A few years ago, Robert Bork wrote an excellent book entitled Slouching Towards Gomorrah. It chronicled the moral decline in America and the rapidly increasing rate of that decline. The book was written amidst the backdrop of the scandalous behavior of Bill Clinton while in the Oval office. Those defending Clinton’s disgusting behavior said that it was a "private matter" regarding "sexual conduct" as opposed to "public and official actions," hence, it was nobody’s business what one does sexually in a private setting. In his book, Judge Bork warned that the decline would continue and would become further ingrained in our society if such principles were consistently applied. While reading the book during that period, I must confess that I knew from a viewpoint of principle that he was correct, but I remember thinking, "How much worse can it get?"
Sadly, while on my recent trip to the Philippines, I found the answer to my question watching BBC News one morning. Having reluctantly listened to BBC News during trips to Lithuania in the 1990’s because it was the only news available, I knew their very liberal and anti-American bias. Official actions of the United States government are most often ridiculed, rarely commended and almost never made the lead story of the day. To my total shock, the anchor began the newscast with a broad smile and gave no attempt to hide the total joy felt in relating the news of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the sodomy laws of Texas and, by implication, other states as well. They interviewed representatives from the ACLU and every other liberal group around, all beaming over the decision. I sat down in stunned disbelief and immediately remembered Judge Bork’s prediction. Yes, it could and did get worse.
As my disbelief became disgust, the lead attorney for homosexuals came on the screen. The name caption under her picture read, "Ruth Harlow, LAMBDA." Are you familiar with the LAMBDA organization and its agenda? On its web site, LAMBDA introduces itself by saying they are a "gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender agency dedicated to reducing homophobia…." They go on to say, "Our mission is: …to create social change and achieve full civil rights, dignity, and self-respect for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals through education, youth advocacy, anti-violence efforts, and fighting discrimination of all forms, to achieve full participation in society of persons belonging to a sexual minority." In other words, they have an admitted agenda to press for the full acceptance of the perversion of homosexuality and use every means to achieve their goal, including recruitment of young people. Now, that is the group with which our United States Supreme Court sided while rejecting moral principles unanimously accepted at the founding of this country. After all, when the Constitution of this country was written (the same Constitution that the present Supreme Court finds to be inconsistent with sodomy laws), all 13 states had laws making sodomy a criminal offense. It remained a crime when all of those states ratified the Bill of Rights. Sodomy was a crime under common law which provided foundation to our laws. When the Supreme Court of this country joins LAMBDA, the ACLU and every other group advocating the acceptance of immorality, while opposing the "In God We Trust" principles of decency and morality clearly accepted as the bedrock foundation of this country, we are headed towards Sodom and Gomorrah in a hurry!
God-Ordained Purpose of Government
The legitimate function of government as designed by God is to provide for lawful order by upholding good and punishing evil. The writer of wisdom stated the principle which undergirds this fact, saying, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Prov. 14:34). Thus, the apostle Paul stated the charge given by God to governments in these words:
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil (Rom. 13:3-4).
God has always declared that evil is destructive and should be punished, while righteousness is productive and should be rewarded. That contrast is seen when the wise man said, "By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked" (Prov. 11:11). It is again affirmed by the words: "It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established by righteousness" (Prov. 16:12). When a government leaves that basis for action, it violates the will of God and ceases to meet the purpose for which God designed it. Any government that persists in its rebellion to the divine charge faces the reality that God has brought wicked nations to destruction in the past and retains that same power in the present (see Dan. 4-5).
God’s Ruling on Homosexuality
Though our society may be bombarded with efforts to reprogram our values, God’s standard has not changed. No ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States can overturn God’s ruling on homosexuality or any other subject. His values are the same "yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8). What does God tell us in His word about homosexuality? Does He view it as an alternate lifestyle or as a practice of sin which is an abomination to him? Let us see what He says:
Leviticus 20:13 – "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." That does not sound like God accepted it as an "alternate lifestyle." He condemned it as a mandatory death-style.
Leviticus 18:22 – "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." Homosexuality is not "progressive," "open," "broad-minded" and "accepting" in God’s eyes. It is an abomination.
Deuteronomy 23:17 – "There shall be no prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel." God did not want Israel to tolerate homosexuality. God wanted the practice eliminated!
1 Kings 14:24 – "… and there were also sodomites in the land: they did according to all the abominations of the nations which Jehovah drove out before the children of Israel." When Asa put away the sodomites by the death penalty commanded in the law, God approved of the cleansing of such immorality (1 Kgs. 15:11-12). Whenever sodomites were tolerated in the land, it was a clear indicator of rebellion against God and assured God’s condemnation of those tolerating it.
Romans 1:26-27 – "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." Whether male or female homosexuality, God denounces it as shameful.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – "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." No, God does not tolerate homosexuality nor does He offer equal opportunity access for homosexuals into His eternal housing. Homosexuals will be excluded from heaven!
When we examine the 18th and 20th chapters of Leviticus, we see that homosexuality is condemned as unlawful in the same context and even with much the same wording as adultery, obscenity, prostitution, incest, pedophilia and bestiality. If the Supreme Court now is consistent with its ruling, it would strike down every law against consensual acts of adultery, obscenity, prostitution, incest, pedophilia or bestiality. Justices Scalia, Rehnquist and Thomas noted that consequence as well as the fact that the Court’s ruling destroyed the only rational ground prohibiting homosexual marriage in this country. That is not just the baseless opinion of a "fundamentalist preacher." That is the warning of three Supreme Court justices who articulated a reasoned and compelling dissent to the decision of a majority bound towards Gomorrah.
Are you ready for the far-reaching consequences of this ruling? Brethren, it is past time for us to raise our voices, ballots and efforts in defense of righteousness and opposition to evil! God gave the charge to Israel which we would do well in our time to heed: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and declare unto My people their transgression, and to the house of Jacob their sin" (Isa. 58:1).
