The Pastor in me simply cannot contain itself anymore. I have to speak to this issue of the homosexual mindset.
In one of the most used scriptures in the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul speaks about homosexuality at the end of chapter 1, verses 18-32. While this passage has been used to declare that homosexuality is wrong (which is certainly taught by these verses), we forget Romans 2:1 where Paul says “you, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” A shocking statement since I am not a homosexual.
But Paul’s point is that I AM a homosexual. Paul chose homosexuality because it is the most obvious outworking of a selfish way of thinking that wants what is wants regardless of what God says. In fact, it rejects God and the truth for what it wants–to worship and serve itself. And Paul is saying that we are all homosexual in thought and philosophy if not in practice.
Nowhere is this more visible than in the current state of heterosexual marriage in this country. We stand and condemn gay marriage while at the same time allowing a degradation of heterosexual marriage in no-fault divorce, wanton adultery, abuse, abandonment, and the like. Regardless of what our political institutions may declare about gay marriage in the future, we have a real self-worship problem in our society and in our heterosexual marriages.
Many previous posters have pointed out this problem, that gay marriage is simply the end, not the source of the problem. Our selfish, self-worshipping, self-seeking mentality is the problem and we see this played out in the current state of all marriages. We want what we want when we want it. Why then are we so shocked when homosexuals do the same thing? We have the same thought pattern!
Paul’s words in Romans 1 are not a declaration that homosexuality is wrong. That is actually assumed by his words. Rather, he is accusing us all of being homosexuals, even if we are in heterosexual marriages!
Kyle, what would you say to the theory some have proposed that Romans 1 suggests the breakdown of sexual morals is more a judgment against sin than a cause of it?
I would agree that more sin is one of the punishments of sin. There is often a fine line between consequences and punishment. I hit my finger…consequence or punishment? In Romans 1, Paul makes it clear when he says “God gave them over…” that homosexuality is both a consequence and punishment of self-worship. Self-worship in my life looks different than homosexuality, but the same self-idolatry is the root of both.
And it’s not just homosexuality but all “the lusts of their hearts” that God gave humanity over to in Romans 1, although homosexuality is then identified as illustrating this.