ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM 'GAY CHRISTIANS' (PART TWO)

Matthew Vines, a self-proclaimed Gay-affirming Gay-Christian, wrote his own “40 questions for Christians who oppose marriage equality.” In a previous article I answered the first twenty of his questions, and will answer the next twenty in this one. I hope you find them helpful.

21. Did you spend any time studying the Bible’s verses on the topic before you felt comfortable believing that the earth revolves around the sun? 

You are committing the red herring fallacy, which is to distract from the topic at hand. This is irrelevant to the discussion.

22. Do you know of any Christian writers before the 20th century who acknowledged that gay people must be celibate for life due to the church’s rejection of same-sex relationships? 

Jesus rejects same-sex relationships (Mark 10:2-9). The Bible rejects same-sex relationships. That’s what matters ultimately. Sola Scriptura is our standard. So-called “gay people” are merely sinners practicing a pathological sin pattern. If they’ll turn from their sin, to Christ, and embrace His morality, they’ll leave their same-sex desires behind and pursue biblical marriage.

23. If not, might it be fair to say that mandating celibacy for gay Christians is not a traditional position? 

The traditional position is heterosexual marriage. That’s what we should be telling “homosexuals” to pursue, if they desire sex (1 Cor. 7:6-9). Also, affirming same-sex relationships in the church is not the “traditional position” if you’re really concerned with tradition.

24. Do you believe that the Bible explicitly teaches that all gay Christians must be single and celibate for life? 

There is no such thing as a “gay Christian.” Again, if Christians desire sex, they should pursue heterosexual marriage, for that is the only biblical definition for God-glorifying sexual expression (Gen 2:18-25; 1 Cor. 7:6-9).

25. If not, do you feel comfortable affirming something that is not explicitly affirmed in the Bible? 

Show me one, just one, “gay Christian” in the Bible. Four thousand years are covered in the Bible, and there’s not a single solitary positive reference to a “gay Israelite” or “gay Christian.” But there are numerous reverences to God’s judgment against “homosexual” desire. Why? Because God condemns it 100%.

26. Do you believe that the moral distinction between lust and love matters for LGBT people’s romantic relationships? 

No. There is not a single person in a “homosexual” relationship that loves his or her partner biblically. Consider 1 Corinthians 13:6, “Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” Just as there is not one single adulterous affair where either partner loves the other biblically, there is not one “homosexual” relationship where they love one another biblically either. In other words, it’s pure lust, not love, in both situations. And LGBT desire goes a step further into depravity because it’s unnatural, contrary to God’s design. It’s even more depraved than a heterosexual affair!

27. Do you think that loving same-sex relationships should be assessed in the same way as the same-sex behavior Paul explicitly describes as lustful in Romans 1? 

There is no such thing as a “loving same-sex relationship” since it is a relationship that is contrary to God’s design and His command. Every person who participates in a “homosexual” relationship commits an act of hatred against God and his or her neighbor.

28. Do you believe that Paul’s use of the terms “shameful” and “unnatural” in Romans 1:26-27 means that all same-sex relationships are sinful?
& 29. Would you say the same about Paul’s description of long hair in men as “shameful” and against “nature” in 1 Corinthians 11:14, or would you say he was describing cultural norms of his time? 

You are committing a false analogy fallacy. The contexts of the two passages in question are totally different. Romans 1 describes unbelievers. They worship the creature, upside-down-worship (Rom 1:18-25), which then leads to upside-down-sexuality, “homosexuality” (Rom 1:26-27), which leads to them diving into all kinds of sin (Rom 1:28-32).

First Corinthians 11, on the other hand, describes believers, Christians, and how they are to look and dress in worship when prophesying in mixed company. You’re comparing apples and oranges, unbelievers to believers.

But, Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 1 do relate in that Paul is saying male and female have a particular design from God that they cannot go against. Men and women should only marry and have sex with the opposite sex (Rom 1). And men should only look like men and women should only look like women (1 Cor 11).

Also, Paul’s statements in Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 11 did not happen in a vacuum. They happened embedded in history after an Old Testament that he totally agreed with had already been written. His writings did not contradict the Old Testament but progressively affirmed it in light of Christ’s coming and future reign. Paul was against “homosexuality” and “cross-dressing” because the Old Testament was morally against it.

30. Do you believe that the capacity for procreation is essential to marriage? 

Yes. It is essential as far as it being one of the purposes for marriage. God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply (Gen 1:26-28). Those who are married should desire children (Ps 127:3-5).

31. If so, what does that mean for infertile heterosexual couples? 

Defects are a result of sin and the curse. Since all mankind are sinners from conception and are under God’s curse of creation, we all can have defects as a result. But defects are not God’s design, they are the product of the curse, and therefore, do not define man’s purpose. In other words, the rule is God’s design and defects are the exception to the rule. But the exceptions do not define the rule. We are what and who God says we are. And He has clearly said we are either male or female in Genesis 1:26-27, and that we should pursue biblical marriage in Genesis 2:18-25.

32. How much time have you spent engaging with the writings of LGBT-affirming Christians like Justin Lee, James Brownson, and Rachel Murr? 

Not much. The Bible is clear on this issue, and the church has affirmed this reality for thousands of years. “Homosexuality” is sin and nothing but sin. The culture is motivating the new interpretations of Scripture, not faithful exegesis of Scripture. Matthew, if the Bible really is okay with “homosexual” relationships, why, in a book that covers 4,000 years of human history, is there never one mention of a positive “homosexual” relationship? The answer is clear. Because it’s sin. It always has been and always will be.

33. What relationship recognition rights short of marriage do you support for same-sex couples? 

Nothing for “same-sex couples.”

34. What are you doing to advocate for those rights? 

Nothing. I love my neighbors too much to pat them on the back as they head towards God’s wrath. And I refuse to praise something that literally destroys societies, “homosexuality,” and if it is carried to its consistent end, will mean the end of humanity altogether.

My question for you is “Why do you hate ‘homosexuals’?” You will not hold their hands on judgment day. And none of your supporters will hold your hand either. Repent friend. That is the only way to deal with sin.

35. Do you know who Tyler Clementi, Leelah Alcorn, and Blake Brockington are, and did your church offer any kind of prayer for them when their deaths made national news? 

This is an appeal to a pity fallacy and is also a red herring. If I can list the names of traditional marriage advocates that you haven’t prayed for and who have been hurt by sinners, does that mean heterosexual marriage is somehow more plausible? No.

36. Do you know that LGBT youth whose families reject them are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide than LGBT youth whose families support them? 

You are committing the appeal to pity logical fallacy. And you’re also blaming the parents when it’s actually your fault and the fault of others like you!

The damage done to a kid who "comes out" is not due to the parent calling same-sex attraction sin, it's the damage from people like you that tell the kid "being gay" is who he is. If the kid saw his same-sex attractions as particular instances of sinful desire rather than "who he is," he wouldn't be in despair. The parent could point him to Christ to be completely cleansed. But instead, you send such a kid to the mirror to self-justify, saying, "I'm gay, but I'm not sinning in my heart," and "My ‘homosexuality’ can be sanctified" rather than teaching him that his “homosexual” desires can be forgiven and changed in Christ. After all, the Bible never says anyone is born "gay" or "trans," but rather that men and women exchanged the natural use of the man or woman in Romans 1:24-27. They were not ontologically different than any other men or women; they just chose to walk in sin.

Also, do you know that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe (Rom. 1:16-17)? Or, do you not know that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9)? I don’t see how supporting people in their sin, actions about which the Bible says those who commit them will not inherit the Kingdom of God, is a good thing for Christians to do. As a matter of fact, encouraging people to continue in their sin that sends them to hell, is pure hate, not love. You can’t do anything more hateful to a person than pat him on the back as he runs to an eternity in hell.

37. Have you vocally objected when church leaders and other Christians have compared same-sex relationships to things like bestiality, incest, and pedophilia? 

No and Yes. No, in that incest, bestiality, and pedophilia are perversions of opposite-sex attraction, which is God’s design. Yes, in that bestiality is a step further into depravity than “homosexual” sin for it leaves humanity altogether.

I have a question for you, “Have you objected when “homosexuals” have compared “homosexual” relationships to the only biblical definition of marriage, heterosexual marriage?” Of course not! You say the two are the same! Yet the Bible doesn’t have one positive mention of a “homosexual marriage” in covering over 4,000 years of human history. And God literally destroyed cities because of homosexual relationships.

38. How certain are you that God’s will for all gay Christians is lifelong celibacy? 

Again, Christians that desire sex should pursue heterosexual marriage. Lifelong celibacy is only an option for those that have the gift of singleness (1 Cor. 7:6-9). And Christians who talk about their sexuality all the time don’t have the gift of singleness! Thus, I don’t understand why a Christian, who does not have the gift of singleness, would pursue life-long celibacy when God has given us the good gift of biblical marriage and children?

39. What do you think the result would be if we told all straight teenagers in the church that if they ever dated someone they liked, held someone’s hand, kissed someone, or got married, they would be rebelling against God? 

This is a false equivalency fallacy. If I tell a Christian boy that he cannot get married to a Christian girl, then I am a liar and a false teacher. But, if I tell a Christian boy that he cannot like, hold hands, kiss, or marry a boy, then I love him and I’m faithful to God’s Word. Boys and girls were designed by God for biblical marriage, not same-sex sin. If I forbid biblical marriage, I sin against God. If I forbid same-sex “marriage”, I please God.

40. Are you willing to be in fellowship with Christians who disagree with you on this topic?

I cannot speak about all Christians, but I will speak of you. You are a false teacher, possibly leading thousands of people to hell in unrepentance. I cannot and will not fellowship with you as a fellow believer, for you are living like you are an unbeliever. Will you repent and believe the gospel? Will you quit trying to change the Bible to fit your desires? Will you turn from your sin and embrace God’s ethic, God’s definition of marriage, and God’s definition for holy sexual expression? Only then will your guilt be taken away. You do not feel guilty because of the Church, you feel guilty because your conscience condemns you. You know what the Bible says. Will you believe it? Will you reject the false gospel that the answer for your “homosexual” desires is to act on them? Instead, will you deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Christ (Matt 16:24)?

Jesus is worth leaving your sin behind to follow! Come, taste, and see!