Bully Tactics: Name-Calling

This is the third post in a series on marriage.

Mostly everyone agrees that bullying is an unacceptable practice. In fact, much of the early pro-gay laws were written to combat this monster. Calling people names or threatening them in any way is wrong in the eyes of our society. I like to think this is due to our Christian heritage, whose lingering effects have not yet worn off from our culture.

Let me be crystal-clear here: as Christians, we are to speak out against the sin of sodomy and stand up to the wave of propaganda that is pushing for its acceptance in our society, but there is never any justification for name-calling or threats or physical harm to anyone who supports or practices it.

However, pro-gay groups such as GLAAD, as well as the liberal media, have resorted to the same tactics, in an effort to "normalize" homosexuality and demonize those who speak out against it. Whenever someone makes anti-gay remarks (which, as of this writing, are still protected by the First Amendment), they are almost always referred to as a "homophobe." As a recent example, several sources called Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson's comments on the evil of homosexuality as "homophobic."

What exactly did he say that was so bad? "Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men. We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ‘em, give ‘em the good news about Jesus, whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ‘em out later, you see what I’m saying?"

Mr. Robertson was ostracized (and temporarily suspended from the highly successful show) simply for expressing an opinion that is in-line with the Bible. It was not only his First Amendment right to do so, but also his duty as a Christian.

Calling people names is the age-old tactic of side-stepping logical arguments, in favor of ad hominem attacks. When done in public (or in the media), this effectively villifies the opposition and undermines the validity of their viewpoints. In this case, since phobias are commonly perceived as illogical and devoid of reason, the term "homophobe" presumes that Christians have no credible arguments against homosexuality.

Don't let the pro-gay community get away with this. Expose the name-calling for the logical fallacy that it is.

Sodomy: The Abominable Sin

This is the second post in a series on marriage.

I am going to have to be very blunt and very politically incorrect here. At the center of "same-sex marriage" (or any similar union) is sexual intercourse between two individuals of the same gender. This is traditionally referred to as "sodomy," a word derived from the well-known Genesis account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, two exceedingly wicked cities, infamous for this practice.

While I do not expect this fact to carry any weight with atheists or those who subscribe to religions that do not view the Bible as God's inspired word, I am dumbfounded that there are any persons who claim to be Christian, and yet believe sodomy to be compatible with Christianity. I now wish to address that section of the population, in hopes that I may give them cause to rethink their theology.

Here are some scriptural proof-texts that indicate that, beyond the shadow of a doubt, God abhors sodomy, counting it on the same level as (if not worse than) murder.

"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination" (Lev. 18:22).

"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (Lev. 20:13).

"There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel" (Deut. 23:17).

"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them" (Rom. 1:26-32).

The Bible unequivocably states that God does not change, so He still views all manner of sexual deviancy as sin. God requires us to repent of all sin; we cannot pick and choose. So how can any Christian practice or condone sodomy and still claim to be a child of God???

As a Christian, I must speak out against civil laws that legitimize sinful practices, particularly those that are actively promoted as "normal" and "acceptable".

The painting at the top of this post depicts Lot's family fleeing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and his wife expressing horror as she looks back, moments before being turned into a pillar of salt. It was painted by Benjamin West, in 1810.

We Have Won!

Traditional marriage has suffered a flurry of defeats in the past few years. Several more states, including Washington, New Jersey, and Colorado now allow "gay marriage." This has opened up some high-profile lawsuits: a florist in Seattle has been sued for refusing to sell flowers for a gay wedding, and a photographer in Colorado is being sued for refusing to take photos at a gay wedding.

The Defense of Marriage Act (one of the few laudable accomplishments from President Clinton's regrettable administration) has been all but completely done away with. Phil Robertson (of the uber-popular Duck Dynasty reality show) has been ostracized for anti-gay comments he recently made. A man is legally marrying a woman in a state that does not recognize his out-of-state marriage to another man. (Whaaat?!? I'm sure the liberals are hoping he's not claiming that he's been "cured" of his gay tendencies.) The media and school curriculums continue trying to convince us that same-sex families are just as "normal" as traditional ones. And just recently, an activist judge has ruled Utah's ban on "gay marriage" unconstitutional, ushering in a flood of marriage applications.

As Christians, we are clearly losing the battle for true marriage. So how can I claim that we've won?

The answer is simple: Jesus won the battle against sin and death when He gave Himself as a perfect sacrifice on the cross. The Bible promises us that when He returns, He will do so as a conquering King, who will carry out judgment against all the sinners of this world. So, we do not need to hang our heads in defeat. This world was lost when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, but Christ declared to Pontius Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36).

God's kingdom on this earth is the collection of born-again followers of Jesus Christ. Our duty is to continue to strive to lead individuals to repentance, and while that does include standing up against our culture's embrace of sins like sodomy, promiscuity, and greed, the end-goal is saving souls.

To this end, I will devote my next few posts to presenting logical arguments defending the Biblical view of traditional marriage. The results I leave up to God.

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).