Letter: Churches led by homosexuals send wrong message
Published: September 30, 2009
Churches led by homosexuals send wrong message
Jim Evans is right: The tornado that blew the steeple off the Minneapolis church where Evangelical Lutherans were deciding to ordain practicing homosexuals was a chance event and not a miraculous message from God.
God doesn’t need repeated interventions to announce his judgment on sexual sin. His views have been clear since Sodom, and they were codified in Leviticus: “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” Paul’s assessment in I Corinthians 6 is blunt: Practicing homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The ancient Hebrews initiated thousands of years of moral progress by restricting sex to marriage (Google “Judaism’s sexual revolution” for details). Pagan cultures divorced sexuality from marriage, and both male and female temple prostitution was commonplace. When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it dramatically elevated the status of women, civilized men, and created stable homes where children could be educated and nurtured through two decades of immaturity.
Churches led by homosexuals reverse this progress, sending an unmistakable message that restricting sex to marriage doesn’t matter. They offer theological cover to singles considering “hooking up,” to spouses tempted to commit adultery, and to men and women attracted by the no-strings lure of homosexuality. At greatest risk are teens confused about their new stirrings of sexuality. We live in a culture awash with claims that sex is simple recreation, that if it feels good, do it. The consequences of “doing it” may impoverish life dramatically, from unmarried pregnancy to sexually transmitted disease, from a cheapening of character to an inability to practice sexual exclusivity in marriage. What a terrible travesty that temptations to dissolute living should come from a church.
Bruce Murray
Auburn
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Reader Reactions
I’m not arguing the merits of whether homosexuality is right or wrong. I’m simply saying that folks like Bruce should stick to what his Church believes and stop telling my Church what to believe. If you don’t like what my Church teaches, then don’t attend.
I think Catholics teaching folks that birth control is a sin is about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. However, I don’t write letters to the editors or stand on street corners promoting my own personal view about Catholics. I simply don’t attend a Catholic Church since I don’t agree with Catholic teachings. Fairly simple.
These arguments of telling people what their Church should or shouldn’t be teaching is what has led people to condemn the Jews for years. You don’t like that Jews don’t recognize Christ as the Messiah? Then don’t be Jewish. But telling the Jews they are wrong and that they should change their ways is arrogant and small minded.
Well if homosexuals are born that way at and homosexuality is a sin. At what point does a sinner not have control over their actions? Is a Pedohile born that way? Is a Murderer born that way? Is and an unrepentant cheater born that way? If we allow churches to be led by homosexuals will we then have to let pedophiles, murders, philanderers as well? I know they will make the connection that a homosexual is like a murderer. On the contrary I am merely using examples of sin. Better yet what about a kleptomaniac? Would we allow them to lead or church or what about a Pastor who glorifies pornography? Would those be ok to lead a church?
getreal
i agree with u, having said that, the scripture Professor Murray is quoting r hard to interpret any other way, if u can please educate me (i am not trying to b a smart alec)
can u interpret either Leviticus & Paul’s letter 1 Corinthians to suggest homsexuality r not a sin ? if so please educate me (a real request)
i do not single the sin of homosexuality out anymore that the sins i am commit (am quick to anger, eat way tooo much, not kind enough to others, etc)....but make no mistake Biblically (new and old testament) Homosexuality is a sin…no worse no better than other sins
thanks and keep the faith
Captain Plaid -
Folks like Bruce Murray are not happy unless they are restricting how you practice your religion. I don’t presume to tell Murray’s Church what to believe and how to interpret the Bible and he really has no business telling my Church what to believe and how to interpret the Bible. If you don’t like my Church then don’t attend it. Fairly simple.
Captain
i pray u r well and safe
Professor Murray is right on the numbers with respect to both Old and New Testament. political commentator jim evans has in the past evoked the phrase ‘red letter Christian’, and it is true that Jesus said little about sexual orientation, but the Bible as a Whole does….and it would follow that folks try to follow the Bible if they r in leadership roles of churches
hopefully we Christians do not focus on homosexuality, but know all sins are equal (except one of course) and know we are all sinners and fall short of Jesus’s example and Gods grace
still…
i tend to agree with u as the sexual orientation of folks is of little concern to me
keep the faith and stay safe
I did use the Google Professor Murray and it kept turning over rocks under which I found Dennis Prager. Ewwhhh! And double Ewwhhh reading some of that mess. These views about sex suggest some sick twisted freak ideas. And going a little further in gets us to rather Talibanesque territory.
And I couldn’t help but think of some of the sexual abuse of children in churches, made all the worse by some church authorities covering up the crimes and then transferring those priests to other locations where they’d again offend.
Then again, I understand the Jesus represented by the text of the Bible often talked often about poverty and power yet didn’t really seem too worked up over sex.
I could try to dig about and argue this on scripture or biology or ethics or ... yet I guess it comes down to tolerance and minding my own business. Those homosexuals I know are just geared that way. That’s their orientation yet even if just a choice it is one only they can make.
In a few years, or at worst another decade or two, we’ll look back and wonder how we could have been so backwards and discriminatory.
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