Homosexuality At one time all mankind knew the true God. (Rom 1:21) Ancient history indicates monotheism more ancient than polytheism. Modern theories of religion teach than religion has progressively risen upward in concepts about God. Man originally knew and rejected knowledge of God. From failure to worship and give thanks to God, Corruption set in. Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. Man sees himself as "Homo Sapiens" which means the "wise one". Often is "Homo igno ramus" First Step of Man's Decline - Idolatry. This is not as open in our particular society, yet many serve the creature rather than the Creator. God gave them up, let them go. It was their choice as a result of their rejection of God. Next Step - Homosexuality. Another perversion in God's Creation. Genesis 2:23-24 And Adam 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." Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Homosexuality is first mentioned in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Today, the term "sodomy" is used to describe homosexual activities. Story of Sodom and Gomorrah used to be laughed at until Ebla tablets discovered in the 1970's. Trade records included deals with Sodom, Gomorrah, and the other cities of the plain. The size of transactions led some to believe the population of the cities of the plain to be around 250,000. Result of this Sin Sodom a rich area Gen. 13:10 Wicked 13:13 Area was blessed by God, instead of being thankful, the people forgot God and lived for pleasure. Conditions were so bad that the men preferred other men over women - Gen. 18:20 Gen. 18:24-32 Ten righteous people could not be found Great destruction - Rich, fertile land ruined forever Under the Dead Sea? Zoar is at the Southern edge. The Plain now buried? The phrase "Destroyed like when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah" is used many times later in Scripture to describe complete judgment on the wicked by God. 1. Israel, Judah - Deut. 29:23, Isaiah 1:9, Lam 4:6, Amos 4:11 2. Babylon - Isaiah 13:19, Jer 50:40 3. Edom - Jer 49:18 4. Moab - Zeph. 2:9 5. Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. - Luke 17:29 6. Final Judgment of the Wicked will be worse - Mat 10:15, 11:23-24 Sodom and Gomorrah are used to Describe to Describe the Wicked Isaiah 1:9-10 Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah. Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. Jeremiah 23:14 Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, and her inhabitants like Gomor rah. Revelation 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Homosexuality Was Forbidden to the Jews Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Deut. 23:17 There shall be no prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Penalty = Death Lev 20:13 And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abom ination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Rom. 1:32 ...those who practice such things are worthy of death... Homosexuality Was A Recurring Sin Among Israel 1. Corruption in the Period of the Judges in Benjamin - Judges 19 The tribe of Benjamin was almost entirely destroyed for defending homosexuals. When the other tribes asked God if they should go into the final battle that destroyed the tribe of Benjamin, God answered: Judges 20:28 "Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into your hand." 25,000 killed in battle, only 600 survived 2. Sin in Days of Rehoboam 1 Kings 14:21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah... 22 And Judah did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, above all that their fathers had done. 24 and there were also sodomites in the land: they did according to all the abomi nations of the nations which Jehovah drove out before the children of Israel. 3. First Right Thing Mentioned That Asa Did 1 Kings 15:11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah... 12 And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 4. Reforms of Josiah 2 Kings 23:3-7 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this cove nant that were written in this book.... 7 And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove. It was even more common among the pagans surrounding them. One reason for the down fall of Rome given by Gibbons was that homosexuality was so common, the birth rate was too low to repopulate the armies. Homosexuality Came in the Open in the USA June 1969 Riot at the Stonewall Bar in Greenwich Village, New York. It started as a routine police raid, but homosexuals fought back with bricks and there was 3 days of confrontation. The event is now celebrated yearly as "Gay Pride Week" symbol izing a new open lifestyle centered on casual sexual encounters w/o guilt or commitment. From this, the Gay Rights movement was born. Gay Pride Day is celebrated annually with local politicians marching arm-in-arm with Gay Rights activists. There is much activity in this country trying to force acceptance of this sin on the same level as accepting people of different races. The movement has grown to the point there is now an International Gay Association which at least 32 nations are represented, and has applied for admission into the U.N. on an "advisory basis". March on Washington - 1987 Saturday, Oct. 10 - 2,000 homosexual couples exchanged wedding vows as a "demonstra tion for equal rights". Demanded that laws be changed so that homosexual couples have all the same rights as heterosexual. Sunday, Oct. 11 - 200,000 - 300,000 homosexuals marched past the White House to the Capitol carrying signs like "Thank God I'm Gay" and shouting slogans such as "Two Four, Six, Eight, aren't you glad that you're not straight". March ended with a rally at the Capitol with a speech by Jesse Jackson. Other speakers: two homosexual congressmen, Gerry Studds and Barney Frank, both Democrats from Massachusetts. Eleanor Smeal - former president for National Org. for Women. Cesar Chavez - President of United Farm Workers Actors - Whoopi Goldberg and Robert Blake. Partial List of Demands made by the Demonstrators 1. Legal Recognition of Lesbian and Gay Relationships. Including government funded alternative housing, foster care, counseling, and legal aid provided for homosexual youth. Pro-Homosexual classes and literature to be made avail able in all public schools. 2. A Presidential Order Banning Anti-Gay Discrimination by the Federal Government This would include a ban on all discrimination in federal employment, all federally funded private employment and all federally funded programs. 3. Passage of a Congressional Homosexual Civil Rights Bill Government would have to provide protection against homosexuals just as is provided on the basis of race, creed, color or sex or national origin. Quotas would include Homosexuals like races are today. Institutions, including churches, that continue to discriminate would have their tax-exemption status repealed. 4. Massive Funding for AIDS. Government should spend more on research, pay all medical bills of all homosexuals with aids. All funding must come from the military budget, not money from social programs. Endorsers Included: 2 Democrat Senators, 30 Democrat Congressmen, 1 Republican Congressman Mayors of: Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Berkeley, San Francisco, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Sacramento, Santa Cruz City endorsements: Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, West Hollywood, Washington DC. Individuals: Patty Duke, Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, Dick Gregory, Jesse Jackson, Cheryl Ladd, Shirley McClaine. Total: Nearly 1,000 elected officials, Hundreds of Civic, Labor and Religious leaders signed an endorsement of the march. Homosexual Are Gaining Increasing Acceptance in Society Just a few years ago, this march would not be tolerated. No one would dream that a presidential candidate would speak at such an event in favor of it. In 1985, 60 Minutes with Harry Reasoner did a story on a homosexual father and his current lover who was trying to get custody of his son. They were portrayed as loving, caring, sensitive, and deserving to be parents. The mother and preacher at her church were portrayed as emotional, vindictive, unstable and waging war against others. This case went to court and the homosexual won custody. Superior Court Judge Judith McConnell, Nov. 1987 I hereby award the custody of 16 year old Brian Batey to the homosexual "lover" of Brian's father, [now dead of AIDS], instead of his mother), "to provide a stable wholesome environment where Brian can complete his growing up." Big Brothers of Minneapolis Application submitted by man wanting to be a "Big Brother". During the interview, the Big Bro. representative sensed that he might be homo and asked him if he was. Answer - "YES". He told applicant that Big Bro. policy was to reveal all facts about potential "Big Brothers" to the boys mothers. Then the mothers had the final say as to the acceptability of the applicant for their child's companionship. The applicant sued Big Brothers under the Minneapolis Gay Rights Ordinance for discrimination, based on "affectional preference". He argued that disclosure of his homosexuality would lead to his disqualification as a Big Brother. He won the case, Big Brothers was fined $6,000. And was also required to recruit and accept homosexuals as Big Brothers, without disclosure of their homosexuality to the boy's mothers. Big Bro. had to run adds in homosexual publications to entice them to come to Minneapolis to be Big Brothers. Now the national policy is to accept homosexual men as "big brothers" to fatherless boys ages 6 to 16. Big Sisters of Colorado Big Sisters also now accepts Lesbians. Article in the Colorado Woman News announced that in a Board meeting addressing this issue: The exclusionary policy has been reversed, bringing us into the 21st Century. Colorado Woman News asked readers in the June issue for their opinions. Response: 74% for accepting Lesbians, 26% against. Boston Police Dept. B.P.D. now actively recruits homosexual and lesbian officers, because of pressure form the Boston Lesbian and Gay Alliance. They claimed a lack of homosexuals and lesbians in the 1,800 member police department fostered fear and distrust between the homosexual community and police dept. Politics Gerry Studds and Barney Frank, both Democrats from Massachusetts. One of the most famous in the Clinton Administration - Roberta Actenburg of HUD. Homosexual P.A.C. Human Rights Campaign Fund is the 16th largest independent political action committee in the nation according to the federal Elections Commission. Executive Director Vic Basile said: "We have clearly become a big league PAC, which means the gay and lesbian community has increasing power in American Politics". Education Called "alternate lifestyle". It is promoted by many sex education courses claim to be "value-free", particularly from groups like SEICUS and Planned Parenthood. Teaching that all methods of sexual expression is accepted. Teaching value free is teaching values - values of Satan. No such thing as values-free, but the question is "Whose Values"? Back to Genesis, May 1990, Institute of Creation Research ...Recently, The Chalkboard, the newsletter of the Gay and Lesbian Educators of Southern California, reported a meeting with Mr. Bill Honig. California State Superintendent of Education. Mr. Honig, well known for his aggressive advocacy of evolution (as well as his aggressive opposition to creation), invited leading homosexual educators into his San Francisco home to discuss ways of better including the teaching of the homosexual agenda in California public school classrooms (Chalkboard, Vol. 11, No. 8, October 1988). As go certain large key states, so generally goes the public education throughout the nation. Jean O'Riley, a lesbian appointed by Jimmy Carter to the National Commission for the observance of the International Women's Year in a paper called Lesbians and the Schools, a paper circulated at Nebraska International Women's Year Conference in 1979 demanded: 1. Schools must offer sex education courses "to encouraged students to explore alternative life-styles, including lesbianism. 2. School libraries are to be stocked with books extolling homosexuals, homosexual clubs are to be established in schools to "foster community of spirit" among homosexuals and all books discouraging homosexuality are to be banned. 3. Students should be furnished with names of homosexual counseling services available and teachers of "human sexuality courses" take a "positive view" of homosexuality. The National Education Association, the 1.8 million member teachers' Union that actually runs the public education system in the United States, has distributed from its professional library in West Haven, Conn. a publication titled "Homophobia and Education: How to Deal with Name Calling." According to an article by John Lofton in Human Events, an editorial in this publication says: It is the responsibility of non-homosexual teachers to help their homosexual colleagues by working to counteract "heterosexism" in their school, which is defined as "a belief in the inherent superiority of one pattern of loving over all others and thereby its right to dominance." The "evidence" given in the publication, is that homosexuality is merely "a difference, like left-handedness, and it represents part of the range of human sexual/affectional expression." Religion Daily News, Bowling Green, KY March 3, 1991 A Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) task force has recommended that the church permit ordination of gays and that it ease restrictions on sex outside marriage. The 17-member committee split sharply, with six members issuing a minority report. The minority report, which will also go to the church's policy-making General Assembly when it meets in Baltimore, upholds traditional church stands that condemn homosexual practices and restrict sex to married couples. By contrast, the majority report says that "a Christian ethic of sexuality is needed that honors but do not restrict sexual activity to marriage alone." The report, released last week, also says that "what matters ethically is not the sameness (or the difference) of the gender of persons in relation, but rather the quality and character of their relationship. Similarly, what matters is not whether sexually active adults are married or not, but rather whether they embody justice-love in their relating." Church of England Won't Expel Homosexual Priests Church of England officials voted overwhelmingly to not expel homosexual priests from the clergy, Also refused to condemn all acts of adultery as sinful. AFA Journal March 88 United Churches of Christ endorsed the Oct. 1987 march on Washington T.V. Lichter-Rothman study Hollywood and America: The Odd Couple 1983 80% of T.V. elite believe homosexuality is acceptable. 66% believe they should use T.V. to change society. They admit that T.V. is a propaganda tool used to change society into what they want it to be. Journal of Communication reported a study revealing that the homosexuals are the most effective and well organized lobby in the television industry. All the networks consult regularly with the Gay Media Task Force. T.V. producer James Komack, said: "If you don't have the approval of the Gay Media Task Force, you don't go the air". This is why homosexuals are consistently portrayed as loving, sensitive, intelligent. Any who are against homos are Archie Bunker type. Intolerant bigoted fool. Efforts to Justify Homosexuality One of the most absurd efforts to discredit the Biblical teaching on homosexuality was set forth by John Boswell in Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality. In addressing himself to the obvious Biblical condemnation of homosexuality found in Romans 1, Boswell wrote: ...The persons who Paul condemns are manifestly not homosexual: what he derogates are homosexual acts committed by apparently heterosexual persons. The whole point of Romans 1, in fact, is to stigmatize persons who have rejected their calling, gotten off the true path they were once on. It would completely undermine the thrust of the argument if the persons in question were not "naturally" inclined to the opposite sex in the same way they were naturally inclined to monotheism... It is not clear that Paul distinguished in his thought or writing between gay persons (in the sense of permanent sexual preference) and heterosexuals who simply engaged in periodic homosexual behavior... Paul did not discuss gay persons but only homosexual acts committed by heterosexual persons. (page 109) In 1981, Melvin E. Wheatley, a United Methodist Bishop, assigned a preacher who admitted his homosexuality openly even though the church doctrine classified this practice "incompatible with Christian teachings." But at a hearing in May of 1982, Wheatley was cleared of any wrong doing by a nine- member board. The board said there was insufficient evidence to support the charge of violation of church doctrine after the Bishop's defense on grounds that "homosexuality is not a sin" . "Sin of Sodom was inhospitality, not homosexuality" Ezekiel 16:49-50 Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 "And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit. Their Abomination is described by Jude Jude 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (What is not natural - Rom. 1) According to these modern day mind benders, "[Christianity], by its moral teaching on the intrinsic evil of homosexuality... is a conspirator in the violence perpetrated against gay men and lesbian women who are senselessly discriminated against within the public sector" (Report of the Task Force on Gay/Lesbian Issues, Commission on Social Justice, Archdiocese of San Francisco). Isaiah 59:14-15 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. 15 So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice. Proverbs 17:15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! "If God be for us, who can stand against us?" (Romans 8:31) We Are to be at War Against All Kinds of Evil None is to be left out. This is one more sin against our Savior. Must be rebuked, exposed for what it is. Homosexuals Can be Converted. They are a Part of the World that God Loves All Sin Can be Forgiven 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Wayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc