In February 2019, the United Methodist Church reissued and strengthened its stance on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage. As a result, the divisiveness has increased, and the divide has widened. During February’s General Conference, Methodists from around the world, including delegates from the continents of Africa and Asia, reaffirmed the UMC definition of marriage as “the union of one man and one woman.” Also, the UMC approved even more strict penalties for clergy who violate these new policies. However, the UMC is not going at this argument alone; nearly every faith denomination across the globe is currently facing the battle between God and Gomorrah.
In June 2019, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America shared the message of ReconcilingWorks (initially named Lutherans Concerned for Gay People) entitled “Lutheran Introduction to our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Neighbors,” aimed at educating the Lutheran faith of the LGBTQ community and helping to define sexual orientation and gender identity. ReconcilingWorks, founded in 1974, is organized of laypeople, pastors and congregations from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada (ELCIC), is working for the full acceptance and inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions in the life of the Church. According to ReconcilingWorks’ website, their mission statement reads “Working at the intersection of oppressions, ReconcilingWorks embodies, inspires, advocates and organizes for the acceptance and full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities with the Lutheran communion and its ecumenical and global partners.” The push for inclusion has hit pulpits and pews across the nation – often with very divisive banter and action, with both sides (for and against) of the aisle preaching Godly Principles.
Coming off the heels of LGBTQ Pride Month, America has been flowered with both rainbows and rebellion – from parades to protests, our nation seems much more divided on homosexuality and gender identity in the Church than ever before. Within the New Testament, Apostle Paul cites explicitly in Romans 1:26-27, Corinthians 6:0-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10 the immorality associated with homosexuality and other various forms of improper sexual behavior. Within the Old Testament, Leviticus 18 and 20 specifically call homosexuality an “abomination.” Despite these Gospel commands, political correctness seems to have overtaken both the pulpit and pews of the American Faith! From biblical scholars and educators, from pastors to laypeople, today’s churches are forced with the idea of acceptance – ensuring the inclusion of acts that are specifically named within the Gospel of our Lord as abominably sinful.
As with other social issues, today’s Liberal Agenda is to steamroll any behavior as acceptable; out of LOVE, everyone is to welcome and often endorse such behavior as homosexuality and gender identity. Today’s Liberals attempt to justify their “acceptance measures” by citing the unconditional love offered by our Risen Lord; often the lunacy includes stating that Jesus never explicitly mentioned homosexuality and sexual orientation in the Bible. Jesus never addressed bestiality, rape or pedophilia either; however, today’s society (more often) deems these acts of sexual perversion as sinful and against fundamental human nature. Today’s Liberals too often want to look more at what is not said in the Bible rather than what is said – our Messiah and his ministry was to the people of Israel, who practiced and adhered to the Law of Moses. In the Old Testament, the covenant between God and his Chosen People who condemned all perverted sexual acts, including homosexuality. It should naturally be looked upon that since Jesus’ ministry was to the people of Israel who adhered to the established Covenant of God, that it would not be necessary for him to call out each immoral sexual act specifically. After all, Jesus views the Old Testament as the Word of God; and thus, homosexuality was and is sinful in every sense of the word.
For those Liberals who do wish to cite what the Lord our God did say, Jesus, states explicitly that the institution of marriage is between a male and a female. In the book of Matthew, Chapter 19, the Pharisees attempted to trap Jesus in asking him his response to divorce, Jesus says, “Have you not read that He who created them from 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, they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” Given the words of our Lord, homosexuality, gender identity, and transgender are an unrooted, unfounded, and un-Human way of living. Today as we see both state and federal governments attempting to justify the union of members of the same sex, they are ultimately defying the Word of God – in every sense of His Word.
After the crucifixion of our Lord, the discipleship of his life and ministry had just begun. Those Liberals who attempt to retract the words written by the Apostles Paul and John (Books of Acts, Peter, John, James, Hebrews, and Revelations) continue to spat in the face of our Lord, for these messages were applied by faith and directed by the Holy Spirit. As with any Leftist agenda, today’s Liberals attempt to redact, retract, and remove any founded principles that differ from their MADOLOGY. Liberalism in America has attacked not only the basic principles of our democracy but have their sights set on cutting up Our Savior’s Cross and massaging the words of our Messiah and his message!
During the LBGTQ Pride month in June, the symbol and colors of the rainbow were plastered from street corners during parades to the entrances of shopping centers. It appeared as if our nation’s communities were under attack from Lucky the Leprechaun – instead of the message of “Magically Delicious,” many were “Manically Disturbed.” Today’s American is often plagued with the SELFishness – I want this, I am entitled to this, I should have this – total disregard of responsible living. Our Lord magically crafted both his word and directives to all on how we are to live our lives – our God created humankind in his image. Our God also does not make defective junk; instead, each human being is unique and different; however, we are always created in his image. We are all perfect in our Lord’s eyes – God doesn’t make mistakes. Instead, we do when we lie, cheat, steal, abuse, and behave unnaturally.
While we are perfect in the eyes of our Creator, we are not perfect people; we are utterly sinful. Sin is sin – however, rather than attempting to COLORFULLY equate and justify sin in the name of Political Correctness, like Apostle Paul, as Christians, we are to call out sin as we see it, REPENT and open our arms, bodies, minds, and soul to our LOVING God and those who commune daily with him. Instead of plastering rainbows to attempt to justify abominable behavior, we should be reminded of Genesis 9:12-13 which states that the rainbow is and will always be the PERFECT ILLUSTRATION of God’s love for all and his continued covenant between our Lord and man.