Faith in Action: Two Extremes
Bonnie Alba
October 13, 2006
The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) made headlines with their threat to protest the murdered Amish children’s funerals. This small group displays signs claiming “God Hates Fags.” Their message: God is cursing America because our nation is soft and tolerating of homosexuality. After digesting their web site presentation of themselves, all I could think was “Pale shadow of Calvin.” Certainly if Calvin was alive today, he would condemn this group.
On the surface, they are right. Look at any Old Testament scriptures such as Leviticus 18:22, “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” But what the WBC ignores are the “do nots” before and after that verse --- all of them having to do with sexual immorality; adultery, incest and sodomy ranging from “Do not” have sexual relations with biological children to any extended family nor, as in verse 23, animals. Listed in chapter 20, the punishments for All these sins call for death or stoning, along with “their blood will be on their own heads.”
Various New Testament passages cover all these sins, such as, Romans 1:18-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; and Jude 7-8. Look closely at the Romans passage. The Apostle Paul declares that God’s wrath “is being (continuously) revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness...”.
He then shows how mankind rejects God, accepts idolatry and sinks into the depths of sexual immorality -- which God hates:
21 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
23 “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.”
Rejection of God leads to a continuing slide into sexual immorality:
24 “Therefore God gave them over (withheld his restraint from) in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.”
26 “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.” These shameful (perverted) lusts are women for women and men for men.
What WBC and many others ignore: God hates all sexual relations outside of what He created and commanded, the marriage relationship, the lifetime union of one man and one woman. Furthermore, God hates any and all sin.
We are All standing in line and none can claim a ticket to enter the Pearly Gates of Heaven or into God’s presence. God gave us a new and better way, known from the beginning, through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Contrast the WBC’s behavior with the Amish response to the tragic and murderous assaults perpetrated on their children and their lives. The Amish reaction probably left many people scratching their heads for want of an explanation. Simply, the Amish presented their faith to the world.
Godly Christians immediately recognized what this display of prayer, mercy, humility, loving-kindness and forgiveness portrayed --- obedience to God despite their affliction. They provided a living witness of what God requires of His children. By their faith, they have glorified God.
The Amish people exhibited neither a rush to judgment nor blame. The Apostle Paul asserts about God: “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.’” (Romans 13:19)
As a nation, have we rejected the God of the Bible? of our fathers? In modern-day America, it appears so. We have succumbed to the loosening social and legal restraints on marriage, divorce, adultery, promiscuousness, legalizing sodomy and homosexuality. None is right in the eyes of God.
We can now claim a society where good and evil are mingled and served up as right and good. Public prayer, the Bible, the 10 Commandments, Jesus Christ and God are rejected. The words “sin, shame and guilt” no longer exist in public language. Instead we have the “idolization” of “me” and self-esteem builders. People gladly claim victimhood while providing poorly concocted, thinly disguised excuses, blaming the consequences of their immorality on others.
While the WBC extremists hold to a perverted Calvinism twisted out of scriptural context, they ignore what Jesus commanded of them and All who would believe and follow Him: “Go and make disciples of all nations...” (Matthew 28:19)
I think one extreme, God’s faithful Amish, will accomplish that more than the other extreme, the WBC, will ever do.
2006 Bonnie Alba
Comments: tttalba@hotmail.com
Scripture quotations: New International Version
On the surface, they are right. Look at any Old Testament scriptures such as Leviticus 18:22, “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” But what the WBC ignores are the “do nots” before and after that verse --- all of them having to do with sexual immorality; adultery, incest and sodomy ranging from “Do not” have sexual relations with biological children to any extended family nor, as in verse 23, animals. Listed in chapter 20, the punishments for All these sins call for death or stoning, along with “their blood will be on their own heads.”
Various New Testament passages cover all these sins, such as, Romans 1:18-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; and Jude 7-8. Look closely at the Romans passage. The Apostle Paul declares that God’s wrath “is being (continuously) revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness...”.
He then shows how mankind rejects God, accepts idolatry and sinks into the depths of sexual immorality -- which God hates:
21 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
23 “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.”
Rejection of God leads to a continuing slide into sexual immorality:
24 “Therefore God gave them over (withheld his restraint from) in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.”
26 “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.” These shameful (perverted) lusts are women for women and men for men.
What WBC and many others ignore: God hates all sexual relations outside of what He created and commanded, the marriage relationship, the lifetime union of one man and one woman. Furthermore, God hates any and all sin.
We are All standing in line and none can claim a ticket to enter the Pearly Gates of Heaven or into God’s presence. God gave us a new and better way, known from the beginning, through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Contrast the WBC’s behavior with the Amish response to the tragic and murderous assaults perpetrated on their children and their lives. The Amish reaction probably left many people scratching their heads for want of an explanation. Simply, the Amish presented their faith to the world.
Godly Christians immediately recognized what this display of prayer, mercy, humility, loving-kindness and forgiveness portrayed --- obedience to God despite their affliction. They provided a living witness of what God requires of His children. By their faith, they have glorified God.
The Amish people exhibited neither a rush to judgment nor blame. The Apostle Paul asserts about God: “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.’” (Romans 13:19)
As a nation, have we rejected the God of the Bible? of our fathers? In modern-day America, it appears so. We have succumbed to the loosening social and legal restraints on marriage, divorce, adultery, promiscuousness, legalizing sodomy and homosexuality. None is right in the eyes of God.
We can now claim a society where good and evil are mingled and served up as right and good. Public prayer, the Bible, the 10 Commandments, Jesus Christ and God are rejected. The words “sin, shame and guilt” no longer exist in public language. Instead we have the “idolization” of “me” and self-esteem builders. People gladly claim victimhood while providing poorly concocted, thinly disguised excuses, blaming the consequences of their immorality on others.
While the WBC extremists hold to a perverted Calvinism twisted out of scriptural context, they ignore what Jesus commanded of them and All who would believe and follow Him: “Go and make disciples of all nations...” (Matthew 28:19)
I think one extreme, God’s faithful Amish, will accomplish that more than the other extreme, the WBC, will ever do.
2006 Bonnie Alba
Comments: tttalba@hotmail.com
Scripture quotations: New International Version
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