Posted on 05/03/2012 6:53:54 AM PDT by scottfactor
We do not subscribe to our local newspaper, but I occasionally read one of the copies that comes to the radio station where I work. This past Monday, I read the advice columns that used to be written by identical twin sisters, Pauline Phillips and Esther “Eppie” Lederer, known to us by their pen names as Abigail VanBuren—“Dear Abby”—and Ann Landers.
The columns are no longer written by these ladies. Eppie Lederer—Ann Landers—passed away in 2002, and her column, now called “Annie’s Mailbox,” is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar who were two former editors of her column. Pauline Phillips’ daughter, Jeanne Phillips, has been writing the “Dear Abby” column exclusively since her mother retired ten years ago, due to health problems. Jeanne Phillips now owns the pen name, Abigail VanBuren.
I have noticed that for many years the writers of both columns are fully on-board the Left’s program of trying to cast homosexuality in a positive light. The writers of both columns have nothing but pro-homosexual things to say to homosexuals and their co-workers, friends and family members who write in for advice. The writers of both columns are in the camp that believes homosexuality is an innate characteristic, like skin color, even though the world of “science,” trying as hard as it can, has found no proof of this.
It was a letter in the “Dear Abby” column on Monday that compelled me to address this issue in today’s Christian Patriot Politicast (of which this column is a transcript). A mother wrote a letter explaining that her son had revealed to her and her husband that he is a homosexual. She said they love their son, as do their other sons and daughters, and then she writes,
“My husband and I are now struggling because we're not sure how God really views gays and lesbians. To listen to some religious people, my son will go to hell. I can't believe that God would create a person to be this way, then turn His back on him.
I tried reading the Bible, but the wording was hard to understand. I don't want to talk to my pastor about it because, even though I have accepted my son for who he is, I still have trouble talking to people about it because I'm not sure how they'll react. Do you believe a gay person will go to heaven? -- SOMEWHERE IN THE U.S.A.”
How sad it is that this woman has a pastor who should be able to help her, yet apparently she still has little understanding of the Bible. This would be a great opportunity to explain God’s clear position on homosexuality and His powerful redemption of us sinners through His Son, Jesus, but that does not happen in the “Dear Abby” column. Instead, here is what Jeanne Phillips wrote in reply,
“DEAR SOMEWHERE: I believe that entrance to heaven is based upon a person's character, not his or her sexual orientation. Today, because of modern scientific studies, we know more about homosexuality than was known when the Bible was written, and that sexual orientation is not a ‘choice.’”
Not a word of what she said is true.
Entrance to heaven—or salvation—is not based on our character. It is based on God’s grace alone. As Paul, through inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, wrote in his letter to the Ephesians,
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
There is no amount of “good works” that we can do to ever “earn” our way into heaven. Neither can our “character” ever be good enough to gain us entry into God’s Kingdom. The world’s major, false religions—which include some so-called “Christian” ones—emphasize works to earn one’s place in heaven, which only serves to nullify Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross. True Christianity is based, not on our pitiful “good works,” but on God’s grace alone. As Paul wrote, we receive salvation by faith in God the Father through Jesus the Son, and even the very faith we have is given to us by God. Every bit of it is God’s doing.
Then, Ms. Phillips says that due to modern science, we know more about homosexuality than was known when the Bible was written. If this were not such a serious subject, I would laugh out loud at the lunacy of that statement. It matters not a whit what Ms. Phillips believes about the Bible, because her belief—or unbelief, rather—will not change the truth of it.
The Bible was written by men who were guided by the Spirit of God—God wrote the Bible. And God, Who made us, knows all there is to know. He most certainly knows everything about homosexuality—more than a billion scientists could ever fathom, and He is quite clear on what He thinks of it.
In Leviticus, God details a number of different sexual sins and the penalties for them under the Old Covenant. Of all the various sexual sins, homosexuality is the one sexual sin that God describes as an abomination. In the first chapter of the book of Romans, the sin of homosexuality is listed together with “all ungodliness and wickedness of men” who hold the truth in contempt.
God’s plain thoughts on homosexuality are in direct conflict with the message of the radical homosexual Left. Desperate to justify their wicked behavior, they claim they were “born that way.” God says otherwise. These conflicting messages cause confusion in the minds of people who do not have a working knowledge of the Bible. The mother who wrote the letter to “Dear Abby” expressed that confusion when she said,
“I can't believe that God would create a person to be this way, then turn His back on him.”
That is because God does not create anyone to be homosexual. What an awful thing it would be for the Lord to command that we not behave in a homosexual manner and then create homosexual people! There is no contradiction in God, and He never changes. Ms. Phillips is dead wrong in her claim that homosexuals do not have a choice in the matter.
As for the mother’s question about whether homosexuals can get into heaven, the answer to that is the same as for any other people. Those who accept God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus’ willing sacrifice on the cross will be saved. Those who reject it will not. Those who accept Christ and receive His Spirit will be able to resist sin’s tyrannical hold. Through Christ living in us, we are able to be free from sin, and that includes the sin of homosexuality. This does not mean it is easy. Getting free from any sinful addiction—and homosexuality is a powerful addiction—is a hard process, but through the Lord it can be done. The Lord loves homosexuals just as He loves all sinners, and He wants them to be free from their sins through Him.
Just because we get saved does not mean we are “perfect.” Perfection will never happen in this world, and we will always struggle and stumble, but we continue to strive toward the goal of the Kingdom of Heaven set before us, confessing our sins to each other and to God, Who forgives us. We will ever be fighting our flesh, which is sinful by nature, but we are no longer slaves to sin, because God gives us the strength to avoid sin as He helps us grow in Him by His Spirit living in us.
Meanwhile, I hope that mother who wrote the letter to “Dear Abby” gets a second opinion, one that actually contains the truth.
Dear Abby is politically correct to a fault; not worth reading.
The woman who wrote in says she has a pastor, but seems never to have cracked open a Bible before, to the point it’s a foreign object to her. Something is very wrong there.
I agreed with you up to that point. Practicing homosexuality "in moderation" is like playing with a loaded gun or driving as close to the edge of the cliff as you can without falling over. If you're predisposed to alcoholism, stay away from booze. If you're predisposed to homosexuality, stay away from it completely and seek help.
We do know. The Bible states that when we abandon the Truth, we open ourselves to all kinds of deviation, and especially homosexuality. As a medical professional, this is not a medical condition. And, statistics still show that the vast majority of homosexual men (and women, for that matter) were abused sexually as a child by another male, usually one in their own family or a close friend. Now, with it being taught as normal in the classroom, it is no wonder that kids are confused about sexuality and believe that it is possible. This is a manufactured disorder, made possible by the Fall, when men rejected the Truth, God. And, for those homosexuals who claim to be of faith, if your faith is not leading you to repent of this, then you may not have a saving faith. If your conscience doesn’t bother you about it, I am sure you do not. The HS would not allow us to go on in sin and not convict you it was wrong.
Precisely, thank you. That statement by Jesus shows just how far below His standards we really are. It also shows just how impossible it is to get into Heaven on our own.
You posted, in part: Actually, Jesus would not agree with that. Matthew 5:28 sets it on the HEART and not the ACT.
***
I agree with you, with the caveat that being inclined to commit a certain sin (and resisting) is different than lusting or actively hating. That is, it isn’t that the sin popped into your head, but activley wanting to commit the sin, or surrendering to it even without actually physically committing it that violates Christ’s teachings.
Outstanding post. Thank you.
_______________________________________________________________
I’m sorry, but I found very little “outstanding” words written in this article. I sometimes wish I had gone to siminary in any church so that I could speak with some authority but, alas, I have not. My words are only my words, my beliefs and what I have learned after many years with the scriptures in front of me. If you believe different than me fine. If you and God are good with each other then who am I to judge. But these words represent many years of time on this earth and just may contain some wisdom.
Did God create Homosexuals? Of course He did. Did God create wife abusers? Of Course He did. Did God create bank robbers, gang bangers, rapists or any other vile despicable sinner? Of course He did. We all have the desire for sin built into us. When we find Christ, for His sake we deny ourselves that sin which so horribly wants to come out of us. Can we be vile sinners and know The Lord? Yes of course we can. Knowing the Lord though and following Him and being His are possibly two different things.
We are ALL sinners. None of us are perfect and none of us become perfect in this life. We will all continue to sin. The Bible teaches that no imperfect thing can abide with God. In Christ we can be made perfect. The opportunity to live with God is indeed a gift but it is not given against our will. Not only must we want it we must qualify for it. Does that mean we earn it? No, of course not, nobody can earn the wonderful gift The Lord has given us except he pay what The Lord paid for it and we, not being God, don’t qualify for being able to pay the price.
Jesus paid the price and gives us the gift if we want it and are willing to pay the price He sets. There is a price, it is not a free gift. The gift only applies if we bring our own sacrifices to The Lord. What is the sacrifice? It is simply to give up our sins, to give up the natural man and try our best to become like The Lord. We are told to be like Christ, to in fact be one with Him just like He is one with His Father, even God.
Can a homosexual give up his sin and qualify for the grace that The Lord gives? Yes he and the rest of us can also qualify if we are willing to bring our own gift of sacrifice to The Lord. Does that mean the homosexual stops being a homosexual? No. It does mean though that he does his best to stop the practice. If after bringing his sacrifice he slips and sins again does that mean he no longer qualifies for the gift? Maybe. But because we are all sinners and The Lord knows us he gave us the possibility of repenting of our sins. It is possible to repent even after we have repented for the same sin in the past. The anguish may be much worse the second, third, forth etc, time but the gift is still available. It is a simple thing to do but simple does not mean easy.
The gate is narrow and few there be that find it because sometimes people enjoy their sin more than they enjoy The Lord.
I happen to agree with you 100%. But there are a lot of Freepers out there who think driving as close as you can to the edge of a cliff without going over it is perfectly OK.
We had a thread here sometime back on Dr. James Dobson's interview with Ted Bundy the day before his execution. I got railed on big time for actually stating my opinion that Bundy had a point on the vile mixture of sadistic violence and hard core porn.
You would've thought I was out to get their Playboy centerfolds with soft porn, shadows and pubic hair.
That's why I tried to make a distinction here. But, in hindsight, those who choose to be offended would be offended anyway.
Who's lying now, Gina Miller ?
Check out Leviticus 18:26-30 and you'll see the whole list is classed abomination unless, mystifyingly, "all these" and "any of these" and "any one of these" somehow reference only one item.
(I used the KJV for reference.)
In her zeal to offer a scope of severity, I notice she does not address equal punishment--put to death, even by fire--for the other sexual sins listed (adultery, incest, bestiality, etc.). Such punishments are listed in Leviticus Ch 20 which parallels the listing in Ch 18.
Miller's cherry-picking, a common mote in the eye of some of the loudest on this subject, is every bit as deceptive as the "advice" columnist. At least the columnist doesn't claim to speak authoritatively for God.
My problem is with the extreme Gracers who think and even declare that as long as you utter the right words of belief, you are guaranteed a reserved seat in heaven even if you go on to murder, pillage, lie and commit any combination of reprehensible acts.
IOW, God expects you to do what you reasonably can do even if your good works are only 0.0001% of the equation. James 2:14-20 is every much as part of the Bible as John 3:16.
Accordingly, people who blame God for the sins of a sinner are copping out, just as much as the so-called Christians who used their faith as an excuse to kill Native Americans, justify slavery or expel or marginalize believers who didn't buy into their particular brand of Christianity. Rev. Wright and the Taliban Gracers are prime examples of the later.
Noise maker, noise maker
You have no complaint
You are what you are
And you ain’t what you ain’t
So listen up, buster
And listen up good
Stop wishin’ for back luck
And knockin’ on wood
Signed,
Dear Abby
And they both were big supporters of Planned Parenthood.
I went to Catholic school all my life. I remember one particular nun when I was in grade school giving us an example. Say I want to steal Jane’s purse which she has left unattended upstairs in an empty classroom. I go upstairs to do the deed, but there is a teacher in the classroom and I do not get to steal the purse. Have I committed a sin, even though I didn’t actually steal the purse? According to my teacher, she says yes I did. The only thing that stopped me was the opportunity, not the desire not to commit the crime.
“I view the “homosexuals were born that way” argument as akin to the argument that “Native Americans are predisposed to alcoholism.”
Both statements contain a kernel of truth, but both can be taken to distorted and illogical conclusions.”
Anecdotal evidence follows, which can be taken any way you wish.
This morning, as usual, I stopped in the local Dunkin’ Donuts for coffee.
In line ahead was an obviously gay male. His orientation was far MORE than just “obvious” — mannerisms, voice, hair, he even had bare feet with painted toenails in flip-flops. This guy was on fire - a real FLAMER, as they say. There is no way anyone of any sexual persuasion could overlook or mistake that.
And as obvious was his orientation, it was also clear that this guy could never have previously been a “normal, heterosexual” man who at some point freely decided he was going to stop being hetero to become who he is now.
He is what he is, from his beginning. For him to have “changed” into who he is makes as much sense as a male making a conscious decision to stop being a male and become a female. Which is to say, to believe that makes no rational sense at all.
Like John Prine’s refrain in “Dear Abby” (thanks to freedomlover who posted the “noisemaker” verse in post #20), “you are what you are, and you ain’t what you ain’t”.
Hello, Newzjunkey.
I was not “lying” about Leviticus. When you look at each “itemized” sexual sin, various descriptions are used. In the KJV, only the sexual sin of homosexuality is described as an abomination in that list. You are correct about the blanket abomination statements at the end of the chapter, but that does not diminish my point—which is not a lie—that the listing of each sin describes each in various ways and only uses the word ‘abomination’ for homosexuality.
I am not “cherry-picking’ anything. As for the punishments—ALL sins are punishable by death—eternal separation from God, if we do not accept the free grace of salvation through Christ. The ultimate death penalty for sin has always been the case and continues to be the case, apart from salvation.
But then again, maybe he/she/it just craves the attention.
If I see a guy in a Brooks Brothers suit, I do not automatically assume he is a Dandy or has a job requiring such dress. Maybe he just likes dressing up.
By the same token, I prefer wearing a factory type work uniform whenever possible. Not because I'm a beer-swilling blue collar type. I'm actually a professional with an advanced degree. I just find such clothing most comfortable to work in.
If you could only know what other people thought about you, you'd be genuinely shocked about just how little.
Did you mean to answer me? Because that was my point.
I was replying to post #10 by Vigilanteman. I thought he had an excellent response. In particular, I like these sentences:
“But none that I know of, save the most corrupt tribal leaders and hardcore Democrats (but I repeat myself) proclaim “accept us as a bunch of drunkards and winos and just keep giving us money to reinforce the habit.”...
...The sewer pipe from Hollywood and the gay culture, however, takes the position that nobody but idiots would take with Native Americans and alcohol. They demand that society accept the most extreme forms of homosexuality, avoid even counseling much less legislating limits and that taxpayers pick up the tab for enabling it in its most destructive forms.”
Everyone has some sins that are extra tempting. Some gamble. I have zero temptation there, but I’m weaker in others. That cannot become an excuse for sin, however. A big guy is probably tempted to bully more than a runt, but that doesn’t excuse bullying.
I was born with a hot temper, but that doesn’t mean it is OK for me to explode at other people.
It’s sad that many who claim to be Christian are so ignorant of what the Bible actually says.
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