Are You Homophobic?

“We need to be tolerant of other people, especially those of a different sexual orientation,” so goes the common saying. The homosexual agenda is everywhere. Those who preach “tolerance” are not tolerant of you, if you disagree with them.

That’s what Elliot Chambers learned when he wore a sweatshirt to Woodbury High with the words, “Straight Pride.” The next day, he was called into the principal’s office and told not to wear the sweatshirt to school. It was offensive to several homosexual teens who complained. His parents talked with the principal, Dana Babbit, to resolve the issue. When they expressed their concern about the school’s overt support of homosexuality and bisexuality, Babbit called them “homophobic” (http://www.afa.net/activism/aa040401.asp).

Schools are supposed to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic, but they have been transformed into institutions of social engineering. The homosexual agenda is not trying to get into the schools; it is in our schools. The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is leading the assault. The organization includes 70 school districts in 46 states, overseeing more than 700 “gay” student groups. It vows to eliminate “homophobia and heterosexism” from our schools.

Is the message getting through? Yes! A lady (not a member of the church) was talking with a Christian lady; she said, “If my son [a toddler] ends up being gay, that will be O.K. with me. If that is what he chooses, I will support him.” The agenda has been embraced. Unbelievable!

Is “sexual orientation” a matter of chance or choice? Dr. Robert L. Spitzer is a psychiatry professor at Columbia University in New York, and formerly he had engaged in the homosexual lifestyle. He reported his study to the American Psychiatric Association on May 9, 2001. He said that his study, consisting of extensive interviews, demonstrates that people can change. He talked with former homosexuals (both men and women) who have changed, and many of these people are now in heterosexual relationships.

Dr. Spitzer does not advocate that homosexuality is wrong. He says that what consenting adults do is their own business, and he is highly sympathetic to homosexuality. He is also concerned about the possible misuse of his study. In spite of these things, he says: “We conclude that, contrary to conventional wisdom, some highly motivated individuals, using a variety of change efforts, can make substantial change in multiple indicators of sexual orientation and achieve good heterosexual functioning” (slide 36, http://www.dupontbglad.com/Newsletters/Spitzer_APA_Presentation_051201.pdf)

The homosexual community despises any suggestion that individuals can take responsibility for their sexual behavior. Their claim is that a person does not choose his sexual orientation — a position they cannot defend. With all the confusion about human sexuality, consider what God, Creator of man and woman, says.

“Male and female created he them” (Gen. 1:26).God made humans as sexual beings of different genders.

God regulates sexual behavior. “A man shall leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). “Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). A husband and wife are authorized by God to engage in sex. Fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and all other forms of sexual perversion, are sinful. They are, therefore, destructive, demeaning, and damnable.

God teaches the value of sexuality. Remember, He created us as sexual beings, and He did so with a purpose. The marriage relationship is the most intimate of human relationships. The home was designed by God, ultimately for our spiritual welfare. This act of intimacy is to draw married couples closer together in unselfish devotion to each other. Our “if-it-feels-good-do-it” society has turned it into a perverse thing. But, God designed it for our good, not just for our pleasure.

God forgives sexual sins. But for forgiveness, there must be repentance (Lk. 13:3; 1 Jn 1:9). Some Christians in Corinth were former homosexuals (i.e., abusers of themselves with men, ASV). But, Paul says they were forgiven, as they had obeyed the gospel. We do not have to rely on Dr. Spizter’s study. The Bible teaches that people can overcome sin and be saved. One can stop the sinful behavior and utilize the motivation of the gospel of Jesus Christ to overcome the power of sin (Rom. 8:13).

God condemns homosexuality. And what of Sodom and Gomorrah? They had given themselves over to fornication, having gone after “strange” flesh. Where are those cities today? They are gone! But the people of those cities “are set forth as an example, suffering [present tense] the punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 7).

Yes, we ought to be “homophobic” — not that we should ever treat someone in a hostile way because of their sin. Rather, we ought to fear God’s judgment concerning sinful lifestyles. We ought to be “phobic” of all sinful conduct, and “Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc. 12:13).