Methodist Bishops Waffle on Homosexuality
By J. Grant Swank Jr. (05/23/07)
All Christian leaders need to do in order to obey God is to defend the biblical morality. There is no need for commissions, committees and so forth when God has already spoken in His divine revelation.
The Bible is considered by devout believers as that document which cannot be added to or subtracted from, just as is stated in the Book of Revelation. Therefore, when the Bible states that homosexual practice is abhorrent to God, the matter is settled.
Homosexuals try to twist the biblical morality to suit their practices, which biblical believers expect from those who are determined to undermine the eternal Word.
However, when it comes to Christian church leaders of any denomination, the issue should be settled. There should be no waffling; otherwise, there is no other conclusion that biblical believers can reach concerning such persons but that they are cowardly at best and sinful at worst.
My own personal opinion is that those who claim to be Christian leaders and waffle on any moral issue clearly pronounced by God are so-called leaders who endorse evil. A close reading of both the Old and New Testaments comes upon a deity who does not tolerate any divergence from His stipulations. Those who diverge come under His wrath.
Now we have the United Methodist bishops still dealing with homosexual practice by presently tabling the issue. Table the issue? Why table the issue? Why not simply settle the issue once and for all by abiding by the divine revelation?
Per Devin Eckstrom of Religion News Service, the bishops "have tabled a proposal that would have loosened restrictions in the church's mostly conservative policies on homosexuality.
"The bishops, meeting outside Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, April 29-May 4, decided to keep the church's current policy -- adopted in 1972 -- intact. It calls homosexual activity ‘incompatible with Christian teaching.’"
That part is in keeping with the Bible. Homosexual activity is incompatible with biblical morality.
Then preach it. Teach it. Demand it of those who are ordained clergy. Demand it of those who become United Methodist members locally in congregations. Stay true to God and His revelation.
There is absolutely no reason to "table a proposal" that would do anything regarding the issue. Simply take the issue off "the table" and proclaim "Thus saith the Lord." That would then free up the United Methodists—both clergy and laity—to do what Christ commissioned His disciples to do: preach the gospel throughout the world.
The world is in desperate need of saving grace. It needs clergy who preach the Bible from their pulpits—doing so without compromise. It needs laity who stand alongside such clergy. It needs missionaries going forth into every country with the dynamic conversion tidings of personal salvation through Christ’s atoning death on Calvary.
Instead, time and energy are wasted on these sessions, then proposals postponed, then resurrected again for more talk, talk talk and more talk. All this is repulsive to God and to biblical believers who see the present-day church leadership so anemic that such enables evil.
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