Lost At Sea

All religions share certain beliefs in common. One common belief among many world religions is: “homosexual behavior is to be avoided.” Different religions take stands against homosexuality to varying degrees but most take some stand. Religions as diverse as Buddhism and Islam condemn homosexuality, as does of course, Judaism and Christianity. These religions are joined by Baha’ism, Zoroastrianism (an ancient Persian religion) and even Scientology in the condemnation of homosexuality.

Yet, today the Senate of the United States of America is considering an amendment that would elevate “homosexuality” to a protected status under federal law! They do this under the guise of “Hate Crimes Bills.” Such legislation stands little chance of succeeding on its own merits so amendments are added to other unrelated legislation like defense spending, procedural bills, and even Child Safety legislation.

The false assumption being foisted upon the public by the likes of Ted Kennedy and other extremists is that there is some kind of epidemic of crime against persons who identify themselves as homosexual. Of course facts are ignored to bolster this liberal agenda to mainstream homosexuality. The facts speak boldly in opposition. Crimes against persons identifying themselves as homosexual are statistically small and declining. Of the 11 million or so crimes committed against persons in 2003, only 1,239 were attributed to “sexual orientation bias.” Hardly reason to elevate a deviant lifestyle to preferred status! But, that’s politics.

The present “Hate Crimes Amendment,” SA 3035, is nothing more than an attempt by the minority homosexual lobby to force their deviant lifestyle on society. No longer is the homosexual lobby seeking, “tolerance.” That is not enough. They won’t even settle for “acceptance.” The homosexual lobby wants “preferential treatment” and nothing less.

I offer this point of view to highlight the drift our nation has suffered since the founding of our nation – a drift that has now taken us far from our moorings in the Judeo-Christian tradition, into deep and treacherous waters of rebellion and hedonism. We as a nation seek to embrace that which God calls, “abomination” (Leviticus 18:22).

We cannot hope to maintain this great experiment called a Republic if we stand against the One whose Truth forms the foundation of our laws. We would be wise to heed not only the Holy Word of God but the counsel of wise men such as Benjamin Franklin, a framer and founder of this Republic. He said,

I've lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing Proofs I see of this Truth — That God governs in the Affairs of Men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that except the Lord build the House they labor in vain who build it.

May God help us if a small, deviant minority succeeds in sabotaging the good ship, Republic. We are dangerously close to being lost at sea.

A New Boldness

I read something the other day that really seems to be a “voice crying in the wilderness.” The author of the article said, “What we need today is an uncompromising, unapologetic, undiluted orthodoxy.”

You don’t hear strong pronouncements like that from most pulpits today. In most “so-called Christian” pulpits today you hear preaching that has reduced the message of Jesus Christ to a socialistic gospel advocating the engineering of a society in which there is no absolute truth and the most important focus is on tolerance – tolerance of everything from Hinduism to homosexuality. I’m not talking about tolerance of individuals but of ideas. Of course, we as Christians must be tolerant of individuals and respect them as part of the human family, but that does not mean we must accept their ideas as on equal footing with the truth of God’s Word.

Churches have lost their rudder which is the absolute, exclusive truth of the gospel in which the Lord Jesus Christ is the “ONLY Way, the ONLY Truth, and the ONLY Life.”

I believe we do need a bold new orthodoxy that is boldly unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ as the exclusive truth that leads to eternal life. The Apostle Paul demonstrated this type of boldness when he declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

For American Christianity to experience a “new day” we need to renew our commitment to the exclusive, absolute truth of God’s Word that teaches there is only One Way that leads to eternal life and all other paths lead to eternal damnation. That’s the truth. It is not politically correct or socially acceptable these days, but it is still the truth.

J.I. Packer, a renowned British theologian said decades ago, “The outside observer sees [the church] as staggering from gimmick to gimmick and stunt to stunt like so many drunks in a fog, not knowing at all where we are or which way we should be going.”

That is a sad but insightful analysis of where the Christian Church in America is today. We are trying everything under the sun to make the Christian message palatable to the lost and we are losing ground by the day. What we need to so is NOT make the gospel palatable to a lost world, but make it clear. We need to embrace the purpose of God which is to call sinners to repentance. Until the church finds her way again, the world will not find the Way of Life.