THE PUBLIC MIND: THE `CLEAR TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD' SPEAKS TO THE CURRENT DEBATE ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY

To the Editor:

Recent correspondence "To The Editor" about "sodomy" and "homosexuality" calls for an answer from God's Word.

"Sodomy" can be traced to Genesis 19. Lot, a godly man who was deeply vexed because of the moral perversions existent in Sodom, was visited by two strangers. He provided hospitality for these visitors, two angels who had assumed the appearance of men. The wicked men of Sodom surrounded Lot's house. They wanted to force Lot to send these men out to them so they could have sex with them or "know them carnally." Lot refused. Shortly thereafter God destroyed these wicked inhabitants of both Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone that He rained down on them from heaven.

"Sodomy" commonly refers to the most abhorrent sinful practice of two people of the same sex engaging in sex with one another. "Sodom" is often referred to in the Bible as a symbol of wickedness and as a warning to sinners that God's judgment will fall upon all such "impenitent sinners" who twist and pervert God's divinely ordained use of sex.

"Homosexuality" falls under the classification of "sodomy." "Homosexuality" is a sin that bars a person from heaven if he or she does not repent of it, forsake that sin and seek God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

God had some very clear words to say to the Christians in Corinth, a port city which was known for about every kind of sexual sin that could be practiced. God said to the Corinthians: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."

The Greek word for "deceived" means to be "led astray" or "mislead." We undersigned pastors submit that far too many people are intentionally or unintentionally being "misled" or "led astray" on this very subject of "sodomy" and "homosexuality." God's word is very plain on this subject. Impenitent sinners, including homosexuals and sodomites, will not inherit the kingdom of God. God says that truth is not even open to debate!

In case there are practicing homosexuals or sodomites who read these words, there is "good news." The "good news" is found in 1 Cor. 6,11 where God tells those same Corinthians: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." Some of the Corinthians "had been" homosexuals and sodomites. They had committed these sins. But they were no longer living in them. They had repented. They had turned away from them. They had been washed, sanctified and justified "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

God's "good news" is that for homosexuals, sodomites and all other sinners there is full and complete forgiveness of our sins when we are led by the Holy Spirit to confess our sins, turn away from them and trust only in the redemption that Jesus Christ has purchased and won for us by His Holy life and His innocent suffering and death on the cross as the payment for all our sins. We invite any sinner who is unsure about God's forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ to speak to anyone of the undersigned.

For anyone in the 20th century or otherwise who considers himself or herself to be so "enlightened or educated" that they refuse to accept this clear truth of God's Word, God tells us "ignorant and unstable people distort (the Scriptures) to their own destruction."

May the Holy Spirit lead all of us to acknowledge sin as a violation of God's Holy Law, to repent of our sins and to trust in Jesus Christ for the assurance of forgiveness, life and salvation.

Rev. David V. Dissen, pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church, Cape Girardeau; Rev. Steven MacDougall, associate pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church, Cape Girardeau; David Hintz, Vicar, Trinity Lutheran Church, Cape Girardeau; Rev. Lonnie Eatherton, pastor, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Jackson; Rev. Dell Crockett, pastor, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Tilsit; Rev. W. Keisker, pastor emeritus, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Jackson; Rev. Robert Kriete, Concordia Lutheran Church, Sikeston.