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Common Questions

IS THERE A PLACE FOR THE HOMOSEXUAL IN THE LOCAL CHURCH? AND SHOULD WE INVITE GAYS TO OUR CHURCH SERVICES? Jesus came not for the healthy, but for the sick. To close off the church to only those who are ”healed” is to miss the point of the Gospel. There should be a place for every sinner in the local church. However serial, unrepentant, sinful behavior is not good for the health of the church congregation, regardless of the form it takes. There are many lifestyle choices that may hinder someone’s ability to serve in the local church. A sexually active homosexual sins in the same way a sexually active single heterosexual sins. All peoples within church membership should be will to submit their lives to the Biblical commands regarding their behavior; loving confrontation for the purpose of restoration is appropriate when strays away.

WHAT CAN MY CHURCH DO TO ADDRESS HOMOSEXUALITY? Churches can become educated on homosexuality. You may be surprised to find out just how much you have offer the homosexual struggler even if you have never struggled with this particular issue yourself. Clean Heart Ministries has a speaking and teaching ministry addressing various issues related to homosexuality. There are many Christian resources on homosexuality that are an excellent means for church members to grow in their knowledge and for those struggling with homosexuality to find encouragement for change. Such resources are not commonly found in secular or Christian bookstores. Exodus Books http://exodusbooks.org/Books/ offers a number of solid, biblical materials related to homosexuality. These resources can be purchased for individual use, placed for sale in church bookstores, or added to church libraries.

IS 10% OF THE POPULATION REALLY GAY? The 10% figure is simply untrue. The figured comes from some "studies? based on the work of sexologist/entomologist Alfred Kinsey and his associates in the 1940's. However scholars like Dr. Judith Reisman and Edward Eichel have challenged Kinsey’s research methodology and found it to be hopelessly flawed. His control group consisted of an unspecified percentage of college student volunteers and prisoners, some of whom were convicted sex offensers. A series of recent studies from 1989 through 1993 all show similar figures for the real proportion of exclusively homosexual individuals in America which is between 1% to 3%.

ARE HOMOSEXUAL FEELINGS A CHOICE? No one chooses homosexual feelings. The act of engaging in homosexual sex is a choice, but having the feelings of sexual attraction to the same gender are not. We do, however, have a choice in how to deal with ungodly desires.

CAN A PERSON BE GAY AND STILL BE A CHRISTIAN? A Christian can struggle with homosexual temptations and even behavior and still be a believer. However, if someone pursues homosexual involvement and refuses to acknowledge it as sin, it's valid to humbly question whether their commitment to Christ is genuine. Some professing Christians tout a "pro-gay theology" which alleges that Scripture has been mistranslated and misinterpreted when it comes to the issue of homosexuality. Attempts are made to explain away the Biblical prohibitions, even at times sexualizing same-sex friendships between godly people such as Jonathan and David or Ruth and Naomi. Yet these arguments ring hollow as deceit and self-justification twist the plain and unified teaching of Scripture toward their own ends (see 2 Corinthians 4:2).

What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY? The Bible speaks in no uncertain terms in its proscription of homosexual conduct. It is forbidden in both the Old and New Testaments. Serial and unrepentant pursuit of homosexual acts constitute grounds for exclusion from the covenant community in the Old Testament and exclusion from the Kingdom of God in the New Testament. It is a sin whose fruit is death in the end.

Those who take seriously the authority of God’s Word should be aware that perhaps no subject poses a greater threat to the place of Scripture in our world today. If the world (and too often, the church) can be convinced that we can ignore what the Bible teaches about homosexuality, then every other teaching of Scripture that crosses ungodly human desire can be rationalized away.

Unfortunately, Christians have not taken the time to prepare to defend the truth we believe. We may be familiar with the relevant passages, but simply quoting those passages will do nothing for those who have taken the time to immerse themselves in pro-gay theology. Joe Dallas has written a wonderful resource, The Gay Gospel, that examines pro-gay theology. For a scholarly account, Robert Gagnon's The Bible and Homosexual Practice offers a most in depth examination.

The Bible is very clear that any and all sexual relationships outside of marriage are forbidden. It is equally clear that marriage is to be between a man and a woman. The church needs to regain its awe of God's gift of marriage and to hold it up as the wonderful living metaphor that points to Christ and the Church.

While the Bible is quite clear about the sin of homosexuality, it is also clear about the promise of power to overcome this sin as well as others (1 Corinthians 6:11). The message of the Bible is a message of hope based on the redemptive acts of God. He loves each of us just as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us as we are.

For a more thorough examination of the relevant passages see Genesis 19; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:22-29; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10; Jude 1:7.



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				Common Questions IS THERE A PLACE FOR THE HOMOSEXUAL IN THE LOCAL CHURCH? AND SHOULD WE INVITE GAYS TO OUR CHURCH SERVICES? Jesus came not for the healthy, but for the sick. To close off the church to only those who are ”healed” is to miss the point of the Gospel. There should be a place for every sinner in the local church. However serial, unrepentant, sinful behavior is not good for the health of the church congregation, regardless of the form it takes. There are many lifestyle choices that may hinder someone’s ability to serve in the local church. A sexually active homosexual sins in the same way a sexually active single heterosexual sins. All peoples within church membership should be will to submit their lives to the Biblical commands regarding their behavior; loving confrontation for the purpose of restoration is appropriate when strays away. WHAT CAN MY CHURCH DO TO ADDRESS HOMOSEXUALITY? Churches can become educated on homosexuality. You may be surprised to find out just how much you have offer the homosexual struggler even if you have never struggled with this particular issue yourself. Clean Heart Ministries has a speaking and teaching ministry addressing various issues related to homosexuality. There are many Christian resources on homosexuality that are an excellent means for church members to grow in their knowledge and for those struggling with homosexuality to find encouragement for change. Such resources are not commonly found in secular or Christian bookstores. Exodus Books http://exodusbooks.org/Books/ offers a number of solid, biblical materials related to homosexuality. These resources can be purchased for individual use, placed for sale in church bookstores, or added to church libraries. IS 10% OF THE POPULATION REALLY GAY? The 10% figure is simply untrue. The figured comes from some "studies? based on the work of sexologist/entomologist Alfred Kinsey and his associates in the 1940's. However scholars like Dr. Judith Reisman and Edward Eichel have challenged Kinsey’s research methodology and found it to be hopelessly flawed. His control group consisted of an unspecified percentage of college student volunteers and prisoners, some of whom were convicted sex offensers. A series of recent studies from 1989 through 1993 all show similar figures for the real proportion of exclusively homosexual individuals in America which is between 1% to 3%. ARE HOMOSEXUAL FEELINGS A CHOICE? No one chooses homosexual feelings. The act of engaging in homosexual sex is a choice, but having the feelings of sexual attraction to the same gender are not. We do, however, have a choice in how to deal with ungodly desires. CAN A PERSON BE GAY AND STILL BE A CHRISTIAN? A Christian can struggle with homosexual temptations and even behavior and still be a believer. However, if someone pursues homosexual involvement and refuses to acknowledge it as sin, it's valid to humbly question whether their commitment to Christ is genuine. Some professing Christians tout a "pro-gay theology" which alleges that Scripture has been mistranslated and misinterpreted when it comes to the issue of homosexuality. Attempts are made to explain away the Biblical prohibitions, even at times sexualizing same-sex friendships between godly people such as Jonathan and David or Ruth and Naomi. Yet these arguments ring hollow as deceit and self-justification twist the plain and unified teaching of Scripture toward their own ends (see 2 Corinthians 4:2). What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality? WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY? The Bible speaks in no uncertain terms in its proscription of homosexual conduct. It is forbidden in both the Old and New Testaments. Serial and unrepentant pursuit of homosexual acts constitute grounds for exclusion from the covenant community in the Old Testament and exclusion from the Kingdom of God in the New Testament. It is a sin whose fruit is death in the end. Those who take seriously the authority of God’s Word should be aware that perhaps no subject poses a greater threat to the place of Scripture in our world today. If the world (and too often, the church) can be convinced that we can ignore what the Bible teaches about homosexuality, then every other teaching of Scripture that crosses ungodly human desire can be rationalized away. Unfortunately, Christians have not taken the time to prepare to defend the truth we believe. We may be familiar with the relevant passages, but simply quoting those passages will do nothing for those who have taken the time to immerse themselves in pro-gay theology. Joe Dallas has written a wonderful resource, The Gay Gospel, that examines pro-gay theology. For a scholarly account, Robert Gagnon's The Bible and Homosexual Practice offers a most in depth examination. The Bible is very clear that any and all sexual relationships outside of marriage are forbidden. It is equally clear that marriage is to be between a man and a woman. The church needs to regain its awe of God's gift of marriage and to hold it up as the wonderful living metaphor that points to Christ and the Church. While the Bible is quite clear about the sin of homosexuality, it is also clear about the promise of power to overcome this sin as well as others (1 Corinthians 6:11). The message of the Bible is a message of hope based on the redemptive acts of God. He loves each of us just as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us as we are. For a more thorough examination of the relevant passages see Genesis 19; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:22-29; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10; Jude 1:7.