A small group of people in Topeka, Kansas have become infamous for their hate of homosexuals. They call themselves a church but consist mainly of the members of the founder’s family (I am torn here between naming the offenders to expose them and not naming them so as to not give them more publicity. I chose the latter.) These misguided, twisted sinners* travel the country and protest all things homosexual by holding up signs reading, “God Hates Fags,” and screaming vile slogans.
Romans 1:18-32 is one of the biblical passages they use to justify their hate. After reading it myself, I wonder: if they feel these verses give them permission to protest homosexuality, why don’t they also attend church prayer meetings with signs reading, “God Hates Gossips,” or protest outside of their own meeting hall with signs saying, “God Hates Slanderers,” and “God Hates the Heartless and the Senseless”?
If I haven’t made you too angry or nervous, read on and ask with me, “Is homosexuality the unforgivable sin?”
(*Note: I too am a misguided, twisted sinner in need of God’s undeserving mercy.)
Eugene C. Scott joins Mike in writing A Daily Bible Conversation twice a week.
TODAY’S READING(click here to view today’s reading online)
1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36
Romans 1:18-32
Psalm 10:1-15
Proverbs 19:6-7
INSIGHTS AND EXPLANATIONS
1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36: When we last saw David, he was angry with God over (1 Chron. 14:11) the death of Uzzah. It seems David has reconsidered and has actually asked God about the ark and it’s treatment. David shows once again he is a “man after God’s own heart” by repenting of his actions and learning from his mistakes. Yet he still exhibits very human behavior in that he seems to blame the Levites for “not bringing it up the first time.” I wonder if this is the first time the phrase “ignorance of the Law is no excuse.”
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THE WORD MADE FRESH
Still with me? I hope so.
“Hate” is a strong word and in humans an even stronger emotion. The word “hate” occurs about 128 times in the English Bible, and only a dozen or so times in reference to God hating (The word “love” crops up nearly 700 times). And most often “hate” doesn’t describe an emotion but rather an enemy. The sense is that God generally “hates” things that are destructive to us humans, but not an emotion God feels toward humans. God views them as our enemies. The list of destructive actions God hates includes “robbery and iniquity,” “wrong doing,” “violence,” “idol worship,” and “religious feasts.” Proverb 6:16-19 says,
“There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.”
In short, because God loves us so much, God hates sin, which means any minor or major human action that hurts or destroys us spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, socially, or physically. We could spend 24/7 protesting such things and not exhaust the list.
And God seems to hate all of this self–and others–destructive behavior equally. No one enemy to humanity rises above the other.
Jesus equates anger with murder and declares calling someone a fool an eternally punishable offense (Mtt. 5:22). This confuses us because, to us, there are obviously sins worse than others. But Jesus is simply pointing out that anger eventually kills a relationship and possibly even a life, though in a less drastic way than murder. The destruction of the relationship and life are what seem to matter to God not the severity of the destruction. The earth-bound consequences differ, but both kill.
God views homosexuality and idol worship through the same loving eyes. To God worshiping a tree, money, success, or a god that does not exist is as “unnatural” (something we were not created to do) and soul-destroying as is misuse of the great gift of our sexuality. One is a fatal misunderstanding of who God is and the other a misunderstanding of who we are. Both may be love misapplied.
Is homosexuality an unforgivable sin? Some seem to act so. But Scripture, and God’s nature, belie that view.
- Do these readings connect in any way?
- If so, in what way?
- What enemies of God do you still harbor in your heart and life?
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Eugene co-pastors The Neighborhood Church in Littleton, CO and writes a blog eugenesgodsightings.blogspot.com
The Neighborhood Café 
Oh thank you thank you thank you for this post. You probably have no idea how amazingly relevant this was! “Rev.” what was his name again? and his tribe are so sad…but for someone like me, who was married for years (unbeknownst to me) to an individual who struggled with same-sex issues and whose marriage ended because of it … yeah, wow. I am going to send this to my kids whose faith has been shaken if not shattered by their father’s “coming out” and I would also encourage anyone who has struggled with this particular issue to google “Ray Boltz” and “Carol Boltz” to see the grace of God in action despite choices that may not be optimal. And all this in a morning when the Denver Post trumpeted Ted Haggard’s new and growing church in Colorado Springs. Wow.
Linda:
Sorry for the delay in my response. I was camping with my family and away from it all, except billions of stars and millions of mosquitoes.
You’re welcome for the blog. I find myself getting pretty angry at the church in Topeka–and believe it or not–Ted Haggard. Are they real and symbolic pictures of who we are and who we can be and who we should not be? I feel I need to speak out against the former and I am confused by the latter. Like you said, “Wow.”
I’m saddened by the break-up of your marriage–for any reason. I hope and pray your children find God pouring so much grace and mercy into them that it overflows into their father. One of my favorite groups is one called Water Deep. One of their songs (“18 Holes”) has a line that cries, “Oh, God, it hurts so bad to love anybody down here.” Sometimes that is so true for us and for God. Though, God is far better at loving than we are.
I will check out the Ray Boltz info too.
And may God fill you with mercy and grace as well. Eugene
I see this issue quite clearly, although I don’t claim to have all the answers. I was there in the begining of “the Jesus movement! I had been searching for the purpose and meaning of life starting in 7th grade.I would stay after school with my english teacher and had a intilectual affair with her. Looking back now I realize how far ahead of my years I was and that God had blessed me . I read most of the religions and philosophy’s basic teachings. I remember the moment that I realized that either life had a purpose or it was obsured and meaningless! You live a few years and then are dead for all eternity! I went on to be kind of a regular guy although In 1967 @17we had a rock band that was quite succesful, playing with som big name bands all over Detroit. I was the first hippie in my suburbian high school, and one day I saw a roadside billboard of Jesus knocking on the door saying “seek and you shall find, ask, knock and so on” you all know the scripture if not find it.That is where it all starts. It struck me like a bolt of lightning and I started reading the words of Jesus skipping over everything else. I was born again without any preacher just Jesus and me. I heard about a dynamic hippie preacher in California named Lonnie Frisbee. I filled my van with bibles and drove across the country down and along the old route 66 finding the hippies along the way and they were ready. Many came to the lord on that trip. God opened all the doors and when I got to Newport Beach, It was easy to find Lonnie and Connie (his Wife) andAlthough there was a huge waiting list I was allowed to move into a christian commune called the “Blue Top” in Newport Beach. My little room was directly below Lonnie and his wife Connie’s apartment. There I was baptised in the Holey Spirit and there I witnessed countless miracles. He and the others there took me to a tinny chapel and I met Chuck Smith who was open to us hippies. By his own admission he had failed to build or increase membership in any of the many churches, he had pastored and was considering quiting. He says so himself in his new vidio where He takes credit as “The FATHER” OF THE JESUS MOVEMENT. Chuck was a good bible teacher (whome I admire) and I got involved in helping him grow “his” church as did Lonnie. However there is no doubt that it was Lonnie who was the one we, (the hippies) were coming from far away as well as the local beaches to see and experiance the POWER of God and his simple humble message of Gods LOVE came through in a powerful way. He was amazingly humble, and Jesus came through him loud and clear. HE gave this elderly balding and lovable teacher credability with the hippies. It could have happened with any good bible teacher, but Chuck was the right man for the job, and he has worked hard. So I do give him credit for knowing how to put Lonnies gifts to use. However I can testify and I have no doubt, that had it not been for Lonnie, Chuck would have never gained the fame and prosparity as he did. I started a little christian commune in Silverado Canyon. He married me to my wife, and then I moved back to my home town a suburb of Detroit and started “Our Fathers House.” Which grew and gave birth to other ministries.. Anyway enough about me. I found out years later that Lonnie had struggled with same sex lust which he confessed to (I just somehow missed it I think that he usuall was able to overcome) and never made excuses for it,(the church wanted him to omit this frim his testimony and I can only imagine the difficulty of his strugle. Some morons say that it is a choice, and because most Christions are blessed with “normal lusts. Therefore because they don’t struggle with this paticular sin. These self rightious people find it easy to seporate this sin as somehow worse than theiers. Could YOU CHOOSE to change your lusts and have “gay” feelings. if so you must be a closet homosexual. Be honest. It must be a horable cross to bear. and Lonnie fought it as best as he could I think. Now he has been erased from the history of Calvary and the Vinyard which he was the spark plug for also. There are churches all over the world because of him, and his humility. Amazing for such a short life. To learn more just Google hippie preacher. Google knows the truth even though most christions don’t……Blessings friends….. Martin L. Williams
Thanks for responding and telling your story, Martin. I did not know much abut either man–back then. I came to Christ in 72. But their influence was part of what made it possible for me to become a Jesus Freak (aside from Christ!). Have a happy and holy Easter. Eugene