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The Answer Is No: …if “gay” means positively and proudly homosexual. Dr. Michael Brown ably answers the lies of “gay Christianity” in his book, “Can You Be Gay and Christian? Responding with Love & Truth to Questions About Homosexuality.” He similarly responds with “love & truth” to homosexual activist Matthew Vines’ self-serving “40 Questions” below. Buy the book: Readers can purchase Brown’s book–while supporting AFTAH’s ministry–by purchasing ” for $17 postpaid. Two-Book Discount: You can also add Michael Brown’s in-depth book, “Something Queer Happened to America”–and receive both books postpaid for $29. Pay securely online or send your check to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522.
“I cannot see our [Heavenly] Father responding positively to the threat of, ‘Unless you let me have a relationship that satisfies me, I will kill myself.’ [Answer # 9]
“What is explicitly affirmed over and again in the Bible is that God requires holiness of all His people and that the only outlet for sexual intimacy is in the confines of marriage, which…can only be the union of a man and woman. This is as explicit as anything in the Word. [#25]
“…the Word never says that an inherently sinful act somehow becomes sanctified by repeating it with the same person. [#27)]
“…your [Matthew Vines’] emphasis is all wrong. In fact, it’s the common theme through your questions, namely, ‘Surely God wouldn’t want me to live without sex and intimacy, therefore I must reinterpret the Bible in that light.'” [#39] — Dr. Michael Brown, author of Can You Be Gay and Christian?
My prolific author friend Dr. Michael Brown–whose book, “Can You Be Gay and Christian?” is available for purchase from AFTAH at right–does a terrific job below answering homosexual “Christian” activist Matthew Vines’ 40 tendentious questions. As Brown notes, Vines’ line of questioning is built on false premises and spurious analogies. For example, Vines repeats the tired homosexual talking point comparing infertile straight couples to same-sex partners (see Brown’s response to Questions 30 and 31).
I would like Michael to try a “do-over” on #12: it is bizarre and, indeed, blasphemous for young Vines (misapplying Galatians 5–which mentions “sexual immorality”) to associate unnatural, sexual-sin-based “relationships” with Holy Spirit-led “goodness” and “self-control,” etc. I understand what Michael is saying, but I would not compare these disordered relationships with normal unions between husband and wife–including marriages that are not Christian.
Vines’ questions themselves are a study in the error of homosexuality-positive “Christianity”: can you see the intense self-focus in them, as Vines does his biblical “exegesis” backwards:–starting with his politically correct premise (committed homosexual relationship are fine) and trying to rationalize it as somehow being compatible with Scripture? He utterly fails. It is no wonder that Vines will not publicly appear in the same debate forum with Dr. Brown or Prof. Rob Gagnon. By the way, Dr. Brown received AFTAH’s “American Truth-Teller Award” in 2014; we commend him for his diligence and faithfulness in defending Truth. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH; Twitter: @PeterLaBarbera; Like the AFTAH Facebook Page
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Dr. Michael Brown Has 40 Answers and 2 Questions for ‘Gay’ Christian Matthew Vines
I am answering the 40 questions put forward by “gay Christian” advocate Matthew Vines, after which I will put two simple questions to Matthew (and his allies). What is absolutely stunning, though, is that in these 40 questions, he failed to ask the only one that really matters, namely, “What does the Bible say about homosexual practice?” The reason for that is self-evident, namely, it is impossible to make a case for homosexual relationships using the Word of God alone.
That’s why, for the last decade (and until this moment), I have offered to debate the issue of the Bible and homosexual practice with any qualified representative of the “gay Christian” position, yet I have had no takers. (Matthew and I did engage in a brief debate hosted by Moody radio, but as is well known, Matthew agreed to do the broadcast before realizing he would be debating me, after which he felt it would be worse publicity to drop out rather than do the show. Those interested can watch the debate here. (For a relevant follow-up article, go here.) I also address many of the questions Matthew raises in my book Can You Be Gay and Christian?, but for the benefit of those who don’t have the book, and so as to answer all the questions conveniently in one place, I’ve responded to each of them here.
Before addressing the questions, it’s important to address Matthew’s premise, namely, those of us who uphold Scripture “oppose marriage equality.” Actually, we oppose redefining marriage; as for so-called “marriage equality,” as I have pointed out, advocates of “same-sex marriage” represent just one group clamoring for changes in marriage laws, including polygamists, polyamorists, and adult incestuous couples. That’s why the Marriage Equality Blogspot calls for “Full Marriage Equality,” specifically, “for the right of consenting adults to share and enjoy love, sex, residence and marriage without limits on the gender, number or relation of participants.” So, from that point of view, Matthew also opposes “marriage equality.”
To answer the 40 questions:
1. Do you accept that sexual orientation is not a choice? Sexual orientation is a relatively modern construct, but if you mean is it true that, generally speaking, homosexual men and women did not choose to be attracted to the same sex, the answer would be yes, it is not a conscious choice they made, any more than someone who struggles with angry desires, violent desires, or adulterous desires consciously chose to have those desires.
2. Do you accept that sexual orientation is highly resistant to attempts to change it? Again, using your definition, in the majority of cases, certainly. However, we must not downplay the many successful stories of change through counseling and, more importantly, the possibility of change through the gospel. Cannot Almighty God change a homosexual into a heterosexual if it so pleases Him? Has the church really devoted itself to seeking God to help men and women who struggle with same-sex attractions?
3. How many meaningful relationships with lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) people do you have? My first organ teacher, when I was barely 7-years old, was openly gay, and he and his partner would come to our home and have dinner with our family. Over the years, I’ve had good friends who came out of homosexuality (including someone very close to my family), and I interact as often I can in as much depth as I can with those who identify as LGBT.
4. How many openly LGBT people would say you are one of their closest friends? None that I know of, but that is not because of my rejection of them. I have never turned away from a person because of their sexual brokenness or sexual desires. If, however, they openly scorned God’s Word and God’s ways, I’m afraid it would be hard for us to be close friends. That being said, I have close friends who are very religious Jews, yet they still believe my faith in Jesus is wrong and I still believe they are lost without Him. In other words, friendship with people (or lack thereof) has absolutely nothing to do with determining the truth of God’s Word.
Dodging Debates: Self-described “gay Christian” Matthew Vines refuses to debate Bible scholars and apologists with expert knowledge on Scripture and homosexuality, like Dr. Michael Brown and Prof. Robert Gagnon.
5. How much time have you spent in one-on-one conversation with LGBT Christians about their faith and sexuality? Many hours, and many more hours reading their stories prayerfully, sometimes having to put down the book I’m reading and get on my knees in prayer, even with tears and a heavy burden. I hurt deeply over the pain they have experienced and I long to see them find wholeness in the Lord.
6. Do you accept that heterosexual marriage is not a realistic option for most gay people? Probably so—again, with God, all things are possible—but this too has nothing to do with what God has to say about homosexual practice. It calls for great compassion from the church, but not for rewriting the Bible. Also, unless we get caught up with the spirit of the age, it’s important to realize that “heterosexual marriage” is the only marriage God acknowledges.
7. Do you accept that lifelong celibacy is the only valid option for most gay people if all same-sex relationships are sinful? I accept that our Father knows best, that His ways are ways of life, and that if He does not enable someone to enter into a heterosexual relationship then He will give grace to that person to be celibate, just as He gives grace to a believer suffering decades of imprisonment and torture, just as He gives grace to a drug addict to get free from addictions, and just as He gives grace to many heterosexuals to live in lifelong, non-chosen celibacy.
8. How many gay brothers and sisters in Christ have you walked with on the path of mandatory celibacy, and for how long? Less than 10, and not more than 10 years so far, but the term “mandatory celibacy” is misleading, since I’ve walked with heterosexual believers for decades who did not choose celibacy but never met their mate, and they found Jesus to be more than enough to carry them through. Plus, Jesus requires all of us to deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow Him, and He does not promise any of us a spouse. I also have close friends whose spouses divorced them and who believe they cannot remarry as long as their spouse is alive, and they too have survived and even thrived by God’s grace despite years of singleness imposed on them by their convictions.
9. What is your answer for gay Christians who struggled for years to live out a celibacy mandate but were driven to suicidal despair in the process? This is a heartrending issue that I do not take lightly, but my answer is that anyone who says, “I will kill myself unless I can have sex and be intimate with another human being” is not taking hold of what God has for them. Generally speaking, it’s also true that people who commit suicide are struggling with other emotional issues; otherwise, no matter how acute their problems, they would not take their own lives. Ultimately, though, I cannot see our Father responding positively to the threat of, “Unless you let me have a relationship that satisfies me, I will kill myself.”
10. Has mandatory celibacy produced good fruit in the lives of most gay Christians you know? Again, I object to the term “mandatory celibacy,” and I believe the term “gay Christian” is misleading and unhelpful, but yes, the single Christians I know who are still same-sex attracted are enjoying the Lord, enjoying healthy friendships, and are really quite vibrant. Others have seen a shift (or complete change) in their attractions, and they are happily married to their heterosexual partner. I’ve been quite close with some of them over the years.
Embracing the “Gay” Lie and slandering God in the process: Apple CEO Tim Cook writes that he is “proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.” Cook was repeating a gay theology falsehood, labeled as “Satan’s Talking Points” by AFTAH. Homosexual activists have worked to switched the societal stigma from people practicing the sin of homosexuality to the people opposing it. Cook is giving heavily to an HRC project to promote homosexuality in the South.
“I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line.” — Isaiah 28:17
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8
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Help AFTAH Contend for The Truth Against Homosexual-Transgender Lies: We are David and the well-funded “Gay” Lobby is Goliath. Support AFTAH today with a year-end gift of $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50 or whatever you can give! Give online [safe credit-card form HERE] or send a check to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522. All gifts postmarked by or made online midnight Dec. 31 are tax-deductible for your 2014 taxes.
I hope you had a blessed Christmas Day. Happy New Year! This is the season to dwell on Absolute Truth, lest we reduce “the holidays”—happy or otherwise–to mere sentimentality. Divine Truth. We profess it, but do we actually believe in it? The namesake of Christmas—Jesus Christ–is the most important Absolute Truth anyone can ever know: God becoming man, to solve man’s sin problem. [“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”—1 John 2:2]
The explosion of sexual sin in Western cultures–especially one like ours with a magnificent Christian heritage that still professes to be “under God”–is ultimately a manifestation of losing the Truth of Jesus. Let’s face it: many or even most Americans—secular or professing “Christians”–think they’re “smarter than God” when it comes to sex (and other issues), and the result is a society is awash in sin and its consequences: fornication, broken homes, divorce, abortion, widespread STDs and, yes, homosexualism and extreme gender rebellion.
All sins dishonor God, but there’s something especially deplorable and significant about the spread of homosexuality and related perversions in a civilization. Someone smart once said something to the effect that if homosexual sodomy—what Noah Webster in 1828 defined as “a crime against nature”–is OK, then nothing is wrong. The court-imposed spread of sodomy-based “marriage” is a cultural act of defiance for which America will be judged—or perhaps is already being judged–as a nation. [Read the AFTAH article, “Gay Marriage and Distant Consequences.”]
Following and obeying Jesus is the key to righteousness. I find this reality to be evident in my own life: the more I stray from the Savior, the less virtuous, the less “godly,” I become. The closer I get to Jesus through the Scriptures, the Word of God, the more righteous I become. So it is with nations.
Changing the standard of right and wrong
All people sin. But most of us lack the audacity and hubris to attempt to change the transcendent, eternal standard of Right and Wrong, even as we fall short, sometimes woefully short, of God’s righteous demands.
But the earthly “enemies” against which AFTAH contends are all about changing the Truth standard–in a desperate quest to rationalize their sin. They want to change God’s plumb line of righteousness, based on the authority of, well, their feelings. “LGBTQueer” forces–fueled by seemingly endless financial resources–work day and night to change the standard, but the standard does not change. The standard cannot change.
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Help AFTAH Fight Against the Lies of Big ‘Gay’ Inc: We are David and the well-funded “Gay” Lobby is Goliath. Support AFTAH today with a year-end gift of $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50 or whatever you can give! Give online [safe credit-card form HERE] or send a check to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522. All gifts postmarked by or made online midnight Dec. 31 are tax-deductible for your 2014 taxes.
“It’s extremely offensive because it’s pretty much saying the only way you can be a woman is to get your period.
“That’s where a lot of the anger in the community is coming from – it’s saying you are not a woman unless you can get your period.
“Obviously we can’t menstruate. However, we identify as female.”— New Zealand “Transgender” activist Cherise Witerhire, biological male, president of Agender New Zealand, as quoted in New Zealand Herald
Folks, the war against Nature continues into the New Year. Leave it to the transgender movement — the gender-confused “T” in LGBT — to find men who actually regret that they can’t menstruate! It’s only the 3rd of January but we already have a sure contender for the most ridiculous LGBT story and quotation of 2012: New Zealand (male) transssexuals expressing outrage over what they say is a “blatantly transphobic” tampon commercial. Hat tip to Michael Brown for sending us this gem from the New Zealand Herald, describing Transgender activist outrage at a New Zealand feminine hygiene company’s tampon ad. Needless to say in our Politically Correctness-soaked world, the hilarious ad was quickly pulled.) [More commentary after video.]
Promoting homosexuality now is old hat to modern liberals. Fighting “transphobia” — hey, that’s where the action is. Watch for a year of shameless promotion of gender confusion by cultural elites in the media, Hollywood and academia. For a fresh alternative perspective, check out our extended radio interview with Walt Heyer, an ex-transsexual-turned faithful Christian who went through a horrific “sex-change” operation but who now warns men and women not to go down that road. Walt’s website is www.SexChangeRegret.com. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org
Here is the link for Dallas-based Christian talk show host Janet Mefferd’s Dec. 27, 2011 archive page containing an interview with AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera: Page Link. The page has an MP3 link to listen to the interview, but the MP3 seems to play faster and easier if you hit “Play in Popup” off the archive page. This interview occurred at WYLL’s studio outside Chicago, the same studio where AFTAH’s weekly radio show is recorded. This discussion focuses on reaching homosexuals with the Gospel.
Rather than the usual interview, we offer portions of ex-lesbian Linda Jernigan’s dinner-lecture presentation at Americans For Truth headquarters in Carol Stream, Illinois, June 17th [click HERE to listen]. Linda, who left the lesbian lifestyle, is founder of the Chicago-based Rescuing Ministries (www.RescuingHomosexuals.net; e-mail her at: RescueMeNowLord@aol.com). Here she describes how she lived nearly two decades as a lesbian, noting how the “torment and the pain” she experienced contrasts with the glamorized version of homosexuality offered up at annual “Gay Pride” festivals. To hear our previous AFTAH interview with Jernigan, go HERE for Part One and HERE for Part Two.
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 when 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.
Radical homosexual drag queen “Sister” asks: “Are you ready to piss off some Christians?!”
WARNING: Highly Offensive and Blasphemous Content in Video
Matt Barber, AFTAH Board Member and Associate Dean at Liberty University School of Law, had this reaction to the annual “Hunky Jesus” Contest held Easter Sunday (April 24, 2011) in San Francisco’s Delores Park; see YouTube video below quotation:
“While watching this repulsive, Satanic display I was surprised that I didn’t feel outrage – that I wasn’t angry. I felt pity for these poor, lost souls. I felt sorry for them. They were pathetic, sad, empty, foolish. I was embarrassed for them.
“Still, God will not be mocked. As I continued to watch I began to feel fear; not for me, but for them. As they pranced about on stage and the pagan audience reveled in their foolish blasphemy, I thought, ‘These poor souls. Someday they’ll stand before the very Lord they mock to face His judgment.’ In fact, based on the destructive lifestyle they lead, we know that that day will likely come considerably sooner for them than for most. I shudder to think of the literal Hell that awaits them lest they repent, fall to their knees and believe upon Christ Jesus, the Savior of the world; the Master and creator of the universe.
“As Christians we should all pray, as Jesus did, that God ‘forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”
Trace McNutt before Christ: South Florida "drag" star "Coma."
On this, the homosexual activist “Day of Silence” in schools, we cannot remain silent about how God continues to help people out of the homosexual lifestyle — in this case, a former “drag queen” whose stage name was “Coma,” but whose actual name is Trace McNutt. Please take the time to watch all 11 short YouTube segments, and pass them on to your friends and family (especially those who have never seen an ex-homosexual testimony).
Exposure to homosexual promiscuity consistent with GLSEN’s past
[WARNING: OFFENSIVE AND GRAPHIC CONTENT; NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN]
ORIGINAL PAGE: Above is how the GLSEN "Gay-Straight Alliances" Facebook page appeared as of the afternoon of April 11, 2011 -- before Mission America exposed its pornographic links. Note the three photos for "NEXGAY" -- a pornographic homosexual male hook-up website -- and the photo for "Gay Trip Thailand," a sex-tourism Facebook page. Also, the photo for "Blueprint," a movie about homosexual male lovers distributed by TLA, a "gay" video company that sells homosexual porn videos.
TAKE ACTION: Parents and Guardians: Call your children’s middle or high school and ask if students and/or teachers will be permitted to refuse to speak during class on Friday, April 15 (as part of the annual homosexual activist “Day of Silence”). For more information, go HERE.
A Facebook page affiliated with the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) — to support homosexual student clubs and GLSEN’s upcoming activist “Day of Silence” in schools nationwide (Friday, April 15) — was linked for several weeks to a pornographic “gay” hook-up website containing full-frontal nudity and personal ads expressing interest in dangerous homosexual practices including anal sodomy, “rimming” and various sadistic sex fetiishes popular in the homosexual male subculture.
The GLSEN “Gay-Straight Alliances” Facebook page was also linked to a “Gay Trip Thailand” Facebook page with shirtless Thai males — luring men to that notorious sex-tourism destination — as well as a movie about two male lovers that is sponsored by a leading “gay” pornographic video distributor. When the salacious links were exposed April 11 by Mission America, a pro-family group, they were quickly removed from the GLSEN Facebook page.
