A returning Marine plants a kiss on his boyfriend at a homecoming reception. Congressman Paul Ryan now says it would be a “step in the wrong direction” to reverse the law allowing such open homosexuality in the military. In this widely-distributed photo, we blocked the male-male kiss and circled a child in the background. Click to enlarge.

By Peter LaBarbera

Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan’s recent politically correct reversal on homosexuals in the military (to align with his running-mate) illustrates why conservatives often lose in politics by following a defeatist model of “Kvetch and Retreat,” as laid out by New York Orthodox Rabbi Mayer Schiller.

Schiller accurately observed how in political debates with the Left, conservatives typically warn of the dire consequences of a given policy as they passionately resist it. Then, if the Left wins, conservatives “kvetch” (complain, whine) about the loss — but rather than fight doggedly to regain lost political and cultural ground, they often “retreat” by accepting the new liberal status quo and moving on to the next battle.

The “Kvetch and Retreat” phenomenon — repeated again and again – results in a radically transformed society guided by liberal ideology and policy victories that morph into “mainstream” consensus with the help of the morally-challenged media and cultural elites.

Liberals take politics much more seriously than conservatives: they tightly adhere to their (misguided) principles and do battle with a long-term perspective – rallying behind their core beliefs and viewing defeats as mere temporary setbacks. A good example is their war on the Boy Scouts: after the Supreme Court in 2000 narrowly preserved the Scouts’ right not to permit homosexual and atheist scoutmasters, pro-“gay” leftists did not mope around in defeat but instead ramped up their attacks on the beleaguered Scouts – painting them as “bigots” and driving them off parks and other public venues.

In contrast, there is no fight left in Congressman Ryan after the demise of ‘Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell’ (he previously voted to keep the homosexual ban). Speaking just days after addressing a conservative “Values Voters” conference, Ryan said this when asked by a TV reporter about the new pro-gay military law:

“I talked to a lot of good friends of mine who are combat leaders in the theater, and they just didn’t think the timing of this was right to do this when our troops were in the middle of harm’s way in combat. Now that it’s done, we should not reverse it. I think that would be a step in the wrong direction because people have already disclosed themselves [as homosexuals].

“I think this issue is past us. It’s done. And I think we need to move on.”

Rep. Paul Ryan

Why is Alan Chambers apologizing — to unrepentant homosexuals — for Exodus International’s past slogan, “Change is possible”?

In this broadcast [click HERE to listen], recorded September 6, 2012, AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera and co-host John Kirkwood discuss several issues in the news surrounding the homosexual issue, including:

• Exodus International president Alan Chambers’ embrace of “gay”-affirming Christianity and his appearance before the “Gay Christian Network” (at which Chambers apologized for Exodus’ former slogan, “Change Is Possible”);
• An excellent response by Kirkwood to LaBarbera’s question: “Is ‘sexual orientation’ in the Bible?”;
• Commentary on Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias’ compelling answer at an open forum to the question, “Is it possible for a man or a woman to live a sincere Christian life as a homosexual?”;
• The Democrat Party versus the Republican Party platforms on homosexuality — and especially the Democrats’ formal embrace of homosexual “marriage”;
• Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-IL)’s overzealous response to FOX interviewer Brett Baier’s question about why the Democrats would remove the word “God” from their 2012 Party Platform (it was later restored in a controversial floor voice vote [listen at about 46:00 on the program]). Durbin asserts that “both parties are God-fearing parties”;
• The growing push within GOP circles — including this article on conservative icon Glenn Beck’s website The Blaze — to advance homosexual “marriage.”

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes.  Real Player is not supported and there may be difficulty when attempting to listen with it.  Left click once on the link below to play.  (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.)  OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show.

9-6-12, Peter LaBarbera & John Kirkwood

Rachel Held Evans says today’s younger Christians are uniting against legislative action (such as pro-traditional marriage amendments) opposing the homosexual agenda.

By Peter LaBarbera

Folks, there’s nothing that MSNBC and the Left-biased media love more than to highlight an evangelical Christian who has sold out on homosexuality (or abortion). That is essentially what evangelical blogger Rachel Held Evans has done on the homosexual “marriage” issue — hence she is featured prominently in this MSNBC piece titled, “Could marriage debate drive young christians from church?”

For the life of me I cannot fathom the shallowness of Held Evans’ thinking, beginning with her casual acceptance of personal identity (“gayness”) based on a sin (homosexuality) that God calls an abomination. Are today’s young Christians really that soft-headed and brainwashed (yes, brainwashed by the politically correct media, Hollywood and academia) that they believe that because they “know someone who’s gay,” they can no longer fight and speak out against something as evil as legalized homosexual “marriage”?

Is it beyond the comprehension of the under-35 crowd that perhaps out-and-proud “gayness” and other misguided secular ideas are prospering precisely because the influence of biblcal Christianity is waning in our culture?

Also note in bold below Held Evans’ particular aversion toward Christians opposing the political/legislative homosexual agenda — while presumably it is fine for the powerful Sin Movement that calls itself “gay” to use our American freedoms to push boldly toward achieving its radical goals. (Goals that include teaching homosexuality and gender confusion (transgenderism) to the very young in schools; blacklisting and silencing pro-family (Christian) voices in the media; and undermining religious freedom itself insofar as it conflicts with homosexuality-based “rights.”)

In other words, Held Evans and fellow “nicer-than-Jesus” evangelicals advocate a unilateral surrender in the Culture War.

This morning I sent the following public letter to Grove City College professor and homosexuality-affirming blogger Warren Throckmorton, as well as dozens of pro-family leaders. Note that Throckmorton, a frequent critic of conservative evangelical leaders, has been singled out for praise by the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center — the same SPLC that outrageously labeled AFTAH, Family Research Council, American Family Association and other mainstream pro-family organizations as “hate groups.” [Contact Grove City College HERE.]

In another post we will publish Prof. Rob Gagnon’s response to Richard Cohen’s new and curiously “gay”-affirmative approach to the homosexual issue.  — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

Warren,

I certainly don’t think Richard Cohen or anyone needs to apologize for stating the obvious truth that “Change [away from and rejecting homosexuality] is possible.” If we were to apologize for everything that “offends” hardened LGBT activists, we’d be apologizing 24/7.

The question is, when will YOU apologize for affirming homosexuality as an acceptable (or innocuous) identity — while claiming (falsely) to uphold biblical orthodoxy? When will YOU repent for working hand-in-hand with “gay” activists who are diametrically opposed to the Christian worldview on homosexuality as an overcomable sexual sin (and an abomination) — by actively discrediting the need AND potential for wholesome change away from same-sex behavior and indulging same-sex desires?

Read the rest of this article »

This is a copy of an AFTAH e-mail sent out September 8, 2011: 

Dear Readers,

We Republicans have often found ourselves on the wrong side of civil rights struggles since the 1960s, but there was a reason that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s father is said to have supported Republicans.

Republicans were historically the party ever-expanding freedom to disenfranchised minorities, from newly liberated slaves to giving women the right to vote. Susan B. Anthony was a Republican. By supporting the [pro-homosexuality American Foundation for Equal Rights trial against California’s Proposition 8 upholding traditional marriage as between a man and a woman] we have an opportunity to establish our historic credibility on civil rights issues once again. But we should support marriage equality because it is the right thing to do.

Gays and lesbians are our friends, neighbors, doctors, colleagues, sisters and brothers. Does it sit well with you that because of their sexual orientation, a factor outside one’s control, that they should have less rights and protections in the eyes of the law?…

That’s why the Supreme Court, in 1967 Loving v. Virginia, legalized interracial marriage –six years after our current president was born to an interracial couple. At that time 73% of the population opposed “miscegenation.” How long would it have taken to change popular opinion, for the minority to democratically win their constitutional rights? As Martin Luther King, Jr. famously asserted, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” 

“A Queer Thing” author assails Andrew Marin’s flawed biblical exegesis

Dr. Michael Brown, author of "A Queer Thing Happened to America," says true biblical love cannot bury the truth that homosexual behavior and relationships are sinful.

This is the fourth and final part of AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera’s interview with Dr. Michael Brown, author of “A Queer Thing Happened to America.”  This aired May 14, 2011. [Click HERE to listen.] Brown, director of Coalition of Conscience, and LaBarbera discuss the proper approach of telling the “truth in love” to people practicing homosexuality. Brown espouses a “Reach Out and Resist” approach of lovingly reaching out to homosexuals with the Gospel while steadfastly resisting the agenda to normalize homosexual, bisexual and transgender behavior through the law and culture.

When asked about controversial pro-“gay” Grove City College professor Warren Throckmorton and others who support “civil unions” and pro-homosexual “sexual orientation” laws as an alleged outworking of Christian compassion, Brown says faithful Christians cannot support the idea of legal “civil rights” based on sinful behavior.  He assails the non-biblical approach of “Love Is An Orientation” author Andrew Marin, a liberal Chicago evangelical living in Boystown who seems reluctant to affirm clear Scriptural teachings that homosexual behavior is always sinful. Brown also prays for “Chaz” Bono, the daughter (Chastity) of Sonny and Cher who has gained immense sympathetic media attention surrounding her tragic quest to become a “man.”

Special “A Queer Thing” Offer: Michael Brown’s book “A Queer Thing Happened to America” is available through AFTAH at a discount price fo $25 (including shipping and postage). Make a $25 gift online at www.americansfortruth.com/donate/; or mail your $25 donation requesting the book to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522.

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes.  Do not use Real Player.  It is not supported and there may be difficulty listening with it.  Left click once on the link below to play.  (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.)  OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show. 

5-14-11, Dr. Michael Brown

Jay Bakker

Note: here is a previous AFTAH article on homosexuality-affirming apostate Jay Bakker: “The Latest Bakker Scandal”. We hope Jay repents and gets back to defending Bible truth rather than subverting it. (Did you know that God spoke personally to Jay and told him that homosexuality is not a sin? Quick, launch a massive recall of all those “homophobic” Bibles so they can be updated with Bakker’s politically correct “truth”!) And don’t get me started on confused Wheaton College alum Cathleen Falsani, praised HERE by renegade “evangelical” Brian McLaren (never a good sign). Phil Magnan is right on below: God does not enable sin but in His great love and mercy helps repentant sinners overcome it [listen to our interview with former homosexual DL Foster HERE]. Those who shill for “gay christianity” (small ‘c’) are denying Jesus Christ’s — God’s –power to transform the lives of humbled sexual sinners. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

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God’s Grace Doesn’t Lead Us into Sin

By Phil Magnan, President, Biblical Family Advocates

It isn’t as though you want to throw stones at this guy. I truly pity Jay Bakker and the people he met in this article in the liberal Huffington Post. Bakker, the son of the past televangelist, Jim Bakker, is so lost in his interpretation of what grace really means. If you read the article, it’s an eye opener of what we are up against — in which, so-called preachers are leading others into sin. Bakker pastors his own church but according to this article, he is sliding into apostasy with the best of intentions.

You can tell that the “drag” crowd about which Bakker writes yearn to be accepted, but on their terms and not on God’s terms. Jesus came into the world to call sinners to repentance; not acceptance to live in sin. We truly need to reach out to the lost, including the homosexual community. But real love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, it rejoices in the truth. (1 Corinthians 13:6)

You see, when people live in the real truth, it will set them free! But when you think that grace leads you to sin more, you do not have grace at all. In fact, Jesus said He would declare that He never knew us if we embrace sin. There is no question that we all want grace and forgiveness from God; but the grace He gives enables and teaches us to deny ungodliness.

As the scripture says in Titus 2:11-15; “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority Let no one disregard you.”

These false shepherds are leading people into sin as they have transformed the grace of God into license for sin. As Jude 1:4 affirms: “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

“Would CPAC bring in an organization specifically devoted to promoting abortion and pretend it’s conservative?

Shame on CPAC for defending the absurd proposition that one can be ‘conservative’ while embracing moral surrender – in this case the idea espoused by GOProud of the government granting ‘rights’ and benefits based on sinful sexual conduct long regarded as anathema to biblical and Judeo-Christian values.” — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH, quoted in WorldNetDaily.com

TAKE ACTION: There is nothing “conservative” about promoting homosexual behavior in the name of “civil rights.” Contact American Conservative Union (703-836-8602) and urge them to live up to their name and stop “gaying down” conservatism by embracing pro-homosexuality activism through CPAC. (ACU has allowed the homosexual activist group GOProud to be a sponsor at its Conservative Political Action Conference, to be held Feb. 10-12, 2010 in Washington, D.C.) ACU’s offices are closed for the holiday, but you can leave them a message on their voicemail or through their website contact page.

_______________________________________

WorldNetDaily.com reports:

Biggest conservative names bidding goodbye to CPAC

Participation of homosexuals, financial mismanagement cited

By Brian Fitzpatrick
© 2010 WorldNetDaily; 12/27/10

Two of the nation’s premier moral issues organizations, the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America, are refusing to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference in February because a homosexual activist group, GOProud, has been invited.

“We’ve been very involved in CPAC for over a decade and have managed a couple of popular sessions. However, we will no longer be involved with CPAC because of the organization’s financial mismanagement and movement away from conservative principles,” said Tom McClusky, senior vice president for FRC Action.

“CWA has decided not to participate in part because of GOProud,” CWA President Penny Nance told WND.