PURITAN NEWS WEEKLY
www.puritans.net/news/
10/29/07
HOMOSEXUALITY
By Parnell McCarter
In
important respects some Protestant denominations like the Christian Reformed
Church (CRC), as well as the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), have adopted
erroneous positions concerning homosexuality, even though they correctly do not
condone “homosexual marriage.” The CRC
position is found at http://www.crcna.org/pages/positions_homosexuality.cfm
, and the RCC position is found at http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0799.asp
. The latter webpage summarizes the RCC
position in a heading thus: “Accept the orientation, not the actions”.
Rev. Brian Schwertley of the WPCUS
succinctly refutes the inherent fallacy in the RCC and CRC positions at http://reformedonline.com/view/reformedonline/homosex.htm
as excerpted below :
"Some argue that homosexual acts are indeed immoral, but homosexual
feelings and desires for some are inborn and therefore unavoidable and not
sinful. The Bible does teach that it is not a sin to be tempted (Christ was
tempted, yet He never committed sin, Heb. 2:18).
What is sinful is when a person dwells upon that which tempts him, fantasizes
and makes plans to engage in that sinful behavior. The Bible clearly teaches
that it is not only a sin to commit evil acts, it is
also a sin to have immoral desires, lusts and thoughts. Jesus Christ forbade
heterosexual lust in Matthew 5:27-29. Jesus said that when a man looks upon a
woman to lust after her, he has committed adultery with her in his heart (Mt. 5:28). The idea of condemning only the outward
act but not the inward lust was a doctrine of the Pharisees; Christ strongly
condemned such false teaching (Mt. 5:21-22,
15:19-20). The Apostle Paul in
forbade ungodly fantasies, lusts, and evil desires (Col. 3:5). Paul said that
Christians must sanctify (i.e., make holy) their very thoughts (Phil. 4:8).
James said that if desires are not controlled, sin will follow (Jas. 4:1).
Inward, homosexual lust is condemned in Romans 1:24, 26, 27.
The prophet Isaiah said that repentance must extend to one’s “thoughts” as well
as to one’s “way” (Isa. 55:7). Since the Bible
condemns sinful lusts and sinful acts there can be no such thing as a Christian
homosexual—or a Christian murderer or a Christian thief. If a homosexual
becomes a Christian, he must put away both homosexual acts and thoughts;
therefore, when he becomes a Christian, he ceases to be a homosexual. He may
still be tempted at times but he refuses to dwell on, fantasize about, and
commit such abominable deeds. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true,
whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any
virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy; meditate on these things” (Phil.
4:8). “We should not lust after evil things as they also lusted” (1 Cor. 10:6)."
I recently heard someone raise the following question: if it is all right for a Christian to identify
themselves as bipolar, why is it not also all right
for a Christian to identify himself as homosexual? Is modern science not suggesting that the
latter as well as the former are morally neutral psychological/biological
conditions, and why ought we to think the former is all right but the latter is
not?
In order to address this question, let’s first define the
terms “bipolar” and “homosexual”, as modern science generally defines
them. Bipolar refers to “a psychiatric
condition defined as recurrent episodes of significant disturbance in mood. These
disturbances can occur on a spectrum
that ranges from debilitating depression to unbridled mania.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder) “Manic patients are frequently grandiose,
irritable, belligerent, and frequently deny anything is wrong with them.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mania
. “Homosexual” refers
to “an enduring sexual and romantic attraction towards those of the same sex,
but not necessarily to sexual behavior” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality).
Prevailing modern science claims to be unsure of cause
of these two conditions. With respect to
bipolarism, “studies suggest that genetics, early environment, neurobiology, and psychological and social
processes are important contributory factors. Psychiatric research is focused
on the role of neurobiology, but a clear organic cause has not been found.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder
)With respect to homosexual orientation, “the American Academy of Pediatrics has stated,
"Sexual orientation probably is not determined by any one factor but by a
combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences."[71] The American Psychological Association has
stated that "there are probably many reasons for a person's sexual
orientation and the reasons may be different for different people".
However, it states that for most people, sexual orientation is determined at an
early age.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality#Theories_on_homosexuality
)
We should not naively or blindly accept all of the
conclusions of modern science, however.
It ought to be kept in mind that prevailing modern science as practiced
by the West’s major universities (in contrast to science as scripture would
have it be practiced) is presuppositionally
un-Biblical. This does not mean all
conclusions of prevailing modern science are untrue (indeed, many of its
conclusions are true, because their scientific work does not always rely upon
their false presuppositions), nor does it mean all modern scientists are
un-Biblical and non-Christians. But
modern science is by and large managed and practiced by humanists whose
humanist fallacies get in the way of their science, especially in the fields of
psychology and sociology. These humanist
fallacies include a denial of the Creation and the Fall,
a materialistic reductionism, and a denial of a young earth. The modern science of these humanists is
wedded to Darwinian evolution and averse to the Biblical account of origins and
history. Consequently, terms such as “sin”
and “moral corruption” are almost totally absent from modern scientific literature.
And there is the tendency only to allow such morally neutral terms as
“conditions”, “behavior”, “illness”, “orientation” or “disorder”. For example, whereas scripture would
characterize alcoholism as a moral corruption, modern science would tend to
characterize it as an illness. And
whereas scripture would describe certain behavior as disrespectful inattention
and lack of discipline, modern science would call it attention deficit
disorder. Someone need not feel shame or
ask forgiveness for an illness or a disorder, but one should feel shame and ask
forgiveness of God for a sinful disposition as well as sinful thoughts and
actions. So the language of
modern science has far-ranging implications upon how various conditions and
dispositions are perceived.
I would contend that bipolar and homosexual tendencies
are corruptions resulting from the Fall. If the Fall had not
occurred, no one would be plagued with conditions such as unbridled mania,
homosexual attraction, and debilitating depression. They are moral corruptions, and not merely
illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis or the common cold. While illnesses and physical death are also a
result of the Fall, they are not sins or sinful
corruptions. There was no moral
culpability associated with the fact that Jesus Christ suffered illness and
died from His crucifixion experience. It
is wrong to have lust for someone of one’s own sex, and it is wrong to be
belligerent, but physical disease and death are not sinful nor are they
necessarily the consequence of personal sin.
Someone may object that such conditions as homosexual tendency
or bipolar tendency (or attention deficit disorder or heterosexual adulterous
tendency or …) were not originally chosen by those who have them. That may be the case, but neither did Adam’s
posterity make the personal choice that Adam sinned, yet all of Adam’s natural
posterity are guilty of Adam’s sin, since we are all
in Adam. Mankind is guilty of Adam’s
original sin, and mankind is responsible for the sinful corruptions and
tendencies that have been passed down from Adam to his natural posterity. And we should feel shame that our first
father sinned and that he has passed down to us, his posterity, our sinful
nature.
Someone else may object such conditions have a very definite
physical connection, so should not be considered moral corruptions. But physical connection does not loose
behavior from moral aspect. Belligerence
does not become a morally neutral behavior just because someone is bothered by
an upset stomach or pre-menstrual syndrome, nor is it morally neutral behavior
in someone classified as bipolar.
All humanity without exception (other than Jesus
Christ) is afflicted with moral corruptions from the Fall. There is variation in corruption, some beset
by this corruption while others are beset by that corruption. But all are beset by some corruption, and all
are afflicted with certain sinful tendencies.
What is especially grievous given
our situation is for man to turn away from the true God and the divine remedy
for sin and corruption. Those who
willfully reject true religion in favor of false religion God often
judgmentally gives over to even more dangerous forms of corruption. Romans 1 describes such people who God has
judgmentally given up to their sinful fallen corruptions, such that their
corruptions are not considered wrong and struggled against, but become reigning
sins in thought and often in deed.
It is the moral duty of man to look to Jesus Christ as Savior
and Lord- man’s deliverer from the guilt, penalty and
power of sin. And it is the moral duty of man to fight against his
sinful corruptions, by the power of Christ’s Holy Spirit, with all available
legitimate resources. Some resources are
spiritual- like prayer, church attendance and Bible study- and some resources
are physical- like proper nutrition, sufficient bodily exercise, sufficient
sleep, and even medications (where appropriate). Those who would knowingly refuse to avail of
legitimate resources are sinning in such refusal.
Let’s then come back to this question of whether it is
proper for a Christian to identify himself as homosexual or bipolar. Romans 7:15-17 reads: “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I
hate, that do I. If
then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that [it is] good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin
that dwelleth in me.”
This text implies that Christians should not identify themselves in
their central being with the corruptions that they struggle against in
themselves. It is not proper for a
Christian to go around saying “I am homosexual” or “I am bipolar” or “I am an
alcoholic” or “I am a fornicator”, simply because they are struggling with
certain corrupt tendencies or inclinations.
There may be appropriate occasions when someone reveals some of the
corrupt tendencies struggled with, but no Christian in a sound enough condition
to participate in the Lord’s Supper should identify himself in his central
being with such corruption, much less promoting such tendency or inclination as
nothing necessary to be suppressed and fought.
Homosexuality is not simply a biological orientation, but it
is a moral corruption that must be recognized as such and fought against. To do otherwise is a tell-tale sign of divine
judgment.