Update (9/8): California governor says he will veto homosexual “marriage” bill. I used to be opposed to the idea of a federal marriage amendment, but I think I’m coming around. I like this loophole-free language by Concerned Women for America:
“Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither the United States nor any State shall recognize or grant to any unmarried person the legal rights or status of a spouse.â€
Such language would effectively bar the legal recognition of “same sex” and unmarried heterosexual unions, too.
Related posts:
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Says the Associated Press:
The state Senate approved legislation Thursday that would legalize same-sex marriages, a vote that makes the chamber the first legislative body in the country to approve a gay marriage bill….“Equality is equality, period,” said one of the bill’s supporters, Democratic Sen. Liz Figueroa. “When I leave this Legislature I want to be able to tell my grandchildren I stood up for dignity and rights for all.’
Says God:
The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD….
Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood… (Genesis 6)
The ark is a picture of salvation. As a righteous judge, God has the power and the right to destroy every single person and allow them to suffer in hell forever. But he won’t because he is merciful. Instead of leaving us all to our deserved fate, God chose to save some. Much like Noah’s ark, our salvation in Christ is like a vessel protecting us from eternal destruction, leading us to safety, eternal life.
Noah probably warned people about the coming flood, and they laughed at him. Crazy old man. The golden calf was too tempting to resist. [Note: I can't believe I'm doing this, but here goes. Yes, the infamous golden calf came after the flood, but the term is used as a metaphor for any idol or object of worship.]
I wonder what people drowning outside the ark thought at that moment. The supernatural, mighty hand of God was judging them, and they were perishing in the rushing and rising waters. Did they call out to God? Were they sorry for rejecting and cursing him? Probably, but it was too late.
Some will heed the warnings of modern-day prophets (every believer) called by God to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They will believe that yes, they are sinners in need of salvation, but totally unworthy of it. They will finally believe that God sent his Son to die on the cross for those who turn away from sin and accept Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as a penalty for their wrongdoing. Many others won’t. Crazy, superstitious, Bible-thumpers.
The Son will return and judge us all. The Bible tells us that when he appears, everyone will know who he is. Christ’s “flood” of righteousness will be that obvious.
How soon will he come? Two thousand years ago, his disciples thought he’d return in their lifetimes. He may return during mine, tomorrow, perhaps. Nobody knows. But I can tell you this:
It’s raining.
Note: For the biblically illiterate who think I’m saying that God will judge the world with another flood, you’re incorrect. I’m using the flood as an extended metaphor. Read about the covenant God made with Noah in Genesis 9. In fact, stop reading this blog and read the Bible instead. You’ll learn so much more.
By the way, if Christians seem obsessed with homosexuality above other sins, perhaps it’s because homosexuals are so adept at condemning and judging those who disagree with that lifestyle, while admonishing us not to judge “lest ye be judged.” Homosexuals have the same civil rights as everyone else. What they want are special rights, like “marriage” (there is no civil right to marry, and there is no such thing as marriage between people of the same sex), normalizing perversion, and demanding that people “tolerate” (code for accept) it.
The comments I’m not letting through speak well of such “tolerant” people. I can’t say one word against what you do, or else I’m a religious bigot, but you get to come on my blog, act like children, be rude and nasty, and judge me? Think again.
Recommended reading:
- James White’s archives on homosexuality here and here.
- Related items on the Desiring God Ministry web site.
- God’s Plan for the Gay Agenda, John MacArthur
- Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry’s related entries here, here and here.
- Do Christians Hate Homosexuality?
- Do Christians “Obsess” about Homosexuality?
- Recommended book: The Same Sex Controversy: Defending and Clarifying the Bible’s Message About Homosexuality
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One more reason for Californians to vote to get rid of the Gerrymander. Our legislature prides itself on zinging the will of the public.
Hey LaShawn!
Do you personally think homosexuality is a choice, or do you think people are born gay?
No opinion. Either way, it’s irrelevant to what I wrote. - Admin
LaShawn, it is so interesting that so many individuals will claim ‘Christianity’, yet when issues such as this one in California come to the forefront, plainly evident scripture is disregarded.
09 07 05
Hello:
Are you implying that all homosexuals are evil and God will smite them? Or that our world is sin filled and a flood may be the consequence? I was always confused about that issue because the Bible says not to judge someone for a speck when you have a plank in your eyes. With regards to homosexualism, I find it hard to believe that because of that sin, they are all doomed. I think it’s because all of us are sinners. Then again, this seems so complicated! I live in Northern California and there is a large population of homosexuals. Some of them are my friends. God gave me the gift of discernment and throughout the years, I have found good and bad in that population, as there is good and bad in every person in every place. Maybe we should focus on rapists and murderers and child molesters rather than focusing on condemning these people. Confused about it all…
La Shawn, thanks for being one of those “Crazy, superstitious, Bible-thumpers” that tells it like it is. That’s what makes me a loyal reader and that’s what sets you apart from others in the blogosphere. Keep up the good work.
The truth hurts sometimes, but so does an innoculation. The end result is good if you take the medicine. Good stuff La Shawn.
“Equality is equality, period,†said one of the bill’s supporters, Democratic Sen. Liz Figueroa. “When I leave this Legislature I want to be able to tell my grandchildren I stood up for dignity and rights for all.’
Well, Democratic Senator Liz Figueroa, get on with pleasing your grand children. The Man-Boy Love Association, the laws prohibiting incest, setting minimum age restrictions on marriage, marrying animals, multiple mates and whatever other deviant combinations are all awaiting your “dignity and rights for all” crusade.
And don’t let the “crazy, superstitious, Bible-thumpers” get you down, you answer to a much higher power, Senator Liz Figueroa: you march to the echo of your own voice and are captivated by your brilliance in divining “dignity and rights for all.”
Oh, one other thing, Democratic Senator Liz Figueroa: this little backwater, Christian moth is not attracted in any way to your “flame”.
Mahnida - I’m not implying anything. I’m saying that yes, we’re all sinners in need of a Savior. I chose to focus on one of our many sins: homosexuality. Homosexuals are doomed if they’re unsaved because they’re sinners. Homosexuality is only one of a multitude of sins, and we all, every single person alive, commits a multitude of sins.
Have you read the whole Bible? If not, I implore you to do so. It’s very important that you understand such verses in the context of all of God’s commands. When he says not to judge unless we be judged, do you think he was really saying that Christians aren’t allow to make judgments about other people? You instinctively know that’s not true, and when you consider Scripture in light of the whole Bible, you know this can’t be true. We are required to expose sin and warn people of the consequences.
So when Jesus said to “judge not, lest ye be judged,” what was he talking about? In the context of Matthew 7, he was condemning those who judge others publicly for something they do privately. It’s hypocrisy that he’s warning against. While it’s true that we don’t have the power or authority to judge people eternally and send them to hell, we are required to call sin sin, so how in the world do you think we’d do that if God, at the same time, commanded us not to judge?
Please read all of Matthew 7, all of Matthew, and the whole Bible.
And you may not have the time or desire for this, but I encourage you to read my Faith category. These things have been discussed many times on this blog, but people often don’t want to take the time to read the archives:
http://lashawnbarber.com/archives/category/faith/
About this “good and bad in the population” stuff, as a human, you’re determining what’s good and bad on human standards. But remember that God is perfect and he requires perfect obedience and metes out perfect judgement. When you judge a “good” person by God’s standards, he falls fatally short of those standards. The comment about rapists and murders…leaves me almost speechless. By calling homosexuality a sin, I am not condemning anyone. They condemn themselves by their own deeds. If you want to talk about degrees of sin, based on man’s standards, then yes, rapists and murders are “more sinful” than I am or homosexuals are. But to God, sin is sin, and we’ll each be judged by own deeds, not what someone else does.
Mahnida - to follow on La Shawn’s response, the world will not be destroyed by flood. God promised He would never do so again, as is recorded in Genesis 9.
09 07 05
Hello LaShawn:
Thx for the response. Yes, I do read the Bible but I am not a Biblical scholar and there are some things that I don’t know or profess to know. I try to investigate the things I am curious about and don’t wish to comment on things that I am ignorant about either. This is why I am confused on the subject of homosexuality within the framework of Christianity. And I do realize that we can “hate the sin and not the sinner”, but my point was that if a person is a decent outstanding citizen otherwise, would they be condemned for that sin?
“Homosexuals are doomed if they’re unsaved because they’re sinners.”
LaShawn, what if a homosexual IS saved would they be exempt from this statement? Do you think it possible for someone to be in that lifestyle and be saved at the same time? And I will look at some of your archives on faith, thx for the suggestion. Thx for taking the time to read my post:)
I suppose I should’ve made a distinction between a practicing homosexual, just like any fornicator, and someone who is attracted to the same sex but chooses not to fornicate. I believe one can be saved and “be” a homosexual, but they no longer commit the acts, much like anyone of either sex who becomes celibate.
Visit D.L. Foster’s blog. He is a former homosexual:
http://psimo.blogspot.com/
09 07 05
Dear LaShawn:
Thx for your response. I will visit his blog now. God Bless and Have a Nice Day:)
I think AB 849 deals with CIVIL marriage, which pretty much makes the whole religious argument a lot of hoo-hah, IMO.
Don’t worry, we won’t come a-fornicatin’ in your churches.
Strawmen are falling all around your feet. Not only am I not making a religious argument, I’m not arguing at all. I’m not “worried” that homosexuals will be “married” in churches. There are plenty of churches claiming to teach the word of God that will “marry” homosexuals. But that’s their cross to bear, if you will, not mine. All I’m doing is pointing out more evidence that the world is fallen. “Marry,” mock God, do whatever you want. I’m not your judge and can’t condemn you to eternal punishment even if I wanted to. - Admin
We’ll see what Arnold does with the bill…
Why is it all of a sudden so important to our legislators to spend time debating this? Could it be because both sides are in cahoots and WANT to spend time on something that is way down on most peoples’ list of problems that need solving? Could it be that this is a diverionary tactic meant to distract the public’s attention from the fact that nothing is being done about the stuff that does matter to most people, like overcrowded, crappy schools, crumbling infrastructure, increased poverty, declining quality of life, sky high taxes, etc. etc.?
It seems to me that the liberal wing of Christianity is building a brand new Tower of Babel called “tolerance.” Humans in their arrogance think they can disregard the Bible, and re-invent God in their own image. Don’t expect the results to be pretty.
Way to speak up for truth, LaShawn. It needs to be said- as much as people don’t like to hear it. Let him who has ears to hear, hear!
I’m sure the people were still mocking Noah, even as the rain was falling.
Thanks, God. I’ll forward both your comments to the people in charge at the Depelchin Children’s Center, where I’m sure you’re doing miraculous work. - Admin
‘It’s raining.’
Buy this is sensitively timed.
Jesus preached one commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself.
No qualifications.
That includes gays and nonbelievers too. So those who hate gays are sinners.
I mean, “boy,” not “buy.”
So those who practice perversion are “minorities” entitled to special privileges, huh? Good grief. Look, lady, if I weren’t a Christian, I’d tell you exactly what I thought of people who equated homosexuality with race discrimination. But I am, so I won’t. - Admin
When we think of what Noah did in preparation for the flood, we can also think about what we should do in preparation for when Jesus comes back.
Also, it bugs me that people are disregarding what La Shawn said (and I’m sure there some comments that didn’t make it, either): “For the biblically illiterate who think I’m saying that God will judge the world with another flood, you’re incorrect. I’m using the flood as an extended metaphor. Read about the covenant God made with Noah in Genesis 9. In fact, stop reading this blog and read the Bible instead. “
Mahndisa - Genesis 2:24 reads, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” This was said immediately after Eve was created.
It is very clear from this reading that God’s plan is that the only sexual relationship that is right in His eyes is the one between a man and his wife. Since homosexuality does not occur in that setting, it is wrong in the eyes of God - a sin. That sin must be repented of - just like drunkenness, heterosexual sex outside of a marriage, pride or hatred.
La Shawn - Excellent post, particularly the reminder that judgement awaits. We often get comfortable, especially when still young. But you never know when your day will arrive.
Actually, Jesus taught more than one commandment. He did, however, say that there was a ‘greatest’ commandment - “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, Matt 22:37. And He also said “If you love me, keep my commandments”, John 14:15. He taught that God’s commandments were real and were expected to be obeyed. Further, He taught that blind obedience was not enough (that’s what the Pharisees did, as well as replacing God’s law with their own). We must obey out of a right heart; a heart that love’s God and our neighbor.
He also said that loving your neighbor was the second greatest commandment. A part of that love is teaching them God’s truth so that they can avoid God’s punishment. It is not love to let a sinner continue in sin without telling them of their condition. We do not judge - God’s word judges - but we are commanded to preach the truth. We preach against homosexuality not because we hate homosexuals, but because we love them.
Stop pontificating, and read the post before you comment. - Admin
Hey LaShawn, I’m back to blogging.
When I first read what State Sen. Leno was doing, I wrote to my State Senator. Figuring the religious argument would receive short shrift, I stated my objection to the State Legislature’s actions based on the fact that the ~majority~ of Californians had voted FOR the proposition that marriage is between a man and a woman.
My argument was dismissed under the veneer of “equal rights for everyone.” So the homosexual lobby has been extraordinarily successful in framing this as a civil rights issue. It’s not.
Meanwhile, MY civil rights–my rights to have my vote and that of the rest of my fellow citizens respected–have been violated. And Sen. Leno did it as an “end run.”
The bill now moves to the Assembly, where it lost by four votes when Leno introduced his original bill earlier this year.
I’m praying hard that there are enough men and women of character to vote against this charade and that Gov. Arnold has the courage to veto it if there isn’t.
I love how this is broken down in respect to the times.
It is interesting. I haven’t heard from the Naysayers much legitimate biblical critique.
So my question for those of you who disagree with Lashawn is on what premise do you disagree? Do you disagree with moral absolutism, do you disagree with biblical interpretation, do you disagree with the citizenry determining moral standards what?
I have seen alot of nonsense, but very little in the way of RATIONAL discussing of the issue LB put forward from a biblical or social perspective
We need people like La Shawn who are not afraid to stand up for truth in these perilous times.
The evils of fornication, adultery, homosexual activity, and all sorts of devices to break up the God-instituted institution of marriage and the family must falter upon the levy of truth.
Without that levy, the spiritually deadly flood waters would come cascading in upon us.
And I must say that it is shameful that the California legislature is refusing to acknowledge the voices of its own citizens.
La Shawn- you might consider turning off the comments. These naysayers are going to say nothing worth reading. You will end up getting unduly frustrated.
It sometimes feels like we are at the end of the christian era, but I hardly expect christians to go down without a fight.
My question about following biblical scriptures is this: Can the times we live in be considered “biblical times?” The LDS church has concluded that more contemporary events are also “biblical.” The tendancy in my church is to apply 2,000 year old scripture to modern times, and I just don’t think the parables are as enduring as the preacher wants be to believe.
Should we return to the day when it was against the law to engage in homosexual sex, or is it good enough to simply block gay marriage?
I’ll bet the water in New Orleans isn’t as foul as the riff raff drawn to this post. The stench is overwhelming. I thank all civil commenters, but the trolls, most of whom didn’t get through (I don’t think any got through - that’s what I love about WordPress.), are making me gag.
I may re-open comments later.
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