Homosexual Marriage and Freedom of Speech
According to the Orlando Sentinel (August 18, 2011), "Mple"")"Mount Dora's High School Teacher of the Year was suspended from the classroom…after comments he made about same-sex unions on Facebook" (A3). First of all, it is important to have a grasp on what the man actually said. Below are the things that he wrote. The context was that he was eating dinner when he heard that same-sex unions had been legalized in New York. His initial response was that it almost made him throw up. Then he added:
If they want to call it a union, go ahead. But don't insult a man and woman's marriage by throwing it in the same cesspool of whatever. God will not be mocked. When did this sin become acceptable?
I will never accept it because God will never accept it. Romans chapter one.
First of all, he is right in saying that a sexual perversion should not be honored by calling it a marriage. It is an insult to every husband and wife. Twenty years ago, this would not have had to be explained to anyone, but now society is becoming so jaded that many no longer understand that God instituted marriage and that He chose a man and a woman as marriage partners. In the beginning there was no other way to reproduce. Even with all of our technology, two men can still not do so, nor can two women. Homosexual couples can adopt or involve themselves in some kind of surrogate program, but the process still requires a male and a female.
A marriage between a Scripturally eligible man and a Scripturally eligible woman is termed holy matrimony. Same-sex unions constitute unholy matrimony (if the state legalizes it). In reality, however, it is no matrimony at all. To call it such insults those who are married, as well as God who gave mankind the privilege.
Second, it is the case that God will not be mocked. In fact, Galatians 6:7-8 makes this very point—and of fleshly sins:
Do not be deceived. God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Many sow to the flesh. Those living together (as husband and wife) but are not married also sow to the flesh. These defy God's arrangement, and so do homosexuals. Both are more concerned about the flesh than the spiritual truths God has revealed about holiness. Paul made a distinction between those who walk according to the flesh and those who walk according to the Spirit in Romans 8:1. In verses 5-6 he adds:
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Any engagement in unauthorized sexual relationships is sin. Only a man and a woman (one each—not one or more) have Divine approval, and even that must be within the confines of marriage. Some might mock, "Well, what's He going to do—condemn nearly everybody?" Perhaps they have never heard of the Flood, in which the whole earth was destroyed because of its sinfulness and rejection of God—except for eight souls. God does not determine what is moral or immoral based on a popular vote. If 95% of the world's population is living immorally, then 95% of the world's population will be condemned and lost forever. Man must conform to God's will in order to have salvation. The Almighty and Holy One will not and cannot change to accommodate man's sinful desires.
"When Did This Sin Become Acceptable?"
This is an excellent question. If homosexuality is acceptable, the credit goes to Hollywood and the news media. Most people have historically been repulsed by the thought (and rightfully so). Historically, actors and actresses have been promiscuous; many respectable hotels would not give them lodging. That reputation has carried over to Hollywood, where some noteworthy actors were practicing homosexuals, and most of their contemporaries knew it, although the general public did not. The news media has joined forces with the entertainment media to make this sin acceptable. Even if they convince most of the American public, all they will have accomplished is to corrupt even more individuals, for which they will pay the price of being a stumbling block (Luke 17:1-2).
Society has accepted, by and large, the sins of gambling, fornication, pornography, and adultery. All of these are condemned by God, however, and remain wrong. Those who choose to be covetous and indulge in the sins of the flesh will remain separated from God unless they choose to repent and obey the gospel.
Now is the time to speak out against both the sin of homosexuality and marriages of perversion before it becomes a matter of persecution. If a teacher can be suspended or fired because of his views on this subject, how long will it be before no one is safe in speaking out on this topic?
Romans 1
The teacher says he will never accept the sin of homosexuality because God does not accept it. Good! He is absolutely correct on this point and cites Romans 1. In particular, God calls homosexuality a vile sin and against nature, which ought to be obvious to anyone— but is stated in the Bible for those slow on the uptake.
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due (Rom. 1:26-27).
Does anyone have difficulty figuring out what the natural use of men and women is? All else is against what is even natural, let alone what God authorized. Homosexuals have a debased mind (Rom. 1:28). That anyone would try to legitimize what is debased, against nature, and a vile passion by calling it marriage is even more vile and despicable than what has already been described. Those who uphold these vile passions are despicable, and that includes the lawmakers of New York and every court that has sought to legitimize what God will never sanction. Eternal shame and suffering is the reward they will receive when they see true holiness too late to do them any good.
Jude 7
Some may not like the various references to Judgment, but those come from God—not this writer. Everyone should examine carefully the book of Jude in this regard. Some were attempting to justify immoral practices in his day in the first century. He spoke of those "who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness" (v. 4). He next wanted to convey the fact that God punishes those who would presume to do such a thing, and he cites Sodom and Gomorrah as examples:
As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, and are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire (7).
We know from the Old Testament that these cities were guilty of the sin of homosexuality (Gen. 19:4-5), but even if we did not, this verse says that they went after strange flesh. The word translated "strange" here is usually rendered "other." In other words, the men were interested in the flesh of other men rather than the flesh of women, which is normal. Homosexuality is therefore a kind of "sexual immorality," which translates a Greek word that refers to every kind of sexual immorality such as sexual relationships involving the unmarried, adultery (instances in which either the male or the female is married to someone else), homosexuality, or other forms of perversion (triads, bestiality, etc.).
This verse reveals more than the fact that God rained fire and brimstone down upon the perverted inhabitants of these cities, thus destroying their fleshly bodies. This punishment is symbolic of eternal fire, which all homosexuals (and those guilty of the other sexual sins) shall endure. Of course, those who recognize that these sins have contributed to their loss of fellowship with God (He will not hear the prayers of those living in open rebellion against him) and marked them for eternal torment can repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of these and all other sins (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
Suspended
The teacher, Jerry Buell, was suspended for having written nothing but what is absolutely true, and this is what is sad about the times in which we all live. Less than fifty years ago, a teacher who advocated homosexual marriages would probably have been fired. A teacher recommending homosexuality, sex in the absence of marriage, or adultery would also probably have been fired. But now when someone agrees with what the Bible teaches on a moral issue, he is suspended—even though he was Teacher of the Year last year, which shows that he cares about his students. A person can care about others while abhorring their behavior. Otherwise, a Christian could not speak to anyone. But associating with someone in a school environment does not mean one approves of any student's sins.
Furthermore, this has become a free speech issue, as Buell stated:
It was my own personal comment on my own personal time on my own personal computer in my own personal house, exercising what I believed as a social studies teacher to be my First Amendment rights.
This writer is not an expert on Florida's laws or its constitution, but it is his understanding that same-sex marriage is prohibited in this state, and that Mr. Buell supported that sentiment. What gives the school the right to suspend someone for siding with the state law (not to mention, the Law of God)? His views, which coincide with the Truth, do not at all mean that he cannot teach—any more than if he said that all liars have their place in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 21:8). Would all liars, therefore, fear to go into his class? They say that homosexual students would be fearful of doing so. Why? Is there a school rule that one must identify himself as a homosexual? The fact that he cares about students and is willing to teach them regardless of wrong choices that they make should be sufficient for those who are mature. Or must we insist that all teachers think the same way that an administrator does—or the same way as the Orlando Sentinel?
"More Gays Are Now Families"
On the same day as the article about the school teacher, the most prominent headline on page one is that which is quoted above. Of course, the newspaper is very proud of this achievement. They even included a map to show where the heaviest population of same-sex households are located. Most of them are in sections of Orlando, but other parts of the area also have a significant number, if the map is to be believed. Underneath the map is a picture of two smiling lesbians and their daughter. Such pleasant treatment of those who participate in this vile passion which is against nature does not hide the truth.
According to page A9, there are 9,330 such couples in central Florida. It would appear that the absence of marriage benefits is not keeping them from living in sin. Apparently, they have not all flocked to New York or other states to live. Sooner or later, homosexual marriage will be on the ballot again in Florida, and people need to be prepared to fight this problem all over again, since it is doubtful that they will ever give up.
But Christians need to do more than just wage that battle when it is time. It is time to quit watching television shows and movies that promote the sin. It is time to speak up whenever the opportunity presents itself in personal conversations. It is time to write letters or send e-mails to those in authority in order to state the truth. It is time to see that the promotion of homosexuality and homosexual marriages constitute an affront to God and are an attack against the Bible. Homosexuality cannot be promoted without the Bible being denigrated. The two stand or fall together!
The Prophets of Old
We do not have prophets in America, and the reason we do not is that God has not had prophets on earth since the first century. All of the prophecy that God intended to give, He gave at that time. Was there no prophecy given of America? No specific prophecy was given of either the United States or England. Nor was anything given concerning the rise of Muhammad or Charles Darwin. Why not? Is it the case that God is not omniscient? Could He not see into the future? He could. He knows what will yet be the outcome of all the great nations of today.
His purpose in writing the New Testament, however, was not to describe judgments against various nations—except for Rome, the persecutor of the church. His purpose was to reveal what the Jews (and the world) had been waiting for—that Jesus had arrived and was the answer to the problems of mankind. He sent His Son into the world—not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17-18).
In the Old Testament, many of the prophecies were of various nations, and their forthcoming downfall. Some of these included Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Tyre and Sidon, Edom, Moab, Ammon, and even Israel and Judah. The descriptions of the destruction of those nations or their captivities are terrifying, as typified by just this one passage:
The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left (Isa. 24:4-6).
Many images are even more thorough regarding the details of the destruction of proud and mighty nations. The point is that we do not need specific prophecies against nations that choose immorality today. Any nation that follows in the path of the corrupt nations of the past, including Sodom and Gomorrah, will suffer the same destruction. God has not changed His mind concerning sin. Is it possible that the Sodom newspaper proudly published a map of the neighborhoods that were most homosexual? Is it possible that they considered themselves the most enlightened of all generations before them? Did they threaten the jobs of school teachers who did not walk in lockstep with them?
The New Testament emphasizes the salvation from our sins that Jesus made available to those who repent of their sins (that is, they quit practicing them), who confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and who are baptized in order to have forgiveness of their sins. However, the principle of the way that God deals with nations remains in Proverbs 14:34: "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."