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New and improved listening format: listen to entire show by clicking one link
Linda Harvey, founder of Mission America (www.MissionAmerica.com).
We apologize for the delay in bringing you Part Two of our May 29, 2010 interview with Linda Harvey, founder of Mission America. (Go HERE for Part One.) But we are delighted to report that AFTAH will be reloading ALL of our interviews (available on the AFTAH Hour web page) — starting with this one — in a more user-friendly format. As you can see below, you can listen to the entire Linda Harvey interview on a single link. After we retool all the shows, you will no longer have to listen to four separate portions of the show (on four separate links) to hear the whole interview.
In Part Two of my interview with Linda, we discussed:
the insidious promotion of homosexuality as an acceptable identity and lifestyle to young people — even preteens.
the “gay” community centers that help expose young people to adult homosexual behaviors and promiscuity — one of the most troubling results of the proud, homosexualist movement;
pro-homosexual youth literature (including a book by a Christian author) that advances the talking points of “gay” activism;
the sellout theology of some politically correct “Emergent” church leaders.
“When you look back from a pro-life perspective, what were the gains there?” he asked, noting President Ronald Reagan’s judicial choices. A generation later, “we see a bit of fatigue. We don’t see the results for the energy, the money, everything else that’s been poured into the political sphere,” said [Focus on the Family CEO Jim] Daly … “We as a Christian community need to refocus a bit on what’s important in the culture. For us, it’s family. That’s our mission.”
Yet it’s clear Daly, who has met with gay activists, sees diminishing returns in continuing the culture wars.
“I’m not fearful that change will happen in America. It will happen. … I don’t know what will happen with same-sex marriage, but I’m not going to be discouraged if we lose some of those battles,” he said, noting that for “98 percent” of people, traditional marriage will remain relevant.
“It’s going to be difficult in this culture and the way the demographics are going right now,” he went on. “You look at the under-35 age group. I think it’s splitting 60-40 support for same-sex marriage. There’s a lot of people in the U.S. [who] basically come to the conclusion that this is something between two adults. I will continue to defend traditional marriage, but I’m not going to demean human beings for the process.” — Excerpted from AOL News online article about Jim Daly, Focus on the Family’s new CEO; “Dobson’s Successor Gives Mega-Ministry New Focus.”
Daly’s softness on public policy must be understood in the context of the ongoing evangelical retreat in the Culture War (typified by the book UnChristian). Many Christians are more concerned with the Church’s “image” than they are with confronting lies in the culture and standing against secular threats like “Gay” and Abortion Lobbies. They claim that Culture War activism hinders the Gospel. But I have found that there are certain questions that “Soft” Evangelicals are hard-pressed to answer:
Robinson claims homosexuals are “born” that way despite lack of evidence and his own abnormal upbringing
“Every piece of evidence that can be culled from the text’s literary and historical context confirms that the Bible’s prohibition of homosexual practice, like its prohibition of adult incestuous unions, is absolute, rejecting all forms of homosexual practice regardless of consent and commitment.” —Robert Gagnon, Associate Professor of New Testament, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
“St. Paul was talking about people that he understood to be heterosexual engaging in same-sex acts. It never occurred to anyone in ancient times that a certain minority of us would be born being affectionally oriented to people of the same sex. So it did seem like against their nature to be doing so.” — Homosexual Episcopal Bishop V. (Vicky) Gene Robinson, interview with CNSNews.com
TAKE ACTION AND LEARN: Educate yourself about the Bible’s clear teaching against homosexual conduct and relationships. Begin by reading the article below, taken from Prof. Robert Gagnon’s paper, “What the Evidence Really Says about Scripture and Homosexual Practice: Five Issues, and sharing it with your Christian friends, especially those bending to pro-“gay” advocacy. And please support Prof. Gagnonby ordering his excellent 2008 DVD series, “Love, the Bible and Homosexual Practice” (cost is $42 including shipping & handling). As Christians, it is our duty to respond intelligently to false “gay” theology, which is gaining a foothold in the Church and in the culture. And for those who are not Christian, you need to understand the bogus history that activists like (Vicky) Gene Robinson are using to advance their pro-homosexuality agenda.
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Dear Readers,
Please watch this short video interview of homosexual activist and Episcopal Bishop V. (Vicky) Gene Robinson’s latest attempt to discredit the biblical (Romans 1) prohibition against homosexual practice (courtesy Eyeblast TV and CNSNews.com):
You can read a transcript of Bishop Robinson’s CNS interview HERE. It is extraordinary to behold a major denominational “Christian” leader dedicate a sizable part of his professional life to undermining the clear witness of the Bible and tradition against a particular sexual sin — which just so happens to be the one with which he identifies. Unfortunately for Robinson, his rehashed “gay” theology does not square with history, as Prof. Robert Gagnon — the world’s leading orthodox authority on the Bible and homosexuality — reveals below.
Liberty University School of Law will host a one-day conference followed by a one-day symposium addressing homosexuality and its consequences. The Friday, February 12, conference is entitled “Understanding Same-sex Attractions and Their Consequences.” On Saturday, February 13, the Liberty University Law Review will host a legal symposium entitled “Homosexual Rights and First Amendment Freedoms: Can They Truly Coexist?”
Christians must reach out with Gospel in love but avoid “soulish sympathy” for practicing homosexuals, says Bible scholar
By Peter LaBarbera
Folks, Dr. Michael Brown gave an excellent presentation at AFTAH’s monthly dinner-lecture last week. We hope to post a YouTube on Dr. Brown’s succinct and compelling response to my question on the “Big Three” hostile questions thrown at Christians who defend the Bible’s prohibitions against homosexual conduct:
“But Jesus Christ never said anything about homosexuality”;
“Why should we believe the Old Testament says about homosexuality when it also bans wearing polyester and eating shellfish?”; and
“You Christians are so judgmental.”
Dr. Brown, a world renowned biblical scholar, hit it out of the park. He also challenged what he calls the “celebration of ambiguity”in describing neo-evangelicals’ and the “Emergent Church’s” evasive and equivocating — and unbiblical — positioning on the issue of homosexuality.
Brown specifically challenged Chicago evangelical Andrew Marin (right), founder of the Marin Foundation and author of “Love Is Not an Orientation.” Brown praised Marin for wanting to reach out to homosexuals and the portions of the book in which Marin relays personal stories of homosexuals he has encountered who have been hurt by the Church. But he was highly critical of Marin’s misuse of Scripture in interpreting verses dealing with homosexuality.
Brown said of the Emergent Church — which is much more accepting of homosexual identity, uses the controversial term “gay Christian,” and generally scolds Christians for actively condemning homosexuality and the “gay” political/cultural agenda: “Their cure is worse than the sickness …. [they] have shown more solidarity with [homosexual] people than with God.”
“How are we helping anyone when we make the clear unclear … the unambiguous ambiguous? … How is that love?” Brown asked, calling on Christians to share the full truth of the Gospel in love. After first noting that Christians need to repent for neglecting to lovingly share God’s salvation plan with people caught up in homosexuality, Brown warned against believers falling into a “soulish sympathy” for homosexuals that overrides Biblical truth and their Christian conscience. [AFTAH will be offering a DVD of Brown’s talk; write americansfortruth@comcast.net for more information.]
“Discredited” Appointee? Obama “Faith Advisory Council” appointee Harry Knox called Pope Benedict a “discredited leader” of “an army of oppression” — leading a group of Congressmen to call for Knox’s dismissal. The “gay” activist claims his homosexuality is an “unchangeable gift from God, one for which I am very grateful. And it would fly in the face of my respect for God to give that gift back.” TAKE ACTION: Call or write your Senators and Congressmen (202-224-3121/202-225-3121) and President Obama (202-456-1414) and urge the removal of the bigoted Knox from the president’s faith council.
“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.
The following is a adapted from my response to “Kyle,” a self-proclaimed “gay Catholic” who wrote us through the AFTAH website. Kyle misinterprets Catholic teaching and theology on homosexuality, to be sure [see Catholic pro-family activist Gary Morella’s piece HERE, which also explains how homosexual acts violate Natural Law]. But Kyle’s rationalizations beg the question: do any of us know where our sinful inclinations — whatever they are — come from? Each of us is born into sin in this world, and the Bible teaches that our hearts are naturally “oriented” toward deception (hence young children do not need to be taught to be envious and selfish). Every one of us has done evil things, or thought evil thoughts — yes, not just wrong thoughts but evil ones (such as questioning God’s existence, or His goodness). That’s why we need Jesus Christ. Please pray for Kyle, whose letter is printed below mine. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org
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LaBarbera response to “Kyle”:
Kyle …
…I don’t know where my feelings of lust, etc., came from. So should I join the Lust Pride Movement and rationalize the embrace of that sin. (I’ll call myself a “Luster,” which is analogous to you calling yourself “gay.”) Grow up, Kyle. This is the cop out of the century –– and then you go on to support “gay marriage” –– an incredible blasphemy against God, who created man and woman for each other. You are responsible for your behavior –– period. Sodomy and all homosexual acts are deeply sinful, the Bible teaches (see Romans 1), so what does it mean to say your “orientation” is “gay”? Repent and believe Jesus Christ as so many FORMER “gays” – now born again of God — have done. (See Steve Bennett’s wonderful story at www.sbministries.org.) Are you born again? Do you deny Jesus Christ has the power to help you heal or at least help you remain out of homosexual sin? There is NO way a faithful Christian can embrace homosexuality. You are deeply deluded, but there is hope in the Lord, and He WILL forgive you if you humble yourself and seek him like a child, and repent and accept Jesus’ death on the cross as the penalty for your sin. I suggest you start by reading the Gospel of John.
Barack Obama, who campaigned on “Change We Can Believe In,” was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States yesterday, Jan. 20, in the most expensive inauguration in the history of our country. Despite a bleak economy and a rising unemployment rate, Obama and we the taxpayers are estimated to have spent over $150 million. That is a lot of “change,” to be sure.
While many in the country were welcoming the Obamas, the incoming president was busy putting out the welcome mat for the homosexual agenda. At the “We are One” gathering at the Lincoln Memorial on the Sunday before the Inauguration, Obama invited Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly “gay” bishop ordained in the Episcopal Church, to give the opening prayer. It seems rather strange that an event to celebrate “unity” would begin with prayer by an individual whose homosexual conduct is responsible for one of the deepest divisions in the Episcopal Church in its history, as various dioceses have severed ties with the Episcopal Church to join the more conservative international Anglican community.
But even more shocking is the fact that Bishop Robinson was asked to pray at all. When questioned about the upcoming event by the Associated Press, Robinson assured them that he would “be careful not to be especially Christian in my prayer,” and – not surprisingly – that he would not use a Bible. If that is the accepted view of our new president and those attending the event, then we are indeed in for a “change,” but one actually contrary to our beliefs and very destructive of our national morality. Historically, there has never been a time when Christianity has been so openly shunned and homosexuality so expressly promoted.
