Thanks for Sharing
An AP story by Brady McCombs on June 25, 2017, deals with "a young Mormon girl revealing to her congregation that she is lesbian." The "news item" is about as fair as the secular press ever gets when it's obvious that they are on the girl's side. In fact, one can almost feel the strain it puts on AP to try to avoid being overtly biased (A15).
So, is your congenial columnist prejudiced? Yes and no. It doesn't matter to him one way or the other about issues of doctrine or morality (no) because he did not personally originate any of these teachings. But he will stand for the truth revealed in the Scriptures because it is accurate and right (yes). In other words, it does not matter a jelly bean what any individual thinks; the only thing that matters is what God has revealed. Just from a human standpoint, some will affirm or oppose, homosexuality, fornication, adultery, lasciviousness, abortion, gambling, et al., but none of those reasons matter. When God speaks, that settles it.
The Mormon Church in Eagle Mountain, Utah, has a custom one Sunday morning a month, in which members are encouraged to share feelings and beliefs. Where this practice originated is anybody's guess, but it is not a Biblical one. When the church comes together, it is expected that teaching and preaching will occur, and those who lead in worship must be prepared, knowing that they will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1). Whoever decided that a 13-year-old girl could speak in the assembly ought to have his (or her) head examined. Females are not permitted to speak at such times (1 Tim. 2:11-14).
Of course, the Mormon Church is not the church. They have revelations all the time to suit their current purpose, such as polygamy being wrong, then right, then wrong again. Who knows? Someone may have had a revelation that homosexuality, although contrary to the principles of the New Testament, was suddenly a good thing. However, for now they might recall the Bible teaches against it.
The girl affirmed that she is the child of heavenly parents (whatever that means) who didn't make any mistakes when she was created. How she knows this is anybody's guess. Maybe she prayed about it and had a warm feeling, the same kind that tells her the Book of Mormon is from God. If so, her feelings are wrong on both counts. By the way, this is the result of depending on one's subjective feelings instead of the objective Word of God. With her philosophy, she may as well throw away the Bible because she really does not need it. Her feelings tell her what is right and wrong. Among other things she said:
They did not mess up when they gave me freckles or when they made me to be gay. God loves me just this way.
And she knows this—how? This is what happens when teens get their theology from Lady Gaga. God loves all human beings—we know that because Jesus died for all (John 3:16). But equally true is that God hates and punishes sin. Paul said that those who practice homosexuality cannot enter the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Of course, what could Paul know compared to a 21st-century 13-year-old? (The sarcasm is to highlight the absurdity of her comments.)
Freckles are part of one's genetic inheritance. No one is created morally depraved. No one comes into the world as a homosexual, or a drunkard, or a thief, or a fornicator, or an adulterer, or a child molester. All of those who claim otherwise contradict the Scriptures. Perhaps the 13-year-old should go out and do battle with the transgenders. She would have to inform them that their heavenly parents did not make a mistake when they created them male or female. Their freckles and their gender cannot be mistaken. Thus, men cannot become women, and women cannot become men. However, the fact is, to take it just one step further, when she was created female, she was created to be one with a male—not another female. So how is it that homosexuals and transgenders support each other when the former group claims no mistakes were made when they were created, and the latter group claims that mistakes were made concerning them? Hmm.
One would think that the 13-year-old's parents might be embarrassed to tears that their child would cause such a scene in the Mormon Church. But, no, her mother encouraged her to do what she did. She noted that her daughter is "very passionate about coming out in church to be a voice and example for other LGBT children" within the Mormon Church.
Did she first tell the T children that their heavenly parents didn't make a mistake regarding their gender? Why doesn't her mother tell her she is wrong? Both of them know what the Mormon Church currently teaches; why are they challenging the current teaching of their leadership? Are they hoping to change it? Why do people become part of an organization that holds certain beliefs and then try to change them? When someone does not agree with any group's teachings, why seek membership in it? Why not become part of an organization that agrees with their point of view? There are already a number of humanistic churches that follow the doctrines of men rather than the Scriptures? Why not join one of them? If they are already part of the Mormon Church, then why not leave it because they do not reflect the beliefs they hold? Those who are doing what this mother is are arrogant because: 1) They assume the Mormon Church is wrong in what it believes; and 2) because they think an entire organization should change to accommodate them. What foolish expectations!
Anonymity
The mother is totally hypocritical with respect to anonymity. Her daughter is passionate about her beliefs, but the mother does not want her full name released to the press. She wants her daughter's privacy to be protected, but she allows her to go to a public microphone to voice her complaint about what the Mormon Church teaches? Did no one there recognize her? Was she wearing a bag over her face? How can anyone expect a reasonable amount of privacy when making a public statement? Hello!
But there is more. The 13-year-old's girlfriend videotaped her speech and circulated it online. It has now been "featured in a Mormon LGBT podcast." Now how can anyone say with a straight face that she wants to protect her daughter's privacy? That's nonsense! The girl, the mother, and the friend knew exactly what they were doing. Claiming privacy is laughable. In fact, if they had not wanted publicity, they should have kept quiet. No one can have any expectation of privacy when they choose to go "public!"
"Conservative Faith Groups"
The article goes on to say that the Mormons are just one of
many conservative faith groups upholding theological opposition to same sex relationships amid widespread social acceptance and the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions legalizing gay marriage.
This statement is technically correct, but one can almost hear the writer muttering under his breath—"those dumb bozos." Why does that seem to be the case? First, nothing negative is said about the girl in the entire article; in fact, some praise of her is mentioned before its close. But notice that those who challenge homosexual marriage are upholding a theological position. What theological position? The Bible teaches that homosexuality is wrong, period. Cities were destroyed over it in Genesis 19. Under the Law of Moses the practice was condemned (Lev. 20:13), as does the New Testament (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Jude 7). This is not some difficult theological notion such as how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. This is not some obscure teaching that it took hundreds of years to figure out. God's people have always known homosexuality was wrong.
Those conservatives who hold "this theological" position are in the minority; they are hanging on to their theology in the face of widespread social acceptance. Since when is what society thinks an indicator of truth? Society approves of just about every sin man commits—certainly the lust of the flesh (consider the costumes of "entertainers"), the lust of the eyes (greed, covetousness), and pride ("we'll flaunt our sin, and you will accept it"). Segments of society accept near nudity, gambling, abortion, and fornication. So what?
Does the columnist think that Noah and his family did not oppose widespread social practices? Just because the majority is willing to defy God, as at the Tower of Babel, does not mean that Christians are wrong and society is right? In fact, one might expect that Christians would oppose many secular practices since the majority of people are lost (Matt. 7:13-14). This assessment was not made by a right-wing nut but the One who gave Himself that all might be saved.
After appealing to the lost majority as an authority on this subject, the AP writer then cited the Supreme Court. Well! That ought to settle it! This is our highest authority, and it can't ever be wrong (the Dred Scott decision, Roe. V. Wade, et al.). The U.S. Supreme Court is not the final arbiter of morality in this nation. God is. And if God does not like our morality, He can destroy "we the people" (Pr. 14:34). In fact, we have been treading on dangerous ground for 44 years, and last year undoubtedly incited His wrath to an even higher degree. Only one authority stands above all others—God's—and what He has revealed to us in the Scriptures.
Mormon Response
The article records an astounding statement when it says that "the Mormon church is trying to foster an empathetic stance toward LGBT people." Really? Why? The LGBT's goal is acceptance among the population. Either the Mormon Church is going to have to change its teachings, or the LGBT will need to modify its aims. The LGBT will be the ones not to budge.
Some Mormons are calling the girl a hero. By whose definition? She has not saved anyone's life or even given sacrificially of herself. The word hero should be reserved for someone who really is. It should not be cheapened to include those who are doing something wrong. Even a Mormon official called her a "brave young girl." Why? Her mother supported her. Her friend videotaped her. How did this brave little soul suffer? Oh, yeah, they cut off her microphone (mercifully). She is neither brave nor a hero. She has succumbed to the thinking of Satan. Are there medals for that now?
Why should the Mormon Church or anyone else care what LGBT thinks, or society, or the Supreme Court? Daniel, who truly was brave, did not quit praying to God despite the king's decree because it, which all of society was obeying, was wrong. He would have only had to compromise a little. He could have gone into hiding to pray, but he chose to continue a practice that he knew was right.
Likewise, true Christians do not accept the decrees of men when they contradict the Word of God. We will keep God's laws, teach God's laws, and encourage others to keep them. Sin is Sin. We will not apologize for calling sin what it is. No social or legal pressure can change the truth into a lie. Jesus was never soft on sin, and His disciples must walk in His footsteps. Our task is to lead people into the light of truth—not tell them to feel comfortable in their darkness.