HOMOSEXUALITY

Introduction
Homosexual activists are even active in our churches. Many churches have been divided by the issue to the extent that the church breaks up into different denominations. Some churches have even accepted homosexuals into the ministry. Denominations are often being pressured to accept homosexuality.
1. The United Methodist Church does not accept self-avowed practicing gays into the ministry. Neither will the church perform any gay union ceremonies. However, several UMC churches, including one in Winston-Salem North Carolina, have protested by not performing any heterosexual weddings until the denomination lifts its ban on gay marriages.
2. In April of 2013, the Mormon Church agreed that gays should be allowed in the Boy Scouts.
3. There are many affirming gay churches throughout the world. Many of these congregations are at odds with their denominations. You must keep in mind that affirming can mean one affirms the individual or one can affirm homosexual actions. This ambiguity allows the gay lifestyle to be accepted without really coming out and saying that the gay lifestyle is biblically wrong. This ambiguity also allows some churches to go against their denominational statements that reject homosexuality. Some people, in an attempt to cover up their real motives, will say that they are only welcoming sinners into the church to be saved. If that statement is true, then why not have adultery- affirming or prostitution-affirming churches?
4. Even my own denomination, the Church of the Brethren, is quite tolerant of the push to accept the gay lifestyle. Church leaders continue to be advocates of the gay lifestyle a platform to promote homosexual sin. Keep in mind that in 1983, the Church of the Brethren officially stated that the practice of homosexuality is a sin and recently affirmed this belief. Nevertheless, the church publishes pro-gay editorials in the monthly church magazine, and church leaders allow a gay organization to have a booth at their annual conference. I cannot see the Church of the Brethren allowing prostitutes to attend their annual conference and allowing them to promote the acceptance of practicing prostitutes. The Church of the Brethren also would never consider letting a military recruiter set up a booth at their annual conference since the church believes that “all war is sin.” I see hypocrisy and confusion in the logic of church leaders when they let anyone promote policies that the church has deemed sinful.

I once had a pastor ask me why I was concerned about homosexuality. At the time, I hardly knew where to start. Having plenty of time to think about that question, I can now give you a comprehensive list of five reasons we all should be concerned about homosexuality.
1. Homosexuality is being thrown in our face on a regular basis. God’s view on homosexuality is being disputed at every turn. We are confronted with acceptance of homosexuality in the media, in the workplace, in the military, in the Boy Scouts, in our charitable organizations, in our businesses, in our schools, and even in our churches. Homosexual activism has gotten control in our government. We and our children are being forced to accept behavior that our Lord tells us is wrong.
2. I am concerned about the issue of homosexuality because the average person does not know enough about the Bible to defend God’s word.
3. The subject of homosexuality is not just an item for academic debate. It is a matter of saving people from a life of sin.
4. Homosexuals can now adopt children or have them put into their care by either artificial means or by adoption. These children deserve better. These children do not need the confusion of two mommies or two daddies. Moreover, I do not believe for a second that homosexuals adopt babies whom heterosexuals don't want.
5. Issue by issue, those who oppose Christianity are making God in their own image. As angels of light, they are fooling us by claiming to be Christians. Bit by bit, these deceivers are trying to make God the messenger for their own desires and ideas.

This lesson will show that homosexuality is abnormal and, more important, that it is a sin. We will see that there is no need to be intimidated by the viewpoint of homosexual advocates when you know what the Bible says about homosexuality.

False teachers
I use the term “teacher” in a broad sense. I include all activists who find it compelling to defend homosexuality and teach us that it is acceptable. What drives these advocates to promote the sin of homosexuality? Among possible other reasons, I believe these to be the main reasons:
1. Atheists and agnostics despise how sure and unyielding fundamentalist Christians are in their beliefs. These unbelievers often feel that nothing is absolute, and that God’s Word is absolutely not inerrant. (Did you get my tongue-in-cheek reference to hypocrisy?)
2. Some so-called Christians either do not know or do not care what the Bible says. These people believe that love is God and not that God is love. In other words, they put the feelings of the sinner above the teachings of God.
3. These false teachers may themselves be homosexual and desire to be accepted as normal rather than change their lifestyle.
4. Other false teachers may know someone who is homosexual. These people feel that compassion for a loved one is more important than truth. We see this form of advocacy in Hollywood because of the extremely high percentage of gays in the entertainment industry. It is important to remember that Christ said he came not to bring peace, but to bring a sword. Jesus said if you are not willing to pick him over your family, then you are not worthy to be his.
5. There are also those who want to jump on any bandwagon that comes along. These people have fun being an advocate and will do anything that is popular. They feel that if they identify with a popular group or popular cause, then they too will become popular.
6. Still other people identify with the minority. These advocates feel they have been wronged by society and that they are going to fight back against any restraints on their own personal behavior. Such libertarians often want to legalize such things as prostitution and drugs.

Many of these false teachers have a large influence on the beliefs of others. These people with false ideas permeate the media and the entertainment industry. I will mention a few examples to show how the homosexual advocates are trying to transform our beliefs.
1. The print media often attacks us with written articles and editorials in our local newspapers.
a. The Lancaster Newspapers has written numerous editorials promoting gay rights. A specific example of the Lancaster Newspapers promoting the gay lifestyle is an article entitled “The Last Acceptable Prejudice” by Lancaster Sunday News staff writer E. A. Harvey. Harvey suggests that being gay is normal because non-heterosexuals comprise 5 to 10 percent of the population. will prove this statistic incorrect later in the lesson.
2. The television and movie media uses entertainment and news to promote the acceptance of homosexuality. The message promoting homosexuality may be direct or it may be indirect.
a. Remember the NBA player, Jason Collins, who said he was gay? The whole story was presented as a joyous and courageous action. Since then, celebration of perverted behavior is commonplace. To the contrary, being courageous would actually be to say that homosexuality is a sin, and that the Bible says these perverts will probably go to hell.
b. For example, Days of Our Lives soap opera frequently adds gays to its story line. They often show them kissing and even making out in bed. ALL Friends and relatives fully support their lifestyle. The moral of the story is that every sensible person eventually understands that the gay lifestyle is perfectly normal. Moreover, anyone who does not accept gays is a bigoted idiot.

Homosexual Bible
I call the popular book Homosexuality and Christian Faith, edited by Walter Wink, the “Homosexual Bible” because this book claims to be a “biblical authority” on homosexuality.7 The book further claims to be a unique resource that presents short pieces from some of the nation’s most preeminent church leaders. They are men, women, Protestant, Catholic, mainline, and evangelical church leaders who give their opinions on homosexuality. The book goes on to say that it promotes full acceptance of gays and lesbians in the family of God. Wink claims that his book aims to shine a light into the darkness. Instead, the book uses smoke and mirrors to deceive the reader.

First of all, the book is factually inaccurate. For example, chapter five of Wink’s book written by Ken Sehested states that “the only New Testament reference to Sodom and Gomorrah comes from Jesus.” Because of this factual inaccuracy, Wink’s book consequently states that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah “is about domination of others, about malignant power, about God’s intended Shalom––harmony, right-relatedness.” (Does anyone really understand this convoluted statement?) Contrary to Sehested’s claim, Sodom and Gomorrah are also mentioned by others in the Bible.
1. We see Sodom and Gomorrah mentioned in Jude 7…… “In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.”
2. The subject of Sodom and Gomorrah is also mentioned by the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 2:6, and by Paul in Romans 9:29.
3. One is forced to wonder if the references to Sodom and Gomorrah were left out intentionally by Sehested or done out of sloppiness. My point is that even so-called religious authorities must distort the truth in order to justify homosexuality. We should consider God as our only religious authority and use the Bible as our primary reference for any spiritual matter.

Inaccurate secular arguments
1. Many people say that homosexuality must be normal because so many people are homosexual. In fact, a 2011 Gallup poll showed that the average adult in the United States thought 25 percent of people are gay.8 To the contrary, a 2012 Gallup poll shows that only 3.4 percent of Americans identify themselves as gay, lesbian, or transgender.10 On the other hand, the biased Gay and Lesbian Task force claims a wide range of 3 to 8 percent of people who are gay.
2. Remember when Newsweek ran a five-page article in its February 1992 issue titled “Born or Bred?”10 The article stated that science was in the process of proving a person’s brain stem determines if a person is homosexual or heterosexual. That theory proved to be false. Since that time science still cannot prove that homosexuality is an inherited attribute.
3. Let me be perfectly clear: No gene has ever been found that transmits homosexuality from one generation to another. Nobody in the world can name the gene because it has not been found to exist. The reason I can make that statement is because of the human genome project. This project, completed in 2003, and other similar studies have taken on the mapping of human DNA. No homosexual gene was ever found, but you will probably never hear that fact in the mainstream media. In fact, Dr. Francis Collins, who headed the study and who was also the 2013 director of the National Institute of Health, stated that homosexuality is not hardwired. On the contrary, Collins stated: “Yes, we have all been dealt a particular set of cards, and the cards will eventually be revealed. But how we play the hand is up to us."11
4. Homosexuality is rampant in prisons, not because a high percentage of homosexuals commit crimes, but because homosexuality can be a learned perverted behavior. Homosexual advocates will say that prison rape is about power and not about sexual desire. I find that explanation quite silly. Think about it. Does a criminal use his power to do what he finds enjoyable, or does he use his power to do an act that he finds totally repulsive, just because it is one way to prove his power? Surely, most criminals who commit sexual acts in prison are either homosexual or bisexual just looking for a sexual outlet. Other homosexual activity in prison is mutually consensual simply because of the lack of female companionship.

Inaccurate spiritual arguments
A Pew Research overview of their polls shows that 45 percent of Americans believe homosexuality is not a sin and that 51 percent support gay marriage.12 I find it hard to believe so many Christians can be deceived. Some people say that homosexuals were created that way at birth and cannot help themselves. Therefore, God would certainly not blame homosexuals for their behavior. True Christians know that God does not cause anyone to sin.
James 1:13-15 says…... “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

We should keep in mind that everyone has a predisposition to be sinful. We all are born with a sinful nature. Jesus, however, has given us a way to overcome sin. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome sin.
1. Galatians 5:16 tells us…...“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”
2. Galatians 5:24 also says…... “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

Perhaps you have heard people say that homosexuality is acceptable if it’s between two loving people. Is it therefore acceptable to engage in adultery if two people really love each other? Is it okay for a teacher to have a relationship with an underage student if they both love each other? No, of course not! Why then, do people make this ridiculous argument regarding homosexuality? Remember that love is not God, but God is love.

Many times, I have heard the argument that the only examples of homosexuality in the Bible imply involuntary sex (rape). To the contrary, Romans 1:26-28 says…..“Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.”
1. In this one Scripture, we see that homosexuality is unnatural, lustful, indecent, and perverted.
2. This Scripture also states these homosexual acts were mutual because the lust was “for one another.” It is therefore hard to say that this act of homosexuality was one-sided.
3. The basic message in this Scripture is not (as some homosexuals might say) only about people who worshiped false gods. The main message is that God punished these people by letting them commit the homosexual acts of a depraved mind. We should understand that this sin of homosexuality was a natural occurrence caused by people not believing in God. That is the reason God did not rescue them from their “depraved mind.”

Many Christians often say that homosexuality is no different than any other sin, so why get excited about it? The answer to that question is very simple. Homosexuality is frequently worse than other sins. Most Christian adulterers, for example, will admit that adultery is a sin and ask for forgiveness. Most people who lie or steal will also admit that these actions are sinful. Most homosexuals, however, not only refuse to admit what they are doing is wrong, but they also actively pressure others to believe that their actions are endorsed by God.

Another false claim is that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. Even if this statement were true, this logic of omission would make it acceptable to do cocaine or have sex with children. Jesus, however, did in fact mention homosexuality. He mentioned it specifically in the Old Testament. You do believe that Jesus existed in heaven before his birth, don’t you? Don't you also agree that Jesus and God cannot disagree? If God said it, Jesus said it. God and Jesus certainly can’t be at odds with each other since Jesus said he is one with the Father:
John 14:9-11…..“How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”

Even Jesus incarnate referred to homosexuality indirectly twice in the New Testament. The first example is found in Matthew 10:15. In this verse, Jesus holds up Sodom and Gomorrah as a measuring stick of evil. He says that those who reject his disciples will be even worse off on the judgment day than Sodom and Gomorrah. We know from Jude 1:7 that the Israelites knew exactly why Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. They were destroyed for sexual perversion.

Jesus defines marriage as strictly heterosexual. We can read this in Matthew 19:4-6: "’Haven't you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.’” This Scripture was Jesus’ answer to a question on divorce, but its implications go far deeper.
1. In verse 4, Jesus mocked the Pharisees for not understanding the very foundation of marriage is based on the union of a male and a female.
2. Jesus also states the Genesis story of human creation as the basis for his upcoming answer.
3. Jesus directly reiterates and affirms the Old Testament teachings that marriage is to be only between one man and one woman. Therefore, neither polygamy, adultery, nor homosexuality should be part of marriage. Moreover, because Jesus excluded same-sex marriage from his definition of marriage, homosexuality will always be considered fornication.

Finally, we should know that Jesus never changed the Old Testament teaching that homosexuality is sin. The whole Bible teaches homosexuality is sin.

We often hear that we should disregard the Old Testament teachings against homosexuality because we do not obey other Old Testament teachings such as not eating certain foods and stoning our children. One example of this theory is an editorial by Lancaster Newspapers staff writer Gil Smart entitled "Enslaved by Interpretation." Gil makes the point that Old Testament law regarding homosexuality is irrelevant today because of the Old Testament food law telling people not to eat shellfish. This incorrect belief is a mantra that many homosexual advocates repeat. Christians should face this objection head on. Gil and other homosexual advocates are obviously unaware that the Old Testament laws regarding food were made obsolete by Jesus in Mark 7:18-23.

One should also know that stoning a person is no longer an acceptable punishment by the way Jesus treated the woman who was going to be stoned for adultery in John 8:7. Jesus changed many Old Testament customs and Old Testament punishments, but he never changed anything to do with the sin of homosexual activity.
I often hear that sexual orientation was not understood in Biblical times. I guess God fully understood how to create the universe, but he didn’t have a clue about homosexuality. Some homosexual advocates say Jesus did not want to go against existing customs, so he did not mention that homosexual behavior was acceptable. Jesus had no problem telling the people of his time many controversial things. Jesus had no problem repeatedly mocking the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and chastising them for not believing he was the Son of God, so why would he be afraid tell people that homosexuality was acceptable behavior?

Still, a similar argument in favor of homosexuality is that the Apostle Paul’s condemnation of homosexuality was a product of the times. Do these homosexual advocates actually believe that Paul only preached what people of his time would accept?
1. Would it have been more difficult for Paul to preach the acceptance of homosexuality than to preach that Jesus was God’s own Son who was raised from the dead? In fact, most of what Paul taught was controversial in his time. Subjects such as spreading the gospel, circumcision, speaking in tongues, Gentile salvation, and handling poisonous snakes are just a few examples.
2. Paul should not be taken lightly. This Paul is the same Paul who spoke face to face with Jesus when he had his conversion. Remember, this is the same Paul who is endorsed by Peter in 2 Peter 3:15-16:
“Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

Some homosexual advocates are suddenly Greek and Hebrew scholars. They tell us long, twisted explanations of why all the major language experts are wrong. These pretend scholars want people to believe that homosexuality is only mentioned in the Bible by reference of the term “sodomite” meaning a male temple prostitute. In examining this claim, we will consider the four leading Bible versions (in order of unit sales) in the United States.14 These versions are the NLT (New Living Translation), the NIV (New International Version), the KJV (King James Version), and the NKJV (New King James Version).
1. The words “sodomite” and “sodomites” are translated from the Old Testament Hebrew word qaadeesh, which is a male form of the Greek word for “whore.” These prostitutes, who hung around religious shines and other popular places, were considered detestable.
2. Keep in mind that in Bible times, there was no Greek or Hebrew word for “homosexual.” Perhaps the word qaadeesh was a sufficient slur for the Jewish people to refer to a homosexual. Even today, people often call a woman a whore as a slur, meaning a woman who is loose with her sexual morals.
3. At the time of the translation of the KJV there was still no English word meaning “homosexual.” That is why translators had to use the word “sodomite.” Note that the more recent NKJV uses the phrase “perverted persons” to better establish the context when qaaseesh is not clearly referring to male shrine prostitutes
4. The New Testament Greek text is more complex to explain because the root of the word referring to homosexuality is vague. This word arsenokoitai is only used in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Titus 1:10. Because there was no Greek word for “homosexual,” all translators were forced with the decision to be literally correct or contextually correct. In order to be contextually correct, many modern Bible versions such as the NIV, NKJV, ESV, and the NLT translate this Greek word arsenokoiti as having to do with homosexual behavior and nothing to do rape or prostitution.
5. A New Testament example of Greek translation in the NIV would be 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, which says…...“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
a. We should notice in this Scripture that sexual immorality in general is mentioned first, then male prostitution and homosexuality are called out separately for special emphasis
b. The KJV uses the words “effeminate” and “abusers of themselves with mankind.”

Let’s move on from the Greek and Hebrew words for homosexuals. Let’s now look at a Scripture that actually describes gay behavior. This approach is less open to language differences.

Leviticus 18:22…...“Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable” (NIV).
1. I don’t see the word “sodomite” used here.
2. I don’t see any mention of rape or prostitution.
3. What about this verse is unclear?

Still another belief is that only radical fundamentalist Christians believe homosexuality is wrong, and that Christians should not look to the secular world to enforce religious law. This is a ludicrous argument. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is a religious matter. Not accepting homosexuality is a moral issue.
1. Homosexuality is not a religious issue. Not only do Christians, Jews, and Muslims believe that homosexuality is a sin, but an atheist or an agnostic can also be against homosexuality.
2. Christians have closely held beliefs that it is wrong to steal and to commit murder. Nevertheless, we look to the secular law to uphold these beliefs because one does not need to be a Christian to believe these actions should be outlawed by society. Another example is that we look to the secular world to enforce the religious sacrament of marriage, but marriage is also a legal institution. Homosexuals, of course, want to participate in this legal union that is based on a Christian sacrament.

AIDS
AIDS was first reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Protection in 1981.15 AIDS quickly grew into a worldwide epidemic and was highly publicized as being a disease spread primarily by gays and IV drug users. Many people felt that AIDS was God’s punishment on homosexuals because of their perverted behavior. Although God may not have brought this punishment directly, AIDS was certainly spread by unnatural behavior. The tiny capillaries in the rectum are designed to handle the body’s waste. These capillaries are not designed for homosexual sex. These tiny capillaries bleed during anal sex and make one susceptible to blood transfer of the AIDS virus.

AIDS was not only killing homosexuals, but it was making homosexuals pariahs. People were afraid to even be near a homosexual for fear that they might contract AIDS. There was also growing sentiment that homosexuals were being punished by God. Consequently, AIDS research was at the bottom of most people’s charity list.

The war against heterosexuals
Statistics proved that AIDS was indeed a homosexual plague of biblical proportions. Heterosexuals did not care about giving to a cause that would only help homosexuals and drug users. The homosexual community soon realized that something had to be done or homosexuals would be virtually eliminated from the face of the earth.
What would not be accomplished by private individuals would get done by gay lobbyists putting pressure on the federal government.

In 1990 the number of AIDS deaths dropped in ranking from No. 14 to No. 15. Nevertheless, the CDC was budgeted to spend $10,000 per AIDS sufferer. This amount compared to only $185 per cancer patient and only a mere $3.50 per cardiac patient.16

In 1992, the New Yorker magazine printed a story titled “Gay Politics Goes Mainstream.” The article read, “For years, politicians of all stripes hid or returned financial contributions from homosexuals for fear of being tainted. Today, they seek them out. One of the fastest-growing organizations in Washington is the Human Rights Campaign Fund, a leading gay lobbying and political action group that will raise an estimated $4.5 million this year––double the amount of two years ago.”17

The gay community also unleashed a war against heterosexuals in the private sector. The weapons used were fear, humiliation, misinformation, and pity.

Fear
Homosexual advocates and gay activist groups came out the woodwork and out of the closet. Many homosexual activists were infuriated that gays were targeted by the AIDS disease. They took their anger out on the heterosexual world, believing that they could threaten and scare heterosexuals into helping find a cure for AIDS. The idea was to get out of their way, or they would run right over you.
1. Many people may remember when a gay activist group trashed St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
2. Fewer people will know about activist Carl Maves, who said, “We will rape your children.” He also said molestation is a good way to initiate gay men to “a valuable liberating experience.”18
3. Gay activist organizations also became more brazen. The North American Man/Boy Love Association said in 1992 that “the love between men and boys is at the foundation of homosexuality.”19
4. I remember a gay activist saying that the gay community would make AIDS a heterosexual disease. He said gays would contaminate the blood supply and also see that drug users would get infected needles. He further said bisexual men would deliberately spread the disease to heterosexual women. Sure enough, all these threats came to pass.

Humiliation
The term “homophobia” was coined and used to make heterosexuals feel like cowards unless they accepted the homosexual lifestyle.
1. Gay activists printed the following statements in their manifesto The Overhauling of Strait America. “We will undermine the moral authority of homophobic churches by portraying them as antiquated backwaters, badly out of step with the times and with the latest findings of psychology.” They also stated: “We intend to make the anti-gays look so nasty that average Americans will want to dissociate themselves from such types."20
2. The message became clear. Anyone who spoke up against the gay lifestyle was ignorant, homophobic, hateful, bigoted, and fanatic.

Misinformation
A massive indoctrination campaign soon got into full gear. Gay activists, aided by the government and other organizations, such as Planned Parenthood, took control of our children’s minds and there was virtually nothing we could do about it.
1. Demand No. 4 of the gay march on Washington in 1993 stated, “We demand full and equal inclusion of Lesbian, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgendered people in our educational system, and inclusion of Lesbian Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered studies in multicultural curricula.”
2. AIDS education made it possible for liberals to open the flood gates concerning sex education in schools. Our children were exposed to “safe sex” education programs. We heard horror stories of elementary children being exposed to graphic sexual content far beyond their years. Booklets were passed out in elementary schools that pushed the gay and liberal agendas. Such a booklet was What Everyone Should Know About AIDS. In this booklet, elementary students were taught about condoms, lubricants, oral sex, and to “have sex with only one partner.” In other words, it is okay to have sex in elementary school as long as it is with only one person. Gays were not shown to be a high- risk group, and page 7 boldly proclaimed, “Anyone Can Get AIDS.”21
3. The idea that gays were not a high-risk group was promoted heavily by the gay-friendly media. AIDS statistics were no longer published on a regular basis. When statistics were published, the emphasis was on the increase of AIDS in women and the increases among heterosexuals. The focus suddenly became an analysis of what states, what genders, what age groups, and what races were increasing in percentage of total AIDS cases. It became almost impossible to find any statistics showing the percentage of AIDS carriers that were gay. Even today, I’ll bet you cannot remember a major news media reporting such a statistic in the last 20 years.

Despite the propaganda concerning AIDS and gays, the truth was still out there. A few brave souls still tried to report the facts despite being ridiculed by a growing pro-gay sentiment.
1. In the 1990s, syndicated columnists such as Patrick J. Buchannan, Cal Thomas, and Maggie Gallagher wrote columns that challenged the public misrepresentation of facts concerning gays.
2. In 1994, Associated Press science writer Daniel Haney wrote an article entitled “Is AIDS a real worry for Middle America?” The subtitle was “Public service announcements say it is. The numbers tell a different story.” Haney went on to say that only 9 percent of AIDS cases reported in 1993 were caused by heterosexual contact.22
3. The late Pennsylvania state senator and columnist for the Lancaster New Era, Richard A. Snyder, wrote an excellent column entitled “The liberal position on AIDS.” Snyder’s column highlighted the cover-up that the vast majority of AIDS victims are gay.
4. The Lancaster New Era also wrote its own editorial on May 10, 1996, entitled “The gov’t lied about AIDS; what else is it lying about?”23
5. AIDS is a terrible disease, but the gay community used AIDS as a weapon to infect the heterosexual community. Gays endangered others by pretending they were not in a high-risk group. After all, it is largely because of gay activism that we got the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability law. Gays did not want to be treated with any more caution than an uninfected person. Gays did not want people to know they had AIDS. Homosexuals and bisexuals also felt their partners did not need to know if they had AIDS unless they told them. Consequently, many people were at an additional risk of getting AIDS. This type of secrecy resulted in AIDS being spread by people such as the Philadelphia man Ed Savitz, known as “Uncle Ed,” who spread AIDS to young boys by paying them for sex. The gay activists group AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power demonstrated the arrest of Uncle Ed by throwing condoms at the district attorney who was to prosecute Savitz.

Pity
Many other gay activists tried a campaign of compassion. These people became involved in churches and charitable organizations. The message was that we should all love and accept homosexuals. What was first touted as a “sexual preference” became known as a “sexual orientation.” The idea was that these unfortunate homosexuals did not make a choice, but God created them that way. Therefore, we should all love them as well as accept their behavior. These activists also used the church to change the teaching against homosexuality. Homosexual advocates came up with their own twisted interpretation of Scripture that endorsed homosexuality. In addition, homosexuals were presented as a persecuted group of people who just wanted to love one another and be part of the body of believers. The focus was on the victims of AIDS and the social persecution of gays. The manifesto Overhauling of Strait America gave this instruction: “In any campaign to win over the public, gays must be cast as victims in need of protection so that straights will be inclined by reflex to assume the role of protector.”19

Summary
From a secular viewpoint, we have learned there is no scientific proof that homosexuality is genetic. Instead, this lesson has shown that leading experts cannot find a gene that is responsible for homosexual behavior.

The pro-homosexual viewpoint is that homosexuality is perfectly normal and part of God’s plan for a proper loving Christian relationship. Homosexual advocates believe that those who are against homosexuality are homophobic, bigoted, hateful, stupid, and fanatic. These often well-meaning people distort scientific fact and biblical Scripture to justify their beliefs.

Our lesson has taught us that homosexuality is not only against our physical nature, but it is also against God’s will. We have learned that homosexuality was condemned in the Old Testament. Furthermore, we learned that the sinfulness of homosexuality was later reinforced in the New Testament. We learned that Jesus himself defined marriage as being only between one man and one woman. Jesus further acknowledged that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their evil ways. The book of Jude explains that these cities were destroyed for their “perversion,” and not because of poor hospitality, as some homosexual advocates proclaim.

As far as the Hebrew and Greek translations of the word “sodomite,” homosexual advocates are free to believe someone who tries to prove all the experts wrong. These radicals are free to follow these obscure teachers who were possibly in the bottom of their class in Greek 101. I, on the other hand, choose to follow the experts in Bible translation.

We are constantly under attack by the radical gay activists who now have unprecedented power in all our institutions, including the church. It is our duty to defend the will of God and his Word whenever we have the opportunity. Galatians 5:10 and 2 John 1:9-10 tell us that if we teach false doctrine, we will be punished. If we read Leviticus 18:22-25, we see not only that consensual same gender sex is wrong, but that God will even punish a whole nation if the people disobey his rules.

I find it interesting to hear so many fellow Christians say about the homosexuals: “We must give them a seat at the table.” That statement sounds nice, but the Bible does not support the idea. The apostle Paul says that unrepentant sexually immoral people do not deserve a seat at the table.

1 Corinthians 5:11-13…..”But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you."

As Christians, we may get angry with homosexual advocates, but we must not hate them. We need to help the homosexuals who are willing to accept the truth and want to change. We are called to love and accept the sinner in a way that will bring him to repentance. We need to tell these people that Jesus will not only wash away their sins, but he will also give them the power to change their evil ways. All Christians must convince homosexuals that they can receive a new life. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

Review

1. Name some personal experiences that involve the issue of homosexuality.
2. Discuss reasons why you think a person would be a homosexual.
3. Do you feel that homosexuality is an important issue? Explain.
4. Discuss whether or not you feel homosexuality a sin.
5. How can Christians have an influence in their church regarding the issue of homosexuality?
6. Should unrepentant practicing homosexuals be allowed to join our church family or be ministers? Relate your answer to what Jesus said in Matthew 7:6.