In the New Testament era, should not the ethic of love and charity prevail, allowing for homosexual or gay living?

-

In the New Testament era, should not the ethic of love prevail, allowing for homosexual or gay living?

 The Revisionist Answer

 The Bible sets forth the liberating ethic of love or charity as the chief principle of the Christian. Establishing such rules as forbidding homosexual relationships brings Christians under bondage and violates the ethic of love. 

 If our ethic is love, should not freedom prevail in such questions? Isn’t it a question of respect for the stronger (homosexual) brother (Romans 14–15)? The church should accept into its membership and among its clergy, those who live in committed, homosexual arrangements (marriages).

 The Biblical Answer

 Our attempt to obey the second greatest commandment, to love our neighbor as ourselves (Levit. 19:8), cannot violate the first commandment, to love God with our total being (Deut. 6:5–9). A significant way to love God is to “be holy” (Levit. 19:2). Love motivates obedience to God’s commands (John 13:34, 35; 1 John 3:23; 2 John 6). Homosexuality violates any honest definition of purity and holiness. As with other sexual sins, it is not morally neutral, so it does not fall into the category of the “stronger” and “weaker brothers” (see pp. 26–146).

 The Revisionist Counter-argument

 The voice of the community fashions our morality. Although the Bible can give us our theology, only the whole community acting together can decide which ethical standards should currently prevail.

 The Biblical Counter-argument

 As much as we might like to customize our morality around current fashion, ethical principles are based in the character of the unchanging God. Neither does God shape morality around majority vote. Would the Israelites have voted for the Ten Commandments? Many of them were violating the laws even as Moses received them on Mount Sinai. God made His will clear, though not many agreed with it (see p. 171).
De Young, J. B. (2000). Homosexuality: Contemporary Claims Examined in Light of the Bible and Other Ancient Literature and Law (pp. 289–290). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

Popular posts from this blog

Ontario Catholic school board to vote on flying gay ‘pride flag’ at all board-run schools

-
Image
A Catholic school board in Ontario will vote next week on a motion to fly the rainbow-colored homosexual pride flag at all board-run schools during the month of June. Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) Trustee Brenda Agnew gave notice of her motion titled “supporting our diverse school community” during an April 6 board meeting. Quoting Pope Francis along with LGBT talking points about “equity and inclusion,” the motion calls for the Board’s Director of Education Pat Daly to “direct all HCDSB schools including the Catholic Education Centre to fly the Pride flag during the month of June starting with 2021.” The motion is expected to be voted on by the Board at their next meeting on April 20. With nine trustees, the motion requires five votes to pass. A tied vote results in a fail. The HCDSB states on its website that its mission is to provide “excellence in Catholic education by developing Christ-centred individuals enabled to transform society.” The Catholic Church, basing i
Read more

Christian baker must make ‘wedding’ bakes for gay couples, court rules

-
Image
DENVER, CO ,  – A Colorado board has ruled that a Christian business owner must make wedding cakes for homosexual "marriages" despite his religious objections. Business owner Jack Phillips came under legal fire in 2012, when he refused to bake a cake for Dave Mullins and Charlie Craig , who had traveled to Massachusetts for a marriage license, and wanted to celebrate in their home state. They sued on the basis of a state law that prevents the application of religious beliefs if one owns a business. The Commission's ruling, which was issued verbally on Friday, orders Phillips to report every three months for the next two years on anti-discrimination training for his staff, and any customers who are refused service at his establishment. "I can believe anything I want, but if I'm going to do business here, I'd ought to not discriminate against people," said one of the Civil Rights Commission 's seven members in a public statement. Phil
Read more

Australia: Gay Hate tribunals are coming

-
Image
Are Hate Tribunals Are Coming In Canada , it is considered discriminatory to say that marriage is between a man and a woman or that every child should know and be raised by his or her biological married parents.  It is not just politically incorrect in Canada to say so; you can be saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, fined, and forced to take sensitivity training. Anyone who is offended by something you have said or written can make a complaint to the Human Rights Commissions and Tribunals. In Canada, these organizations police speech, penalizing citizens for any expression deemed in opposition to particular sexual behaviors or protected groups identified under “sexual orientation.” It takes only one complaint against a person to be brought before the tribunal, costing the defendant tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees. The commissions have the power to enter private residences and remove all items pertinent to their investigations, checking fo
Read more