For truth has such a face and such a mien,
As to be lov'd needs only to be seen.- John Dryden
Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.- Alexander Pope
It took about twenty years for Evangelicals to change our view of sodomy from horror and shame, to tolerance. And now we've moved beyond tolerance to a mincing advocacy that masquerades as Christian sensitivity and compassion.
Ten years ago, Covenant Theological Seminary's professor of theology and Christian ethics, David Jones, was telling the future pastors of the Presbyterian Church in America that sodomy was a victimless crime that should be legalized. He was so far above fear of administrative discipline by Covenant's president or trustees that he took his liberation movement into the pages of Christianity Today. It was in those same pages that Tony Campolo's wife promoted sodomite marriage as a better alternative to sodomite promiscuity. Both positions demonstrate a similar (and I can't stand this word) mentality.
Covenant didn't condemn Jones' jonesing for the repeal of sodomy laws and Tony Campolo didn't silence his wife, so now these destroyers have won...
Evangelicals today like to send around links to social conservatives' arguments promoting gay marriage as a better alternative to gay promiscuity. R2K men ooh and ahh over the cogency of the argument and the rest of us blather on about the very-important distinction between the tempation and the sin.
We still think gays should understand that their form of gender identity isn't God's best for "human flourishing," but we're quick to demonstrate our sensitivity to the second-class status of those who simply prefer sheep to Eve.
So when our children's favorite Uncle Willie shows up at the family Christmas celebration with his significant other baahing, we're happy to study up on sheep diets and assign them a bedroom cold enough for a sheep wearing her winter coat to sleep comfortably. We hate the sin, but of course we remember to love the sinner. And his partner.
Sometimes it's difficult. Last night playing Scrabble, it seemed awkward to have the sheep crammed next to Uncle Willie at the card table. And when they kiss and make lovey-dovey, it's hard to keep the kids from squealing and running to their bedrooms. But you know, kids inherit their parents' prejudices. I've seen it in myself. Our children can't rise above us, can they?
We should all think about this! How would you feel if your family rejected the sheep you loved? I mean, put yourself in Uncle Willie's shoes. He can tell we've raised our children to be intolerant. Prejudiced, even. He sees them. There's no hiding what's going on when they get the willies.
I could get more specific and graphic about both sodomy and bestiality, but this will suffice to point out our betrayal of those tempted by sexual sin, whether fornication, incest, pederasty, sodomy, adultery, or bestiality. Mollycoddling those suffering these temptations is not what's needed today.
Each of these sins is just very old and boring and must be opposed as directly as possible so those caught by them will get the smallest picture in this life of the coming judgment against their particular form of idolatry, and seeing that judgment will flee to Jesus.
I mean really, guys: can you imagine anyone wanting to spread human understanding and compassion for the greedy? Picture the New York Times engaging in a twenty-year advocacy in the greedy's behalf? Explicitly.
All this comes in response to a bunch of headlines a couple weeks ago. Field and Stream ran it, "Senate Repeals Bans on Sodomy and Bestiality in the Military."
Pagans are great at strategy. First they shame Evangelicals for our homophobia. Realizing how insufficiently progressive we look, we start jonesing for sodomy.
Then pagans move on to bestiality and Wheaton and Covenant profs begin to write serious pieces lamenting the specieism of high school dropouts who chew tobacco and hunt.
With GUNS!
