TWO WRONGS HAVE THE RIGHT

But, the two wrongs do not make one right. The reason being, the wrongs are not right, singularly or collectively. Now permit me to explain what I mean by all this jargon. On Sunday, October 17, 2004, the Montgomery Advertiser carried an article pertaining to a protest led by an extremist group from the state of Kansas that occurred in Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday, October 16, 2004. The group was comprised of some of the members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Their basic message in sermon and in songs was that God hates the homosexuals. They also “Thank God for Ivan”, believing that it was punishment sent from God for the immorality that exists in our country. Also that “God hates America.” A daughter of the preacher of this church explained that the signs and slogans are “about the United States’ enabling of the homosexual lifestyle.” Some of the songs and comments expressed the belief of this group that “the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were God’s wrath on homosexuals.” The beliefs of this radical group are not representative of the religious community in our nation. In fact, such extremism is injurious to an understanding of the nature of God and an acceptance of the Bible as being divinely inspired of God. Such ignorance and misguided zeal give fuel to the secular society to ridicule believers in Jesus Christ as being the only Savior of mankind and God the Father being the Creator of heaven and earth. But, these zealots have the right in this country to express their religious beliefs and teachings. For this we are indeed thankful. The truth of the matter is, God loves the homosexual but He hates the sin. In the great Roman treatise concerning the infinite grace of God, it is easy to understand how much God detest the sin of homosexuality. In chapter 1: 18 - 32, we learn that the “wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.” The heathen populace did not “glorify God” and became steeped in idolatry. Because of their willfulness in rejecting God, He “gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves.” “God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use of what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use to the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality…” One can plainly understand from a casual reading of this passage that God condemns the sins of sexual perversion, including homosexuality. However, the Holy Spirit guided the apostle Paul to write in the same book of Romans, chapter 5, verses 6 – 10, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” The “ungodly” in verse 6, the “sinners” in verse 8 and the “enemies” mentioned in verse 10 would involve all of mankind, including the homosexuals. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). It was by the grace of God that Jesus died “for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). No greater truth can be found in the Holy Scriptures than this, that God loved/loves the human family, including those who were/are guilty of sexual sins. On the other hand, the second group present on the occasion previously mentioned, was comprised of those who believe that the homosexual way of life is right and should be accepted by society even to the point of making it legal for persons of the same sex to be married. Under the picture of two women hugging one another on page 4c of the Montgomery Advertiser, it reads that one woman “embraces her wife”. Yes, you read that correctly, a woman who “embraces her wife” (Emphasis mine, RE). There are many passages in the Bible, including Romans 1:18-34; I Corinthians 6:19–20, that prove beyond a shadow of doubt the homoerotic lifestyle is sinful in the mind of God. Also, when the design of marriage and the relationship of man and woman are considered in view of the infinite wisdom of God, one has to conclude that same sex marriages and the homoerotic lifestyle are expressly forbidden in the Holy Scriptures. In Genesis 1:26-28, we read the following, “Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply: fill the earth and subdue it…” One can plainly see that God made man (generic term) male and female. God did not make one entity with dual personalities but two entities, male and female. It is also understood that the male and female should have children in order to “fill the earth”. Two people of the same sex cannot accomplish what God intended for the male and female (in marriage) to do. In chapter two of the book of Genesis we find more details concerning the making of man and woman by Almighty God. Notice in verses 20 – 25, “So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be call woman, because she was taken out of man.” “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” After God made man, there was not to be found among the animal kingdom a help-meet (companion) suitable for Adam. God caused the man to fall into a sleep and God took a part of man and made the woman. For all time to come, the truth was stated that the man should leave his parents and cleave to his wife. It is easy to understand that the institution of marriage by God consisted of a man marrying a woman. That is God’s design for mankind. Any arrangement contrary to this is a perversion of God’s plan originating from His infinite wisdom and love. The eternal Word (God the Son) was involved in the making of the man and woman in the Garden of Eden. John declared this so in John 1:3, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” The apostle Paul expressed it in this manner, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16, 17). Jesus gave credence to the story of creation and in particular to the making of man and woman as recorded in Matthew 19:4 – 6, “And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ “and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” It is clear that God (including God the Son) made male and female and that the man (male) should be joined to his wife (female) thus becoming one flesh. And since God joins them (male and female) in marriage, man has no right to separate the two of them. It takes professional (?) help for a person to misunderstand God’s design in marriage, that is, one man for one woman. Individuals who believe in God and have respect for His Word have no alternative but to accept God’s design and plan for marriage that involves a man and a woman. We must also conclude that Jesus did have much to say about homosexuality when it is understood that man and woman were made by Him in the very beginning and that they were the only suitable candidates for the marriage relationship. Yes, the two groups that confronted one another during the protest on October 16, 2004 had the right to express themselves; but, the truth of the matter is that neither group was right because each stood in violation of what the Holy Scriptures teach regarding God’s love for all of mankind and His design for the male and female in the holy estate of matrimony.

“OUR MARRIAGE WILL NOT AFFECT OTHERS”

This was said by a ‘gay’ person who planned on marrying his ‘partner’ after the Supreme Court Justices (I shall call them ‘little gods’ since they redefined the definition of what marriage has been understood for centuries, i.e., the joining together of a man and woman in matrimony) legalized same sex marriages on June 26, 2015. The man probably was correct in his assumption that his particular marriage ceremony would not affect others; however, the legalization of homosexual marriages will have some of the greatest impact on the citizens of the United States of America like it has never experienced before in the history of our nation.

First of all, let me say that the liberal estimate of the number of ‘gays’ living in our nation is only 2-4 percent. Whenever any negative statements are made, or articles written about the homosexual style of living, the words “homophobic’ and ‘bigot’ are used toward the heterosexual population. Now that the ‘little gods’ have legalized ‘gay marriages’, we are going to discover just how intolerant a group of people can be when individuals and businesses will not canter to their demands. The courts throughout the land will be filled with law suits of ‘gays’ demanding their ‘rights’, whatever they might be. F. LaGard Smith wrote the following in his book, ‘Sodom’s Second Coming’, page 8, “Hardly anyone stops to notice that gay rights means heterosexuals having to give up rights – like the right to consider character when renting one’s house or when hiring the church secretary; or the right of parents to keep their children from being taught that homosexual couples are just as acceptable as mommie and daddy.” Incidentally, his book was published in 1993.

There are individuals who are not ‘church going’ people who understand that men marrying men and women marrying women is contrary to nature; and, whose consciences will prevent them from encouraging this kind of life style. They will also be challenged when ‘gays’ demand of them services which will be contrary to their convictions.

Here is a partial list of individuals, churches, religious organizations and businesses that will certainly be tried and tested because of the legalization of ‘gay marriages’.

-          Christian adopting agencies.

-          Preachers who, based on the teaching of the Bible, will neither condone such a style of living nor perform a wedding for homosexuals.

-          Churches that will not allow ‘gay marriages’ to be conducted in their buildings.

-          Businesses and companies that choose not to hire ‘gays’; or, be unwilling to pay for the insurance, retirement, etc. of a married ‘gay couple’.

-          Religious universities and schools that choose not to hire teachers who are homosexuals.

-          Professional photographers.

-          Florists.

-          Rental property owners.

-          Bed and Breakfast owners.

-          Christian teachers in universities and schools who will refuse to teach a curriculum that advocates that the ‘gay life style’ and marriages should be accepted as being normal.

-          Probate Judges and Justices of the Peace who refuse to perform a ‘gay marriage’.

-          Religious companies that publishes books and literature.

-          Preachers who publicly preach and/or write articles that the homosexual style of living is sinful.

We can now expect that television commercials will be using ‘gay married couples’ in their advertising of different products, companies and businesses. The ‘soap operas’ have been encouraging the ‘gay lifestyle’. You can be sure that more will be forthcoming.

Christian parents will have to be more aware what is being taught their children in the public schools system. More time will need to be spent in teaching children what the Word of God has to say on the subject of homosexuality. Conviction on such matters can be held and taught without hatred for anyone.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, help me never to forget Your goodness to me and Your everlasting love and grant that, no matter how dark the night, I will never turn from You. And graciously grant that our nation will turn to and never forget You. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

SAME SEX MARRIAGE: IT'S A MATTER OF EVOLUTION

You may ask, ‘How did we come to this place in the history of our nation that the Supreme Court would redefine marriage? The decision made by the Judges on June 26, 2015 went contrary to the understanding of the majority of the citizens of the United States regarding the definition of marriage and that being, the joining together of a man (male) and woman (female) in the holy estate of matrimony.

One news reporter explained very clearly as to why that infamous decision was made when he said, “we have evolved in our culture that we now can accept ‘gay’ marriages.” Did you understand what he said? The reporter stated that we have “evolved in our culture” as to the reason the decision was made by the Supreme Court Judges. One definition of the word ‘evolve’ is, “a gradual process of change and development.” The word evolution is defined as “the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form.” In other words, the moral standards of our nation have eroded over a period of time and not suddenly as when a tornado occurs in a few seconds, often without warning.

The decision by the U. S. Supreme Court on January 22, 1973 (Wade Vs Roe) to legalize abortion, the killing of ‘heart beating’, innocent unborn children devalued human life. The conservative estimate is that 1.5 million abortions are performed in this nation annually.

The fact that society, in general, no longer considers it  ‘a shame’ for a woman (often teenagers) are having children out of wedlock. Some estimate that 40-70 percent (depending on the race of the mothers) of the children born in the United States are born to unwed mothers.

In today’s society the number of couples living together outside of marriage has greatly increased – without shame. One report that I read is that “cohabitation before a wedding has increased almost 900 percent since the l960s. Consider this: “Couples aged 50 and older are living together in greater numbers than ever. According to Forbes.com, more than 1.8 million Americans in that age group are cohabiting.”  Among young adults, living together without being married is acceptable in society today. The number of marriages has fallen drastically over the years. The fact may be, the couples cohabiting together may out number the couples who are married.

It is not surprising, though disappointing, that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of ‘same sex marriages’. It has been and is the case that we are gradually evolving in our culture that what used to be the accepted norm is no longer. And, the sad fact is, we are not finished with this gradual process of eroding the high moral standards that once we had in the country.

GOD'S DESIGN FOR MARRIAGE

People who are acquainted with the Bible, God’s inspired Word, have read how He created the heavens and the earth and formed man from the “dust of the earth” (Genesis, chapters one and two). We also have learned from the same text how God took a part of man (Adam) and made woman. When Adam saw her, he said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” Please read very carefully the following: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen.2:23, 24). It is reasonable, is it not, that the part of man that God removed from the side of Adam, He made woman and she became his wife. So, the man (male) and the woman (female) were joined together by God. Later “Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living” (Gen.3:20). You see, God had given them the command, “Be fruitful and multiply…” (Gen1:28).

It is not difficult to understand that in order to “Be fruitful and multiply”, that is, to bear children, you have to have a male and female to propagate the human family. This is God’s design. This is a very strong argument against a man marrying a man or a woman marrying a woman. Such a ‘marriage’ would be in opposition to and against God’s design for an acceptable marriage.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave credence to the record of creation and the beginning of the human race as found in the first two chapters of Genesis. In Matthew 19:4-6, He was answering a question raised by the Pharisees and here was his answer: “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ “and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” If we believe in Jesus Christ we must also accept as literal the record of creation recorded in Genesis.  And it is obvious that the “wife” (Eve) of the “male” (Adam) was a “female”.