Oh Really?

Cliff Diving Free Fall PART II

In his article Judaism's Sexual Revolution: Why Judaism Rejected Homosexuality Dennis Prager writes, "In the beginning G ! create! the heavens an! the earth" by his will, n t thr "gh any se#"al behavi r$ This was an "tterly ra!ical brea% with all ther religi ns, an! it al ne change! h"&an hist ry$ The g !s f virt"ally all civili'ati ns engage! in se#"al relati ns$ In the (ear )ast, the *abyl nian g ! Ishtar se!"ce! a &an, Gilga&esh, the *abyl nian her $ In )gy+tian religi n, the g ! Osiris ha! se#"al relati ns with his sister, the g !!ess Isis, an! she c nceive! the g ! , r"s$ In Canaan, )l, the chief g !, ha! se# with Asherah$ In ,in!" belief, the g ! -rishna was se#"ally active, having ha! &any wives an! +"rs"ing Ra!ha. the g ! /a&ba, s n f -rishna, se!"ce! & rtal w &en an! &en$ In Gree% beliefs, 0e"s &arrie! ,era, chase! w &en, ab!"cte! the bea"tif"l y "ng &ale, Gany&e!e, an! &ast"rbate! at ther ti&es. P sei! n &arrie! A&+hitrite, +"rs"e! De&eter, an! ra+e! Tantal"s$ In R &e, the g !s se#"ally +"rs"e! b th &en an! w &en$ 1"!ais& 2by c ntrast e!$3 has a se#"al i!eal 4 &arital se#$ All ther f r&s f se#"al behavi r, th "gh n t e5"ally wr ng, !eviate fr & that i!eal$ In all &y research n this s"b6ect, n thing & ve! &e & re than the Tal&"!ic law that 1ews were f rbi!!en t sell slaves r shee+ t n n71ews, lest the n n71ews engage in h & se#"ality an! bestiality$8 The A+ stle Pa"l &a%es clear in his writing that se#"ally !eviant behavi r is an 9n t the nly: inevitable "tc &e f a+ stasy, +lacing h"&an !esire ver an! ab ve the !ictates f G ! 9basically the sin which ca"se! &an;s fall in the first +lace:< =*eca"se that, when they %new G !, they gl rifie! him n t as G !, neither were than%f"l. b"t beca&e vain in their i&aginati ns, an! their f lish heart was !ar%ene!$ Pr fessing the&selves t be wise, they beca&e f ls$$ F r this ca"se G ! gave the& "+ "nt vile affecti ns< f r even their w &en !i! change the nat"ral "se int that which is against nat"re< An! li%ewise als the &en, leaving the nat"ral "se f the w &an, b"rne! in their l"st ne t war! an ther. &en with &en w r%ing that which is "nsee&ly, an! receiving in the&selves that rec &+ense f their err r which was &eet8 9R &ans ><?>7??. ?@7?A:$ Ban is sai! t ign re his i&age7bearing rigin an! willf"lly g es the way f his wn !esires$ In this very ch ice his +"nish&ent is e&be!!e!. he is han!e! ver t hi&self an! the res"lts are that his !esires are against the & ral, ethical !irectives lai! ! wn by his Creat r$ It has been sai! 9by & !ern7!ay critics: that Pa"l ha! n i!ea what h & se#"ality is ab "t, b"t he live! right in the &i!st f a s ciety re+lete with its &anifestati ns an!, being a sch larly 1ew, w "l! have been well verse! hist rically in the ways f 1"!ais& as +er c ntrast with nati ns s"rr "n!ing it$ The 5"esti n has been as%e! by h & se#"als why Christians &a%e s"ch a big !eal f what is essentially a +rivate iss"e$ The answer t that &"st be that the iss"e is n where near +rivate 9any& re:$ It has entere! the s ci 7+ litical arena$ It has als entere! the ch"rch s+here$ There is n w a gr wing h & se#"al ch"rch c &&"nity calle! Universal Fellowship of etropolitan !ommunity !hurches an! &any &ainline !en &inati ns f"lly acce+t h & se#"als as &e&bers, lea!ers even, in g ! stan!ing$ Tr y Perry, the f "n!er f the af re&enti ne! ch"rch, says, =I %new I w "l! have few if any +r ble&s with the s 7calle! liberal ch"rches$ Ciberal ch"rches ! n t "s"ally !ee+ly inv lve the&selves with /cri+t"re$8 This sa! fact has als stifle! &any well7&eaning Christians when they want t arg"e that h & se#"ality is sinf"l behavi r$ Arg"&ents !rawn fr & s cial an! scientific research 9h wever >

5"esti nable the aca!e&ic rig r: an! revisi nis& f salient *ible te#ts 9n tably the five e#+licitly a!!ressing this iss"e in the Ol! an! (ew Testa&ents: have sty&ie! believers an! even c nvince! &any that G ! acce+ts h & se#"als as Christian 6"st the way they are$ At this + int it is "sef"l t !isting"ish 9than% y ", Peter Ga!sby: n the ne han! between the acts f h & se#"ality which are &anifestly f rbi!!en by G !, an! the temptation f h & se#"ality$ Te&+tati ns are set bef re fallen &an ti&e an! again, te&+tati n t Df rget; s &ething n the ta# ret"rn f r&, te&+tati n t l % l"stf"lly n an ther &an r w &an, te&+tati n t e#ten! the l"nch ti&e at w r% 6"st a bit l nger, te&+tati n t brea% the s+ee! laws$ Te&+tati ns as s"ch are n t sinf"l, they are realities in a fallen w rl! which test +e +le;s ethical, & ral c &+ass an! the strength f its nee!le as it strives t c ntin"e t + int n rthwar! !es+ite the ther &agnets trying t +"ll it away fr & there$ Rightly ! es the A+ stle 1a&es e#h rt 91a&es E<A:, =/"b&it y "rselves theref re t G !$ Resist the !evil, an! he will flee fr & y "$8 In ,ebrews E, >F 7>@ it is reveale! that even the C r! ,i&self while n earth was te&+te! in all + ints< =F r we have n t an high +riest which cann t be t "che! with the feeling f "r infir&ities. b"t was in all + ints te&+te! li%e as we are" yet with "t sin$8 The cr"cial !ifference between ,i& an! the rest f h"&anity is that ,e never nce s"cc"&be!$ The iss"e, theref re, is n t te&+tati n, b"t s"cc"&bing t it which +"ts it in the real& f sinf"l behavi "r$ The ,ebrew te#t c ncl"!es + inting t the nly / "rce f hel+ t verc &e, =Cet "s theref re c &e b l!ly "nt the thr ne f grace, that we &ay btain &ercy, an! fin! grace t hel+ in ti&e f nee!$8 It is fair t say that in this 6 "rney t verc &e the Ch"rch f Christ has a tas% t hel+ its &e&bers$ It is als fair t say that when it c &es t h & se#"ality the Ch"rch has faile! str"ggling &e&bers w ef"lly in the +ast an! c ntin"es t ! s in & st +laces t !ay$ /he either acce+ts the fallacy that Pa"l;s w r!s 9#od$s G r!s: regar!ing s cietal ethics are by an! large re!"n!ant f r the & !ern !ay r she +laces this iss"e in the t har! 9t !irty: bas%et$ (either +ti n is *iblical$ 1es"s !ealt with an! rest re! the f "lest f sinners an! thr "gh ,is Ch"rch ,e c ntin"es t ! s $ The w r!s have been "ttere! by th se believers str"ggling with h & se#"ality that they ha! n where t t"rn f r hel+ an! s they en!e! "+ in a ch"rch c &&"nity which acce+te! their leaning as %ay, th"s +er+et"ating what the *ible calls an ab &inable sin 9cf$ Cevitic"s >H<??. > C rinthians @<I:$ Once this + int is reache!, s 7calle! *iblical 6"stificati n f r the c n!iti n is +"rs"e! vig r "sly$ The Ch"rch f Christ nee!s t ! better an! fr nt "+ with c "nselling an! c &+assi nate hel+$ One + werf"l arg"&ent is that h & se#"als ! n t ac5"ire their rientati n, b"t that they are b rn with it$ In answer t this the f ll wing bservati ns &ay be + se!$ Firstly, h & se#"ality has still n t been +r ven t be genetic r bi l gical in rigin$ Any bi l gical s"ggesti n is 6"st that< a s"ggesti n with "t scientific f "n!ati n$ /ec n!ly, even is it were +r ven t be inb rn, that will n t &a%e it & rally right by *iblical stan!ar!s$ )very ne is b rn a fallen h"&an being, b rn with sinf"l inclinati ns$ If s &eb !y has tr "ble c ntr lling his te&+er, that ! es n t e#c"se that +ers n f r flying ff the han!le at the slightest +r v cati n$ /"ch a habit is t be br "ght "n!er c ntr l with the , ly /+irit;s hel+, +rayer, an! fell w7believers; s"++ rt$ The A&erican Psychiatric Ass ciati n has re& ve! h & se#"ality fr & the Diagn stic an! /tatistical Ban"al as a clearly !efine! !is r!er an! this was regar!e! ?

by +r 7l bbyists as a great vict ry$ A+art fr & the fact that en r& "s +ress"re was e#erte! in r!er t arrive at this res"lt, it act"ally leaves the +r 7h & se#"al & ve&ent at a cr ss r a!s$ ( w that the rientati n is n l nger c nsi!ere! a !is r!er, a sic%ness, "n!er which the +atient is hel+less, the iss"e has been +lace! s5"arely bac% in the & ral, ethical real&$ )ither it is acce+table, n r&al behavi r, r it is sin$ In the ch"rches this is what nee!s t be !eci!e! when ta%ing a stance either way, an! in r!er t &a%e s"ch a !ecisi n the *ible is t be the !eter&ining light$ Revisi nists have tac%le! the /cri+t"res n the +assages which a++ear t c n!e&n h & se#"al rientati n as sinf"l an! have with a++arent c nvicti n re!efine! the c ntent s as t 6"stify h & se#"ality$ In +art three f his b % %he #ay #ospel& a"th r 1 e Dallas a!!resses this revisi nis& c &+etently$ The f ll wing s"&&aries are & stly fr & his writing$ It is arg"e! that Genesis ><?A7?H. ?<>H7?E ! es n t f rbi! h & se#"ality$ The heter 7 se#"al relati nshi+ has as its +"r+ se t +r create. f"rther& re, it is c nsistently c &&en!e! thr "gh "t the *ible, whereas h & se#"ality is nly a!!resse! in negative ter&s$ It is G !;s intenti n that h"&an se#"al relati nshi+s are li&ite! t "ni n between ne &an an! ne w &an in &arriage$ / ! & an! G & rrah were !estr ye! beca"se f lac% f h s+itability, n t beca"se f s ! &y, is arg"e!$ If that were tr"e, then C t;s res+ nse in ffering his !a"ghters t the &ara"!ers w "l! &a%e abs l"tely n sense$ (either w "l! he have t l! the &en at the ! r, =I +ray y ", brethren, ! n t s wic%e!ly8 9verse A:$ 1"!e A &a%es an e#+licit &enti n f / ! &;s se#"al i&& rality 9which was "n! "bte!ly a &ere +art f largesse in evil activities:$ Regar!ing Cevitic"s >H<?? an! ?J<>K the l bbyists arg"e that idolatrous h & se#"ality was the +r ble&$ If that were tr"e then the ab &inati n &enti ne! w "l! be acce+table in a n n7religi "s setting, b"t s w "l! the ther sins s"ch as bestiality an! incest &enti ne! there in the sa&e breath$ G !;s !is+leas"re is clear regar!less f the & tives behin! the acti n$ 1es"s never sai! anything ab "t h & se#"ality, is the arg"&ent$ Firstly, the +re7 incarnate C r! 9cf$ > C rinthians >J<E: !i! &a%e the state&ents given t "s in the Ol! Testa&ent in ,is ca+acity as the C venant ,ea!$ /ec n!ly, the a"th rity f /cri+t"re is n t li&ite! t the w r!s 1es"s s+ %e when n earth$ Thir!ly, there were ther evils regar!ing which n w r! f 1es"s has been rec r!e!$ F "rthly, +erha+s 1es"s !i! a!!ress these iss"es, b"t a rec r! has n t been given "s 91 hn ?><?F:$ Pa"l, in R &ans >, is sai! n t t a!!ress h & se#"als, b"t heter se#"als wh +ractise h & se#"ality, thereby changing Dtheir nat"re$; , wever, the fact that they Db"rne! in their l"st; +"ts the +ractice bey n! a heter se#"al e#+eri&ent$ T clai& therwise &a%es ne g"ilty f &ental gy&nastics with "t cre!ibility$ F"rther& re, Pa"l clearly an! si&+ly !escribes h & se#"al behavi r as "nnat"ral, regar!less by wh & it is being c &&itte!$ The arg"&ent f +r 7h & se#"al l bbyists is that the sin is nly s"ch when it ! es n t c &e t ne nat"rally$ If that were tr"e, then the ther twenty7 three sins in the c nte#t 9between verses ?J an! K>: w "l! als be acce+table if they were t c &e t a +ers n nat"rally, s"ch as bac%biting, hating G !, vi lence, an! "ntr"stw rthiness$ It w "l! be abs"r! t clai& that there are l ving ways t be f"ll f &"r!er an! envy$ The arg"&ent against the revisi nist atte&+t can be s"&&e! "+ in the w r!s f the A+ stle Pa"l in R &ans K<E =Cet G ! be tr"e, b"t every &an a liar$8 The /cri+t"res are very clear ab "t what the w r%s f the flesh are an! which the fr"its f the /+irit K

are$ Ghen Christians l % at the ethical stan!ar!s f /cri+t"re an! +artic"lar behavi r they are at a cr ss r a!s$ )ither they try an! change the ethical stan!ar!s t &a%e the behavi r acce+table, r they w r% +rayerf"lly at behavi ral change s as t reach f r the stan!ar! set by G !$ The Ch"rch is G !;s w r%&anshi+$ The w r! is D+ e&a,; fr & which we get the w r! D+ e&$; G ! is the P et, we are ,is + e&$ An! herein is the sha&e, as Bel Ghite 9Ghite, B$, Stran'er at the #ate, >IIE, /i& n an! /ch"ster, (ew L r%, +$K>A: writes, =Ge gr w beca"se h"n!re!s f th "san!s f gay an! lesbian Christians wh are !es+ise! an! re6ecte! by the Cath lic an! Pr testant ch"rches f their chil!h ! have n where else t g $8 The Ch"rch is t h l! n t the tr"th "nc &+r &isingly, b"t als t reach "t t any str"ggling with sin, any sin$ Galatians @<>7? e#h rts, =*rethren, if a &an be verta%en in a fa"lt, ye which are s+irit"al, rest re s"ch a ne in the s+irit f &ee%ness. c nsi!ering thyself, lest th " als be te&+te!$ *ear ye ne an therMs b"r!ens, an! s f"lfill the law f Christ$8 Bay the + e& be wins &e as it strives t f"ncti n as light an! salt in a largely a+ state, b"t very nee!y s ciety$ Dr$ ,er& 0an!&an JHNJKN?J>E