Church And
Homosexuality
Insights J
JOHN ADAMS
This month's series of arti
cles will focus on the church's
response to the homosexual
plight In our nation, especial
ly In our churches.
It Is a known fact that the
majority of Americans do not
want laws passed that con
done homosexuality. The
Armed Services have indicat
ed this as well as the United
States Congress. The majori
ty of parents do not want
their children taught by
someone who Is a practicing
homosexual or lesbian. Nei
ther do the majority of public
schools want homosexuality
taught as an alternative life
style.
The best medical findings
show that no one is bom a
homosexual, but that one be
comes a homosexual by
choice. It is rarely an over
dose of hormones. Once an
individual decides to become
a homosexual, we are dealing
with sin. Doctors and Psychi
atrists of The American Psy
chiatric Association (APA)
held for more than 23 years
that homosexuality is a men
tal disorder. Up to 1973, this
decision was accepted. Today
we are told that the APA re
versed the decision by saying
this is no longer true. The
question to ask good doctors
is; Why have you been treat
ing homosexuality as an ill
ness, if you can suddenly re
verse the decision with a
vote?
Homosexuality is not only a
sin but a disease. Gibbon in
his work, "The Fall of the Ro
man Empire, held homosexu
ality was one of the corrosive
forces that brought the de
cline of the Empire." The
church needs to become edu
cated to the force behind the
homosexual holocaust. Ho
mosexuality has never esta
blished a society. Homosexu
ality has been one of the
corrosive forces to destroy at
least three societies; Greece,
Rome and Macedonia was
riddled with this.
Homosexuality exists large
ly today because of the
Church's lukewarm response.
Instead of the Church evan
gelizing the so-called gay
community, some spokesmen
for the Church are Joining in
with the gays, when the
church should be the con
scious of the gay society. The
Church instead is the captive.
Had there not been a perver
sion In the pulpit, there never
would have been a perversion
in the street. Many churches
are responsible for the effem
inate men who invade the or
gan and the the choir. Many
churches are guUty in allow
ing gay preachers to be or
dained as leaders of congrega
tions. Bishops, presiding
Elders, and even deacons and
deaconesses have been guilty
of perpetrating the problem
of homosexuality in the
church. Until real repentance
begins in the pulpit, it is un
likely we will see a real
change in the streets.
The Rev. Troy Perry, found
er of the Universal Fellow
ship of Metropolitan Com
munity Churches, (MCC) the
largest pro-gay church in ex
istence, Is said to have stated
that if the church had really
done their missionary work,
MCC would not have existed.
Though Perry means that the
church should have both
evangelized and accepted
their homosexuality, there is
some truth in his statement.
Homosexuals need Jesus
Christ the same as anyone
else. Regardless of what sexu-
See CHURCH Page 12A
tifte Charlotte ^ost
RELIGION
lOAi
THURSDAY.
July 1.1993.
Fimdamentalists
Teach That Blacks
Should Suffer, Says
Unitarian Minister
Neo-Racism Is Encouraged
By Cassandra Wynn
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Dr. William R. Jones is a
long way from his Baptist
roots. His grandfather was a
Baptist preacher. At a young
age, he went around preach
ing biblical prophecy and
BiUy Graham was his hero.
Now, a Unitarian minister,
Jones preaches against fun
damental interpretations of
the Bible he says have fos
tered racism.
"There's a difference be
tween white-anity and
Christianity," Jones said.
"The fundamentalists went
through the Bible and picked
and chose the scripture that
would help to maintain op
pression." He called
"contradictory, hypocritical
and self serving," people who
interpret the Bible literally.
Oppression has been
pitched to blacks as some
thing good, he argues. "The
harder the cross, the brighter
the crown," Jones said many
African Americans have
been taught. "Many African
Americans feel, 'The more I
suffer, the better off I will be
on the other side.' We never
m *
’-/5
Dr. William R. Jones has done extensive research on the new racism.
PHOrO/CALVIN FERGUSON
W'
Jones, a Unitarian minister and professor at Florida State
have regarded oppression as
suffering."
Jones was in Charlotte last
week as a delegate and lecturer
at the Unitarian Unlversalist
Assembly. The assembly is
currently in its second year of
a 10-year plan to make racial
and cultural diversity a top
priority of the denomination.
Us principles include affirm
ing a free and responsible
search for thorough and
meaning and a goal of peace
and justice for all.
Jones moved from religious
fundamentalism to the liberal
creedless Unitarian denomi
nation more than 30 years
ago. He received a degree in
philosophy from Howard Uni
versity in 1955. He has a mas
ter's of divinity from Harvard
and a Ph.D. in religious stud
ies from Brown University.
He taught at the Yale Divini
ty School from 1969-1977 and
li was there that he espoused
the concept of black theology
and liberation theology. He is
author of "Is God A White Ra
cist?"
Now at Florida State Uni
versity as a professor in the
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
'The Preeminent Christ'*
Lesson Background
Last month we studied the
letter to the Phillppians,
which Paul wrote from his
Roman imprisonment. Now
we turn to Colosslans, an
other letter written during
that same Imprisonment.
Probably Paul had never vis
ited the Colosslans, but the
gospel had been carried
through all that region while
he was teaching in Ephesus.
Epaphras may have been the
one who took the gospel from
Ephesus to Colossae, and he
brought news from Colossae
to Paul in Rome. Apparently
he reported that some false
teachings were making head
way there. Paul wrote this
letter to correct the errors
and to encourage the Chris
tians to apply their Chris
tian beliefs to behavior.
Probably we have grossly
underestimated the power of
the prayers of others for our
Christian effectiveness. Paul
was praying always for the
Christians in Colossae.
Since we Christians are
linked to one another In
Christ, shouldn't we be pray
ing for one another more?
Have we attributed our ef
fectiveness to things we can
see-the budget, the building,
the staff-more than to what
we can't see—prayers that un-
derglrd us? We may someday
discover that our Christian
lives float on the prayers of
others. Jesus evidently
knows that, for He is con
stantly praying for us.
Shouldn't we join Him?
Why not prepare a small
notebook with pages num
bered 1 through 31 and begin
to pray for a certain person
or situation each day of the
month? The list may include
family members, leaders in
the church, other church
members, friends, people
with whom you work, mis
sionaries, governmental
leaders, and more. Keep it
current by adding people
mentioned In the Sunday
school class or the pulpit.
Make the prayers specific
and practical. Then note
God's answers.
Our lives are based upon
looking up (in Christ Jesus),
looking around us (to all the
saints), and looking ahead of
us (in Heaven). What is it that
is laid up for us in Heaven? It
is what we hope for - our
eternal salvation, our eter
nal home, the transforma
tion of our mortality to im
mortality, our weakness to
strength, and our human
ness to Christllkeness.
What makes us effective Is
not only what has happened
in the past, but what we are
hoping for in the future.
Hope of the future is a major
motivation for what we do
right now. People who hope
to get a college degree will go
though many difficulties to
realize that hope. Our forefa
thers hoped to start a new
country, and they went
through the hardships of pi
oneering. Future hope is a
powerful motivation for
present happenings.
God's power strengthens us
when His Spirit lives in us.
He does not necessarily
equip us to do sensational or
miraculous things, though
He can do such things If He
chooses. But He constantly
empowers us to live through
the daily nitty-gritty of life.
The word for patience liter
ally means "remaining un
der." It refers to standing
department of religion and
director of Afro-American
studies, Jones has done ex
tensive research on plural
ism and cultural diversity.
He said that America has
entered an era of "neo
racism," where "blaming the
victim" is prevalent.
The new racism is like a
mutant virus, he said. "The
old form of racism has been
refurbished and it has a new
mask to disguise Itself. The
vaccine was customized for
the old virus. We look for the
old virus and don't see it."
Issues such as affirmative
action, welfare and the
breakdown of the black fam
ily have become means to at
tack African Americans, he
said. Those Issues have been
labeled as problems and
trouble for society, he said,
and white America is not
taking any responsibility for
them.
"The blame and responsi
bility for problems have
been shifted to the black
community," Jones said.
"The policy is blaming the
victim. We buy into the la
bels when we choose a certain
angle of Interpretation."
While equal opportunity has
been easy to digest for many
Americans, Jones said affir
mative action has not. Re
verse discrimination is a
myth, he contends. 'You have
to correct the deficits or you're
not talking about equal op
portunity," Jones said.
"People say welfare makes
people dependent," he said.
"Look at subsidies. They are
nothing more than welfare for
the rich. We don't want to talk
about raising taxes if it w^l
reduce subsidies for the rich.
Savings and loans is nothlnig
but welfare for rich white peo
ple. Tell me how does that dif
fer from a handout?"
Concepts of assimilation.
Integration and pluralism are
indicators of how much op
pressive or racist policies are
in effect in a society.
Assimilation, said Jones,
has been a problem in Ameri
ca. "It sets up one thing as the
absolute ideal, where one
thing Is used to measure. Any
thing that's labeled as dlffer-
See FUNDAMENTALIST Page 12A
firm under the burden of a
difficult situation. God's
power gives to us stlck-to-it-
iveness. All Christians go
through difficult times, and
we have observed their endu
rance.
Long-suffering means put
ting up with difficult people
and situations. No one meets
only people who are "easy to
get along with." By putting up
with difficult people, we grow
into the kind of character Je
sus modeled for us. The same
Spirit that was in Him is in
the Christian.
Joyfulness is that inner
quality that keeps us float
ing through the troubled wa
ters while everyone else is
drowning. Joyfulness is
buoyancy. It is not the result
of what happens around us,
but of what has happened in
side of us.
We have an Inheritance in
Heaven. It is reserved for as a
seat is reserved at a baseball
game or concert. No one can
take it away from us. When
God reserves something, you
can be sure it will be there for
you.
One of the beautiful words
in this verse is partakers. To
partake is to take a part, a
share. We will share our in
heritance with all the saints
in light. There will be no
jealousies. We will rejoice
that God shares His inheri
tance with us all.
There are only two king
doms, the kingdom of God
and the kingdom of Satan.
We are in one or the other.
Whenever we are converted
to Christ, God transfers us
from the kingdom of Satan
into the kingdom of his dear
son.
Is Your Name Written?
This Is A Paid Advertisement
I S YOUR
NAME
THERE?"
PART II
You will
be judged
out of
things writ
ten in the books. E>eiy idle
deed and word will be ac
counted for. Read Matthew
12:36. Isaiah said that the
bom-agaln believers will be
His witnesses. The word
"witness" is a legal term
meaning someone Is going
to be tried. Paul said in I
Cor. 6:2 that the saints shall
judge the world. That means
that every saint will be at
The Great White Throne
Judgment to testify against
the unbelievers.
If you don't know Christ,
you are an unbeliever, my
friend. Every saint will have
to take the stand and testify
against you. Abel will be
there to witness against
Cain. Cain was that wicked
one who shed the first hu
man blood on earth. What a
damnation that man will
face. Read about It in Gene
sis 4:10. The generation that
made fun of Noah will be
there. Noah, his three sons,
and their four wives will
have to come forward and
say: yes. Lord, we know
them. They rejected your
message of warning about
the flood that was going to
destroy them. They made
fun of us, and called us crazy
for building the ark.
John the Baptist will have
to step forward and testify
about that wicked wife of
Herod and her daughter for
having his head cut off.
They both will scream the
most horrible screams be
cause they thought they
were rid of John back there
when his head was cut off.
The Apostle James will step
forward and testify against
the one who killed him
with a sword. The Lord will
ask if anyone knows this
group of people here.
Stephen will come up and
say yes. Lord, I know them.
I preached the Gospel to
them and they gnashed on
me with their teeth and
then stoned me to death.
But I looked up to Heaven as
I was dying, and. Lord, I saw
you standing at the right
hand of God and I cried;
Lord Jesus, receive my spir
it and you took me up.
The Apostle Paul will
have to witness against Al
exander. The coppersmith
because he did him much
evil. An old divine, like my
late pastor, will have to
step forward and testify
against a group. Yes, I
preached to them every
Sunday but they would not
heed the Gospel. I, myself,
will have to step forward
and testify against so many
who have rejected the truth
and called me a liar and
discredited me in every way
possible.
I will have to testify
against family members
who rejected the Gospel.
E>ery sin has to be tried
and paid for. The Lord is in
no hurry. It may take a
thousand years. All the
world will know you and
everything you did. Every
soul will be there before a
Holy God at the WHITE
THRONE OF JUDGMENT.
But you will stand there
and hear your sentence.
How will you fare, my
friends?
BY J.M. LITTLE