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07 July, 2010

The One Where I Put It All Out There

...and probably lose a few followers. But that's ok. I feel like I need to get this out. God put me on this earth and into this blogging world for a reason, so I feel like I should do this.

Today, Hawaii's governor, Linda Lingle used her veto power to veto a very controversial bill - the Civil Union Bill. I, for one, was ecstatic. I believe that God created us male and female so that we could procreate - have children of our own. There's a very big reason why same sex couples can't have children without using a sperm donor, a surrogate, or adopting. A very big reason.

I have very strong convictions about this issue. While I have no problem with people who are homosexual, I do have a problem with their lifestyle. I've had some good friends who are homosexual. I love them. Honestly, I do. But, I don't have to like their lifestyle. They know this, too. They know that I'm a Christian - I don't hide that from anyone. I can love them - like Jesus does - and I can completely disagree with the way the live their life - like Jesus does.

God has despised sexual immorality from the fall of man. Let's start with Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-33 and chapter 19). In Gen. 19:5, men call out to Lot asking where the men who came with him where because they wanted to have sex with them. Now, this was not the only reason that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, but you can bet your boots that it was a factor. Fast forward to Rome.

Rome was - and is - well-known for its orgies. Not to mention its mythology and general godlessness. One of my pastors did a series on the book of Romans right before Joe and I got married. I distinctly remember him mentioning a book in which the author listed the things that led up to the fall of Rome. {For the life of me, I can't remember the name of this book! I've googled and searched on Amazon and I still came up with nothing. Help?} One of the last things that occurred before Rome fell was the legalization of same-sex marriage. Are you shocked?

Romans 1:26-32
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. {Meaning He allowed them to keep doing so because they refused to listen to Him and turn from their ways.} Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. {This is the really good part:} In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. {Our pastor went on to question us if we'd ever thought about where AIDS and STDs came from/began. Serious food for thought.} Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice...(pick up in verse 32) Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

So, according to the last verse there, Rome approved of homosexual acts: men lying with men and women lying with women. God allowed them to do this because they refused to acknowledge Him and His laws. When people started practicing homosexuality, notice that their society as a whole began to decline. Murder, greed, hatred, envy, etc.

Now, why did God allow them to keep doing as they were? I Corinthians 6:9-11:

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral not idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy not drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you where. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

There is more Biblical evidence to support my views, but I'm not going to go into that right now. I think it's clear from these verses how God feels about homosexuality. He despises it. As a Christian, I do too. Nothing bothers me more than people who claim to be Bible-believing Christians that are "okay" with homosexuality. Either you believe the whole Bible or you don't. You can't pick and choose what you want to believe. You can't take verses and make them say what you want them to say. It doesn't work like that.

All this to say that I believe that marriage is only for one man and one woman. God created us male and female, not male and male or female and female. Genesis 2:20-24 - ...But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;and while he was sleeping, ho took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is not bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.

I'm sure there will be people who stop following me because of this, but I'm not going to apologize for my beliefs. I never have and I never will. I believe in God and His Word. I believe it is the inherit truth. I do not - and will not - alter it to sugar coat the truth to fit the world's views. It may not be popular, but it's the truth and I stand by it.

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21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I whole heartedly agree and think you hit the nail on the head! Well said and thank you for sharing!!

JG said...

Go you! This is one of the most comprehensive and concise posts on the subject I have read. I have such a hard time verbalizing the same sentiment, I guess because I keep getting into conversations with people who aren't satisfied with "The Bible tells me so" as a reasoning.

I have more and more friends back home becoming members of churches that accept practicing homosexuals as born-again Christians (and let me be clear, I don't mean people who struggle with sin, I mean those who don't see it as sin) and it both frustrates and fatigues me. You try to bring up the Bible and they say, well, God is love and all love is holy. (i.e. Jennifer Knapp) I have to keep reminding myself that flesh (human reasoning) can't overcome flesh (sin nature). Only the Spirit can.

Chantal said...

While I disagree with you, I won't stop following you, haha. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I will say my biggest thing is this: They pay taxes like the rest of us, why can't they have the same rights? (BTW, I'm not Christian, so I don't really have the same point of view as you, ya know?)

Heather said...

I totally agree with what you said!!!

Beka said...

I always say that!! You can't pick and choose what you want to believe or follow in the bible. It's all or nothing! Good for you! I love this post! You are not loosing me as a follower!!! It really bothers me when "religious" people support gay marriage. Don't get me wrong, I feel the same as you. My best friend of 14 years is gay, I love her but I don't agree or support her life style.

Way to stand up for what you believe. I wish some people I know could read this!

Unknown said...

I have got to say, I could NOT agree MORE!!!!! :) Absolutely love this post!

Mrs. Ma'am said...

I am another that absolutely agrees with you on this. You totally did get it right and you proved your point. Nice job! I also have a best friend that is gay. I love him to pieces, but I do not approve of his way of life. But I can not judge him for it; it's not my place. Therefore, we can be friends.

Charity said...

Excellent post, I couldn't agree more. People can make their own choices and decisions in life, it doesn't mean I have to agree with them.

Leza said...

You won't lose this reader because I completely agree. I couldn't have said it better myself. When we lived there that issue was talked about everyday and Lingle constantly upheld her opinion on gay marriage. I am so glad she made the right decision.

Unknown said...

I am with you 100%!! You spoke it all so fantastically!

amyschmamey said...

It would be really petty for someone to stop following you over this.

While I believe the same way you do about homosexuality not being natural, if it were, they would be able to reproduce naturally. I think it is a waist of time and effort and produces no positive outcome to fight against same sex marriage.

Whether they are allowed to marry or not, they will still be homosexual... no amount of bible verses, logical explanation or picketing is going to change that.

MY OPINION as a believer in Christ:
A homsexual couple getting married doesn't effect me in anyway. I think Christians waist a lot of time getting bent out of shape about how other people live their lives. No matter how much we preach or picket there will always be immorality, it's just part of the package of humanity... doesn't make it right, but it has been this way since the fall.

While we are to be a light and we are to be a witness, the same free will that keeps God from controlling us like robots is the same free will that will prevent us from making people live the way we as Christians know to be right and true.

Christian's get into this trap of making one sin worse than another. Sin is sin. Envy, lust, murder... all are in the same boat with God. We all have things EVERYDAY that we fall short on. Everyone has a chance at heaven, even the homosexual... It all boils down to "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life"

You may not agree with me either... and that's ok :) Like your blog.

Unknown said...

Well said, Amy.

GI Joe's Wife: I'm a Christian Army wife as well. My husband deploys in January, so I've really appreciated your blog as a place to prepare myself and sort out my own feelings on the upcoming deployment. I've been thinking about you and your husband, and I hope you're both doing well.

When it comes to the issue of homosexuality, I don't think it's necessary to take a side. It's not our role as Christians to cast God's judgement on anyone. That's His job, not mine. Even Christ, when he was on earth, didn't come to judge (John 12:47-48). If Christ wasn't here to judge, how can I possibly claim that right? Whether or not God condemns homosexuality (and your interpretations of those verses can be read differently), I don't think we need to represent Him in that way.

But beyond all those things, I have a hard time with the idea that non-Christians should have to obey Christian rules. There is a reason we have separation of church and state, and I believe we represent ourselves in a much more Christ-like way when we're not forcing our beliefs on others. At the end of the day, the power is in God's hands. Whether or not homosexuals can legally marry won't affect God's control of all things.

Amy made a good point about the comparison of sins. If your or I sinned even once today (and we did), then we are on equal footing with homosexuals. Let's each focus on our own walk with God, and not worry about condemning others.

Dave and Ashley said...

Thank you for stepping up and preaching about this! It has to be said!

Christina said...

I agree with you 100%.

I'm not the best christian. I'm a questioner. I have it in my head that seeing is believing.. and I can't just force myself to feel there is a God sometimes. I was forced into religion growing up.. now I'm doing my own seeking.

Although, I know that if "Adam and Steve" were meant to be together, their parts would have been made to fit together.. and they would be able to procreate.

I'm southern raised, and that plays a lot on my beliefs as well. It's hard for me to accept someone who is Homosexual, or even bisexual.

3 Cupcakes said...

Thank you for being a strong woman of God and taking a stand for righteousness in these last days, it is greatly needed!

Unknown said...

Well said :-) Very courageous and bold- the way we are supposed to be!

Hannah said...

Wow, way to back up your beliefs with the word. :) You have my support on this.

The Mrs. said...

Well said :) I really couldn't agree with you more!

You have guts, girl! Go you!!

Amanda C. said...

Great post!! This is very well written and I LOVE that you entirely backed your beliefs up with scripture!! Way to go!

Though, I do agree with Amy and Christina that a sin is a sin, no better or worse than another.
I also go back and forth on my belief in seperation of church and state and that the government doesn't have the authority to control who we can or can't marry, but I also believe that it doesn't matter because gays have the EXACT same rights that we do (that a man can marry a woman, regardless of sexual preference).
But I DO have a problem with your pastor saying that AIDS began with the gays. For one, EVERYONE was having unprotected sex, not just gays. AIDS doesn't have a preference. There are actually a few theories on how AIDS was introduced into humans and it actually has been traced back to Africa, SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) mutated into HIV. Studies have shown that it's come from eating raw monkey meat, there's also a theory about the polio vaccine introducing it to much of the rest of the world, also stemming from monkeys. So don't blame gays, blame monkeys. :)

Anyways, great post and I love the strength of your beliefs!!

Amanda said...

Very well said! I am now a new follower and cant wait to read more! I am a fellow milspouse and thank you for your honesty and strengths.

I just recently started the whole blogging thing and if you are interested stop on by!

Jacki said...
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