Pretending to Love Jason Collins

Pretending to Love Jason Collins

           

            I suppose Monday, April 29, 2013 will go down in history as a great day for America.  Jason Collins came out of the closet to announce to the world that he is homosexual.   He has been depicted as a "hero", a "trailblazer" and as "our Jackie Robinson".  Kobe Bryant was one of the first to congratulate Jason for his courage.  Michele Obama was quick to announce her support for Jason:   "So proud of you, Jason Collins! This is a huge step forward for our country. We've got your back!" 

            Bill Clinton couldn't help bloviating on the controversial topic declaring that Collins' announcement was “an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community.”  In case you may have forgotten, this is the same president who signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 while he carried on a secret affair with Monica Lewinsky.  It was also Bill Clinton who signed the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy which stated that an openly gay, lesbian or bisexual service member would of necessity be discharged from the military.

            Chelsea Clinton, a former classmate of Collins at Stanford University, tweeted her support:  "I am very proud of my friend Jason Collins for having the strength & courage to be the first openly gay player in the NBA”.  Chelsea claims credit for helping her father finally 'evolve to the truth' about homosexuality.

            Unfortunately Bill Clinton represents the culture of America.  What was once condemned as wrong is now not only tolerated, it is enthusiastically accepted.  It is now 'cool' to be gay.  Were we wrong then and now we are right or were we right then and now we are wrong?  Human nature does not evolve toward the truth, rather it leans toward sin.  The Apostle Paul described his natural struggle with sin in his letter to the Romans.  (Romans 7:23-25)

            Not to be outdone by the Clintons, Barack Obama weighed in on the matter through White House Spokesman Jay Carney:  " We view that (Collins announcement)  as another example of the progress that has been made and the evolution that has been taking place in this country and commend him for his courage and support him."  I am reminded of another call Obama made to Sandra Fluker to support her as she clamored for free contraceptives.  I also remember a call to the Occupy group who camped out on Wall Street to encourage their rebellion.  I remember a "beer summit" in support of Harvard Professor Henry Gates who made unfounded accusations of racism against a Cambridge police officer.

            Please wait while I pause….still pausing….thinking….trying to remember.  I can't remember any calls to injured American servicemen.  I do remember a vague empty promise to get to the bottom of the Benghazi incident.  It certainly seems we have a president who is more than eager to lend his support to divisive issues but feels little motivation to create patriotism and loyalty to the country he serves.

            I know I'm going to get slam-dunked for what I am about to write.  It always happens when I express my opinion on this issue.  I don't know Jason Collins personally.  It seems I would like him if I did know him.  Are those supporters of Jason Collins really expressing love for a friend?  Among those of us in Christian circles we like to refer to it as 'tough love'.  It is the determination to defend truth even in situations where it generates pain.  Someone needs to tell Jason Collins the truth about homosexuality, not because they hate him but because they love him.

            While nearly everyone will commend Collins for his courage to declare himself a homosexual, few will commend ESPN's Chris Broussard for having the courage to tell the truth.  Who is a real friend of Jason Collins?  Is it Bill or Chelsea Clinton?  Is it Barack or Michele Obama?  They are jumping on the band wagon for political exposure.  They are like parasites leaching off of every individual who has found their way into the national spotlight.  Jason, your real friend is Chris Broussard.  (http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikehayes/nba-reporter-calls-homosexuality-a-sin-on-tv)

            The sports analyst expressed his opinion of ESPN's "Outside the Lines." "I'm a Christian. I don't agree with homosexuality," Broussard said. "I think it's a sin, as I think all sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is. If you're openly living in unrepentant sin ... that's walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ," he added. 

            Please wait while I applaud….clapping hands…feeling proud…stilling applauding the courage of Chris Broussard.

            Earl Fowlkes is the president and CEO of the Center for Black Equity, a group that supports black individuals who are gay, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered.  He made a ludicrous attempt to compare Jason Collins with Jackie Robinson.  "…he will be a little, miniature Jackie Robinson."  The attempt of the homosexuals to hijack the Civil Rights Movement is outrageous.  Martin Luther King fought for rights that were being denied those who belonged to a race characterized by skin color.  Our race is predetermined before birth.

            There is no scientific evidence that people are born gay.  Sexual orientation is not written in our DNA, it is more about how we define ourselves.  (http://www.citizenlink.com/2010/06/14/are-people-really-born-gay/)  Ironically, Jason Collin's has a twin brother who revealed that he was shocked when he learned his brother was gay.  With no evidence to support a genetic cause, we have descended to the level of granting rights for certain behaviors.  As you can only imagine, opening this Pandora's Box will only lead to more confusion and controversy.

            Chris Broussard is the lone voice crying in the wilderness.  Homosexual behavior is a sin that distresses the heart of a holy God.  If a holy God is to remain holy he must one day administer justice for the sin of homosexuality.  Broussard added more truth to the issue.  He declared that all sex outside of marriage is sinful in the eyes of God.  As Christians, we love Jason Collins. We love him enough to tell him the truth.   We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)  Christians to whom forgiveness has been granted through the Savior, Jesus Christ, want to share this good news with whoever is willing to believe.

          

Kevin Probst - Teaches History and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus, Georgia.

Homosexual Orientation vs. Homosexual Behavior

The term ‘homosexuality’ is not found in the Bible.  Nor is the term ‘lesbian’.  The absence of these modern day terms in scripture does not indicate that scripture is silent regarding this issue.  The Bible does not address orientation but the Bible very clearly and unequivocally addresses behavior.  Same sex is condemned in the Pentateuch and also again in the New Testament.  The Apostle Paul strongly warned about homosexual behavior, even listing it as one of those sins that, if not confessed and cleansed by the sacrifice of Christ, would certainly lead one to hell. (1)

God’s plan from the very beginning was that sexual relations should be between one man and one woman involved in a monogamous relationship that would last a lifetime.  God’s condemnation of sexual activity outside of these parameters must be taken very seriously.  Those involved in homosexual behavior or adulterous behavior in the Old Testament were subject to the punishment of death.  The instructions were very specific and unarguable:  “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman, that is detestable.”  (2)  The penalty for such behavior was clearly spelled out:  “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both have done what is detestable. They must be put to death’. (3) The severity of the law of the Old Testament is now redundant due to the fact that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice by which he made available an abundant grace to all who would believe in him and repent of their sins.

Since the fall of man our depraved nature has habitually taken the good and beautiful gifts of God and corrupted them.  God gave us the ability to create art, but we have corrupted that gift by creating works that degrade the holy nature of God, even winning awards for placing a cross in a jar of urine and declaring it art. (4)  God gave us music as a way of expressing our praise for him but we have corrupted his gift by using it to promote violence and hatred and twisted sexual behavior.  God gave us the gift of sex so that we might procreate and multiply God’s crowning achievement, the creation of the human being.  As a bonus he threw pleasure into the formula but we have corrupted his gift by trespassing beyond the parameters he has clearly set for us in scripture.

Lest Christians get on their high horse and beginning flailing away at those who commit sexual sins, let us beware of Christ’s requirement for holy living.  He didn’t come to lower the standard of his Father’s holiness, on the contrary, Jesus said, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (5)  If anything, Christ is now raising the bar by requiring that those who call themselves Christians draw on the grace of God made available by his Holy Spirit and allow him to purify our minds.

So what are the parameters regarding sex in the Word of God?  They are simple and very clear.  We have only three options regarding sexual activity if we are to please a Holy God:  (6)

1.  Abstinence before marriage

2.  Fidelity in marriage

3.  Celibacy in singleness

Sometimes orientation can be changed. (7)  There are others who seem to be destined to a life full of temptation.  We must not believe the lie our culture is continually screaming in our ear that no one can really be fully human unless they are participating in some sort of sexual activity.  The Apostle Paul refuted this lie when he commended those who chose celibacy as a lifestyle and were able to free themselves of sexual activity in order to live a more exclusive and sanctified life for the sake of the Kingdom of Christ.  (9)

The Bible does not condemn those who have an orientation toward homosexuality or toward infidelity.  But it clearly condemns those who participate in sinful sexual acts.  We must always distinguish between temptation and actual sin.  Those who must fight a proclivity toward homosexuality and who do so successfully have not sinned.  Those who fail in their struggle need to experience an alternative love, a love that demonstrates the holy nature of a forgiving and merciful God.  True followers of Christ will not shove a boot in the face of the homosexual or the one who is sexually promiscuous.  Rather, they will demonstrate the true nature of Christ who graciously offered living water to the woman at the well whose life was shredded with sexual sin.  (10) 

We often fall into the trap of treating gay and lesbian people as if they were lepers.  We condemn their sin while committing an equal or greater sin of acting as if their actions merit a greater punishment for their sins.

Today Christians are expressing great concern over same-sex marriage.  It is easy to find scripture to oppose such a union.  But the marriage Christians should be more concerned about is the marriage of homosexual sin with Christianity itself.  The idea that one can live in a continuous state of sin and disobedience and still claim ‘at-one-ness’ with Christ Jesus is a blasphemous heresy.  Of course, the homosexual should be welcome to come as they are to our Christian assemblies but they are not welcome to stay as they are.  The church is a place for all sinners to repent of their sin and join the body of believers who rejoice in Christ’s power to deliver us from sin. 

What are the causes of homosexuality?  Some would claim that there is a gene that causes one to be oriented toward homosexuality.  There is no sure evidence of this claim and the study of identical twins with the same genetic code but differing orientations seems to contradict this claim.  Environmental factors seem to play a part in orientation.  Observe that very few homosexual men have a strong, healthy relationship with their father or any other male figure in their early lives.   We all have inclinations.  We all have orientations and a whole realm of experiences that have brought us to where we are.  The Bible minimizes the psychological and environmental aspects and makes behavior the primary issue.  We are all called to repentance. 

1.  1 Timothy 1:8-11

2.  Leviticus 18:22

3.  Leviticus 20:13

4.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piss_Christ

5.  Matthew 5:28

6.  Matthew 19

7.  http://www.newswithviews.com/psychology/psychology2.htm

8.  1 Corinthians 7:22-35

9.  1 Corinthians 7:8

10.  John 4:1-26

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

America’s Homosexual Evolution

President Obama has certainly made his mark on the history of the United States.  Our children will one day read about him in American History books as the first black president, the first foreign born president and the first president to play 150 rounds of golf in one term.  Now, after the completion of Obama’s ‘evolution’, he has become the first president to support homosexual marriage.  But even those in the homosexual community are questioning his motives.  They realize that his support on this issue, just like every other issue in the life of the Narcissist in Chief, centers on himself. 

Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post epitomized the pressure from the left for Obama to step out of the closet regarding the homosexual issue.  Marcus proceeded to pommel the president with a series of punches:  “Same-sex marriage is turning into a test of character and leadership for President Obama,” she wrote. “Does he favor it, or doesn’t he? In the wake of Vice President Biden’s remarks supportive of marriage equality, the continued presidential equivocation makes Obama look weak and evasive”. 

The greatest fear of this president is that his façade of strength will be melted away by the heated disapproval of his own supporters to reveal just how weak he really is.  Marcus’ uppercut was followed by this gut punch, “The longer Obama waits, the worse he looks. The President’s first stall tactic, that he is ‘evolving’ on the issue, doesn’t cut it anymore.”  She finally throws the knock-out punch:  “…doesn’t evolution imply change? And if you think perhaps he’s still conflicted — well, that’s hardly an advertisement to be leader of the free world. At this point, Obama’s reticence is looking cowardly.”  Being criticized by Fox News is one thing, being pummeled by fellow liberals is more than the president can endure.  It’s like learning your wife is seeing another man.

So, just what is it that Obama supports?  Homosexuality is an act of immorality.  It is immoral by the standard of natural law, “men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another”,  (Romans 1:27) and it violates God’s moral law.  The Apostle Paul lists the offenses that will earn eternal separation from God.  “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.”  (1 Cor. 6:9) If the leader of the free world will step out and support the immoral behavior of homosexuality, is he also willing to support adultery, fornication, and polygamy? 

These forms of immorality will eventually destroy a family, a church and finally a nation.  Any president who would promote that which would destroy us has no right to be the leader.  This utterly contradicts the intent of our founding fathers who founded this country on Christian principles.  We’ve had many presidents who participated in immoral behavior, from lying to staining a blue dress, but we have had none to blatantly verbalize that such immoral behavior should be accepted as the norm.  The president’s evolution on the immoral practice of homosexuality simply mirrors the evolution in our society toward sexual depravity.  We must ask ourselves the question:  Does the president’s evolution toward the acceptance of homosexuality indicate that our society’s evolutionary slide to Gomorrah is complete?

Why does God condemn adultery?  Why does he condemn homosexuality?  Why did the original marriage plan of God include one man and one woman, one husband and one wife?  It is because the institution of marriage is sacred.  The primary purpose of the marriage relationship is to portray the relationship Christ has to the church.  “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”  (Eph. 5:25)  God provides us with the wonderful opportunity to have a personal relationship with him but there are conditions we must meet.  He demands fidelity, just as any decent husband would demand of his wife or any wife her husband.  When we pursue other gods, when we worship other idols, our relationship with Christ becomes unsustainable.  The marriage relationship between a man and a woman is an earthly reflection of a spiritual relationship that can become eternal.

The effort to destroy marriage, to muck up the pure waters of something so sacred, is satanic.  How better to besmirch the purity and sacredness of marriage than to assault the institution with pornography, with adultery, with infidelity and most definitely, with homosexuality.  These sins cannot be participated in without consequences.  The sexual revolution of the last fifty years has reaped fatherless children, orphans, broken homes, innumerable divorces, rampant diseases, depression and suicides. 

God’s primary purpose for sexual relations between a man and a woman was to procreate.  God was so pleased and blessed to see his creation expand that he determined to make the experience of procreating extremely pleasurable as a demonstration of his favor.  Procreation has now become something to avoid like a plague.   The pleasure of sexual relations has been so dulled by our willingness to overindulge that we have stepped out of what God originally intended into that which is twisted and unnatural in a vain attempt to overcome our desensitization to pleasure.

There is a horrible plague of blindness that now pervades throughout American society.  In an attempt to find and experience freedom it was proclaimed loud and clear that ‘anything goes’, all sexual restraints were lifted to try to satisfy the deep emptiness of godless souls.  We became a society of moral zombies, proclaiming that all was well, while we pretended a lie to our friends and neighbors that we had finally found the secret to happiness.  But the freedom we proclaimed was not real, it was a fatal fantasy.  The smile on our faces was a failed attempt to hide the frown in our souls. 

We put up a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign to keep God from intruding in our society.  In our churches we replaced him with a cotton-candy prosperity gospel that was too anemic to save and too empty to satisfy the needs of the hungry.  So, they have fled from the church in search of another savior.  The blinded sexual libertarian cannot see that sexual depravity is not freedom, it is bondage.  It does not lead to happiness, it leads to emptiness.  It does not build relationships, it destroys them.  Discovering why they think they are free when they are actually slaves to the bondage of sexual immorality is a mystery for the ages.

We are living among “a rebellious people.  They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but they do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.”  (Ezekiel 12:2)  It is most troubling that we are now assured that the one who leads us is blinded as well.  It is fearful to think of what our destiny will be when the blind is indeed, leading the blind.

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

Obama Tramples Traditional Marriage

           

           It has been framed as a shocking event.  The President supports gay marriage!!  This is not a shock.  This is the same president who repealed the military's ban on openly gay service members.  This is the same president who ordered his lap dog Attorney General to stop enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act.  (DOPA)  How could anyone be surprised?  We were served appetizers before the main course when Vice President Foot-in-his-Mouth came out with a statement affirming gay marriage earlier in the week.  The following day, Secretary of Indoctrination, Arne Duncan, made bold statements supporting homosexuality. 

            Informed Americans were not surprised at all when Obama finally evolved into a full-blown supporter of homosexuality.  The real surprise is how far we have slid toward Gomorrah in so short a time.  The evolution is now complete. It took 42 presidents to finally 'evolve' toward acceptance of homosexual marriage.  All 42 previous presidents opposed gay marriage.  Obama's opinion that he is the only president to finally get this issue right matches his arrogant, messianic attitude.

            A recent ABC opinion poll claims that 52% of Americans think gay marriage should be legal and 43% think not.  Those numbers may be accurate if this poll was conducted in San Francisco.  That poll was not conducted here in rural, southern Georgia, that's for sure.  The poll also proclaimed that 54% of Democrats support gay marriage (is that all?) and 39% of Republicans support it (are you kidding?)  How do you justify these poll numbers with the fact that 31 states have already added amendments to their constitutions defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman?  North Carolina most recently took steps to boldly protect the foundational institution of any civilization, marriage.

            Some of my younger friends who lean toward the libertarian banner would defend Obama's stance on gay marriage because they oppose the fact that government is too large and too intrusive in the lives of common citizens.  Many are willing to march in step to the beat of this drum.  But for those who are evangelical Christians, gay marriage isn't just a political issue, it’s a moral issue.  Those who claim to be genuine followers of Jesus Christ are more interested in taking a stance that reflects a Christian worldview rather than a political worldview.  Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."  (John 14:15)   He has commanded purity of heart and mind.  One of God's commands is found in Leviticus 18:22:  'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination" 

            Thousands of blogs and website articles have been written in an attempt to dilute the importance of this command.  The common argument goes like this:  If we are to submit to this law regarding homosexuality, what other frivolous laws are we to submit to?  Are we to not "wear clothes made of more than one fabric?"  (Leviticus 19:19)  Are we to not shave or cut our hair?  (Leviticus 19:27)  Few seem to understand that the laws given to the ancient Israelites were categorized.  Some laws were temporary and localized for the purpose of keeping God's chosen people from intermingling and losing their identity with neighboring pagans.  Other laws were universal and eternal.  The purpose of universal laws was to promote righteousness and purity and prevent the type of behaviors (disobedience) that would sever relationship with God.  "If you love me, keep my commandments." 

            Some Christians will offer weak support to the gay marriage movement by declaring that "you can't legislate morality."  I agree that it is certainly not primarily the government's job to determine ethics and morality.  That would be the job of the church, although it seems to be failing miserably on most counts.  But the declaration that government should refrain from legislating morality is nonsense.  It is the government's responsibility to prevent chaos and tyranny by establishing and enforcing laws that control behavior.  If you take an oath in court and lie you have committed a federal crime, unless you are a former president trying to determine what the definition of "is" is.  There are and should be consequences for committing murder or abusing a child. 

            Christians are fighting hard against their government sanctioning a behavior that is clearly condemned in the word of God.  They don't want homosexuality to be stamped with government approval any more than they want to see murder, adultery, burglary or any other sinful behavior sanctioned.  Christians believe that America's slide toward Gomorrah is a consequence of their government sanctioning the murder of unborn children (Roe vs. Wade, 1973).  No society can escape the judgment of a pure and holy God when it allows for homosexual behavior that is clearly condemned in the word of God.  (Lawrence vs. Texas, 2003)

            When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden he stepped back and said, "This is good, this is very good."  (Gen. 1:31)  God's desire is always to promote and expand that which is good.  When he mandated that man should multiply and replenish the earth (Gen. 1:28) he was commanding that the good in his creation be magnified throughout generations to come.  A Christian's belief in the existence of God is matched by the assurance that Satan is real.  Satan's goal is to disrupt the plan of God in any way possible.  He is very active in these days because …"He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." (Rev. 12:12)  If God loves life, Satan loves death.  If God smiles on the reproduction of the crowning achievement of his creation, Satan is determined to destroy man.

            Satan's plan of destruction involves stirring men to such hatred they would choose to murder each other.  He also uses more efficient methods in destroy the apple of God's eye through abortion and homosexuality.  Fifty million unborn American children have been murdered since 1973.  Homosexuality prevents reproduction and reduces population.  Ironically, the only way a homosexual couple can rear children is to depend on the traditional institution they aim to destroy, traditional marriage.

            The impetus for Christian opposition to homosexuality is not political, it is scriptural.  Christians know that this sin, like any other sin, hurts the heart of a God they love deeply.  Their strong desire to defend the Rock of Their Salvation is often misinterpreted as a hatred for homosexuals.  Unfortunately, this is accurate in some cases, but not so among genuine Christians.  True followers of Christ are taught to love and to cease hating.  The only hatred found in the heart of a genuine Christian is hatred for sin.  This hatred runs as deeply in one direction as our love for Christ runs in the other.

            Blandina, the early Christian martyr who was sexually abused and then murdered left these dying words, `I am a Christian, and there is no evil done amongst us."    Let the evil of hatred never be found in the heart of the genuine Christian.  Christians are characterized by their love.  "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

Is Obama a Christian (video)

The Christian Answers For Secular World's... by ppsimmons


Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

Moral and Logical Deficits in California’s Ninth Circuit

If you are have forgotten or are unaware of what all the talk of Proposition 8 is about, be reminded that this California law was passed in 2008 to satisfy the will of the majority who wanted to define  marriage as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman.  On February 7^th of 2012, the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals decided to strike down Proposition 8 by declaring it unconstitutional. 

The rulings against Proposition 8 are characterized by the biased presuppositions of activist judges.  The function of these judges should be to simply interpret existing law and determine if concurs with the constitution.  Unfortunately, most judges, even and perhaps especially Supreme Court Justices, are willing to prostitute their positions to advance their own personal political and social agendas.  Was this not blatantly obvious when Judge Vaughn Walker, who is openly homosexual and sports a homosexual partner, ruled against Proposition 8 in his “love letter to homosexuals” where he declared that the proposition “unconstitutionally burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry and creates an irrational classification on the basis of sexual orientation” in a lower district court in 2010?

The Judges of the 9^th District Court had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to come up with any justification to oppose Proposition 8.  The best they could do was voiced by Judge Stephen Reinhart, “Absent any legitimate purpose for Proposition 8, we are left with ‘the inevitable inference that the disadvantage imposed is born of animosity toward,’ or as is more likely with respect to Californians who voted for the proposition, mere disapproval of, ‘the class of persons affected.’”  This judge effectively spit in the face of California voters who voted Proposition 8 into existence by declaring that their desire to sustain the definition of marriage that has worked so well for millenniums previous and their desire to preserve an institution that preserves opportunities for procreation are illegitimate desires concocted to cover up a bigoted hatred for homosexuals.

Bobble heads have emerged to offer their two cents and shamelessly promote themselves and their irreverent agenda.  Ted Olson, the U.S. solicitor general under President George W. Bush, represents the plaintiffs in Proposition 8.  He declared the recent decision to be a first step in ending discrimination. "Today we are more American because of this decision".  May we request a definition for ‘American’?

Mitt Romney, the Republican Presidential candidate spoke for conservatives when he promised to appoint judges who would oppose same-sex marriages, “Today, unelected judges cast aside the will of the people of California who voted to protect traditional marriage.”  Please notice he also put a negative slant on the fact that these judges were not elected, but appointed, and then promised to do more of the same.

President Obama played his typical part as a non-player too weak and timid to choose sides.  He declared that his opinion on the issue is still “evolving”. 

The rationale of the court is that the state of California is violating the constitution by denying a right afforded to one group (heterosexuals) from another. (homosexuals)  It seems the real question here is what is the difference between a right and a privilege?  The constitution was written to protect our rights, not privileges.  In order for a certain thing to have a right that certain thing must be defined.  Opponents of marriage for homosexuals have defined marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman.  You cannot grant this same right to any couple other than one that meets the definition.  If the definition is corrupted there is no obligation to grant the right.  The claim from proponents of gay marriage that they are not trying to redefine marriage is absurd.  They must redefine it in order to qualify for the rights they demand.  There has been no definition of marriage forthcoming from that side of the aisle.

The fact is, they are not redefining marriage.  They are undefining it.  (See How to Win the Marriage Debate, Selwyn Duke) The practice of declaring undeserved rights has become all too common in our modern society.  Homosexuals in undefined relationships clamor for rights that are preserved for traditional married couples. Likewise, illegal immigrants expect to be treated as if they were legal, legitimate citizens of the U.S.  Our youthful, dead-beat dropouts expect to be treated in the same way as the hard working, non-partying college grad that chose a different and more difficult path.   There is a prevailing belief system that attempts to eliminate consequences for poor decisions and bad behavior.  The majority of pre-birth murders are committed in an attempt to escape consequences for a decision regretted.

If the left wing of this issue (gay marriage) cannot specifically define marriage, how can they specify what marriage “is not”?  If marriage IS between two people of the same gender, could marriage also not be between three people of the same gender?  Is marriage deemed legitimate if it is between a single person of one gender and multiple persons of another gender?  Is it necessary for marriage to include only human beings?  Do we really want to open that can of worms?  The 9^th Circuit ruled on the ‘rights’ to marriage but did they even bother to define what it was they were supposedly protecting?  How can you grant rights to something undefined?

It is for this reason most reasonable citizens believe the movement to legalized gay marriage is actually an attempt to destroy the traditional, time-honored institution that was clearly sanctioned by God.  When men begin to devise their own plans as substitutes to God’s plan it doesn’t go well for man.  God’s plan was to “multiply and replenish” the earth.  His plan makes wonderful provision for the care of the elderly who are loved and cherished by their many offspring.  When we oppose this plan by reducing our number of offspring through abortion and homosexual unions we bring confusion, poverty and destruction upon society. 

God never sanctioned marriage between same gendered individuals.  In fact, he clearly condemned such a thing.  (See 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:26-27)  The absurdity of it all is that the 9th Circuit Court is trying to protect and preserve a ‘right’ to something that has not been defined and does not actually exist.

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

Memo To All Secularists: Christians Are More Than Two-Dimensional.

"Let not your heart be troubled"

Why are Christians viewed by the secular world as being only two- dimensional?   Why are we perceived as only supporting life and marriage and opposing abortion and homosexuality?  We are also very concerned about idolatry, murder, theft, lying, and many other issues that negatively affect society.  We don’t perceive ourselves as being cultural watchdogs, rather, we find ourselves being concerned about the things our Heavenly Father is concerned about.  As John Calvin once said, “"A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent."

As the presidential primary season approaches and the blogs are scatter shot with political opinion, let it be known that Christians are concerned with far more than abortion and homosexuality.  We are far more complex than the average secularist gives us credit for.   As we consider which candidate to vote for we are very troubled by the fiscal state of America. We consider fiscal responsibility a moral issue.  As a husband and father in my home, I would be acting immorally if I used the money earned to feed and provide for my family to satisfy some personal desire.  Likewise, Christians believe it is immoral behavior for government officials to steal money from future generations to selfishly satisfy the desires of the present generation.  Living high off the hog at the expense of our children and grandchildren isn’t a political problem, it’s a moral problem.

Christians and secularists have differing worldviews.  The secularist divides the issues by defining the contest as “conservative vs. liberal” or “right vs. left”.  There is room for a sort of moral relativism as you might place yourself anywhere along the spectrum of the line between extreme right and extreme left.  Christians frame the issues by defining it as a contest between “right vs. wrong.”  There is no moral equivalency here.  Ripping a baby from the womb of its mother is wrong whether it be done in the 3^rd month or the 6^th month of pregnancy. Killing a baby is wrong whether the mother is poor or wealthy, whether she is busy going to college or holding down two jobs. 

Christians believe that destroying the sacred institution of marriage is wrong.  We believe that God sanctioned the existence of the church, the government and the family.  God clearly defined family in the Garden of Eden.  It was to be one man and one woman.  They were to commit to each other.  God wrote the law against adultery into the Ten Commandments to protect the sanctity of the marriage relationship.  Any attempt to make marriage anything other than what God intended it to be is an affront to the sole intent of God to sanctify marriage.  It isn’t about Democratic or Republican policies.  It’s about the mind of God.  Redefining marriage to satisfy some personal or societal desire is a transgression of God’s known law.

Christians believe that a government that steals from future generations is participating in a blatant immorality.  We aren’t so much looking for a candidate that is Republican or Democrat, or Independent or Libertarian.  We are looking for a candidate who will dedicate himself or herself to doing the right things.  We want a candidate who will remind us that we were founded as a Christian nation upon the concepts taught within the Holy Word of God.  We aren’t begging for a theocracy.  We simply want God-fearing men and women who are determined to do what is right for our country and for future generations.

John Adams once said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  The word ‘religious’ in his quote refers to Christianity.  We were formed to be a Democratic Republic where people are represented by those elected to do so.  Our founding fathers had a clear perception of the true nature of man.  Man is essentially wicked.  We are born in depravity. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” (Jeremiah 17:9)  Their knowledge of the true nature of man caused them to establish a government that would take into account the probability that some leaders would be corrupt rather than righteous. Our first governors understood that it was their fear of God, their reverence for God that would restrain them from doing evil.

Modern Psychology has attempted to replace God’s view of man (essentially evil) with man’s view of man (essentially good).  The secularists teach that men are basically good and any evil they do is learned behavior due to a poor environment.  ‘Sin’ is a religious term that secularists avoid at all costs.  Sin carries with it an association with punishment or reward.  Our youth are being taught that there is no need for salvation.  If there is no salvation there is no Savior.  We don’t need to confess and be saved from our sin, we simply need someone to come along and build up our self-esteem. 

When I worked in a hospital years ago to help pay for my college education, I was often the only orderly working the evening shift.  When hospital personnel heard the words “Code Blue” on the intercom we were spurred to action because we knew someone was being threatened by the grim reaper and time was of the essence.  I am amazed at how much damage has been inflicted on our nation in the last few years.  We must act quickly and efficiently if we are to save our country.  The time is short.  I don’t want to be one to cry “wolf, wolf” or be another Chicken Little crying, “The sky is falling.”  But I do believe we are running short on time.  You don’t have to be a Christ- follower to feel disturbed about the direction our country is taking.  I believe we are facing a real national emergency.  The coming election is crucial to the future of our country. 

Our currency is extremely unstable.  Europe rulers are terrified of an economic collapse in the European Union. The president of Iran is seeking to build a nuclear weapon and he openly rants that he will destroy Israel if ever he is successful.  George Soros recently warned that the world’s economy may be on the brink of collapse.  Russia and the United States have naval fleets feinting and sparring in the Mediterranean Sea in preparation for disruption in the Middle East.  The Arab Spring has replaced dictators who opposed Sharia Law with the Muslim Brotherhood who is determined to enforce draconian Islamic laws on Arab peoples everywhere. 

This may not be the Great Tribulation Christians often speak of but it certainly is a time of testing.  The people of the world are looking for a savior.  Someone to save them from economic woes.  Someone to bring political unity.  Someone to solve unresolved problems. 

There is a great hunger for peace.  Jesus Christ offers a peace the world cannot understand or provide.  It is a peace that passes all understanding.  In view of all these things how should we as Christians react?  Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me.”  (John 14:1)  The troubles and trials that lie ahead will have a distinguishing affect on all who are followers of Christ.  The dross will float to the top and we will be purified by the refiner’s fire.

The remedy for this dilemma is simple.  We as a nation and as individuals must confess our sins and humble ourselves before God.  We must run without becoming weary and we must endure to the end.  For those who persevere to the end will surely be rewarded.

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

What Went Wrong at Penn State?

The wisest man to have ever lived penned it well in Proverbs 14:12. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." The alleged incident at Penn State is reprehensible. Not only are many questioning how such a thing could happen but why was it happening over such a long period of time. It may be a mystery to some but there is an explanation.

We no longer allow God to decide what is and is not sin. We've taken that unpleasant responsibility upon ourselves. God made clear what sexual behaviors were sinful: adultery, fornication, shacking up or hooking up for casual sex. God addresses homosexual behavior in Deuteronomy 18 and declares it an abomination to his holy nature. This fact is reiterated in the New Testament. (Romans 1)

In the 1970's the American Psychological Association elevated itself to God-status. They declared that homosexuality is not deviant behavior, it is an identity. American culture embraced this announcement and proceeded to do what was right in their own eyes rather than pursue the righteousness of God. In fact, our society carried it a step further by announcing a new sin. That sin would be labeled homophobia and anyone who opposed the "alternative lifestyle" of homosexuals will be sentenced to being ostracized.


What happened at Penn State was a result of the moral depravity of man. Being homosexual is now considered a virtue, especially in the university environment. What could possibly be wrong with introducing young boys to such a lifestyle? "You have eyes! Can you not see? You have ears! Can you not hear?" (Mark 8:18) This soul diseased by sin affects our ability to accurately perceive truth. We have eyes but we can't see. We have ears but we can't hear. We are blind and deaf to divine truth. When that truth gets to near to our hearts it cuts like a sword and so, to avoid the pain and guilt, we search for another 'truth' from another source.

Our drift from moral truth is causing mass confusion among our youth. Our children are taught how to use condoms in school while their mothers are telling them to abstain from sexual activity. Our public schools are teaching young children that homosexual behavior is normal, even preferred. Very young children are being taught how to engage in homosexual activities. When a man demonstrates this behavior in a shower at a state university there is an explosion of outrage. This outrage is justified but why is it delayed? Why are we not outraged that this sort of behavior is being promoted to our innocent children by a corrupted public school system? The moral outrage concerning the behavior of a depraved coach at Penn State is directed at a symptom of a much greater, more devastating disease that is pandemic throughout America.


Our society is being demoralized. More than 200 women kill their own children in the United States every year. One of the leading causes of death for children under the age of four is homicide. Three to five children are murdered by their parents daily. Who could ever forget the horrible murder committed by Andrea Yates as she systematically drowned her five children in a bath tub? In 1996, Susan Eubanks murdered her four sons in San Marcos, California. The word sin has been eliminated from our thought and vocabulary and it has been replaced with the word 'sickness'. Why are mothers killing their children? Is it because they are morally confused? They have eyes but they can't see.


This generation of young mothers fails to value the sanctity of life. They have been taught that if having a child in the womb is inconvenient it can be eliminated. This is morally acceptable, even admirable, to murder the child. They are encouraged by organizations like Planned Parenthood to "do what is right in your own eyes." I'm sure these women must be thinking, "If murdering my child while it is still in the womb is the 'right thing to do', then why isn't murdering my two or three year old NOT the right thing to do? The reasons for both atrocities are the same: I can't afford kids, they are inconvenient, having them around will disrupt the plans I have for my own life.

Why do mothers kill their babies? Why are young boys being raped and abused by grown men in respectable positions? (coaches, mentors and priests) It is because our society now legitimizes sinful sexual behavior and infanticide. We have ceased searching for truth in the Holy Scriptures and now accept what is promoted by the American Psychological Association and Planned Parenthood as gospel truth.

We are foolishly trying to address this problem by trimming the branches on the tree of evil rather than digging our the root. We will continue to chip away at the tip of the iceberg until we recognize that this problem is very deeply rooted in the depraved soul of our society. Confession and repentance to the only One who can provide redemption is the last card we hold. We need to play it.

Credits:
Women Who Kill Their Children.  By Charles Montaldo
http://crime.about.com/od/female_offenders/a/mother_killers.htm
Picture: 

www.sharing.myfoxtampabay.com

Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

Homosexuality: Editing the APA Manual, the Bible and the Book of Life

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) declared that homosexuality was not a disease simply by altering its own 81-word definition of sexual deviance. Presto, just like that, a new declaration made in a moment of time redefined sexual behavior. The APA still considers Gender Identity Disorder and Transvestic Fetishism to be mental disorders. If this seems inconsistent it shouldn’t be a problem for the APA to pick up the black marker and strike a couple more disorders from its manual.

I’m not a Psychiatrist and I confess that I have very little interest in the field. I wouldn’t know a mental disorder if it were staring me in the face which is probably evidence that I have a few. But, I’m taken back by what seemed to be a lack of debate on the issue. If this was a mental disorder on Monday how could it have simply ceased being a disorder on Tuesday because it was blotted from the book? If a group of oncologists gather and declare cancer to no longer be a disease does it make it so?

I’m not in total disagreement with the APA regarding their assessment. I don’t think homosexuality is a disease. I think it is but one sinful behavior in a long list of sexual sins condemned by the Word of God. Also on that list is adultery, fornication, pre-marital sex, etc. Sexual sin is a sub-category of a larger list of sinful behaviors including theft, lying, idolatry, e.g. the Ten Commandments. It is true that one of these sins is no more or less offensive to God than another. Sin is basically choosing to have it our own way rather than submit to the authority of God. It boils down to pride, or as Old Blue Eyes used to sing, “I did it my way.”

So, why address the sin of homosexuality? Why not address adultery, or theft or deception? Christians often feel the need to isolate homosexuality because it is being redefined by the culture. The success of having homosexuality stricken from the APA’s list of mental diseases was intoxicating to homosexual activists. Naturally, the next step would be to erase homosexuality from the Bible. It’s referral to homosexuality as a deviant, sinful behavior is very detrimental to the goal of societal acceptance. It should be easy, just declare it to no longer be a sin and presto, it shall be so.

Society has caught the fever as evidenced by the recent and historical decision of the U.N. Human Rights Council to declare its ‘grave concern’ regarding the violation of human rights of gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people throughout the world. The attempt to match the violation of the rights of homosexuals with that of former American slaves seems absurd. It is a reasonable thing to restore rights to people who were assigned to a certain race or a certain gender by birth. It was never the intention of the authors of our constitution to grant rights to minorities who participate in a common behavior. Race indicates a birth identity. Gay indicates a behavior. Will this set a precedent for a fight for pedophile rights or incestuous rights or polygamous rights?

Christian church denominations are jumping on the band wagon. More recently, the Presbyterian Church (USA) ceased opposing ordination of gay ministers. They join the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Episcopal Church. The divisive wedge driven into the heart of our traditional Christian denominations will be pounded deeper and deeper causing many schisms among evangelical Christians. Why do certain denominations make exceptions for one particular sin? Would they ordain a habitual theft? Would they ordain a compulsive liar? If honesty is a requirement for ordination, why would sexual purity not also be a requirement?

The answer to the previous question is that lying and stealing are still considered sins but homosexual behavior is not longer considered a sin. It has been stricken from the book. Homosexual activists, Hollywood, public schools and famous athletes, actors and musicians have successfully redefined sin in our culture. To successfully do this there must be a widespread denial of the truth in God’s word. Hitler’s Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels promoted the idea that if a lie is repeated continuously echoing in the ears of the common people they will eventually believe the lie. The mantra in Christian churches coming from the homosexual movement is, “Homosexuality is not a sin. Homosexuality is not a sin. How many times do we have to tell you?”

The lie is not new. It is as old as mankind. Satan told the same lie to Adam and Eve. “It is not sin, you will not surely die.” Those who declare that “homosexuality is not sin, you shall not surely die,” are propagating a horrendous lie that will cause untold destruction to countless individuals and to our society as a whole. Paul’s warning to the Romans is very relevant for our modern day, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and they worshipped created things rather than the Creator…” (Romans 1:25)

The Word of God is as everlasting as God himself. You can’t add words to it nor can you strike words from it. This is what God’s word says regarding the sin of homosexuality:

“Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” – Lev. 18:22

“If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination” (Lev. 20:13)

“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.” (Romans 1:26-27)

To clarify, homosexuality is a sin. Not because a preacher says it, not because a church denomination teaches it but because the word of God declares it unequivocally. Homosexuality is just like any other sin. It is a choice. There is absolutely no evidence that it is inherited. There is no gene identified that causes homosexuality. It is simply unbounded lust for sexual pleasure in violation of God’s desire for men to be pure.
Paul writes to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor. 6:9-10) Any who participate in these sinful behaviors and fail to confess, in broken repentance, these sins before Almighty God will be excluded from heaven. These names will be deleted from the Book of Life.

The great hope is found in Paul’s next statement to the Corinthians: “And that is what some of you were.” Some of them were prostitutes, some were thieves, some were drunkards, and slanderers. And some were homosexuals who were converted to Christ and delivered from their sin. “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11)

Homosexuality is a sin just like any other sin and just like any sin, there is a remedy. The blood of Jesus Christ delivers people who are in bondage to homosexuality. It’s not complicated, it’s very simple: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)
Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.

Gallup Poll - American's Belief in God

Gallup Poll - American's Belief in God
By Kevin Probst

Americans have a stronger belief in God than Europeans and those on other continents but the numbers of people who believe in God are decreasing and those who don't believe in God are increasing.
-- 9 in 10 Americans still say they believe in God.
-- 96% of Americans claimed to believe in God in 1944 while 92% claim a belief in God in 2010.
-- Those least likely to believe in God are those who are between the ages of 18 and 29, from the East, have post graduate level education and fit the political classification of liberal.
The recent Gallup Poll also ranked what American's believe to be their most immoral sins:
1) extramarital affairs
2) polygamy
3) cloning
4) suicide
5) pornography
In view of the recent death of Dr. Kevorkian (Dr. Death), he was certainly instrumental in convincing many of the 45% of Americans who believe that assisted suicide is morally acceptable.
The poll seems to reveal that Americans are plagued with narcissism. Do they believe being loved is in the Bill of Rights?
-- 69% value divorce
-- 56% value homosexual relations
-- 60% value sex outside of marriage
-- 54% value having children outside of marriage.
Are Americans not choosing their own values (humanism) rather than accepting the values revealed in scripture.
22% of Americans embrace the deception that moral values in America are mostly good to excellent.
The God in heaven who destroyed the earth in the days of Noah because of the lack of belief and the decline in morals is certainly revealing his patience and longsuffering by withholding judgment from a society that seems to be much that the one he destroyed thousands of years ago.


Kevin Probst - Teaches History, Government and Apologetics at the high school level in Columbus Georgia.