SUBVERTING THE WORD OF GOD
By Marsha West
December 19, 2008
NewsWithViews.com
Recently we learned that President Bush, an evangelical Christian, doesn’t take the Bible literally. During an interview ABC’s Cynthia McFadden asked him if the Bible is literally true and he replied “probably not.” He said he does believe you can learn a lot from the Bible, “but I do think that the New Testament for example is ... has got ... You know, the important lesson is 'God sent a son.’” [1] Important lesson? No, Mr. President, the New Testament contains Good News…and “the important lesson” is not that “God sent a son” it’s the reason He sent His Son. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The president certainly knew that his words would be heard by millions of people, yet this professing Christian stopped short of explaining the Good News of the Gospel. President Bush’s answer was a huge let down for true Christians.
Another quote from the president:
"It is hard for me to justify or prove the mystery of the Almighty in my life," he said. "All I can just tell you is that I got back into religion and I quit drinking shortly thereafter and I asked for help. ... I was a one-step program guy."
Our president obviously lacks a clear understanding of Christianity. Sadly, he admitted that he’s not a literalist. Translated this means he doesn’t believe in the authority of Scripture. In other words, he takes the Bible cafeteria style. And he’s not alone! Today many professing Christians don’t hold to the authority of the Bible, and like Bush they pick and choose what they like and ignore what doesn’t make sense to them or seems offensive. One example of this is the doctrine of hell. Many Christians choose to reject the idea that a good and loving God would send those who deny Jesus Christ to eternal damnation. A literalist believes He will do just that. Literalists hold that all Scripture is the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God. The Apostle Paul called the scriptures “God-breathed.” Simply put: God spoke into the minds of the writers.
“Our authority is not our own,” Albert Mohler reminds us. “We are called to the task of preaching the Bible, in season and out of season. We are rightly to divide the Word of truth, and to teach the infinite riches of the Word of God. There are no certainties without the authority of the Scripture. We have nothing but commas and question marks to offer if we lose confidence in the inerrant and infallible Word of God. There are no thunderbolts where the Word of God is subverted, mistrusted, or ignored.” [2]
In an effort to promote same-sex “marriage,” “Newsweek” went after conservative Christianity in a big way when Lisa Miller attempted to make “the religious case for same-sex marriage.” [3] “Newsweek,” it seems, has taken the “progressive” view of homosexuality. "Biblical literalists will disagree,” said Miller, “but the Bible is a living document, powerful for more than 2,000 years because its truths speak to us even as we change through history."
She’s right. Biblical literalists disagreed -- vehemently. Tony Perkins of the conservative Family Research Council said in a recent Washington Update:
“Newsweek magazine effectively declared war on marriage this week, running a long essay on "The Religious Case for Gay Marriage" as their cover story. In the wake of the victory of California's marriage amendment (Proposition 8) on Election Day, homosexual marriage advocates realize that their opponents are not going to fade away or compromise their convictions. Not content any longer to make a "separation of church and state" argument for same-sex "marriage," they are instead mounting a direct attack on Christian opposition to homosexual conduct and to same-sex "marriage" on biblical grounds.”
The tone of the “Newsweek” essay was arrogant and condescending. Lisa Miller presumes to know what Christians think and feel. She went so far as to say that some followers of Jesus operate out of prejudice. She even tried to make the case that Christians oppose same-sex “marriage” because they’re uncomfortable with same gender sex which is simply not true. Christians oppose same-sex “marriage” because the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sexual perversion.
Perkins went on to say:
“The article included blatant factual errors, such as the claim that Jesus never "explicitly defines marriage as between one man and one woman" (see, e.g., Mark 10:6-8-"But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh."), and the claim that "nowhere in the Bible do its authors refer to sex between women" (see Romans 1:26). It also had logical contradictions, arguing for the Bible's support of "gay marriage" while simultaneously dismissing the Bible as supportive of slavery and anti-Semitism.” [4]
Romans 1:26 says, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature.”
“For
the record,” said Chuck Colson, “nowhere in the Bible is
homosexual activity praised or advocated. The only mentions of it condemn
the practice, some calling it an abomination. On the other hand, the
Bible has plenty to say about the marriage of one man to one woman.
Take a look at God’s commands in the garden, or Christ’s
words on leaving and cleaving and becoming one flesh, or look at Paul’s
instructions specifically for “husbands” and “wives”
in Ephesians 5.” [5]
A well-known evangelical “shifting” on same-sex “marriage”
is Richard Cizik. The chickens have come home to roost for Cizik. On
Dec. 12 he resigned as vice president for governmental affairs for the
National Association of Evangelicals, an organization that claims to
represent 45,000 churches. His resignation came after protests over
a Dec. 2 interview on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air"
show with Terry Gross. Cizik told Gross that he voted for pro-abortion
Barack Obama in the Virginia primary and “suggested that Christians
should not be afraid to vote for candidates who support abortion and
same-sex "marriage." He also admitted on that broadcast that
he was "shifting" on the issue of marriage and that he supports
homosexual civil unions.” [6]
Emergent Church leader Tony Jones recently came out in support of same-sex “marriage.” In my article, “Tony Jones’ Continuous Leftward Slide Into Apostasy” I took him to task for making the announcement that practicing homosexuals can be Christians. Among other things, I pointed out that his “opinion” does not line up with what Scripture teaches on homosexuality. Sadly, in his zeal to promote same-sex “marriage,” Tony neglected to mention that same gender sex has HUGE health risks! (More on this later.) Since Christians are to strive to be like Christ the obvious question is can a practicing homosexual who engages in risky deviant behavior be like Christ? I await Tony’s answer on this.
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Another theological liberal, Tony Campolo, claims he doesn’t support same-sex “marriage” yet in his book “Red Letter Christians” he says otherwise. So what gives? (To find out, read Joseph Farah’s article “Campolo on same-sex marriage.”) Does Tony Campolo really oppose same-sex “marriage”?:
"Allow me to suggest a way out of this conflict and the difficult questions being raised these days about whether our country should approve of homosexual marriages," he writes. "I propose that the government should get out of the business of marrying people and, instead, only give legal status to civil unions. The government should do this for both gay couples and straight couples, and leave marriage in the hands of the Church and other religious entities. That's the way it works in Holland: If a couple wants to be united in the eyes of the law, whether gay or straight, they go down to city hall and legally register, securing all the rights and privileges a couple has under Dutch law. Then, if the couple wants their relationship blessed – to be married – they go to a church, synagogue or other house of worship.
"Marriage should be viewed as an institution ordained by God and should be out of the control of the state. Of course, homosexual couples could go to churches that welcome and affirm gay marriage and get their unions blessed there, but isn't that the way it should be in a nation that guarantees people the right to promotion religion according to their personal convictions?"
Sorry, Tony, but this is not what the Bible teaches. What it does teach is, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." (Lev. 18:22)
Campolo’s wife, Peggy, who is an activist involved in homosexual causes, said, “We both believe that homosexual orientations are not chosen any more than heterosexual orientations are chosen.” There’s not a shred of scientific evidence to support her claim, still it’s what she and her husband choose to believe, in spite of what the Bible teaches. Peggy thinks, “homosexuals are entitled to the same rights and privileges I claim for myself, including being able to marry legally and in the sight of the church...”
Tony and Peggy go around the country debating homosexuality. Tony defends his view of what the Bible teaches, Peggy defends homosexuals. (Read one debate here…footnote [7])
Without getting too far afield, Peggy tells of her personal experiences with “gays” she’s known. What she wants is for the church to love and accept homosexuals just as they are. Tony wants that too. Peggy’s words tug on your heart strings! But this well-meaning woman never once warns the audience of the inherent risks in same gender sex! She has harsh words for the Christian community, yet she fails to mention the pain HIV-AIDS causes its victims and their families and friends, or the medical cost to society. No mention of drug resistant MRSA, the virulent staph that’s infecting the “gay” community, either. Also on the rise is gay bowel disease, but no warning from the Campolos.
Why would they want to withhold this kind of important information from the public? People deserve to know the truth! But progressives are mute.
Since we live in a free country liberals have the right to say whatever they want to about Christianity. Moreover, they’re free to demonize Christians and criticize them for having what they perceive as Stone Age moral values. Progressives have the freedom to make bogus claims in regards to what the Bible does and does not teach on a whole host of subjects, including homosexuality. And they have a perfect right to promote tolerance, diversity, and multiculturalism. But do they have the right to lie about and try to silence those who disagree with them? This is exactly what liberals, who claim to be loving and tolerant, are doing. After the passage of Proposition 8, the ballot measure that banned same-sex “marriage” in California, here’s how they reacted:
“[It] stirred the ire of gay activists like little else,” noted Chuck Colson. “Besides thuggish vandalism of church property, that anger is being translated into mockery of the faith community.”
“Nowhere do we see it more clearly than the viral video, “Proposition 8: The Musical,” created by “Hairspray” composer Marc Shaiman, which has now been seen by 2 million people online. In it the religious characters sing, “It's time to spread some hate/ And put it in the constitution.”
“The short video is full of distortions, and even lies. As radio commentator Dennis Prager of the Hoover Institution puts it, “Hatred based on ignorance is known as bigotry.” [8]
Progressives are out to knock Christianity off its orthodox foundation that’s based on absolute truth and are trying to rebuild it on a foundation of moral relativism, where truth is unknowable. You heard what Lisa Miller said about the Bible being a “living document.” Well the same has been said of the U.S. Constitution! In 2000 Al Gore said if elected he promised to appoint judges "who understand that our Constitution is a living and breathing document," and who understand that "it was intended by our founders to be interpreted in the light of the constantly evolving experience of the American people."
The question people of faith need to ask is did God intend for the Bible to be a living and breathing document that should be interpreted in the light of the constantly evolving experience of moral relativists?
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Another
question people of faith need to ask themselves is what would happen
in terms of group marriage, incestuous marriage, and polygamy if same-sex
“marriage” becomes legal? What else are we opening up the
doors to? And if you think this kind of thing will never happen, think
again. For years radical “gay” activists, public school
teachers, and the Hollywood elite have been indoctrinating kids to believe
that the homosexual, bisexual, and other sexually deviant behaviors
are the moral equivalent of biblical heterosexuality. What’s next
on their agenda!
Something people of faith need to ask themselves about same-sex “marriage”
is does it help create a healthy society? We preach to our kids about
good nutrition and exercise. We warn kids of the hazards of smoking
and alcohol and drug abuse. We even try to protect them from secondhand
smoke, yet we say little or nothing about secondhand sex, which is more
of a health risk than secondhand smoke!
Parents who love their kids limit their time on electronics, protect them from sexual predators, try to keep them from viewing unseemly TV programs and movies, and buckle them into car seats. Many teachers scare students with all the hype about so-called dangers of global warming and then get them fretting over polar bear extinction. What kids should be fretting over is the risks inherent in anal sex because more and more of them are engaging in this perversion!
Anal
sex isn’t the only area parents and teachers fall short. Young
girls are not being told that lesbians have higher rates of alcohol
and drug use, especially among young lesbians, plus poor nutrition and
obesity. Thus there’s an increased risk of breast, ovarian, endometrial,
and other cancers. Girls need to be informed of health risks! Telling
the truth is loving, not hateful!
Sadly, I have yet to hear words of warning from the lips of neo-evangelicals
who proudly promote same-sex “marriage.” They pat themselves
on the back for not sitting in judgment of anyone and spout the Left’s
mantra that the Church must become tolerant and inclusive. While these
phonies are preaching acceptance of every perversion imaginable, Christ’s
lambs are being led over a cliff by these moral degenerate wolves!
The truth is, neo-evangelicals are feeding the wolves and starving the sheep! Sound harsh? Jesus was even harsher. He called the religious leaders “hypocrites.” He also called them a “generation of vipers.” He told them that God had been right about them when he said, “This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Jesus loved people but he condemned the religious leaders as the blind leading the blind, calling them “whitewashed tombs containing dead men’s bones.”
Paul wrote in Phil. 3:16-17 “Let us walk by the same rule let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.” The New Testament was not in circulation so Paul used himself and the other apostles as examples to follow. They were servants of God. They were not worried about their reputations -- and they certainly didn’t care if they were politically correct! Their purpose was to spread the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and to challenge anyone who taught a false gospel.
Christianity is under assault! God’s people must forget about their reputations and start defending the faith! Should followers of Christ do less than Paul, who warned the Church to, “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!” (Phil. 3:2). Paul was talking about false teachers!
It’s astonishing how masses of professing Christians will sit idly by and allow a small number of liberals to change the face of Christianity. In this article I provided a few examples of this -- but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Lisa Miller’s hack job article for “Newsweek” is the most recent attempt, but rest assured plenty more like it will soon follow. By running the article “Newsweek” has put forth its agenda to normalize same-sex “marriage.” But in order to accomplish this, Christianity must be redefined so that it blends into a culture where happiness and pleasure, not truth, are of primary importance.
“Newsweek” is a secular magazine. But until recently Richard Cizik was a representative of the largest evangelical organization of in the country! Where does he get off speaking for evangelicals, when his views on same-sex “marriage” and abortion don’t represent the organization’s view? And what gives emergent church guru Tony Jones the right to declare that homosexuality is compatible with Christianity when the Bible says it’s not? Who are Tony and Peggy Campolo to bash historic orthodox Christianity because they feel the need to placate sinful behavior?
As for President Bush, not long ago he shocked conservative Christians when he said he believes Muslims and Christians worship the same God. Clearly, he doesn’t grasp one of the essentials of the Christian faith: The Trinity. True Christians hold that God exists as a unity of three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person is divine and there is only one God. Muslims reject the Trinity. They hold that Jesus Christ is not God, he was a prophet. Since the Christian God is Trinitarian, anyone who believes that Christians and Muslims pray to the same God is dead wrong.
Serious Christians are to:
“have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11).
Moreover:
“ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3-4).
And remember:
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“there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed” (2 Peter 2:1-2).
