in families who provide for them, protect them, and wrap them in security.
Because gay or lesbian couples are by nature unable to reproduce, they do not need the legal protection of marriage to provide a safe place for the production and raising of children. Apart from the sexual aspect of a gay relationship, what they have is really “best friend” status, and that does not require legal protection.
Of course, a growing number of gay couples are seeking to have a child together, either by adoption, artificial insemination, or surrogate mothering. Despite the fact that they have to resort to an outside procedure in order to become parents, the presence of adults plus children in an ad hoc household should not automatically secure official recognition of their relationship as a family. There is a movement in our culture which seeks to redefine “family” any way we want, but with a profound lack of discernment about the long-term effects on the people involved. Gay parents are making a dangerous statement to their children: lesbian mothers are saying that fathers are not important, and homosexual fathers are saying that mothers are not important. More and more social observers see the importance of both fathers and mothers in children’s lives; one of their roles is to teach boys what it means to be a boy and teach girls what it means to be a girl.
The other aspect of marriage is of a spiritual nature. Granted, this response to the gay marriage argument won’t make any difference to people who are unconcerned about spiritual things, but there are a lot of gays who care very deeply about God and long for a relationship with Him. The marriage relationship, both its emotional and especially its sexual components, is designed to serve as an earthbound illustration of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church.(10) Just as there is a mystical oneness between a man and a woman, who are very different from each other, so there is a mystical unity between two very different, very “other” beings–the eternal Son of God and us mortal, creaturely humans. Marriage as God designed it is like the almost improbable union of butterfly and buffalo, or fire and water. But homosexual relationships are the coming together of two like individuals; the dynamic of unity and diversity in heterosexual marriage is completely missing, and therefore so is the spiritual dimension that is so intrinsic to the purpose of marriage. Both on an emotional and a physical level, the sameness of male and male, or female and female, demonstrates that homosexual relationships do not reflect the spiritual parable that marriage is meant to be. God wants marriage partners to complement, not to mirror, each other. The concept of gay marriage doesn’t work, whether we look at it on a social level or a spiritual one.
Jesus Said Nothing about Homosexuality.
Whether from a pulpit or at a gay rights event, gay activists like to point out that Jesus never addressed the issue of homosexuality; instead, He was more interested in love. Their point is that if Jesus didn’t specifically forbid a behavior, then who are we to judge those who engage in it?
This argument assumes that the Gospels are more important than the rest of the books in the New Testament, that only the recorded sayings of Jesus matter. But John’s gospel itself assures us that it is not an exhaustive record of all that Jesus said and did, which means there was a lot left out!(11) The gospels don’t record that Jesus condemned wife-beating or incest; does that make them OK? Furthermore, the remaining books of the New Testament are no less authoritative than the gospels. All scripture is inspired by God, not just the books with red letters in the text. Specific prohibitions against homosexual behavior in Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 are every bit as God-ordained as what is recorded in the gospels.
We do know, however, that Jesus spoke in specific terms about God’s created intent for human sexuality: “From the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; and the two shall be one flesh. . . What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:4-6). God’s plan is holy heterosexuality, and Jesus spelled it out.
The Levitical laws against homosexual behavior are not valid today.
Leviticus 18:22 says, “Thou shalt not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; it is an abomination.” Gay theologians argue that the term “abomination” is generally associated with idolatry and the Canaanite religious practice of cult prostitution, and thus God did not prohibit the kind of homosexuality we see today.
Other sexual sins such as adultery and incest are also prohibited in the same chapters where the prohibitions against homosexuality are found. All sexual sin is forbidden by both Old and New Testament, completely apart from the Levitical codes, because it is a moral issue. It is true that we are not bound by the rules and rituals in Leviticus that marked Yahweh’s people by their separation from the world; however, the nature of sexual sin has not changed because immorality is an affront to the holiness and purity of God Himself. Just because most of Leviticus doesn’t apply to Christians today doesn’t mean none of it does.
The argument that the word “abomination” is connected with idolatry is well answered by examining Proverbs 6:16-19, which describes what else the Lord considers abominations: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises evil imaginations, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaks lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers. Idolatry plays no part in these abominations. The argument doesn’t hold water.
If the practices in Leviticus 18 and 20 are condemned because of their association with idolatry, then it logically follows that they would be permissible if they were committed apart from idolatry. That would mean incest, adultery, bestiality, and child sacrifice (all of which are listed in these chapters) are only condemned when associated with idolatry; otherwise, they are allowable. No responsible reader of these passages would agree with such a premise.(12)
Calling Homosexuality a Sin Is Judging, and Judging Is a Sin.
Josh McDowell says that the most often-quoted Bible verse used to be John 3:16, but now that tolerance has become the ultimate virtue, the verse we hear quoted the most is “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” (Matt. 7:1) The person who calls homosexual activity wrong is called a bigot and a homophobe, and even those who don’t believe in the Bible can be heard to quote the “Judge not” verse.
When Jesus said “Do not judge, or you too will be judged,” the context makes it plain that He was talking about setting ourselves up as judge of another person, while blind to our own sinfulness as we point out another’s sin. There’s no doubt about it, there is a grievous amount of self-righteousness in the way the church treats those struggling with the temptations of homosexual longings. But there is a difference between agreeing with the standard of Scripture when it declares homosexuality wrong, and personally condemning an individual because of his sin. Agreeing with God about something isn’t necessarily judging.
InPlainSite.org Note: Contrary to popular beliefs.. the Bible makes some very straight forward statements about ‘judging’.
Imagine I’m speeding down the highway, and I get pulled over by a police officer. He approaches my car and, after checking my license and registration, he says, “You broke the speed limit back there, ma’am.” Can you imagine a citizen indignantly leveling a politically correct charge at the officer: “Hey, you’re judging me! Judge not, lest ye be judged!’” The policeman is simply pointing out that I broke the law. He’s not judging my character, he’s comparing my behavior to the standard of the law. It’s not judging when we restate what God has said about His moral law, either. What is sin is to look down our noses at someone who falls into a different sin than we do. That’s judging.
The Romans 1 Passage on Homosexuality Does Not Describe True Homosexuals, but Heterosexuals Who Indulge in Homosexual
Behavior That Is Not Natural to Them.
Romans 1:26-27 says, “God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” Some gay theologians try to get around the clear prohibition against both gay and lesbian homosexuality by explaining that the real sin Paul is talking about here is straight people who indulge in homosexual acts, because it’s not natural to them. Homosexuality, they maintain, is not a sin for true homosexuals.
But there is nothing in this passage that suggests a distinction between “true” homosexuals and “false” ones. Paul describes the homosexual behavior itself as unnatural, regardless of who commits it. In fact, he chooses unusual words for men and women, Greek words that most emphasize the biology of being a male and a female. The behavior described in this passage is unnatural for males and females; sexual orientation isn’t the issue at all. He is saying that homosexuality is biologically unnatural; not just unnatural to heterosexuals, but unnatural to anyone.
Furthermore, Romans 1 describes men “inflamed with lust” for one another. This would hardly seem to indicate men who were straight by nature but experimenting with gay sex.(13) You really have to do some mental gymnastics to make Romans 1 anything other than what a plain reading leads us to understand all homosexual activity is sin.
Preaching Against Homosexuality Causes Gay Teenagers to Commit Suicide.
I received an e-mail from someone who assured me that the blood of gay teenagers was on my hands because saying that homosexuality is wrong makes people kill themselves. The belief that gay teenagers are at high risk for suicide is largely inspired by a 1989 report by a special federal task force on youth and suicide. This report stated three things; first, that gay and lesbian youths account for one third of all teenage suicides; second, that suicide is the leading cause of death among gay teenagers, and third, gay teens who commit suicide do so because of “internalized homophobia” and violence directed at them.(14) This report has been cited over and over in both gay and mainstream publications.
View Orthodoxy Today article exposing the deception inherent in Paul Gibson’s report.
San Francisco gay activist Paul Gibson wrote this report based on research so shoddy that when it was submitted to Dr. Louis Sullivan, the former Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Sullivan officially distanced himself and his department from it.(15) The report’s numbers, both its data and its conclusions, are extremely questionable. Part of the report cites an author claiming that as many as 3,000 gay youths kill themselves each year. But that’s over a thousand more than the total number of teen suicides in the first place! Gibson exaggerated his numbers when he said that one third of all teen suicides are committed by gay youth. He got this figure by looking at gay surveys taken at drop-in centers for troubled teens, many of which were gay-oriented, which revealed that gay teens had two to four times the suicidal tendencies of straight kids. Gibson multiplied this higher figure by the disputed Kinsey figure of a 10% homosexual population to produce his figure that 30% of all youth suicides are gay. David Shaffer, a Columbia University psychiatrist who specializes in teen suicides, pored over this study and said, “I struggled for a long time over Gibson’s mathematics, but in the end, it seemed more hocus-pocus than math.”(15)
View “Homosexuality and Teen Suicide”, from Touchstone Magazine.
The report’s conclusions are contradicted by other, more credible reports. Researchers at the University of California-San Diego interviewed the survivors of 283 suicides for a 1986 study. 133 of those who died were under 30, and only 7 percent were gay and they were all over 21. In another study at Columbia University of 107 teenage boy suicides, only three were known to be gay, and two of those died in a suicide pact. When the Gallup organization interviewed almost 700 teenagers who knew a teen who had committed suicide, not one mentioned sexuality as part of the problem. Those who had come close to killing themselves mainly cited boy-girl problems or low self-esteem.(17)
Gibson didn’t use a heterosexual control group in his study. Conclusions and statistics are bound to be skewed without a control group. When psychiatrist David Shaffer examined the case histories of the gay teens who committed suicides in Gibson’s report, he found the same issues that straight kids wrestle with before suicide: “The stories were the same: a court appearance scheduled for the day of the death; prolonged depression; drug and alcohol problems; etc.”(18)
That any teenager experiences so much pain that he takes his life is a tragedy, regardless of the reason. But it’s not fair to lay the responsibility for gay suicides, the few that there are, on those who agree with God that it’s wrong and harmful behavior.
Notes:
1. Dallas, Joe. A Strong Delusion: Confronting the “Gay Christian” Movement. Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House, 1996.
2. Dr. Judith Reisman, “Kinsey and the Homosexual Revolution,” The Journal of Human Sexuality (Carrollton, Tex.: Lewis and Stanley, 1996), 21.
3. Ibid., 26.
4. Ibid., 21.
5. Richard G. Howe, Homosexuality in America: Exposing the Myths (found on the American Family Association website at http://www.afa.net) gives this citation: “Knight lists the following sources in support of the 1%-3% figures: J. Gordon Muir, “Homosexuals and the 10% Fallacy,” Wall Street Journal, March 31, 1993; Tom W. Smith, “Adult Sexual Behavior in 1989: Number of Partners, Frequency of Intercourse and Risk of AIDS,” Family Planning Perspectives (May/June 1991): 102; John O.G. Billy, Koray Tanfer, William R. Grady, and Daniel H. Klepinger, “The Sexual Behavior of Men in the United States,” Family Planning Perspectives, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, vol. 25, no. 2 (March/April 1993).”
6. Dr. Jeffrey Satinover, “The Gay Gene?”, The Journal of Human Sexuality, 4.
7. Dallas, 114.
8. Ibid., 112-114.
9. Ibid., 116.
10. Ephesians 5:25-32
11. John 20:30
12. Dallas, 193.
13. Ibid., 195.
14. Peter LaBarbera, “The Gay Youth Suicide Myth,” The Journal of Human Sexuality, 65.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid., 66.
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Abrahamic Intercession of Sodom and Gomorrah
John R. Houk
© August 1, 11
The New York State Assembly passed into law the Marriage Equality Act of 2011 diluting the holiness of matrimony by extending to same-sex homosexuals to enter the holy estate of marriage. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the act into lawfive minutes before midnight such making June 24, 2011 an infamous day for humanity that God gave His only begotten Son up to death that by faith in Christ’s Resurrection the Believer is changed from death into a new creation of life.
I have just found out there some Godly people that possibly have discovered a procedural violation by the State Assembly in which a civil suit might render New York’s Marriage Equality Act null in void.
This brings to mind Abraham’s conversation with God while interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah because of his nephew Lot lived there:
20 And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”
So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”
29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?” So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”
30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33 So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place. (Gen. 18 – 33 NKJV)
JRH 8/1/11 (Hat Tip: Solid Snake)
Christianity: Homosexuality is Barbaric
John R. Houk
© July 16, 2011
Gay activists and Leftist blogs are apparently all agog with horror over Marcus Bachmann’s comment that was to go something like gays are barbarians. Left Wingers jumped on the husband of Michele Bachmann as a homophobic racist. In this world steeped in political correctness such a statement is criticized as coming from a moron and a Presidential candidate that is married to a moron cannot be eligible for President.
This is the first I have heard of this Leftist-homosexual hullaballoo; however if Marcus Bachmann said such a statement in the context that Leftists are implying then more power to Marcus. I would add that the practice of homosexuality is a deviant ungodly act that should be condemned rather than to be praised as natural. Homosexuality is UNNATURAL.
Alas it appears Marcus’ comment was taken out of context. From a Christian perspective any lifestyle that leads to sin is a rejection of God. Homosexuality is not the only lifestyle practiced openly in America that is ungodly. Although anyone could name more but here is a biggie: Cohabitation outside the holy institution of matrimony of one man and woman is as callous a sin as a lifestyle of homosexuality. This is the context that Marcus Bachmann’s thought was spoken.
JRH 7/16/11
It’s Time for Christians to Push Back against Homosexual Activism
Homosexual, Heterosexual & Drug User AIDS Statistics
John R. Houk
© July 2, 2011
I am guessing this Obama Proclamation went under the radar to the people who would be offended. Does anyone know that President Barack Hussein Obama self-proclaimed Christian but more likely plugged into atheistic Marxist ideology with some sympathy for the Islamic culture his early childhood experienced, had declared the month of June 2011 to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month).
As if the blight of pornography was not enough to legalize in the name of the First Amendment, thanks to President BHO the wicked homosexual lifestyle has gone beyond legalization. Rather the President of the United States of America has placed the LGBT lifestyle on a pedestal of honor completely contrary to Biblical Morality.
Here is the May 31, 2011 Presidential Proclamation:
Presidential Proclamation–Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION (Barack Hussein Obama)
May 31, 2011
Office of the Press Secretary
The story of America’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is the story of our fathers and sons, our mothers and daughters, and our friends and neighbors who continue the task of making our country a more perfect Union. It is a story about the struggle to realize the great American promise that all people can live with dignity and fairness under the law. Each June, we commemorate the courageous individuals who have fought to achieve this promise for LGBT Americans, and we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Since taking office, my Administration has made significant progress towards achieving equality for LGBT Americans. Last December, I was proud to sign the repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. With this repeal, gay and lesbian Americans will be able to serve openly in our Armed Forces for the first time in our Nation’s history. Our national security will be strengthened and the heroic contributions these Americans make to our military, and have made throughout our history, will be fully recognized.
My Administration has also taken steps to eliminate discrimination against LGBT Americans in Federal housing programs and to give LGBT Americans the right to visit their loved ones in the hospital. We have made clear through executive branch nondiscrimination policies that discrimination on the basis of gender identity in the Federal workplace will not be tolerated. I have continued to nominate and appoint highly qualified, openly LGBT individuals to executive branch and judicial positions. Because we recognize that LGBT rights are human rights, my Administration stands with advocates of equality around the world in leading the fight against pernicious laws targeting LGBT persons and malicious attempts to exclude LGBT organizations from full participation in the international system. We led a global campaign to ensure “sexual orientation” was included in the United Nations resolution on extrajudicial execution — the only United Nations resolution that specifically mentions LGBT people — to send the unequivocal message that no matter where it occurs, state-sanctioned killing of gays and lesbians is indefensible. No one should be harmed because of who they are or who they love, and my Administration has mobilized unprecedented public commitments from countries around the world to join in the fight against hate and homophobia.
At home, we are working to address and eliminate violence against LGBT individuals through our enforcement and implementation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. We are also working to reduce the threat of bullying against young people, including LGBT youth. My Administration is actively engaged with educators and community leaders across America to reduce violence and discrimination in schools. To help dispel the myth that bullying is a harmless or inevitable part of growing up, the First Lady and I hosted the first White House Conference on Bullying Prevention in March. Many senior Administration officials have also joined me in reaching out to LGBT youth who have been bullied by recording “It Gets Better” video messages to assure them they are not alone.
This month also marks the 30th anniversary of the emergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has had a profound impact on the LGBT community. Though we have made strides in combating this devastating disease, more work remains to be done, and I am committed to expanding access to HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Last year, I announced the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States. This strategy focuses on combinations of evidence-based approaches to decrease new HIV infections in high risk communities, improve care for people living with HIV/AIDS, and reduce health disparities. My Administration also increased domestic HIV/AIDS funding to support the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and HIV prevention, and to invest in HIV/AIDS-related research. However, government cannot take on this disease alone. This landmark anniversary is an opportunity for the LGBT community and allies to recommit to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and continuing the fight against this deadly pandemic.
Every generation of Americans has brought our Nation closer to fulfilling its promise of equality. While progress has taken time, our achievements in advancing the rights of LGBT Americans remind us that history is on our side, and that the American people will never stop striving toward liberty and justice for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2011 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
BARACK OBAMA
This Presidential proclamation reads like the celebration of homosexual debauchery.
My Administration has also taken steps to eliminate discrimination against LGBT Americans in Federal housing programs and to give LGBT Americans the right to visit their loved ones in the hospital. We have made clear through executive branch nondiscrimination policies that discrimination on the basis of gender identity in the Federal workplace will not be tolerated. I have continued to nominate and appoint highly qualified, openly LGBT individuals to executive branch and judicial positions. Because we recognize that LGBT rights are human rights, my Administration stands with advocates of equality around the world in leading the fight against pernicious laws targeting LGBT persons and malicious attempts to exclude LGBT organizations from full participation in the international system.
These words might as well read that BHO’s Administration also has taken steps to ensure that Federal housing programs become cesspools of moral degradation. All American citizens should have qualified access to housing programs; however extending that access to a federal program based on sexual perversion is insane. After all America is One Nation Under God and NOT one nation under sexual perversion.
President BHO writes with pride he has infected the Federal government by appointing sinful anti-Christian homosexuals to the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch of the USA.
I agree with the President that LGBT rights are human rights; HOWEVER those LGBT rights are not based on sexual perversion, rather those rights are based on the individual rights all Americans have as being U.S. citizens under the Constitution. The Founding Fathers did not recognize sexual perversion as covered under the First Amendment.
At home, we are working to address and eliminate violence against LGBT individuals through our enforcement and implementation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. We are also working to reduce the threat of bullying against young people, including LGBT youth. My Administration is actively engaged with educators and community leaders across America to reduce violence and discrimination in schools. To help dispel the myth that bullying is a harmless or inevitable part of growing up, the First Lady and I hosted the first White House Conference on Bullying Prevention in March. Many senior Administration officials have also joined me in reaching out to LGBT youth who have been bullied by recording “It Gets Better” video messages to assure them they are not alone.
Yes, absolutely violence against homosexuals should be prosecuted to the highest extent of the law; however making special laws for promoting homosexual perversion as a special class that needs protection is absurd. Any violence against any human being has equal protection under the law. Hate crime laws such as the one designed around the horrific death of Matthew Shepard merely because he was a homosexual is the beginning of the end of E Pluribus Unum – Out of One, Many. Hate crime laws that aim to specifically protect a class of perverts as if sinful immorality lived by homosexuals is equal to heterosexuals living a life of marriage under Godly morality as in Adam and Eve is repugnant.
BHO is says his Administration is actively “engaged” with educators and community leaders to “reduce” violence and discrimination in schools. The campaign to reduce violence in schools should be aimed the violent – period. If someone looks at a homosexual and simply states that homosexuality is an ungodly practice, then should the Christian moralist (of any age) be sent to the school office to receive judgment and punishment for being a bully? That is the implication of Obama working with educators and community leaders. Since we are One Nation Under God and that our money claims In God we Trust, the Judeo-Christian principles of morality should be Constitutionally enforced for Christians to act like Christians even if it is offensive to groups of LGBT who act contrary to being under God. Within the framework of Constitutional law I believe the privacy of LGBT people is protected; however open and public displays of the LGBT lifestyle should be prosecuted when displayed openly. Much like people who practice public nudity or pornographic sex in public venues find themselves in the hoosegow for breaking the law the same should apply to the public deviancy of homosexuality.
This month also marks the 30th anniversary of the emergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has had a profound impact on the LGBT community. Though we have made strides in combating this devastating disease, more work remains to be done, and I am committed to expanding access to HIV/AIDS prevention and care.
Someone should ask, “Why did the HIV/AIDS epidemic have such a profound impact on LTBT people? The reason is because in America HIV/AIDS began as a homosexual disease and even today HIV/AIDS is in higher infection rates among homosexuals than among heterosexuals.
Homosexual activists and Leftists would label me a bigoted homophobe for the sentiments I just expressed. Is expressing my First Amendment rights of Free Speech and Religious Freedom bigoted? Perhaps I should stand at the rough tops and shout to the world of the hate-speech expressed by homosexual activists and Leftists denigrating Biblical Christianity. Is it not discrimination to terminate all things Christians in our public forum? How is the public expression of Christian symbolism and open Christian prayer at public events harmful to the community good?
In communities in which a traditional prayer is said before the beginning of a Public School sporting event or before opening a City Council meeting harmful to the community? Perhaps the homosexual activists and Leftist would feel better about trading prayer for a public demonstration of homosexual sex or perhaps a heterosexual pornographic display to the open public to bring a greater sense of commonality for the community?
As Americans we have to use our vote to distinguish that which is truly bigoted and that which is invigorating for the community. When the Leftist judicial activism of the Federal Bench steps in to overrule Biblical morality, then political Christian activism should begin to promote an Amendment to define family values. If or when Congress failed to listen to their constituents, then grassroots activism should go to the next level and start movements in each State to convene a Constitutional Convention that maintains the Bill of Rights yet with family values and a definition of America’s heritage is Judeo-Christianity and still maintaining Religious Freedom and still prohibiting the government from establishing a State religion.
JRH 7/2/11 (Hot Tip: Solid Snake)
