A friend directed me to a blog article a couple days ago, a blog which purports to be by a Christian, Jessica Kantrowitz, all the while preaching that God has no problem with homosexuality. A person who preaches that cannot be a Christian, because they would be calling God a liar! Yet this blogger has been to seminary and was supposedly in “full-time ministry” for a period of time. After reading this particular post, I have to wonder how many people she led astray in her “ministry.”
In this particular post, the author has decided that Christians who do not want to support the sin of homosexuality are all in error, that Christians should show how “loving” they are by fostering homosexual sin. Now, Eternity Matters has a fairly short rebuttal to the article, but I feel it needs to be examined a wee bit more in depth, especially since the comment string has many people (including those claiming to be pastors) saying what a great article it is, and how much it shows the love of Jesus, etc. And don’t forget that, according to some of the commenters, homosexuality is something one is born with! (Of course there is no evidence for such a claim, but all of us are born with desires to sin - we are supposed to overcome such desires!)
Okay, so let’s start examining some of the statements by the author.
First, she cites Matthew 5:41 where Jesus says that if one is forced to go a mile, then we are to go two miles. She continues with other Biblical examples of turning the other cheek, give to the one who wants to borrow, etc. The point Jesus is making is that we are to help even our enemies by providing them with personal needs. Notice Jesus NEVER suggests we help enemies or friends in sexual behavior. In fact, he told the woman caught in adultery to “go and sin no more” — he did NOT help her back to her adulterous relationship.
Then the author says this:
If you believe gay marriage is immoral (I don’t, myself) and a gay couple comes into your shop and asks you to bake a cake for their wedding, what should you do? If God causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall on the wedding days of straight and gay couples, then what is our responsibility? If it is against the law to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation, but you believe strongly that their lifestyle is immoral, what should you do?
Christians, our Jesus said, “Go with them two.”
She says she doesn’t believe “gay marriage” is immoral, all the while claiming to be a Christian. She totally disregards the FACT that God calls homosexual behavior an abomination, and the FACT that God established marriage between a man and a woman. As far as the author is concerned, God is wrong because SHE doesn’t consider same-sex fake marriage to be immoral.
She then conflates the fact of God’s grace with sun and rain for everyone in the world with the idea that Christ would want us to assist someone in their sin. She decides that Christ would have us bake TWO cakes for a same-sex fake wedding. This is what we call a “cult cocktail - Scripture with a twist.” Nothing anything Jesus ever said even hinted at assisting someone in their sin.
Of course the author’s stance is founded on HER idea that people just BELIEVE that homosexual behavior is immoral, while she believes that homosexual behavior is objectively as moral as heterosexual behavior. What is her standard for deciding this? Her own opinion. So it is just YOUR opinion when you say homosexual behavior is immoral, even though we point to God’s standard. But we are just in error according to her.
Lastly, for this paragraph, notice how she points out that the law makes it illegal to discriminate against people because of their “sexual orientation.” This is a straw man, because NO ONE is discriminating against someone’s sexual desires when they refuse to bake a wedding cake for them, rather they are discriminating against a particular activity - a FAKE wedding!
If you are wondering if it is worth being sued and losing your business to stand up for what you believe is right, if you miss the look of hurt in the couple’s eyes when you refuse them and only see an angry, media-driven, ACLU-led mob attacking the small business owner who is only standing up for what you believe in, what should you do?
Christians, our Jesus said, “Go with them two.”
Is it worth being sued, etc, to stand up for one’s faith in Christ? What did Peter say in Acts 5:29? “We must obey God rather than man.” What did Jesus say in Matthew 10:28? “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Does it matter that the same-sex couple seeking the cake is “hurt” or that an angry mob is attacking you? Absolutely not! Would Jesus tell you to bake two cakes to sanction their sin? Absolutely not!
Jesus said, not only should you follow the law of the land — the law which in America for the most part prohibits discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation — not only should you do the minimum you have to do, you should go the extra mile. (Yes, that’s where that expression comes from!) Do *twice* what the law requires.
So if the law requires you to turn in your Jewish neighbor to the Nazis, then Jesus would have you turn in two Jewish neighbors? This is one of the worst abuses of Scripture I have ever encountered! Again, she discusses a law making discrimination against desires illegal, but no one is doing this — they are discriminating against ACTIVITIES!!
So would the author tell the black Christian baker to make cakes for KKK rallies? Would she tell a “gay” baker to make cakes which say, “Same-sex marriage is fake?” (Of course that law she loves so much, which in Colorado punished a Christian baker for refusing to bake for a fake wedding, refused to punish a “gay” baker for denying a Christian a requested cake! This proves the law is against Christians disagreeing with homosexuality and not against discrimination by “gays.”)
If someone forces you to bake a cake for a gay wedding, bake for them two.
Acts 5:29 says otherwise!
Christians, our Jesus said to not only follow the law, but to rise to a higher standard of love. Christians should be the FIRST people baking cakes — for everyone who asks us. We should be known for our cake baking. People should be saying, “There go those crazy Christians again, baking cakes for everyone. They just won’t quit!” Then, when we share the reason for our wild, all-inclusive love, people will want to hear it. “Let your light shine before others,” said Jesus, “that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Again, I point to Acts 5:29, and the FACT that God (including Christ) has stated plainly that homosexual behavior is an abominable sin. If a Christian really wants to show love to those who practice homosexuality, they won’t participate in their sin, will not sanction their sin, will not help them in their sin — they will tell them the truth about homosexual behavior being abominable to God, let alone being an extremely dangerous practice medically and psychologically! THAT is how we make our light shine - by speaking the TRUTH!
Christians, when we dig our heels in and insist on our right to discriminate, we are hurting people — we are hurting so many people, so deeply. Behind the ACLU and the liberal media are real people, who have been hurt again and again in the name of Christ. Christians, you and I have hurt them. I know most of us have really good intentions, but we are making Jesus the last thing they want to hear about.
The author makes out that discrimination is always wrong, and yet everyone discriminates in everything on a daily basis. To discriminate means to determine right from wrong, worst from best, etc. SHE is discriminating against true Christianity! These people who she claims are “hurt…in the name of Christ” are indeed not hurt by that Name, but they can be HELPED by that Name if they repent and place their faith in His work! The reason “Jesus is the last thing they want to hear about” is because the truth points to their sin, and they don’t want to give up the sin. So they blame the Christian for “offending” them.
If we “snatch one person from the fire” by refusing to condone behavior we believe is immoral, but send hundreds and thousands of others fleeing churches and Christianity entirely, what have we really accomplished? Someone else will make that cake and fewer and fewer people will look to Christianity for love and hope. We will have won a battle that we were never called to fight in the first place, but lost the war.
Notice how she keeps talking about “behavior we believe is immoral,” rather than the objective truth of what God says is immoral. The foundation of the article is based on the lie that homosexual behavior is not immoral. If people flee “churches and Christianity entirely” because of the Christian teaching against homosexuality, then these people aren’t interested in what God has to say, rather they want to continue in their sinful lifestyles with no condemnation of it. The battle we have been called to fight is the battle for the truth, and one will never lose that battle because Christ Himself is truth.
There are hundreds of comments posted on this string; I only spent time looking at a few dozen but found nothing but deception and brainwashing among people who claim to follow Christ and yet think it is loving to support homosexual behavior. These people are listening to the lies of the devil and his minion wolves in the pulpits across this nation, as well as around the world.
The Bible is very plain: homosexual behavior is a serious sin. It does not lose its sinful status just because the people practicing it “love” each other. God does not recognize as “marriage” anything other than that which is between members of the opposite sex. Any Christian who thinks otherwise is ignoring the teachings of God and/or just plain calling God a liar. A person cannot be a true Christian while worshipping a God or Christ of their own imagination — a God or Christ who condones homosexual behavior. Such a god is an idol. Such a christ is an idol, and unable to save anyone from their sins.
What would Christ REALLY have us do if we are asked to bake a cake for a same-sex fake wedding? He would have us refuse to do so as we explain that we cannot assist people to celebrate their sin without rebelling against God, and that we cannot and will not rebel against God.
The author of the article is a false teacher in abject rebellion against God. Do not listen to her.
4/8/15 UPDATE: Read this excellent article about the situation by Douglas Wilson.
8 comments:
On the other side of the heterosexual coin, I recently had a Covenant church woman share with me and I quote, "In this day and age, it is alright if people live together before marriage to see if they are compatible." Her point of reference were her own children living together before marriage and there was no shame in this. However, in the same church system, if you become pregnant before marriage and walk down the aisle "with child," or have a child out of wedlock, then choose to marry, that woman is considered a whore. But the children who live together are fine a dandy just as long as there isn't a pregnancy involved.
It amazes me yet, how our churches are continually evolving truths regarding both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. It seems as though those young people that approach their wedding day with pure hearts, minds, and bodies are looked down upon in the very faith that our LORD has commanded us to follow.
Can anyone say "upside down cake?"
Guess there are a few of us weird, religious, old fashioned folks out there, still.
The church stopped defending marriage when fast-and-loose, no-fault divorces became fashionable in the church. We did so when adultery, premarital sex, and cohabitation were no longer condemned from the pulpit. We let go of the family unit when dads walked out on their families and left fifteen million US children fatherless. That was when the church dropped the ball on marriage.
Chelsen Vicari, “Distortion: How the New Christian Left is Twisting the Gospel & Damaging the Faith, p.65
Mr. Chatfield i really like your posts , they are based on the word of God thank you!
Hi Claudia,
Thank you for the encouragement. I do indeed try to keep the Word as the focus, and pray for wisdom in examining the various false teachings I encounter. IF you ever think I've misunderstood the Scripture, please feel free to question. :)
Forgot to mention that my sister in law , who claims to be a Christian too , put up this lady article on her Facebook. I knew through my Holy Spirit that the post was wrong , I don't hate homosexuals but we don't support the sin. Anyways it became a big ugly debate between her , her friends and I (the only one who didn't support the article) . Days later I found your post Mr. Chatfield And posted it on my Facebook, but she still supports gay marriage .
Claudia, all I can say is that some people just can't handle the truth. And that is a very sad situation.
While I thoroughly respect everyone's opinion on this, I wonder, though, if Christian businesses are being disingenuous when they single out this one sin? Sin is sin, according to the Bible. Why, then, don't Christian businesses pass out a list of ALL possible sins to prospective customers, have them check off any/all committed sins, then decide to not perform their service? Will they bake a cake for an adulterer? A drunkard? A pedophile? A convicted felon? A liar? Someone who covets? Someone who doesn't keep the Sabbath holy? Someone who takes the Lord's name in vain? Someone who has been married three or four times? Someone who pilfers items from their office? You get my point. How do these businesses know who has committed what sin if they don't ask about ALL sins? Why just this one? Clearly, we have all sinned and shouldn't be served by these Christian businesses...
You miss the point and actually misrepresent this post and the beliefs of the Christians I’m supporting.
First, we respond to homosexuality rather than all other sins because homosexuality is the ONLY sin which is demanding that we give it our personal sanction.
Second, a same-sex wedding isn’t a sin, the people participating are the sinners promoting something totally against God. No one is condemning the people here, rather we are NOT to participate in someone else’s sin. Serving a same-sex fake wedding is assisting someone in their sin.
Those who commit adultery aren’t asking bakers or photographers to assist them in their sin. Drunks aren’t asking people to provide alcohol to them, pedophiles aren’t demanding photographers film their exploits, etc (oh, and the Sabbath is only for Jews by the way).
Try reading my article to understand it rather than reading the headline and raising straw man arguments. Your whole comment sounds like it came from someone supporting same-sex unions.
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