Homosexuality and the Incredibly Shrinking Jesus

Ex-homosexual DL Foster, who runs the "Gay Christian Movement Watch" website monitoring that heretical agenda. Defending Christian Truth on homosexuality is unpopular in some quarters, but it is the duty of every Bible-believing Christian. Go to the AFTAH Radio Hour Archive to listen to our interview with Foster.

HELP AFTAH CONTINUE TO STAND FOR TRUTH: Please help AFTAH with an end-of-year gift: give via credit card at www.americansfortruth/donate/  (please do NOT use the PayPal method). Or send your check to: Americans For Truth, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522.

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By Peter LaBarbera, Dec. 24, 2011

I hope you are having a blessed Christmas season and enjoying spending time with your family during this special season that reminds us of God’s great love for mankind: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Three lesser-known verses follow that point to belief in Jesus as the key to salvation and eternal life: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:17-19)

This has been a challenging year for Americans For Truth, as we prepare for some big changes that will put us on solid footing to continue for decades in our unique calling of telling the unvarnished truth about a Sin Movement that calls itself “gay.”

Like previous years, 2011 saw the aggressive homosexual-transsexual lobby grow more arrogant, intolerant and anti-Christian with each passing day — commensurate with its expanding power and utter lack of accountability from the liberal media. But since Christmas Day is just around the corner, I’ll hold off on recounting the lowlights of 2011 until next week. Incidentally, this is AFTAH’s 2,000th web post: thank you to all who make our work possible through your generous gifts and prayers! [To give to AFTAH, click HERE.]

Jesus is the reason…

Instead, I’d like to talk about Jesus Christ. My mother, who has passed away, used to love this rejoinder to the fluff and commercialism surrounding Christmas: “Jesus is the reason for the season.” As much as I love the Christmas season, the secular- and Santa overkill surrounding the holiday only accentuates the trivialization of deep spiritual truth that plagues our nation. These days, even non-Christians recognize that America is in a severe moral crisis – yet unlike our fiscal woes, the secular media block any serious discussion of this social and spiritual malady.

Many give lip service to Jesus, without personal faith, out of sense of history and cultural tradition. “Cultural Christians,” we call them. But the Left has long recognized the value of using Christian idealism to advance its ungodly agendas, e.g., communism. In recent years, the self-styled “queer” lobby has latched on to this strategy – pushing the full homosexualist and gender confusion agenda in the name of “civil rights,” “social justice,” and even morality.

Yes, advocates of sexual sin (masquerading as civil rights crusaders) now embrace Jesus, too. Heck, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the world’s most powerful homosexual lobby group, has an online, pro-LGBT Bible study! (Here is one Christmas lesson from “Out in the Scriptures”; note the curious analogy to Mary and emphasis on “gay” victimization.)

Proudly ‘Gay’ Christians?

Another ominous development is the rise of a proud “gay Christian” movement — which to me makes about as much sense as the “Christian porn-users” movement or “Adulterers for Christ.” It just doesn’t work, biblically speaking (see www.RobGagnon.net). Some who take part in this movement are just spiritually confused people, but others are cunning strategists attempting to co-opt Christ and manipulate Bible-believing Christians to win the Culture War. That means sounding more religious and moral in this religious nation, a tactic I saw being honed at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force organizing conference I attended undercover earlier this year.

To get an idea of how outrageous and blasphemous the proud homosexualist movement can be, watch this bizarre claim by former HRC staff (and Obama appointee) Harry Knox, who calls his homosexuality a “gift from God” that he would never want to give back out of “respect” for his creator. I got hammered by homosexual activists for calling this quotation “Satan’s Talking Points” – but I stand by it because Satan is the one who turns evil into good (Isaiah 5:20) and vice versa. Satan attempts to deceive mankind into following sin rather than the Real Jesus, and he does it by making it seem as natural and harmless as possible.

Media mendacity

Many jaded secularists and progressives can accept or even rally behind an ambiguous “Jesus” who champions homosexual “rights” – but not One whose followers who are called by Him to resist organized sexual sin. The same Left and cynical media that go gaga over the modern absurdity of “same-sex marriage” simply will not accept a Jesus who invades the life of sinners to lead them out of their bondage (addiction) to the homosexual lifestyle – people like Stephen Black and Charlene Cothran.

One almost comical indication of media mendacity is the spectacle of professional journalists – and I use that term liberally — regurgitating homosexual propagandist Wayne Besen’s cynical “Pray Away the Gay” slogan. This little chunk of semantic bigotry is obviously intended to ridicule people trying to overcome homosexuality with God’s help. (Would the media ever malign Christian ministries trying to help drug addicts go clean through prayer by calling them “Pray Away the Drugs”?) Reality check: many men and women have left male homosexuality, lesbianism and transgenderism behind after being born-again through the Lord Jesus Christ — living out (like all believers in the Messiah) this wondrous New Testament truth: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV)

Tim Tebow and the Real Jesus

Tim Tebow proclaims Ephesians 2:8-10 on the field: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast...."

The current fascination with and controversy surrounding Tim Tebow exposes the spiritual shallowness of America’s elite-driven culture. The secular Left can’t believe that a man would actually live his very public life unashamedly to glorify and honor Jesus Christ. (Why, he’s even a virgin!) “Stop the Jesus talk,” they plead, as Tebow breaks the liberal speech code by refusing to hide his faith behind the walls of a church. Doesn’t he know that only secular “religions” like radical environmentalism, “animal rights,” sports fanaticism and “gay marriage” merit such public adoration?

For so many in this culture that once called itself “Christian,” the attitude seems to be: Jesus who?  We don’t want Jesus in our lives because Jesus – at least the biblical Jesus – might cause us to reflect on our sins and the self-centered way we are living. Better to make Him a quaint relic of a bygone era – not relevant to our modern era of sophistication, “diversity” and science.

In so many quarters – especially where liberalism runs deep — people behave as if Jesus is not Real — and that His Word, the Bible, is not the holy guidebook for life. The modern liberals’ Jesus has no authority – and the Bible, like our Constitution, is constantly “evolving” in its meaning. Thus, if the Presbyterian Church USA wants to ordain practicing homosexuals, well, why not if they can get the votes?!

On the political front, it is commonplace these days for openly religious (“Christian”) politicians – from whatever denomination – to become shills for homosexuality, abortion-on-demand and other social evils. (Ditto for phony “orthodox” Jews like Sen. Joe Lieberman, who manages to wear his piety on his sleeve and be a crusader for homosexual activist legislation at the same time.)

At least the atheists – reprehensible as their ideology is — are honest about their disdain for God. So many religious people try to have it both ways.

Jesus matters. The less authority He and His Holy Word, the Bible, have in the United States of America, the more our society will deteriorate. We’re seeing that today: our movies and entertainment have become a moral sewer where anything goes. Anything, that is, except the repudiation of liberal groupthink on sexual sin, especially homosexuality. (Don’t look for a successful, happy ex-“gay” on the Big Screen any time soon.)

Jesus Christ-lite?

So loathe are we to judge in Politically Correct America that even many Christian believers are afraid to speak up when apostasy rears its head.

Controversial Christian "evangelist" Andrew Marin goes to Chicago Gay Pride parades and says "I'm Sorry" to celebrating homosexuals. Bible-and-homosexuality authority Prof. Rob Gagnon says Marin's application of Scripture is thoroughly confused.

Some Christians have become “nicer than Jesus” by attempting to reconcile “gay rights” with biblical Christianity. (Perhaps I should say “meaner than Jesus” since they undermine Scriptural Truth.) Liberal evangelical Andrew Marin has bought into the lie of “sexual orientation” – which is nowhere to be found in the Bible. A symbol of the guilt-ridden, emasculated Church, Marin and his followers offer frequent and vocal public apologies to homosexuals. Every year at the Chicago “Gay Pride” parade (a boisterous and bawdy street celebration of “out and proud” homosexuality), Marin holds up a sign that reads, “I’m sorry. I used to be a Bible-banging homophobe.” Of course, no matter how “sensitive” and “nice” Marin and his followers are, it never will be quite enough to satisfy homosexual activists, who demand total capitulation to and celebration of their lifestyle. [See one pro-“gay” Marin critic HERE.] These poor souls don’t need more apologies; they need to humble themselves and repent (turn away from their sin) before the Lord (1 Corinthians 6).

In other words, homosexuals need Christians who love them enough to tell them the whole Truth, not some Politically Correct bastardization of Scripture. [Read Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Professor Rob Gagnon’s thorough refutation of Marin’s confused theology HERE; see Part Two of AFTAH’s radio interview with Gagnon HERE.]

Marin has aligned with fellow “evangeliberals” like Peggy Campolo (wife of popular evangelical speaker Tony Campolo), who posted a video on Marin’s website with her own “I’m sorry” message. I wonder if Mrs. Campolo will ever apologize (repent) to Jesus Christ for her anti-biblical embrace of “same-sex marriage” — and when will Andy say “I’m sorry” to God for confusing believers and non-believers alike about the Bible’s clear prohibition of all homosexual behavior.

In the same spirit of elevating ambiguity over the Scriptures’ clear teaching on homosexuality and sexual sin, the influential Willow Creek Community Church has quietly dumped its “ex-gay” ministry – coincidentally after a radical homosexual group, Soulforce, met with WCCC leaders and asked them to do just that. (AFTAH has led sign protests at Willow Creek’s South Barrington, Illinois mega-campus, calling attention to Willow’s unbiblical compromise; also see this article by DL Foster, who runs a terrific blog monitoring the false “gay Christian” movement and who himself overcame homosexuality through Christ [I interviewed DL Foster for AFTAH HERE].)

Meanwhile, over at Grove City College, which boasts about its “authentically Christian” character, a strange, new phenomenon has taken hold: ostensibly thoroughly “evangelical,” Grove City employs a professor, Warren Throckmorton, who went from being a pro-family advocate to a pro-homosexual activist — pushing the idea that most homosexuals cannot change (their “sexual orientation”). Throckmorton’s position challenges the very essence of the Gospel: Jesus Christ’s regenerative power to change people’s lives. Nevertheless, various attempts to hold GCC accountable for the wayward professor’s “gay”- affirming positions (including support for same-sex “civil unions”) have been futile.

‘Conservatives’ for sin?

Libertarian Republicans like Margaret Hoover are pushing the GOP to support homosexual "marriage."

In the political world, where polls and the media carry far greater authority than Scripture, adherence to a principled, God-honoring position on homosexuality is falling apart. The libertarians are busy seducing Republicans into affirming “same-sex marriage” in the name of liberty and monogamy — cheered on by LGBT-adoring media who have a special place in their heart for right-wingers who sell out on social issues. (Challenge for libertarians: what about citizens’ liberty of conscience and religion in the face of the Pro-Homosexuality State?) [See FOX News contributor Margaret Hoover arguing for “gay marriage” HERE.]

Conservatives stop “conserving” (biblical) truth when they become beholden to Republican Party politics in an age when sexual morality and, well, normalcy are no longer hip. How do you explain icons on the Right like Ann Coulter, Michael Barone and Tucker Carlson advocating a “conservative” version of homosexuality? (Coulterjoined the Advisory Board of GOProud, a pro-GOP homosexual activist group, and left the radical homosexual agenda largely out of “Demonic,” her book on liberal mob-politics; Barone is floating the idea of Republicans embracing “gay marriage” to lure young voters; and Carlson supports homosexual “marriage” as a “civilizing” force for homosexuals.)

Call me an idealist, but whatever happened to pursuing a policy because it’s morally right – before our holy Creator God – rather than pandering to the fickle whims and corrupt social trends of sinful men? God does not support ‘Republican homosexuality’ any more than the Democratic variety.

Abomination, or identity?

That’s the funny thing about an abomination: it cannot be redeemed through politics or attachment to noble institutions like marriage. (Rather, it degrades both.) Like abortion, pornography and adultery (and racism, promiscuity, incest and [insert SIN here]), homosexuality is just plain wrong. Even pagans understand this — because Nature itself discriminates against homosexual behavior, e.g., with its inability to procreate and the astonishingly disproportionate linkage between men practicing homosexuality and sex diseases.

As whacked and dysfunctional as Gay Pride Parades are, high-profile “conservatives” and Christians who help mainstream homosexuality (read: “gay/lesbian/trans” identities) do more damage to the cause of Truth than a thousand burly men in high heels strutting down Main Street. These “conservatives” need to get back to the Real Jesus and to critiquing the Kinsey-ite Sexual Revolution that is dragging America into the cultural pit.

But if homosexuality-embracing conservatives operating in the mostly secular world of politics and media do so much damage, how much more so Christian leaders who manage to convince people that the same Jesus (God) who calls sex between men “detestable” would be standing right beside the LGBT lobby crusading for homosexual “marriage”? Shame.

Get thee behind Me, Satan! (Matthew 16:23)

There is no innocuous “gay” identity any more than there is a “porn” identity or a promiscuous (“swinger”) identity. Sin cannot be nuanced or prettied it up before God – no matter how many campaigns are waged on its behalf. And if we negate sin, we negate Jesus – the One who came to earth to die for our sins. Humble acknowledgement of our sinful state draws us to the Savior – initially resulting in our salvation through repentance, and then continually as believers in Christ.

Counter-cultural Jesus

The marketing campaign to mainstream homosexual behavior is one of the most amazing and yet outrageous in human history. This homosexual-authored book "After the Ball" helped set out a marketing strategy for "gay rights."

The Real Jesus is counter-cultural. Christians are called to demonstrate Radical Love and Radical Truth toward people practicing homosexuality. We must hate homosexual practice and advocacy as sin, without hating those who struggle with this unnatural temptation. In fact, we must show them supernatural grace. That’s the Jesus way.

In a free society, Christians should resist wicked homosexual militants and groups, and organized evil in general. That means standing up in whatever way you can to the well-funded and powerful homosexualist movement that pursues, with cult-like devotion, its goal of rationalizing same-sex identities and behavior. We must admonish impressionable youth — and the wider culture – that it is a false and unbiblical to cast homosexuality as “who you are,” as opposed to a behavioral sin that people can fall into.

The “gay” marketing campaign to redefine sexual perversion as a civil right is in one of the most spectacularly successful anti-God movements in human history. But it is still wrong. As a faithful Christian, you must be willing to stand with God and against sinful men, even if that means you will be called a name or suffer for righteousness’ sake.

Sadly, America is a nation and civilization in steep decline. And, as historians like the late Will Durant asserted, societal acceptance of homosexuality and sexual immorality are a sign of that decline. We have forsaken our nation’s biblical birthright. Now our President, Barack Obama and his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton – both professing Christians — are spitting in God’s eye by pledging to promote homosexuality abroad as a “human right” – just as the Left previously fought to use American money and influence to promote abortion in foreign countries.

Christian integrity

These dark times call out for integrity in the Body of Christ. The smug secularists on the Left (and Right) will cast us as prudes, or self-righteous know-it-alls – or Bible-thumping know-nothings! But the truth is we are flawed followers of a holy God trying earnestly to be faithful to His inerrant Word. Christians are called to trust and obey Jesus Christ, not the culture, in an age in which so many elites and celebrities think they know better than God. They don’t.

The Jesus Way is to say, “No, I will not support in any way a behavior that my Lord calls sinful.” And while we take our stand, we must continuously point men and women – and brainwashed youth – to the One who came in a manger to Bethlehem so many years ago. The One who came to earth specifically to die in our place – and who now sits in glory at the right hand of His heavenly Father.

Merry Christ-mas and a Happy New Year!

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HELP AFTAH CONTINUE TO STAND FOR TRUTH

Please help AFTAH with an end-of-year gift: give via credit card at www.americansfortruth/donate/ (please do NOT use the PayPal method). Or send your check to: Americans For Truth, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522.