GOD SAID IT, SO WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?

By Mr. Patrick Macken
(c) 2003



This article is the sole property of Mr. Patrick Macken and is used with his permission. If you desire to use this article, you may contact Mr. Macken through us.


Some of you know me and some of you do not. Those that do know me know of my interests. For those that do not know me it doesn't matter. Tonight I'm writing this, not as a martial artist or as a person with interests in politics, but as a Christian and nothing else. Tonight I concern myself with God's House, the subject of morality within it, and nothing else. We live in a secular society but I'm writing tonight regarding a part that must exist within and yet apart from it. In Mark 12:17 we find, "...Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's..."

It seems that the Episcopalian Church here in the United States recently decided to have a homosexual Bishop and to approve homosexual ceremonies approximating marriage although without calling it that as well. Anglicans in some parts of Canada are doing the same. This being within God's House and possibly to some, looking in from outside the Church (non-Christians), wondering if this is with God's blessing?

I will use the King James Version of the Bible throughout this article.

Now the Bible talks about forgiveness. And that means all sins including homosexuality. In fact as stated by Jesus himself in John 19:30 "...It is finished..."

Or here:

"...having forgiven you all your trespasses" (Colossians 2:13)

The Bible also speaks about loving one's neighbor:

"...and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 19:19)

In other words we should love our neighbor even though they sin. Let's see what the Bible has to say in the Old Testament regarding sex between two men (which for the record would include sex between two women as well):

"And they called unto Lot, where are...And he over threw those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of those cities, and that which grew upon the ground." (Genesis 19:5 - 25)

Oh wait that's what God did, we're talking about what He says...

"Thou shall not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is an abomination" (Leviticus 18:22)

"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination..." (Leviticus 20:13)

Now I think that's pretty clear about what the Old Testament is saying. Now let's see what the New Testament says:

"Professing themselves wise they became fools...And like wise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men...Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Romans1:22- 32)

"know ye not the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God..." (First Corinthians 6:9)

"Knowing this, That the law is not made for a righteous man..." (First Timothy 1:9-10)

It's pretty clear in the New Testament that homosexual activity is not a good thing.

Now some might argue that we as Christians condemn homosexual acts but not heterosexual acts. Well let's see what both the Old and New Testaments have to say:

"Thou shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14)

"Neither shalt thou commit adultery" (Deuteronomy 5:18)

"...Thou shalt not commit adultery..." (Matthew 19:18) (please note: This a direct quote of Jesus)

"This I say then , Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh...Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication...they that do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:16-21)

Okay that seems pretty clear to me. The Bible also talks about causing you brother to fall. Romans 13:21 tells us, "It is good neither to Eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing where by thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak." In other words, don't create an opportunity to sin or to promote it, or to have a person who is to be the promoter of virtue who is sinning regularly and blatantly. The example alone is wrong.

For example:

"...A Bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife..." (First Timothy 3:1-14)

Why would one allow someone to be a minister or in a position of higher responsibility if they are involved in such a blatant sinful act as homosexuality? Even though we must live in a secular society we should carry ourselves as close to God as possible. Our formal leaders especially (Deacons, Pastors and Bishops) must show this even more greatly. For how else may we witness to the unsaved if our leaders are hypocrites? We must allow those in sin, any sin, to attend service and be witnessed to. For to not allow them, so long as they act decently, is to not loving our neighbor as dictated by Scripture. But we can not and must not allow a homosexual to be the example of a Godly life. To do so is to place a stumbling block in our brother's (or more likely our children's) path. As a Russian friend of mine (she is a non-practicing Jew) once said of the homosexual: "It is like people with no hands. It does not make them less of a person or give them fewer rights. But we should not pretend that not having hands is normal, or cut off our own hands, or encourage our children to do so."

No matter how much rambling on I do, or quoting of the Bible I do, in the end, in any "debate" over homosexuality within the church, it boils down to this:

God said it is WRONG. What don't you understand?


This article has been endorsed by the Council of Bishops of the Fellowship of Christ International and is the official position of the Fellowship of Christ International regarding homosexuality within the Church.