Following are the remarks by Preston Noell, President of Tradition, Family, and Property, at yesterday’s coalition press conference in Chicago against Obama’s homosexual agenda:

“President Obama’s much vaunted ’search for a common ground’ no longer passes even a perfunctory smell test. His bromides are designed to soothe and assuage. But his hypnotic rhetoric belies his actions.

“By appointing Harry Knox to his Faith Advisory Council, Obama panders to the homosexual movement, and manifests cynicism at its worst.

“Knox is the very incarnation of hate-filled, anti-Catholic bigotry and must go. His militant, hate-mongering anti-Catholicism is amply on display. Knox’s malicious attack on Pope Benedict as a “discredited leader of an army of oppression” is the rallying cry portending the persecution of the Church.

“Knox is the ugly new face of anti-Catholic oppression and persecution.  President Obama has a choice: either give Knox a pink slip or be known not only as the abortion president but the anti-Catholic president as well.

“Mr. President, fire Knox, NOW!!”

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Related AFTAH stories on Harry Knox:

• VIDEO: Satan’s Talking Points? HRC’s Harry Knox Claims Homosexuality Is ‘Gift from God’ in MSNBC Debate with CWA’s Matt Barber
• White House ‘Comfortable’ With Anti-Catholic Homosexual Activist Harry Knox on Faith Council

By Thorin Anderson, Illinois Family Institute, 7/30/08

Whenever there is conflict between homosexual activists and conservatives regarding the issues such as the acceptance of same-sex “marriage,” we on the right are accused of lacking respect for homosexuals.

But, I would like to make one thing clear. The debate is not about respecting people, but about accepting bad behavior. There are many human behaviors which we conservatives believe to be unacceptable. They range from lying and cheating to promiscuity before or during marriage. They include murder and rape and a host of other deeds, criminal or otherwise. To say that we don’t respect someone when we disagree with their conduct is to suggest that confronting any bad behavior is inherently disrespectful. Are we to stop speaking about all wrong conduct? Should we stop confronting lying, stealing, or murder? Such a suggestion would be ludicrous.

All humans are worthy of respect as humans, period. But it is utter folly to imagine that behaviors people engage in are automatically respectable simply because a certain number of people are involved in them. Sad to say, many things we human beings do are not only unworthy of respect, but are destructive and dangerous. There is a reason why no one writes in any detail, in public, regarding the activities of homosexuals. And there is a reason why homosexuals have significantly shorter than average life expectancies. There is not a newspaper in the country that would detail their private conduct, and most of our stomachs could not handle it. Yet, we are told we MUST accept such conduct as perfectly normal. Get out your Webster’s and look up “normal.” Homosexuality in no way fits the definition of “normal.” And, it requires no special genius to understand that!

No doubt many practitioners have found themselves harassed or worse by those who don’t respect homosexuals and have taken it upon themselves to mock or injure them. Such actions are wrong. It is legitimate to demand respect as people, but it is absolutely illegitimate to demand respect for conduct that is simply disgusting on its face. And, consider the homosexual’s attitude toward such virtues as fidelity and loyalty. No self-respecting woman would tolerate infidelity in her husband, but in the homosexual community, infidelity is not only allowed, it is a given. It is ironic that homosexuals demand such respect from the general community when they quite obviously have little respect for themselves or one another. Such proclivities reveal that, in fact, the homosexual lifestyle really is much less about deep abiding relationships than satisfying inappropriate sexual desires.

Let us be clear about something: Christian conservatives oppose the wanton satisfying of inappropriate sexual desires in anyone whether straight or homosexual.

Those of us who disagree with homosexual conduct based upon the principles of the Bible and nature can do nothing to stop homosexuals from practicing their chosen lifestyle. But it is an egregious violation of our freedoms, principles, and character to demand that we accept it as normal.

Thorin Anderson is a member of the Pastor Advisory Council to Illinois Family Institute and the pastor of Parkwood Baptist Church on the south side of Chicago.

Pastor Anderson is also the President of Men for Christ, an association that organizes annual weekend men’s rallies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois on a rotating basis. For more information on these events, please visit www.MenforChrist.us.

Friday, August 01, 2008

On today’s broadcast, we’ll hear the concluding message in our series “Perversion of the Picture – Distorting God’s Design.” Over the past several broadcasts, featured speaker Dr. Jim Shaddix has been focusing on the break-through or triumph one can have in overcoming the homosexual lifestyle. Today, he brings three very important guidelines to those who desire Christ-like victory over sinful behavior; enlist the help of other believers, build safeguards into your life, and give the process plenty of time. Sermon is available to watch or listen or download as an MP3 here:

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Hope_For_Today/archives.asp?bcd=8/1/2008

See links below for more sermons in Shaddix’s series:

Homosexuality — the Breakthrough (7/31/08)

The primary battlefield of our personal, spiritual warfare, is the mind. Failure to understand this can, and does, result in simplistic, if not trite responses to people who are besieged by a sinful lifestyle. On this edition of Hope For Today, featured speaker Jim Shaddix concludes the 2nd installment of his message “Homosexuality – The Breakthrough”, as he looks at the Holy Spirit’s role in overcoming spiritual warfare and bondage. I Corinthians 6

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Homosexuality — the Breakthrough (7/30/08)

In chapter six of Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, he reminded his readers of the perils in unrighteous living. After listing many examples of this lifestyle, he used these words in verse 11, “And such were (emphasis) some of you.” Obviously, his usage of the past tense verb, indicates that it is possible to break free of the bondage of a nagging, sinful lifestyle. On Hope For Today, teaching pastor Jim Shaddix begins part two of the message “Homosexuality – The Breakthrough”, and resumes his look at the sequential steps in overcoming long-term, sinful behaviors. I Corinthians 6

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Homosexuality — the Breakthrough (7/29/08)

When questioned about their lifestyle, a very common response from a member of the homosexual community is, “I was born this way.” Can that same mentality then be applied to one who steals or rapes? On Hope For Today, Riverside senior pastor Dr. Jim Shaddix looks deeper into the source of this mindset, and the problems that come with it as he continues the message “Homosexuality – The Breakthrough.” I Corinthians 6

There are more sermons by Jim Shaddix on homosexuality HERE.

Contact: Peter LaBarbera: 630-717-7631.

TAKE ACTION: Contact WTTW online or through their main switchboard at 773-583-5000; ask for WTTW CEO/President is Dan Schmidt and/or Programming Director Dan Soles. Or you can call WTTW’s “Member Services” phone number at 773-509-1111, ext. 6 (between 9-5:00 Central); hit “6″ and you will get a live person; kindly communicate your opposition to WTTW’s pro-homosexual programming and the blatant anti-Christian bigotry that is part of it. Click HERE to find the PBS TV station in your area to check if they are engaged in the same “Gay Pride Month” biased programming and let us know what you find: americansfortruth@comcast.net.

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AFTAH Condemns WTTW, PBS for Airing Anti-Christian Programming Celebrating Homosexuality During ‘Gay Pride Month’

NAPERVILLE, Illinois — Americans For Truth President Peter LaBarbera today accused the Chicago public TV station WTTW, and by extension the Public Broadcasting System, of using taxpayer monies to celebrate homosexuality and worse, air programs that displays flagrant anti-religious bigotry during “Gay Pride Month.”

“It is unconscionable that WTTW would show such blatant disregard for its faith- and tradition-minded viewers that it would use anti-Christian programs celebrating homosexuality for its fund-raising telethons,” LaBarbera said. “Public television must be impartial on controversial moral issues. We call on WTTW and PBS to balance their pro-homosexual programming with faith-based educational material from the other side, or stop it altogether.”

Last night (and apparently on June 1), WTTW used the documentary, “The Power of Harmony,” featuring the Dallas-based Turtle Creek Chorale, as a fund-raiser. It included:

• The homosexual men’s choir singing the song, “I Ain’t Afraid,” which contains the following refrain denigrating faithful Christians, Jews and Muslims: “I ain’t afraid of your Yahweh, I ain’t afraid of your Allah, I ain’t afraid of your Jesus, I’m afraid of what you do in the name of your God”;
• Repeated assertions that God made homosexuals that way and that portray Christians who disagree as hateful, ignorant or prejudiced. Said one homosexual man’s mother: “God created homosexuality. It’s just part of a person.” Historic Christian teaching holds that homosexual acts are sinful but that this behavior pattern – like other sinful lifestyles – can be overcome through faith in Christ;
• Testimonies by bitter “gay” men who despise and attack the religion of their upbringing because it does not sanction their lifestyle;
• A homosexual male couple adopting a Guatemalan baby.

WTTW’s 2007 Annual Report, shows that the Chicago station received $3,030,000 in Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants in Fiscal Year 2007 and a State of Illinois grant of $1,679,000.

WTTW’s airing of the anti-Christian “The Power of Harmony” comes during June, when homosexuals celebrate “Gay Pride Month.” This month, WTTW also repeatedly has aired another pro-homosexual documentary, “Out & Proud in Chicago,” as a telethon fund-raiser.

“WTTW talks a good game about diversity, but it shows profound disrespect for people of faith and real diversity with its bigoted, one-sided programming on homosexuality,” LaBarbera said. “We expect PBS and WTTW officials to fix this bias problem.”

By Peter LaBarbera

Yesterday’s “Rally for Sally” at the Oklahoma statehouse to support State Rep. Sally Kern (R) was an amazing success, and we will have several reports on it. By all accounts, more than a thousand people turned out — the Daily Oklahoman newspaper reports 1,500 — and people were turned away from the building once the rally began.

CLICK HERE to watch a short DAILY OKLAHOMAN VIDEO-STORY on the “Rally for Sally” [you may have to click on the video story, "Free Speech Rally for Sally"]; and click HERE to read an extended Baptist Messenger interview with Kern about the controversy. You can write Kern at sallykern@okhouse.gov.

It appears as though the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund’s smear campaign against Kern — their YouTube video left out the part of her speech where she said she tries to “love everybody,” even as they charged her with contributing to hate-violence — has only made her one of the most popular politicians in Oklahoma. Although Sally disavowed any interest in running for statewide office, the calls for “Sally for Governor” and “Governor Kern” were heard repeatedly yesterday from her enthusiastic backers.

Sally was moved to tears by the tremendous show of support. Earlier, in the morning, as I met with her and her pastor husband Steve (haters falsely accused Steve, who pastors Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, of being a former KKK member), they had no idea how many people would turn up — perhaps just 50 or 100. But as we arrived at the statehouse two hours early for the event only to see capitol parking lots jammed with cars, it became apparent that something big was about to occur.

As I waited in Kern’s second-floor legislative office as one of the speakers at the rally, Oklahoma citizens — some from as far away as Tulsa, a two-hour drive from the capital — filed in to show their support. Then, as the scheduled noon start time drew closer, it was obvious that this was going to be a very large rally — of the sort that a state lawmaker (or perhaps any politician) rarely receives outside of campaigning for office.

A capitol policeman arrived at Kern’s office with an urgent request to move the rally outdoors — the statehouse rotunda could not accommodate the crowds, he said — but the microphone was already set up inside so instead they allowed crowds to watch from the rotunda’s third-floor balcony. Then Sally was taken by police escort through the throngs to the Capitol’s first-floor rotunda. From the dais as you looked out there were deep crowds in all directions, spilling into the hallways that were like spokes on a bicycle wheel. The third floor balcony had a crowd of supporters as well.

As the speakers, along with Sally’s family and closest friends, were packed in behind the podium, I looked out through glaring media lights at all the appreciative faces looking in. The verse from that “obscure” Book of Romans — 8:28: “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” — came to mind. This was no hate-monger — no ignorant, frothing at the mouth bigot or whatever “religious right” caricature the GLVF and their pro-homosexualist allies sought to affix to Kern — but a wise, decent, loving, and humble Christian woman trying to serve her country and her God. Note the absence of triumphalism in her speech below as she calls for repentance in the Christian Church and a return to godliness.

Imagine if a rising tide of Americans of whatever persuasion stopped “tolerating” sin and bending to the world’s sinking standards — and started caring deeply about God’s Word again, re-”orienting” their lifestyles and conduct to be obedient to it! Who knows if that will happen, but I have a lot more hope for this country after witnessing and being a part of Oklahoma’s “Rally for Sally.”

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Below is the text of Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern’s speech (emphasis added):

Sally Kern Speech, Oklahoma Statehouse, April 2, 2008

I want to thank everyone for coming here today. This rally, Freedom of Speech Rally for Sally, is really about freedom of speech for all who want to stand for the truth of God’s Word. This is not about me. It’s about the Church having the right to speak out for the redeeming love of Jesus Christ who died to set us all free from sin. The Lord gave me a verse I’ve been claiming. Philippines 1:12: “I want you to know that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”

I’ve gotten lots of e-mail lately. Some good, some not so good. I’ve been called lots of names. I can’t repeat most of those names. Some of the good names have been courageous, brave, and hero. I want you to know I have more trouble relating to the good names than the bad. I know I’m a sinner, but I’m not courageous, brave, or a hero. I’m just an earthen vessel, an old clay pot. II Corinthians 4: 7 says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, clay jars to show that this surpassing power is from God.” The last few weeks have been tough but God’s grace has been sufficient. So if I seem courageous, brave, or a hero, it’s not me but God’s grace.

When I gave that now infamous speech, I was not putting down any individual. I believe each and every person is precious in God’s sight. He loves us all. He loves us all equally and He loves us regardless of our sin. Yet, God is not just a God of love but also a Holy and Righteous God who sent His Son to die for our sin so we could have forgiveness and experience life abundantly. To have His forgiveness we must first acknowledge our sin. We can’t excuse it or justify it.

Let me tell you why I will not, why I cannot, apologize for my comments. First, I believe God’s Word. When God calls something a sin, then it is a sin. God never changes and neither does His Word. My opinion doesn’t matter. His Word is all that matters.

Second, this nation was founded on Christian principles. We all know Patrick Henry’s famous words “Give me liberty or give me death.” He also said “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Some say we should separate church and state but Noah Webster said when writing to school children “When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God.”

Third, when I was running for office, I told the people I was running as a Christian candidate because I believed we were in a cultural war for the existence of our Judeo-Christian values. This situation is evidence that the cultural war is real. And it gives me the opportunity to keep my promise to those who voted me into office.

Psalms 11:3 says “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” We can remember that the foundation of society is the home as established by God—one man and one woman. So stand up for it. We can remember that the foundation of this nation was Christianity. Teach it to our children. We can remember that the foundation of the Church is God’s Word. Believe it and practice it daily. We can remember that the foundation of salvation is Christ dying for a world lost in bondage to sin. Proclaim the Truth that will set people free.

When you go home today, go turn on all the lights in your bedroom. Get into the closet and close the door. Stand in the dark a few seconds. Then open the closet door and notice what happens. The darkness in the closet doesn’t swoop our and overtake the light. No, the light spreads into the closet dispelling the darkness. Our world is dark with sin today, not because of the homosexuals, or the murderers, or the drug addicts. It’s dark because the Church has not let its light shine. What the righteous must do is pray II Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Thank God we still have Freedom of Speech in America. Let’s speak out while we still can. God bless you and God bless America.

 NOTE: Rep. Blunt penned a column on the majority’s ENDA legislation this week for Human Events, available

Majority’s ENDA Bill Takes Dead Aim at Religious Freedom

Legislation creates conflict between one’s right to religious freedom, and another’s right to sue you for exercising it

WASHINGTON – House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement today after Democrats failed to secure a veto-proof majority on the so-called Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill that would erode one’s right to religious freedom by strengthening another’s right to sue you for practicing it:

“The structure of the bill before us today is eerily similar to legislation we’ve seen from this majority all year: a favorable, purposefully misleading title applied to a bill that’s poorly assembled and oblivious to its own consequences. 

“In this case, the so-called ‘Employment Non-Discrimination Act’ creates a legal quagmire for employees who practice, or even acknowledge, their religious beliefs – depending on where they happen to work, and subject to judicial interpretation. In the process, it erodes a basic, fundamental right bestowed upon us by our Creator – and a right guaranteed to every American under the U.S. Constitution.

“As a former president of a Baptist college in Missouri, supporters of this bill have been quick to assure me that its most onerous provisions would not apply to that school. But no such exemption is available for Christian bookstore owners, as an example, or any other small business in which people of faith and deep religious conviction are relied upon as an integral part of the workforce.

“Thankfully, Republicans secured the votes necessary this afternoon to uphold a presidential veto. It’s my hope now that this Congress can move forward on the real priorities affecting American families. Though a clear boon to trial lawyers, this bill does not meet that standard.”

NOTE: Rep. Blunt penned a column on the majority’s ENDA legislation this week for Human Events, available HERE. His speech on the floor of the House can be viewed on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Do not be deceived:

• Ruth (a woman) was married to Naomi’s son (a man) until he died — ie, Ruth was in a heterosexual marriage with a man who died, not in a “committed same-sex relationship” with her mother-in-law. Maybe Mr. Miner and Mr. Connoley should finish reading the Old Testman book of Ruth to learn that, after being widowed, she re-married her kinsman-redeemer, Boaz (a man), and that the natural offspring procreated by their heterosexual marital sex is included in the lineage of Christ. The story of Ruth has absolutely nothing to do with homosexuality.
• The word in Matthew 8:5-13 for the centurion’s servant is “pai’ß” which is rendered servant because that is what it means. End of story.
• Homosexuality, like all sin, is primarily a spiritual disorder. Here is the “Gay-Friendly” Gospel: With sacrificial love for all sinners, Jesus Christ came as a physician to heal the spiritually sick — and He still offers healing today, including to homosexuals. But He demands repentance from sin, not self-justification while continuing in sin.

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The following is excerpted from Reading the Bible the Gay-Friendly Way, by Will Kilburn, published Nov 26, 2006, by Boston Globe:

In the battle over gay rights and same-sex marriage, those who oppose both often cite Biblical passages which, they believe, clearly state that homosexuality is wrong.

Trying to rebut this view is a movement led by people who are both gay and Christian who say that the Bible is on their side.

“Most people think that the attitude of gay Christians is, ‘Who cares what the Bible says?’ when in reality, we care deeply what the Bible says,” said the Rev. Jeff Miner , pastor of the Jesus Metropolitan Community Church , a gay-friendly congregation in Indianapolis. He led a forum on the topic last weekend at Arlington Street Church. “We think there are a lot of powerful, affirming things that are in the Bible that have been ignored.”

Those affirming messages were detailed by Miner and forum co-leader John Tyler Connoley in their 2002 book, “The Children are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-sex Relationships.” The book served as the text for the forum, sponsored by an array of gay-friendly local church groups, which drew about 200 people.

Most of the forum was devoted to passages that the authors say treat homosexuals and heterosexuals equally. In the Old Testament, claim the authors, Ruth’s covenant with Naomi, which includes the memorable phrase, “Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live,” actually refers to a committed same-sex relationship. They also offered a different interpretation of a story that appears in both Matthew and Luke, in which a centurion asks Jesus to heal a man who is typically identified — misidentified, says Miner — as the centurion’s servant.

“That story’s often preached about in straight churches,” said Miner, but “nobody bothers to mention that the Greek word used to describe the sick man is the word used in the ancient world to describe your same-sex partner.”

Both Miner and Connoley said they had to leave the relatively conservative churches of their childhoods when they came out as gay, Connoley spending two years in so-called “ex-gay therapy,” in which homosexuality is treated as a mental disorder. Similar conflicts, both internal and external, were recounted by some of the organizers of the forum.

“My primary goal was to provide an opportunity for people who are gay, bisexual, transgender, to come and be affirmed and to be loved,” said Sam Gloyd , 60, an Arlington Street Church congregant who came out as gay when he came to Boston for graduate school 20 years ago.

Gloyd says he got the idea for the forum partly in response to a conference held in Boston last year by the Colorado Springs-based group Focus on the Family . Called “Love One Out,” the event, held at nearby Tremont Temple Baptist Church, offered instruction to families on how to convert a gay relative back to heterosexuality. While some protested on the street, Gloyd chose to go inside and hear what the group had to say, a move that turned painful a few hours later. “I wasn’t just traumatized, I was re-traumatized, because for 40 years of my life I lived this trauma of feeling like I was unacceptable to God,” he recalled. “So it was inspiration from that conference that sort of spurred me on to say we need to offer some alternative voice to this hateful message that’s masked in love.”

That alternative voice doesn’t sway the Rev. Ray Pendleton, pastor of Tremont Temple Baptist Church, where the “Love One Out” event was held.

“The Biblical view of sexuality is pretty clear,” he said. “It says that genital sexuality is to be expressed between a man and woman in the context of marriage, period.” Pendleton was careful to make a distinction between homosexual orientation and the practice itself. “When you look at what the Bible teaches, the Bible doesn’t talk about orientation; the Bible talks about behavior.”

Continue reading at Boston Globe…

Matt Barber, CWA’s Policy Director for Cultural Issues, recently appeared on MSNBC Live debating Harry Knox from Human Rights Campaign on comments made by Rev. Al Mohler that there is a biological basis for homosexuality. Click HERE to watch!

The leaders of two ex-gay ministries say that even if scientists someday find a biological basis for homosexuality, such behavior will nonetheless be immoral and the Bible’s condemnation of it will still stand.

Tim Wilkins (pictured left) of Cross Ministry and Alan Chambers (pictured right) of Exodus International were responding to comments by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr., whose online article about a possible biological basis for homosexuality caused a small media storm.

Both Wilkins and Chambers say they agree with Mohler’s main point — that a biological basis would do nothing to change the discussion over homosexuality’s immorality. Wilkins and Chambers formerly were homosexual. The two men e-mailed their responses to Baptist Press.

“Many people, including evangelicals, mistakenly believe that if a ‘gay gene’ or a hormonal factor is discovered, such news would mean homosexuality is natural and thus acceptable,” said Wilkins, who is married and has three daughters. “But … natural is not normal.”

Chambers, who is married and has a son and a daughter, agreed.

“Science will never trump the word of God,” the president of Exodus International said. “We already know that we are physically, biologically and spiritually fallen creatures, so in a sense finding a biological link to homosexuality wouldn’t be a huge surprise. However, susceptibility isn’t the same as inevitability. Our genetics aren’t a tyranny over us.

“Just because something is genetic doesn’t make it moral, optimal or healthy,” Chambers added. “Research has suggested that there is a biological link to alcoholism and kleptomania, but as a society we aren’t advocating for the rights of alcoholics or those with a compulsion to steal. For that matter, neither are those who are battling those addictive behaviors.”

Cross Ministry and Exodus International hold conferences each year to help homosexuals find freedom in Christ; the conferences also assist those who want to reach out to homosexuals. Among other verses supporting their belief, the organizations point to the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, where he says some members of the Corinth church had been homosexual in the past, but no longer were.

Wilkins believes homosexuality is caused by a combination of “certain personality traits” and environmental factors.

“However, for the sake of argument, let’s assume for the moment that unquestionable scientific proof exists that same-sex attractions are genetic,” Wilkins said. “That ‘fact’ would, in no way, alter the present discourse. Our genetic code is marred by sin. Multiple sclerosis, cancer, cerebral palsy and every other disease is a result of sin. No one would dare consider any of the aforementioned conditions to be normal. In fact, we invest millions of dollars every year in researching these conditions — seeking a remedy.”

Wilkins also rejects arguments that say because homosexuality is sometimes found in the animal kingdom, it is natural.

“It is natural for a female praying mantis to literally devour her male counterpart immediately after they mate,” Wilkins said. “Yet I do not hear secularists suggesting women follow suit.

“Even before I reached puberty, I recognized an attraction to other boys and men — though at that time the attractions were not sexual in nature,” Wilkins said. “I can honestly say that homosexuality seemed ‘natural’ to me, but natural should not be construed as normal. It is ‘natural’ for people to get sick and die. And nowhere does the Bible extol the natural. On the contrary, Scripture speaks of the ‘natural’ with disdain and extols the ‘spiritual’ (see 1 Corinthians 15:44, 46 and Jude 1:19).”

Chambers said there has been “sufficient proof” showing homosexuality is “multi-causal.” His latest book, “God’s Grace and the Homosexual Next Door,” offers advice for the church on reaching out to homosexuals.

“So much of my own struggle and the development of homosexuality in my life can be traced back to specific experiences and roots such as sexual abuse, a lack of relationship between my dad and me at critical points in my childhood, an over bonding with my mom and a lack of same-sex peer bonding prior to puberty,” he said.

Mohler’s column March 2 about a possible biological basis for homosexuality caused so much controversy that he posted a follow-up column March 16, answering some of the objections.

“There is no conclusive research that indicates any biological basis for sexual orientation,” Mohler wrote. “But — and this is a big ‘if’ here — if science were ever to discover a correlation or causation with biological factors, Christians should not be surprised. We believe in the catastrophic and comprehensive effects of the Fall and God’s judgment upon sin.”

Christ, Wilkins said, provides freedom for those struggling with homosexuality — whatever its cause.

“The Bible-believer knows that in this life we are not exempt from temptation — homosexual or otherwise; thus we must battle it daily,” he said. “But here’s the good news. Those very temptations, sometimes relentless, drive me into Christ’s presence, where I repeat the words of the hymnist, ‘I need Thee precious Jesus, for I am full of sin.’”

Well, never doubt the power of the media. My recent article on homosexuality ignited a firestorm in the public square. Why? We may never know — but the controversy represents both a challenge and an opportunity.Several thoughts:

I must admit much frustration about the way many in the media have handled the issue. Headlines proclaimed “Seminary President Says Babies Born Gay” — something I neither believe nor said. Other articles and reports claimed that I suggested that homosexuality may be genetic in origin and that genetic therapies should be used to create customized and corrected babies. I never even mentioned genetic therapies or germ-line experiments, and I am adamantly opposed to genetic therapies of such a sort — real or hypothetical. Reading these reports and headlines was a painful and exasperating experience. If I believed those things attributed to me, I would not agree with myself and would condemn myself…

God’s condemnation of sin is not determined by science, but by God’s Word. The Bible could not be more clear — all forms of homosexual behavior are expressly condemned as sin. In so doing the Bible uses its strongest vocabulary and places this condemnation in the larger context of the Creator’s rightful expectation of our stewardship of the sexual gift. All manifestations of homosexuality are thus representations of human sinfulness and rebellion against God’s express will. Nothing can alter this fact, and no discovery in science or any other human endeavor can change God’s verdict…

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 the Apostle Paul condemns an entire list of sins, including explicit references to homosexuality. Then he reminds the church, “such were some of you.” The complete text reads: “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 6:11]. God brings glory to himself through the salvation of sinners — and Paul includes homosexuality in that list…

Continue reading at Dr. Mohler’s Blog…

A gender confusion activist responds to the firing of a “transgendered” faculty member — a male now living/dressing as a woman — by a private Christian university:

Dr. Albert Mohler is quoted in Gender Issues at the Heart of Culture War (published Nov 23, 2004, by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood) as saying:

“The issue of gender, in my estimation, is at the very center of the target of our secular age and postmodern world,” Mohler said. “It is also at the very center of the target of where we see theological accommodation is taking us, not only in the body of divinity, but also in the complex of the comprehensive truthfulness of God’s Word. What we are looking at here is an assault upon God’s glory.“

So, Danny Baker, we offer you a few examples of Scriptural authority that address “changing genders” and we pray that you will consider them soberly:

So God created man in His own image,
in the image of God He created him;
male and female He created them.

– Genesis 1:27

The Bible describes a strict gender binary — only two sexes, male and female. God did not create a “FTM trans-male” and a “MTF trans-female” or a “genderqueer” or a “two-spirit” person. He created man and woman, and that is what He blessed.

Notice that Scripture says whoever — a completely inclusive term that leaves no room for justifying alternate behavior, even despite confused emotions, discomfort or dissatisfaction, or intense desire. This passage teaches that whoever (i.e., anyone, all, no matter who) cross-dresses, whoever mutilates their natural sexual organs in order to emulate the opposite sex, is an abomination to the LORD your God — not to “trans-phobic, hateful, judgmental Christians,” but to Jehovah God who created them.

After all, Christians are merely repentant sinners, formerly alienated, enemies of God ourselves, so how could we as redeemed sinners rightly look at another sinner as an abomination to us? No, we as Christians look with compassion, we warn of God’s impending final judgment, and we urgently invite all to share in the mercy which we ourselves so desperately need and for which we are so grateful: Come and see how Jesus Christ can transform your mind and your life!

“We believe it’s their decision to make
as a private Christian institution,”
said Gary Glenn of the American Family Association of Michigan.

Excerpted from Transgender Professor Fights Dismissal at Christian School, published Feb 2007, by Associated Press:

Julie Nemecek has long, manicured fingernails and wears a blond wig, makeup and dangling earrings.

She’s also legally a man.

Julie, formerly John, says she gained a lot emotionally after starting to live openly as a woman in recent years — cross-dressing, getting hormone therapy and, a week ago, legally changing her name. But she lost something as well: her job.

Spring Arbor University, a small, evangelical Christian school…, fired the 55-year-old associate professor earlier this week…

In a recent statement, the school said: “Our curriculum integrates faith in all aspects of our liberal arts education, and we expect our faculty to model Christian character as an example for our students.”

…After the Nemeceks’ three grown sons moved out, John started researching gender issues in 2003. He was diagnosed with gender identity disorder, decided he could no longer live a lie and told his shocked wife.

Joanne, 55, didn’t know if she could stay in the marriage, especially when John wanted to transition further into living as a woman. She thought John’s lifestyle was sinful but eventually changed her mind after learning more about his condition…

Being Julie, however, hasn’t been easy.

The Nemeceks had to leave their Baptist church… When Spring Arbor learned of Nemecek’s transgender issue in 2005, it let her keep working this school year but with less pay and responsibility.

She taught classes over the Internet instead of on campus and wasn’t allowed to wear makeup or female clothes on campus or speak with co-workers or students about being transgender.

The job reassignment, according to the school, was an accommodation and chance for Nemecek’s “restoration” because of her 16 years of work at the school “and our desire to act in a Christ-like way.

“The agreement didn’t last long. Spring Arbor sent Nemecek a letter in October saying she’d broken the contract by visiting campus in makeup and wearing a university T-shirt to a local grocery store.

“If we allow you to continue these appearances that manifest your current transgender circumstance, we open ourselves to questions of inconsistency in upholding our Christian beliefs,” Randy Rossman, the school’s director of human resources, wrote Oct. 26.

Nemecek filed the discrimination complaint five days later…

“We believe it’s their decision to make as a private Christian institution,” said Gary Glenn of the American Family Association of Michigan. “This is an adult role model for teenagers whose parents thought by sending them to a Christian school they were not likely to be exposed to such lifestyle choices and emotional problems.”

Continue reading at The Christian Post…

Listen online as Dr. Mohler encourages “pitchfork rebellion” — the laity standing firmly for Truth:

Feb 9, 2007

Homosexuality in the Church: Is It Time for a New Reformation?

Also, Dr. Mohler recommends a book called Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor:

A church in Charlotte has turned itself in to the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, admitting it is in violation of the convention’s stance against homosexuality.

The deacons at Myers Park Baptist Church sent an open letter to state convention officers Feb. 6 saying the church welcomes gay and lesbian persons to participate fully in church life and serve as church leaders. Messengers to the state convention meeting in November changed their governing documents to say churches that support homosexuality are no longer in “friendly cooperation” with the convention — in effect excluding them.

“The purpose of this letter is to inform you there is no need to wait upon the secret reports of others,” the deacons’s letter said, noting convention procedures call for two complaints about a church before an investigation is started. “We, with our 1,850 members serving as witnesses, hereby turn ourselves in.”

Continue reading at Associated Baptist Press News…

…The divine revelation is eternal ethic and thereby will not condone homosexual practice. Those running counter to this revelation will answer to God’s wrath in this life and at death at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

TAKE ACTION – You may send a note of support to Ron Warren, who rightfully recommends removing Bradley Schmeling from his position of authority.

——————————

Excerpted from Homosexual Lutheran Pastor Charged, by Grant Swank, published Jan 20, 2007, by The Conservative Voice:

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America concluded at its 2005 conclave that sex was to be practiced within marriage. Also, such sex was not open to homosexual lifestyles. All this is because the Bible ethic is against sex outside of marriage and prohibits homosexual activities.

Bradley Schmeling, pastor, St. John’s ECLA, Atlanta, makes known that he is homosexual and now has a partner. The congregation agrees that he should continue as minister. In fact, the parishioners had a party celebrating his formal announcement of partnership with a “lifelong companion.”

Bishop Ronald Warren, Southeastern Synod, told Schmeling to resign. Schmeling said he would not resign. “Disciplinary proceedings against him for violating church rules barring sex outside of marriage” have begun. That means Schmeling confronts a hearing composed of a dozen ELCA members deciding his fate…

If the committee concludes him to be defrocked, he would no longer be “recognized as an ordained minister in the ELCA,” per AP. If the congregation still calls him their spiritual leader, the church then could be disciplined…

Throughout the divine revelation right and wrong are set forth by God Himself. Consequently, for those espousing homosexual lifestyles as divinely blessed is to expose their biblical ignorance and theological liberalism, the latter basically given to writing one’s own religion.

Other denominations dealing with this matter include the Presbyterian Church, United Methodist Church, American Baptist Convention and segments within the Mennonite framework. Denominations which accept homosexuality as ethically legitimate include the Unitarian Society, United Church of Christ (Congregational), and the Episcopal Church of America.

Continue reading at The Conservative Voice…

[After various actions opposing homosexuality by the Catholic church, the North Carolina Baptist State Convention, and the US Presbyterian Church...]

Mr Solmonese (pictured right) described these leaders as “out of touch.“

He said: “It’s a sad commentary that these religious leaders are out of step with most Americans of faith in terms of equality and fairness for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith.

“The real story is that more Americans of faith understand that God’s love is expansive, not exclusionary. In fact, church programmes welcoming GLBT people are on the rise and have in the last year experienced a growth of between 10 and 20 percent. ”

Continue reading at Pink News…

Dr. Albert Mohler discusses the New York Times article on “transgender” children and also interviews Rabbi Bruce Ginsberg, cantor for the Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere, NY, regarding the controversy within conservative Judaism over interpretations of Scripture regarding homosexuality.

Click HERE to listen.

Dr. Albert Mohler responds in his Nov 27, 2006, radio program entitled “In the World, But Not of the World: Credibility and the Church.”

Click HERE to listen online

The following is excerpted from When Religion Loses Its Credibility, by Oliver “Buzz” Thomas, published Nov 20, 2006, by USA Today:

Galileo was persecuted for revealing what we now know to be the truth regarding Earth’s place in our solar system. Today, the issue is homosexuality, and the persecution is not of one man but of millions. Will Christian leaders once again be on the wrong side of history?

What if Christian leaders are wrong about homosexuality? I suppose, much as a newspaper maintains its credibility by setting the record straight, church leaders would need to do the same:

Correction: Despite what you might have read, heard or been taught throughout your churchgoing life, homosexuality is, in fact, determined at birth and is not to be condemned by God’s followers.

Based on a few recent headlines, we won’t be seeing that admission anytime soon…

Continue reading in USA Today…

Faced with rising public acceptance of same-sex relationships, three U.S. Christian denominations are taking strong measures this week to condemn homosexual acts as sinful.

The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops, meeting in Baltimore, declared Tuesday that Catholics who minister to gays must firmly adhere to the church’s teaching that same-sex attractions are “disordered.” Catholics with “a homosexual inclination” should be encouraged to live in chastity and discouraged from making “general public announcements” about their sexual orientation, the bishops said.

The largest Baptist group in North Carolina, meanwhile, moved to expel any congregation that condones homosexuality, adopting a policy that allows the Baptist State Convention to investigate complaints that member churches are too “gay-friendly.”

And on Wednesday in Pittsburgh, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a mainline Protestant denomination with about 3 million members, will put a minister on trial for conducting a marriage ceremony for two women.

The decisions are part of a mounting backlash in many U.S. denominations against church groups whose stated goal is not only to welcome but also to “affirm” gay congregants.

Continue reading on Washington Post…

…The normalization of sin represents

a progressive hardening of the nation’s heart

against the Gospel.

From Gay Culture and the Riddle of Andrew Sullivan, by Dr. Albert Mohler, published Oct 27, 2006:

Andrew Sullivan is a man of ideas. In recent years, Sullivan has emerged as one of the most influential intellectuals in American public life. Furthermore, he has been identified with some of the most controversial issues of our times–a fact that is hardly surprising given his libertarian view of morality, conservative views of politics, Roman Catholic views of Christianity, and the fact that he is a prominent homosexual advocate…

In the October 24, 2005 issue of The New Republic, Sullivan writes about “The End of Gay Culture.” Of course, Sullivan’s perspective on homosexuality and gay culture is deeply rooted in his own homosexuality and his ardent embrace of his own homosexual lifestyle. He is anything but a dispassionate observer…

As he reviews the impact of the HIV crisis, Sullivan points to some patterns that emerged in its aftermath–patterns that would likely be missed by those outside the gay subculture. The emergence of lesbians as leaders of the major gay rights organizations was, Sullivan suggests, largely due to the fact that the gay male leaders were largely dead…

“Gay marriage is not a radical step,” Sullivan insisted…

But, even as Sullivan argued for the acceptance and legalization of same-sex marriage, more radical homosexual theorists were dismissing marriage altogether. As Sullivan explained,

“Marriage of all institutions is to liberationists a form of imprisonment; it reeks of a discourse that has bought and sold property, that has denigrated and subjected women, that has constructed human relationships into a crude and suffocating form. Why on earth should it be supported for homosexuals?”

Sullivan’s 1995 book, and his most recent article, must be read in light of his 1998 testimonial, Love Undetectable: Notes on Friendship, Sex, and Survival. This book was written after Sullivan had been diagnosed as HIV-positive. As he recalled:

“I contracted the disease in full knowledge of how it is transmitted, and without any illusions about how debilitating and terrifying a diagnosis it could be. I have witnessed first-hand a man dying of AIDS; I have seen the ravages of its impact and the harrowing humiliation it meant. I had written about it, volunteered to combat it, and tried to understand it. But I still risked getting it, and the memories of that risk and the ramifications of it for myself, my family, and my friends still forced me into questions I would rather not confront, and have expended a great deal of effort avoiding.”

When a high school friend asked Sullivan how he had contracted the virus, Sullivan informed him that he had no idea which sex partner had been the source of the viral transmission. “How many people did you sleep with, for God’s sake?,” his friend asked. Note Sullivan’s answer carefully:

“Too many, God knows. Too many for meaning and dignity to be given to every one; too many for love to be present at each; too many for sex to be very often more than a temporary but powerful release from debilitating fear and loneliness.”

In other words, the public Andrew Sullivan emerged as a major proponent of responsibility, stability, and self-control, while the private Andrew Sullivan was deeply involved in homosexual promiscuity.

All this broke into public view in 2001, when a homosexual columnist discovered that Sullivan had been posting advertisements for unprotected homosexual sex at internet web sites. The ensuing controversy within the gay community was vitriolic, even as it was revealing.

“The End of Gay Culture” is an eye-opening essay. As an exercise in cultural analysis, it demonstrates genuine insight and an insider’s perspective. More than anything else, Sullivan’s article should awaken thinking Christians to the fact that homosexuality is being normalized in the larger culture. This surely represents a matter of urgent missiological concern, for the normalization of sin represents a progressive hardening of the nation’s heart against the Gospel.

At a more personal level, this article reminds me to pray for Andrew Sullivan. I say this even as I realize that he may be more offended by my prayer than by anything else. In most of his writings, Mr. Sullivan demonstrates a consistent and ardent determination to celebrate homosexuality as central to his own self-discovery and personhood. Yet, he also reveals significant doubts. When he explains that he “never publicly defended promiscuity” nor publicly attacked it because “I felt, and often still feel, unable to live up to the ideals I really hold,” I detect a glimmer of doubt. I have faced Mr. Sullivan in public debate on issues related to homosexuality. I consider him to be among the most gifted, thoughtful, and unpredictable intellectuals on the current scene. More than anything else, I want Mr. Sullivan to find his self-identity and deepest passions in the transforming power of Christ–the power to see all things made new. Without apology, I pray that one day he will see all that he has written in defense of homosexuality, and all that he has known in terms of his homosexual identity, as loss, and to find in Christ the only resolution of our sexuality and the only solution to the problem we all share–the problem of sin.

Andrew Sullivan has been a focus of my prayer since I first learned of his HIV-positive status. I do pray that God will give him strengthened health and the gift of time. After all, our Christian concern should be focused not only on the challenge of homosexuality in the culture, but the challenge of reaching homosexuals with the love of Christ and the truth of the Gospel.

Continue reading at Albert Mohler…