No issue has divided the Protestant church in the western world more than the issue of homosexuality. It has generated, for example, a schism in the United Methodist Church resulting in the formation of a new denomination, the Global Methodist Church.
The Bible does not say much about homosexual practice (Ge 19:1-13; Lev 18:22, 20:13; Rom 1:26-27; 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10; Jude 7) but what it does say is devastatingly negative. In every portion of text where homosexual practice is mentioned, the Bible condemns it as sin. The Bible encourages sexual expression in the context of a faithful marriage between one man and one woman and it exalts celibacy for those who cannot or choose not to marry. For those who believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible and inerrant word of God, there is no urgency to read further.
But many professing Christians, in our time, view the Bible as little more than a collection of stories, an antiquated, anachronistic compilation of theological mythology. They believe the Bible, like an old container of milk, had an expiration date that has long passed. This means professing Christians can become humanists and believe anything they want. Those who disagree with these ‘Christian humanists’ are called haters, racists, religious extremists and bigots. There are, for such Christians, no fixed standards of behavior, no standards that cannot be eroded or replaced by what seems necessary, expedient or fashionable. They believe when Jesus walked the earth, He could have been anything from promiscuous queer to trans.
The focus of 'Christian humanists' who support homosexuality is, on occasion, to put “God in the Dock” and accuse Him of lacking compassion, kindness, benevolence, charity and agape love toward men and women who, by genetic serendipity, have homosexual inclinations. Others believe the love of God always dominates His attributes of being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth so that He will never forsake anyone because of their sexual orientation. Moreover, multitudes of LGBT believe Jesus has already interceded on their behalf. They believe He has allowed them to be filled with the Holy Spirit and He is never critical of their sexual inclinations. Several Protestant Denominations do not label homosexual practice as sin. They marry homosexual couples in church, readily accept homosexuals as church members and freely ordain practicing homosexuals into the pastoral ministry. But all these things transpire at what risk?
When a prideful, sinful person encounters a pronouncement of God which, by any reasonable Scriptural exegesis, is contrary to his own heart, intellect and will, this person is never predisposed to simply admit that his personal inclinations are sinful. That person will expend enormous effort explaining why God really meant just the opposite of what He said! An ordained, lesbian pastor once claimed, “Homosexuality is God’s gift to mankind.” This is risky business. If the practice of homosexuality is actually driven by Satan’s evil residing in the soul of man but you claim God is the source of that evil, then you have assigned Satan’s evil to God. Is this different, in essence, from the “unpardonable sin” of assigning God’s goodness to Satan (Mat 12:31,32; Mark 3:29, 30)? If not, then God may unceremoniously dismiss your charitable, magnanimous support for homosexuals and/or your practice of homosexuality and credit you with sin.
