Monday, November 07, 2011

Bending Scripture To Affirm Behavior

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Ross Murray, director of religion, faith and values for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), witting for CNN's Belief Blog says, "America is embracing its lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender citizens. Don't believe me? Just look at the progress being made in the faith community."

As our culture stumbles toward Sodom with words such as "tolerance," "diversity," "inclusion," "equality," and even "love" being inverted and revised, let's look at Murray's recent message delivered by CNN.

Let's look at "the progress being made" by revising and bending Scripture---even the Apostle Paul's writings, to affirm a behavior and the belief that homosexuality is both normal and Christian.

Ross Murray writing for CNN says, "For those of us who identify as LGBT, church was a place of fear and secrets. We had to figure out how to hide ourselves or how to find a more welcoming community."

"But that," he says "is changing."

Murray's column is a snapshot of the message being fed into mainline Christian churches today and to this generation through public education and entertainment. A generation that has not, for the most part, been taught a biblical worldview.

Progress is being made. Murray writes, "Whole Christian denominations have accepted and embraced the reality of LGBT believers within their ranks and in their leadership," identifying Lutherans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, the United Church of Christ and Unitarians.

As the inerrancy and inspiration of the Bible has been undermined in these and other church organizations, a more relative, seemingly socially acceptable gospel has replaced the gospel "once delivered."

The mainline churches are dying, while the "Emergent or Emerging" churches are more interested in being cool and friendly than biblical.

Rather than biblical truth molding the culture, the culture has come to mold biblical "truth." Because, to many, truth is relative. You have your truth I have my truth---there are no absolutes.

Both "tolerance" and "love" have been revised to mean only "affirming" or "celebrating" in regard to homosexual behavior, creating a peer pressure against those who disagree. Murray references a Public Religion Research Institute poll that he says finds "71% of Catholics in America support lesbian and gay people," implying that if you disagree or hold a different view for any reason, or even disapprove of their behavior, you are out of touch, outdated and disconnected to the current culture.

He says, "Those who oppose equality can call it what they like, but the reality is that we are living in a society that has learned how to value LGBT people as they would others."

Obviously a reference to Christ's teaching to love others as we love ourselves.

The blatant deception in this is the implication that we are unable to love another person while categorically condemning their behavior. Yet it is both biblical truth and concept that God hates sin, yet loved us even in our sin and gave His Son for our redemption. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."

God can hate the sin, yet love the sinner. So can we.

GLAAD has a history of challenging and silencing anyone who disagrees with their agenda and behavior. In January of this year they petitioned CNN to stop inviting "anti-gay" guests on their programs who disagree with the GLAAD message.

Murray gives a clear example of how he and other homosexual activists are deceiving many church members, already devoid of a biblical worldview, by insisting that if you get to know homosexual individuals, you will like them. If you like them, you will no longer be fearful of them and therefore accept them. And acceptance is always predicated on affirming their behavior. Murray and other homosexual activists never allow anyone to accept the person, while rejecting their behavior. This he says fulfills the Scripture in 1 John 4: 18 that says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear," denying that anyone could possibly reject their behavior out of moral conviction, rather than fear.

In Murray's most blatant bending (breaking) of scriptural truth, he contends that affirming homosexual behavior, "Lives out the apostle Paul's wish for the Corinthians that some day we may know fully, even as we are known."

"It is," Murray insists,"a biblically informed reality that is helping to make the world a better place."

He is referring to I Corinthians 13:12, which is not a "wish," but a reference to what will happen when Jesus Christ returns. Paul says at that time, "I shall know fully, even as I am known"---as God knows me, contrasting how he, Paul, in earthly human form sees "in a mirror dimly," "knowing in part."

So the glorious hope of knowing God fully at the second coming of Christ is now a "wish that we will get to know LGBT people better," thus making the Apostle Paul, who strongly condemns homosexual behavior, a homosexual advocate.

Perversion.

And some Christian churches are teaching this. While others simply remain silent.
God help us.

Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Very Discerning. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.

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