Jesus loves sinners, but He also hates sin. So should Christians, says AFTAH founder

No “Diversity” for Ex-Sin-Movement Advocates: Charlene Cothran spent 29 years in the lesbian lifestyle and as a “gay” activist before repenting and giving her heart and life to Jesus Christ. But don’t look for her heartwarming story in the archives of the Oprah show–or on any other “mainstream” media network. Liberal “diversity” is a sham because the media and Hollywood, like the Left, are wholly committed to the LGBTQ agenda. See Charlene’s new pastoral ministry HERE, and AFTAH’s original article about her banquet presentation HERE.

The following is a Christmas essay I wrote for LifeSiteNews. A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH

Bigot. Prude. Hater. Judger. Busy-body. Holier than thou. Fundamentalist. Hypocrite. Intolerant. Rigid. Bible thumper. “Christo-fascist.” “American Taliban.” Homophobe. Transphobe. Repressed homosexual. I’ve been called them all, like so many who dare to challenge the present sin-tolerant zeitgeist and purveyors of politically correct myths and lies.

Truth is, even with all our flaws, we are none of those. For the most part, Truth-tellers on sexual issues are merely trying to defend God’s honor and His revelation (the Bible) in a world that has left Jesus and Truth behind.

We know that although people can choose to embrace sinful lifestyles, they do not get to change the biblical sin standard of right and wrong. That is way above our pay grade as mere fallen creations of a holy God.

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Jesus, Sin and Christmas

“A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.” (Proverbs 29:23)

From AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera’s Twitter page; go HERE to see the thread:

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Peter LaBarbera  @PeterLaBarbera

Two “dirty” words in post-#Christian America: the S-word and the M-word: Sin & Morality. We need a revival to truly #MakeAmericaGreatAgain. 3:41 PM, Oct. 23, 2106

“To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.” — Jeremiah 6:10

Spending time reading Scripture (and I don’t spend near the time I should), helps one gain perspective on what truly ails the United States of America. Of all our problems, America’s godlessness and our defiance of biblical Truth (coupled with biblical illiteracy) is our most serious. In many quarters, we have moved from apathy toward the Word of God to utter contempt for it (think: “gay pastors”). We think we’re smarter than God, but we’re not, and our foolish pride will bring us to ruin if we don’t humble ourselves as a nation and repent.

Our national immorality is merely a symptom of a much deeper problem: our rebellion against God. Any nation that glorifies sin tempts God’s holy and righteous judgment. But the very ideas of sin and judgment are ridiculed by the secularists (on Left and Right) who have gained considerable sway over our politics and culture in the U.S. But look back in American history: our leaders feared God and called Americans to repent. (See President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Proclamation “Appointing a Day of National Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer”; can you even imagine Obama doing that?)

Here is a photo from Iowa by Markel Peters. Isn’t it beautiful? Consider it a representation of God and Country. The day (April 3, 2009) that homosexual “marriage” (so-called) was imposed on the people of Iowa — smack in the middle of America’s heartland — was a huge victory for those waging war against godly values (and hence against God) in our nation. Linking the divine institution of marriage to the perversion of homosexuality, and then pretending that these “unions” can achieve God’s blessing, is nothing short of blasphemy on steroids. Domesticated Sin is still sin. No wonder the God-defying Left was ecstatic to see such a uniquely “queer” agenda take hold in the Midwest, once known for its biblical ethos and common sense. [More commentary after photo; click on photo to view enlarged]

As with other issues, the homosexuality debate often pits Urban versus Rural America. Rural America possesses wisdom, tradition and respect for the Bible — while Urban Liberals (and Libertarians), with their haughty irreverence and “tolerance” for radical sexual and gender ideologies, fancy themselves open-minded sophisticates. (Of course, experience tells us that left-wingers and homosexual activists are among the most intolerant and close-minded of all people — witness their irrational and hateful reactions to happy ex-“gays” — but that’s another story.)

Modern liberalism is a “religion,” but one whose “priests rule by their own authority,” not God’s — and its practitioners (both secular and religious) “love it this way” (Jeremiah 5:31). On the homosexual front, a vast array of Religious Left activists are now promoting “gay marriage” and the acceptance of homosexuality as not sinful and even a moral good. Evil is repackaged as good (Isaiah 5:20) as we are told that homosexual “orientation” is a “gift from God” (see my “Satan’s Talking Points” piece). I love American ingenuity, but not when it is applied to rationalizing sin.

How do we respond? Christians must lay hold of the authority of Scripture and preach it to a nation of sinners who are so distracted and out of touch with God that they are ignorant of their own peril. The antidote to pride is going back to biblical basics, preaching the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ, the “hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). The antidote to secular cynicism and hate is the Love of God, embodied in the same Christ who requires our humility to accept His gift and be saved:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) 

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

[See God’s wonderful plan of salvation HERE.]

Just like the corn that comes up year after year in America’s Heartland, we too will reap what we sow as a nation. Christians who are sold out uncompromisingly to biblical truth may emerge as a small minority in this country, but they will be the only minority that holds the key to the restoration of our great nation. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH; americansfortruth@gmail.com

Is the pope using language that is easily exploited by the aggressive Sin Movement that calls itself “gay”? Read his full interview HERE.

Dear AFTAH Readers,

Americans For Truth About Homosexuality works closely with conservative Catholics from across the nation, indeed the world, in opposition to the homosexual activist movement. It is my experience that wherever the Catholic Church still has influence, if the Church or its leaders takes a strong stand against pro-“gay” legislation, the bills usually fail — but if Church leaders compromise on doctrine or go AWOL (public policy-speaking), homosexual activists triumph.

Having said that, I acutely recognize — from my perspective as an evangelical (who was raised Catholic) — that there has always been a “friendly distrust” or competition between ministry and the defense of morality. Between Christians who believe that the primary role of believers is compassionate Gospel outreach to lost homosexuals — and “culture war” Christians who (although also loving the Gospel) see religious traditionalists as a crucial force resisting the Sin Movement of homosexuality that so profoundly threatens our culture.

In this context we ponder the meaning and ramifications of Pope Francis’ new rhetoric on homosexuality. Below we reprint portions of an article from our good friends at LifeSiteNews — a Catholic pro-life, pro-family news site and one of the top social conservative websites in the world — on Pope Francis’ much-discussed interview released yesterday [available HERE or as a PDF document HERE]. We note LifeSite’s apprehensive take that:

“Most major media are reporting the statements [by Pope Francis] as a direct challenge to the Church’s way of operating on the moral issues. The comments are very different from those of his two predecessors.”

Yesterday, I sent out the following cautionary tweet in response to the pope’s comments — both in the new interview and a previous one — about the Church being more “welcoming” and less judgmental toward homosexuals:

The tragic reality is that a lack of proper moral “judgments” toward and vigilance regarding homosexually-inclined priest candidates contributed greatly to the horrifying homosexual-predator crisis that has so devastated the Catholic Church. This was exacerbated by liberals such as Milwaukee’s notorious homosexual Archbishop Rembert Weakland (see my report for America’s Survival on Fox News’ pro-“gay” bias).

I dare say that a more sinister plot to undermine the Catholic Church and its reputation could not have been carried out had Satan’s earthly minions spent $100 million devising one:

1. Homosexual men take advantage of more lax standards to enter priesthood.
2. Homosexual priests and male Catholic school officials use their authoritative role to seduce and molest mostly male teenagers and boys.
3. Homosexuals like then-Archbishop Weakland and their sympathizers in the Church cover up priest abuses and transfer predators to new, unsuspecting parishes, where they molest more boys.
4. The homosexual-predator scandal blows up in the media — alienating millions of Catholics from the Church and doing untold damage to its reputation and moral, spiritual and political influence.
5. Homosexuals and liberal allies who advocate for acceptance of homosexuality turn around and say Church is now discredited because it harbored “pedophiles.” Meanwhile, Church officials resist full disclosure of the scandal, thus perpetuating it.
6. Lastly, “gay” activists and their liberal allies continue to insist that the male-on-boy priest abuse scandal has little or nothing to do with homosexuals — but rather was a “pedophile” or “ephebophile” (adult who is sexual attracted to adolescents) problem.

My hunch is that each and every one of those complicit Church apologists for homosexuality, like Weakland, would consider himself “more compassionate” and “more Christ-like” than “anti-gay Catholics” who have been scandalized by the homosexualist advances in their Church. Such is the arrogance of liberals. This despite the untold suffering of boys victimized by sexual deviants masquerading as pastoral guardians of others’ souls. (See Catholic writer Randy Engel’s Rite of Sodomy: Homosexuality and the Catholic Church — one of the best books ever written on homosexuality — and Leon Podles‘ Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church [available through AFTAH; see below to order].)