You’re minimizing the sin of fornication. Out of wedlock births (around 50%!) are perhaps our biggest social problem — abandoned children doomed to lives of poverty and crime. America can hardly remain a great nation if fifty percent of its children are dependent on government.
Phelps, one of the most famous athletes of our time, has a child out of wedlock. A Christian athlete, no less. And you’re saying it’s a sin to call him out?
Incredible.
And you’re abstracting the situation of one person into a statistic and making a finger-wagging common scold of yourself. Judge not lest you be judged. Are you so pure? The Bible says that even thinking of a sinful behavior is the same as doing it. Have you never had a lustful thought? Breaking one command is as good as breaking all of them. Have you never swiped something that didn’t belong to you, overeaten and lied about it, or made an excuse for something you did that you knew was wrong? We are born into sin. It’s a long haul for all of us to give sinning up, one thing at a time. And we can never do enough, as the Bible indicates — we are imperfect and always will be, even though God does expect us to try to do better. And even if you could perfect yourself, the government does horribly sinful things with your tax money. You are a sinner. Face it. That’s why we need a Savior.
The point of surrender to Christ is to harness your OWN sins to a regular response of confession and repentance, not to harange others about the behavior of a remote figure. Do you think Michael Phelps reads Free Republic to read your earnest condemnations? Do you seriously think your posts on this thread are going to change another young person’s sexual behavior to conform to your standards?
Christianity is about deep personal honesty before God, and working patiently with oneself, with His constant help through prayer and the Spirit, to improve your OWN life. Let your life be your example of honoring Christ, not your denunciations.
Every human being is completely unique. And so are their journeys from original sin to a state of repentance.
Would you have been happier if they had had an abortion, so that there would be no public scandal? Phelps only became interested in Christianity recently; in spite of his outstanding championship, his father had abandoned him and his mother years ago and he is a hurting person inside. Blaming struggling Christians instead of encouraging them does the opposite of what you think you want here.
Maybe there is some sin in your life you are in denial about, and if you become a public figure and have a significant accomplishment that thrusts you into the spotlight, maybe you think all of us here on FR should use this Forum to discuss your moral failure. Yes? No?
In other words, who asked you? Are you his pastor, confessor, or future father-in-law? If not, look to your own sins and mind your business.