Thursday, April 8, 2010

Hey Don't Say Gay -- article by a Baptist, Alan Dunn

Piano Princess sent me this by email:

Hey Don’t Say Gay
In Reformed Baptist Fellowship on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 3:50 pm

Recently I conducted the wedding of an unconverted couple with whom I met some dozen times for premarital counseling. Alas, during the wedding I committed a costly cultural crime. I commended the couple for getting their sexuality aligned with biblical norms in a day of rampant fornication, adultery and homosexuality. That was it: one innocuous reference to homosexuality in a list of sexual sins. The fornicators and adulterers in the crowd apparently took the comment in stride. But the homosexuals and a surprising coterie of the concerned complained to the couple. My cultural faux pas has occasioned a fresh realization of just how far common grace has eroded.

It’s not like I’m unaware that homosexual activists are being culturally successful. Their success at cultural infiltration has happened in my generation. I remember attending the first meeting of a new homosexual campus group at a state university in Ohio in 1973. I wanted to hear how these people were justifying themselves and what they hoped to accomplish. When the time came for input from the audience, I asserted that their main concern should not be their sexuality but their idolatry. Scowls and murmured opposition turned into shouting abuse after I read Romans 1:24-27. For the rest of the meeting I was honored to be the example of the kind of people the gay group needed to silence. I knew, of course, that it was not me they wanted to silence, but the voice of God speaking to their conscience in the words of Scripture.

In the 1980’s the gay movement swelled. Marshall Kirk, a researcher in neuropsychiatry, and Hunter Madsen, a public relations consultant, set the gay agenda in their 1989 book After The Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90’s. The book urged gay activists to target three sectors of society: the media, the judiciary, and the institutions of education. They advanced a six-point strategy:

  • Talk about gays and gayness as loudly and often as possible.
  • Portray gays as victims, not aggressive challengers.
  • Give homosexual protectors a “just” cause.
  • Make gays look good.
  • Make the victimizers look bad.
  • Solicit funds from corporate America and major foundations in support of the homosexual cause.
The onslaught of AIDS in the 90’s set the stage to promote the profile of victimization and advance the language of “rights-speak” to move the discussion away from sexual sin into civil rights and needed legislation. The media, the judiciary, and the educational institutions have extensively become conduits to convey the “gospel of gay” to an American populace increasingly ignorant of the “gospel of God.”

The argument that we meet now is the “they were born that way,” natural orientation argument. In other words, the issue is not what homosexuals do but what they are. The terms “sexual preference” used in the 70’s and 80’s revealed too much of an exercise of personal choice. Now the issue concerns “sexual orientation,” a much more clinically sounding term that points to biology, nature. I admit that sorting through all this “orientation” stuff is not easy. There is no scientific consensus that homosexuality originates in genes, or parental influences, or cultural conditioning, or any combination thereof.

As a fallen creature, it doesn’t surprise me that my physiological and psychological proclivities render me liable to certain sins more than others. Psalm 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb, these who speak lies go astray from birth. Scripture teaches me that I am a “natural” liar. In my now fallen nature, I am born with an inbred orientation to lie. Lying may come naturally to me, but “to lie” is still an act, a behavior which is measured by God’s moral law. The act of lying is not rendered less immoral simply because the Bible tells me that I’m a natural-born liar. No, I’m naturally born in real trouble. Both my fallen nature and my sinful acts render me blame-worthy before a holy God. I need to be saved, big time!

Could a man, in this fallen state, have an inbred orientation to homosexuality? That’s where the debate rages. But is not homosexuality constituted by one’s sexual acts? Do not homosexual acts first serve to identify the homosexual who only after indulging in such activity has warrant to even ask “Was I born this way?” What pattern of sin, sexual or otherwise, is not traceable to our fallen nature? If we were not sinful, we would not sin. Who of us does not go astray from birth into various patterns of sin?

Peter tells us that righteous Lot (was) oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (2 Peter 2:7). The word oppressed means tormented, distressed, or worn out: subdued after a hard struggle. Lot was offended by Sodom’s society, but he eventually capitulated and was worn down by the oppressive prevalence of their sensual conduct. Are we being worn down, subdued after a struggle? Mark Bergin’s article “Evangelical Shift” ( WORLD January 31, 2008 ) indicates that we are.

A Pew survey from 2006 revealed that 30 percent of white evangelicals and 35 percent of black Protestants favor same-sex civil unions. Another Pew study from last year found that 14 percent of all white evangelicals and 15 percent of all black evangelicals support the more radical same-sex marriage.

What’s more, a Greenberg Quinlan Rosner survey conducted for Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly in September found that 58 percent of white evangelicals ages 18 to 29 support either gay marriage or civil unions. For those 30 years and older, the number dipped to 46 percent. (The Rosner poll included those who identified themselves as fundamentalist, evangelical, charismatic, or Pentecostal or who said they were born-again Christians.)

According to the Rosner poll, a full quarter of white evangelical young adults agree that “gay and lesbian couples should have the same legal right to marry as do a man and a woman.”

The spike in such nontraditional views among youth suggests substantial movement on the issue over the past decade. But is a reexamination of Scripture driving that shift?

Good question, Mark. Are almost 50 percent of Evangelicals being Scriptural or being subdued? We cannot allow the homosexual agenda to wear us down. Al Mohler concludes his 2008 volume Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual Tolerance by alerting us to seven strategies homosexual activists are employing to wear us down:

1. The psychological strategy
: to change the discussion from what a person does to what his self-conscious orientation is. This strategy seeks to remove moral accountability from sexuality.

2. The medical strategy: “Anything that can be ‘psychologized’ can also be ‘medicalized.’” The history behind the American Psychiatric Association’s decision to remove homosexuality from The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973 reveals a rationale of political and ideological pressure, not the scientific discovery that homosexuality is in fact, normal. Mohler points out that the APA’s decision not only affected how we are to view homosexuality, but also how we are to view ourselves. One day in 1973 the AP agreed that an indicator of healthy moral thinking was to view homosexuality as abnormal. The next day the APA saw such a view as unhealthy, bigoted, repressive, whereas they then saw the evidence of mental health to be an acceptance of homosexuality as an “alternative lifestyle.”

3. The political strategy has been the least effective. Recent voting indicates the American populace, while being worn down, is yet reluctant to give homosexuality full societal sanction.

4. The legal strategy however has been very effective. (See Robert Bork, Slouching Towards Gomorrah, Regan Books, 1996 which argues that the radicals of the 60’s, bent on social engineering, have extensively permeated the judiciary.)

5. The educational strategy
seeks to separate the child from his or her parents and to advance deviant sex education curricula from elementary schools through universities.

6. The cultural strategy
employs the media and entertainment industries.

7. The theological strategy
seeks to dismantle biblical morality in those institutions which train future leaders of the church. Activists justify sexual perversion with a perverted, twisted interpretation of biblical texts which clearly indict homosexuality as abominable sin. (See Al Mohler’s Bog, “Sex and the Seminary” January 13, 2009 for an eye-opening look at the audacity of those pushing this agenda into the theological arena.)

Mohler concludes his book warning of the potential collapse of Western culture if society allows ungodly social engineers to dismantle the moral foundations of sexual normalcy and the family. He calls us to counter the attack at each of the seven battle lines drawn above. He urges us to bear witness by being ourselves sexually pure and exemplifying godly family life. He calls for us as Christians and as churches to reach into the lives of those ensnared in sexual sin and declare the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are all only saved sinners.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

We need to call men to be what God created us to be: image of God. Only in Christ are sinners of every sort remade in God’s image, and given the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:24).

Alan Dunn


"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

9 comments:

Barb said...

I remember when gays got on talk shows and told men in the audience that they could make any guy gay--by giving them gay sex.

I think that's more the truth of it: gay acts incline men to more of the same. "No pregnancy, no commitment, no hygiene, no hurt feelings --just meet me in the bathroom at the park!"

They quickly learned that "sexual preference" implied choice and they couldn't claim victimization for something they CHOSE to do and became addicted to by their first involvements.

as for their love of people of the same sex, nothing wrong with male (or female) bonding of the healthy sort --with robust friendship and loyalty -- and mutual enjoyment of common interests --for meetings of the minds and kindred spirits. (like Anne of Green Gables and her friend) Like David and Jonathan in the Bible. And Jesus and John. Paul and Timothy and Paul and Silas.

Today's kid who really cherishes same sex friends is made to wonder if that's abnormal.

steve said...

What should we do with all these gays? Should it be a crime to be gay and the government arrest gay people? Should their civil rights be deminished such as their right to assemble, speech, adress grievences, privacy.. ect? Should gays be discriminated against? for example employment, social security benifits like medicare, unemployment, base on sexual orientation? I'm not sure what your focus on the "gay problem" hopes to accomplish.

If you aren't willing to tolerate gays, then what is the solution to the "gay problem"?

Barb said...

In my lifetime, we've always "tolerated" homosexuals who were usually not "open" about their "difference." They have the same rights to marry people of the opposite sex that you and I have, Steve. They don't have a "right" to re-define marriage. In America, they seem to prosper economically and thus have not been discriminated against to the point of disadvantage and deprivation --but they also were quiet about their difference --instead of parading down the street in mockery of nuns and doing simulated sex acts. Those parades should not be allowed because they constitute public indecency.

My parents were pretty sure one of their fellow Boy Scout commissioners was homosexual but nobody said or did anything or treated him badly--as long as he wasn't "doing" the boys. His "difference" was tolerated and people were kind to him. However, I'm sure there is always a class of people that are NOT kind to out-of-the-closet gays; they should probably stay out of straight bars for their safety but I don't condone any taunting or cruelty, bashing. Any more than I condone homosexuals luring young men into their activities and being cruel that way.

For one thing, just because people aren't traditionally feminine or macho to go with their given sex, doesn't mean they ARE gay or that anyone should label them as homosexual --or treat them cruelly. Gay bashing is wrong whether misdirected or not.

Another gay man in our town was finally indicted after a series of relations at his house that culminated in a murder.

I remember a couple of college guys who were expelled for homosexual activity from Christian college --I'm sure they managed to finish school elsewhere. It was against school rules along with a lot of other addictive behaviors like smoking and drinking and fornicating--and some that have since been allowed, like dancing and movie attendance.

A college prof at a Christian school was finally dismissed for gay activities at his house involving students he invited there for gay purposes.

It is rumored that many gay teachers and priests have taken advantage of young men, luring them with porn and then touching, etc. etc. And lesbians as well. One of their gay activist leaders did brag about how they were after our sons in libraries, schools, locker rooms, etc.

Barb said...

There was also an older married man in my folks' S.S. class who was rounded up by the police in a public park with other guys seeking gay encounters. The court did whatever they did --fined him or whatever --and he returned to S.S. and everybody acted as though nothing was different --even though they were shocked. I believe he had even taught the class sometimes. It's probable that the minister or other leadership confronted and counseled him as a member about this, but that part of the story wasn't public knowledge. What got into the newspapers was!

So, don't worry that I want society to DO something about homosexuals. I just want us to quit LYING about their lifestyle being wholesome, inevitable, inborn, immutable, and safe for our kids to enter into -- and to stop CONDONING, CELEBRATING and PROMOTING homosexuality on tv, in movies, in schools, church, business and law. I don't believe in perks for homosexual couples --any more than for shacked up heteros or adulterous men with mistresses or for a man's multiple spouses. Giving in to homosexual temptation is sin, immorality, perversion.

Brokeback Mtn. was on general cable tv recently --and I happened across it when the two guys were in bed --and I turned the station right away. I CAN NOT STAND THE SIGHT OF 2 men or 2 women kissing on the lips and worse. I have a visceral (blchhh!)reaction much worse than seeing normal folks do the normal --which I also would not watch as entertainment for that matter --though erotica can be erotic even though immoral to depict. But gay sex isn't erotic --to me it's like eating cockroaches. Homosexual coupling is just plain wrong and unnecessary --perverse, gross --and what the men do , in particular, is disgusting. Let's stop pretending otherwise. Let's stop trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear. Let's stop trying to stimulate our culture to lust after their own sex --because that is an effect for some young people who would otherwise never even THINK a gay thought.

Sex educators think youth will and should experiment and "explore their sexuality" --as the very effeminate male Planned Parenthood speaker told the school board members at the Toledo Club one fine spring day.

Jeanette said...

I was accosted by my best childhood friend two days after I was married. My husband was working that night and we had scheduled a visit since she was returning from her leave in the Army.

She started crawling all over me, pawing me and telling me she loved me. I told her I loved her like a sister but she told me that's not what she meant as she tried to pull my face to hers to kiss me.

Thankfully, my maid of honor was also invited over that night and when she got there I told her what was going on and we got the drunken lesbian out and into my friend's car to take her home. All the way back she kept trying to crawl all over me and kiss me as a man would a woman.

It's that kind of behavior I don't like. I don't parade down the street proclaiming my heterosexuality so why should they parade down the streets proclaiming their homosexuality?

If they are going to do what they do then let them do it in the confines of their own homes and leave the rest of us out of it.

Can you imagine how embarrassed I was when I got home and my husband was worried because my car was there but I wasn't? I had to just put my head on his chest and cry, telling him what had happened. I had only been married two days! I was a virgin when we got married and I was embarrassed to even walk in front of my husband in the nice negligee bought for me by my friends.

It's the only time he's ever told me what to do in no uncertain terms. He told me not to see her again.

I don't want them punished, but I don't want to be punished by them either.

steve said...

Are you guys going to the Gay Jesus play when it makes its appearance here from Texas?

Making a Gay Jesus play in Texas is like puting a "shootme" sign on your back.. LOL, Christian soldiers are definately shining up their six shooters to rightiously kill that guy. (Like a God that could create the Universe needs the defence of men and their guns).

steve said...

Oh:

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/07/2097823/gay-jesus-play-will-be-performed.html

steve said...

I only asked the above question about what should be done about gays because I've been thinking about the trap that social conservatives have fallen into.

Social conservatives like yourselve have been seduced by the GOP into supporting their ultimate goal of unfettered capitalism and the concept that "freedom" ultimately means free markets.. Free Market Capitalists really don't care about morality. In fact social morallity is counter productive to the goals of unfettered free market capitalism. That's one reason that social conservatives are so frustrated. Because the more they buy into and support the GOP - whose goal isn't social conservatism, but economic corporatism - The more amoral society becomes! Corporatism has no morals other than making a profit. If it was profitable and lawful, there would be a corporatist or corporation going around collecting aborted fetus's and turning them into hair care products. Think about it. The most capitalistic city in America where unfettered economic freedom is the only morality - is Las Vegas, and what kind of morals are represented by Las Vegas? We know what a fan Jesus was of unregulated free market capitalism. It's in the bible how he congradulated and patted the money changers on the back for opening up new markets in the temple. I can just imagine Jesus visiting a Walmart on Sunday morning and appreciating the industry of the good christians of the Wall family for allowing people to buy cheap chinese crap and low low prices on Sunday.

So the more you support unregulated, amoral, and the socially blind all guiding hand of the free market, you are actually subverting your desires for social morality. Social morality and unfettered free markets can not coexist. Just an example, think about America 50 years ago, could you go to a store on Sunday and buy alcoholic beverages? Could you even find a store open on Sunday 50 years ago? Now, not only can you buy alchohol on Sunday, but you can go to the "Christian Bookstore" right after church and ask the non-sabbath honoring friendly clerk to help you find some Bible trinkets - made by the loving hands of Chinese workers who don't have any labor law protections or minimum wage protections.. cranking out bible trinkets by the millions for pennies a day. Jesus would love that!

Barb said...

No, you asked the above question about gays because you have been listening to the Muckraker's propaganda who insists that Christians like me must want to criminalize sexual sin, taunt, hate, and abuse homosexuals the way he wants to do to Christians --and does do verbally.

Just because we oppose the right to do wrong, stand up for God's standards and traditional definition of marriage and family, he thinks he can lie and assassinate character. We just do not agree that homosexuals have inherent rights to marry for their addiction to sodomy, adopt kids and sleep in the Boy Scout tent.

As for capitalism, there is greed and potential for corruption at the top in management and at the bottom in the Union mindset. E.G. they have forced union membership and now they want the law to require an OPEN vote of employees about whether or not to form unions --so the bullies can intimidate people into forming unions. How unAmerican is that!

AS for bad products from China, nothing will clean that up more than profit incentive and exposure and vigilance on our side to inspect products. (That's a career that should grow.)

Christianity has the right principles for successful free enterprise: honest management and honest labor. Some American atheists still have values of honesty and compassion --but ONLY because our christian culture has TAUGHT those things. Yet, look at Muckrake. He doesn't feel any compulsion to non-discriminate or show compassion or honesty about us --his atheism frees him up to be an unqualified lying jerk with horrible blog etiquette --justifying his shenanigans of impersonation, publishing addresses and names, because he depersonalizes US, lying to call us racists who don't care about poor people, etc. This kind of guy could support a holocaust against conservative Christians --falsely accusing us of wanting to foment hatred, kill, torture, or imprison gays. That's not what Christ-followers are about.

BTW, if anything I say here about Muckrake isn't true, he could deny it, but he really can't with any credibility --because it is true.

As for America abroad, our companies are teaching a poverty-stricken, desperate world how to compete in a world marketplace. E.G. Champion or Firestone, one of those, went to Liberia --where they have daycare and healthcare for their whole community of employees. Yes, profits may be higher and regulations fewer for the owners, but the standard of living of the Liberians improves --and they learn something about mass production and American technology and business. China may not be getting good wages --but they are richer than they were --and I understand that both Christianity in the factories and capitalistic principles are part of the Chinese cultural improvement. I read where Bible studies at noon in the factories were tolerated because of the improvement in worker attitude and work ethic, output, social relations.

Finally, about Walmart's cheap products. Because of Walmart, even poor American kids are dressing well, own cell phones, computers, tv's, Wi's and the latest CD's. In fact, I'm shocked to find that many of the poor kids have tv's of their own in their rooms! Not good.

Now, it's our national challenge to find new ways to get everybody employed. We can't make kids be good students and ethical people if they are truant and lack moral parents and are more gov't dependent because of our national low morals.

The demise of Christianity is not for any culture's good.