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.
The response of professing Christians 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 do these attitudes make sense?
When a prideful person encounters a pronouncement of God which, by any reasonable Scriptural exegesis, is contrary to his own heart, intellect and will, he 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.
