GAY TRUTH

Tony Campolo: Author and speaker on political and religious topics (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The very first issue of  Christianity Today  is dated October 15, 1956. In his first editorial, Carl F. H. Henry set his course for the magazine: “Those who direct the editorial policy of  Christianity Today  unreservedly accept the complete reliability and authority of the written Word of God. It is their conviction that the Scriptures teach the doctrine of plenary inspiration.” Henry also affirmed continuity with the great orthodox tradition of biblical doctrine and moral principles: “The doctrinal content of historic Christianity will be presented and defended. Among the distinctive doctrines to be stressed are those of God, Christ, man, salvation, and the last things. The best modern scholarship recognizes the bearing of doctrine on moral and spiritual life.” In that same issue, Billy Graham stressed the authority of the Bible in evangelism. “I use the phrase...

In Romans 1:18–32 Paul writes of the wrath of God that has been revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. The reason for His wrath is that people have perverted the revelation of God. This perversion substituted the glory of the true God with gods made in images of people and birds and animals and crawling creatures, which people themselves made. As a result, God passed sentence on the world.  Three times Paul says that God gave people over to various lusts and perversions, which include homosexuality and lesbianism (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error” (Rom. 1:26–27). Notice the words Paul uses to describe lesbianism and...

Our Lord Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES TO HOMOSEXUALITY In Romans 1:18–32 Paul writes of the wrath of God that has been revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. The reason for His wrath is that people have perverted the revelation of God. This perversion substituted the glory of the true God with gods made in images of people and birds and animals and crawling creatures, which people themselves made. As a result, God passed sentence on the world. Three times Paul says that God gave people over to various lusts and perversions, which include homosexuality and lesbianism (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due pena...

Gay Couple with child (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) If you want to know how University of Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus's summer has gone, look no further than The Weekly Standard . On the cover of the conservative magazine's July 30 issue are two hooded henchmen impishly turning the gears on a medieval torture wheel holding Regnerus, sweating beads as he tries to stay in one piece. The cover copy—"Revenge of the Sociologists : The perils of politically incorrect academic research"—hints at the situation sparked by the publication of Regnerus's newest research as well as the broader political discourse over same-sex marriage. The survey, known as the New Family Structures Study (NFSS), is remarkable in its scope. It's a random national sample, considered "the gold standard" of social science surveys. NFSS measures the economic, relational, political, and psychological effects on adults ages 18 to 39 who grew up in families where the father or mot...

Image via Wikipedia Is it time for the “marriage battleground” to shift to religious freedom ? That’s the question posed by a recent Christianity Today article in the wake of New York ’s approval of same-sex “marriage.”  According to University of Virginia law professor Douglas Laycock , the answer is “Yes.”  He says, “Religious conservatives who advocate traditional marriage must shift their focus to fighting for religious freedom.” That’s because Laycock and, sadly, many others mistakenly believe in the inevitability of same-sex “marriage.” They think that the best Christians can do now is make sure gay “marriage” laws at least provide a modicum of protection for the freedoms of those of us who believe in traditional marriage. Yes, same-sex “marriage,” so-called, poses a grave threat to religious freedom. There have already been cases where photographers and others have been sued for refusing to participate in same-sex “wedding” ceremonies.  Catholic Charities ...

Image via Wikipedia When even   Christianity Today   is asking, “Is the Gay Marriage Debate Over?” the issue has become so critical that it demands close attention. Believing (wrongly) that the debate is over, some evangelicals have decided that Christians should let the state define marriage any way it chooses and focus their attention only on what the Church does. This would be a fundamental mistake. The debate is one in which we must be involved for the sake of our society itself. Even a state such as ours, which does not use the law to promote or discourage particular religious beliefs, nevertheless has a huge stake in marriage. It is not simply a religious issue. The law is a moral teacher. Most people assume that if something is legal, it is moral—or at least not immoral. What is legal soon will become normal. Every society requires an ongoing supply of babies who grow up to be good citizens. Every civilization has known what contemporary sociologists now demonstrate: ...