THE PUBLIC MIND: PANDERING TO A LIE: HOMOSEXUALITY ISN'T ACCEPTABLE LIFESTYLE

To the Editor:

In any discussi~on of homosexuality these days the proponents are quick to charge as homophobic anyone opposed to this "alternative lifestyle". The definition of homophobia in common usage seems to have moved from irrational fear of homosexuality to hatred of homosexuals. Even some ministers are quick to point out the radical inclusiveness of Jesus' love. The problem is that the love being touted is neither true nor biblical love.

Let me explain. Jesus' concern and compassion for physical ills were far ~surpassed by his concern for the spiritual ills of people. This truth is recorded repeatedly in Scripture.~~~ Spiritual ill, or sin, was the reason Jesus came into the world, to call people from sin and back to God and truth.

One of the sins repeatedly condemned in both the Old and New Testaments is homo~sexuality. Homosexuality is sin and remains so no matter how many people want to believe otherwise. There is an apt saying that goes: "Wrong is wrong even if everybody is doing it, and, right is right even if nobody is doing it." This is true because truth is defined by God not man. But how does love fit into this passion for truth? As one person wrote to this newspaper recently "we are to love the sinner and hate the sin."~ While the church and Christians have not always done a good job of this, it is nonetheless the truth, as the following analogy illustrates.

Alcoholics Anonymous correctly maintains that the first step to recovery from alcoholism must be admission on the part of the alcoholic that he or she is an alcoholic. He or she must admit he~/she has a problem, a problem the Bible would call sin. This is true with the sin of drunkenness and so too with the sin of homosexuality, or any other sin for that matter. We must admit we are sinners before we can repent as Jesus called us to do. Alcoholics are not helped by being told alcoholism is an alternative lifestyle, and neither are homosexuals. The cure is not easy for alcoholics, but by God's grace they are cured one day at a time through abstinence. That's the way it is with any lifestyle of sin. We are creatures of habit and it often takes time to break sinful habit patterns or lifestyles. So it is with the sin of homosexuality. We have to love the homosexual enough not to lie to him or her by saying it's an alternative acceptable lifestyle. The sinner is only ultimately helped when he or she acknowledges sin, repents of it, and in faith asks God for forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Faith in God means yielding control of self to God and striving to live by God's standards, not man's. Real biblical love calls us to face the truth ourselves and to deal with it, and to help others do the same. So in truth the real homophobic people, the real haters of homosexuals, are those who pander to the lie that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle.

Rev. Thomas C. Shoger

Christ Presbyterian Church

Cape Girardeau