Before yesterday, I had never heard of Trey Pearson. He is part of a "Christian alternative rock band" called Everyday Sunday. (What does the alternative mean anyway??). I also had never heard of the band. This 35 year old married father of 2 came out as gay. From everything I have read, it appears he is going to leave his wife, and "co-parent" with her, and pursue his sexual desires.
I was reading a lot of comments on the story, and sadly the majority of people were cheering him on and thinking it was a good thing. One person said he could better minister to the LGBT community. That is like someone claiming to be a Christian drug addict and saying he could better minister to drug addicts.
A definition
In an attempt to avoid confusion, I am going to use the term "gay" to refer to someone who is engaging in sex or a sexual relationship with the same sex/gender. I myself deal with same-sex attraction, but do not attach the label "gay" to myself, for to me it is an identity and indicates sexual activities with the same gender. I know of Christians who identify as "celibate gay Christians", but to me that is like saying someone is a teetotaler alcoholic, or a celibate adulterer. To me, and for this blog post; "gay Christian" means someone professing to be a Christian while having sexual relations with the same gender.
A blessing and a curse
The growing acceptance of gay people/homosexuality is both a blessing and a curse. As I well can testify, it is rough having to hide the fact that you are attracted to the wrong gender. Add to that the lies you must tell for why you aren't dating or married, and it is truly rough. Sitting in the church pew for years with a secret struggle, not being able to ask for prayer because it would get you ostracized or worse.
So for me and others like me who want to live for God and not surrender to these attractions and desires, it is a blessing that there is growing acceptance. I don't feel the need to hide anymore, and bringing my struggles to light have actually taken their power over me away, and they have lessened to an immense degree.
However, there is the curse. With the growing acceptance, more and more people are coming out as gay to openly live the gay lifestyle. Guys like Trey Pearson have swallowed the lie that you can be gay and Christian, so they are professing to know Jesus as Savior, but are engaging in sin and immorality....and getting approval and applause for doing so....sadly from many Christians.
And here is why I find this news about Trey Pearson so tragic: I have studied and read many books about this issue. I have heard testimonies of men and women who lived the gay lifestyle, but left it to serve God. I have read and heard the arguments of the pro-gay theology crowd; and more importantly I have prayed a lot. And this is what I have found to be true and what I believe:
What I believe according to the Bible
1) Attraction to the same sex is not sin.
2) I don't believe people are born gay, but neither do I believe it is a choice.
3) The Bible clearly condemns homosexuality (the sexual act) as sin in both the Old and New Testaments.
4) You cannot be a Christian and engage in sexual acts with the same gender. (Or the opposite gender for that matter outside of marriage).
5) God ordained marriage between one man and one woman, and any time marriage is mentioned in the Bible it is in that context.
6) You cannot live a life of habitual sin and go to Heaven, thus anyone who is having sex with the same gender will go to hell..... and that IS Biblical.
7) Anyone affirming and accepting a "gay Christian" is only helping them be deceived and helping them towards an eternity in hell.
8) Homosexuality is a form of brokenness. You don't just accept brokenness, you seek help and healing from it.
9) The gay life is a dangerous life. Gay men have a much higher rate of promiscuity - it is not unusual for a gay man to have hundreds and even a thousand for more sexual partners in his lifetime. AIDS and other STDSs are much more common among gay men than heterosexuals.
Lasting monogamous relationships are rare among gay men. Their relationships tend to be short and even higher in frequency than heterosexuals. There also seems to be more depraved sexual acts among gay people, and the one sexual act common among gay men is dangerous health-wise.......so taking this all into consideration, how can any one say they love a person and encourage them to pursue that kind of lifestyle?
10) The gay lifestyle cannot make one happy.
11) There is freedom and deliverance. Yes, one may have the attractions and desires for life, but that happens with others. Heterosexual males may struggle with lust for life, porn addicts may always be tempted, former alcoholics may always have the desire to drink..... but God can keep us from going back to those sins. Some men get to a point their same-sex attractions are gone and they marry women. Others still deal with it but marry a woman and make it work, while others never get to that point.
Regardless of the case, we need to get past the thinking that because God doesn't take away the attractions and desires, that it means He is OK with the sin,
The Bible warns about God turning us over to believe a lie, and that has to be where these guys like Trey Pearson are. I am not hating him, nor throwing stones. I think it is sad, and I am thankful that it isn't me going against God and His Word, while claiming to be a Christian. We should pray for the Trey Pearsons of the world. Don't hate and judge them, but pray they see the truth and find their way back to God.... and never, ever affirm them in their sin and deception.
No comments:
Post a Comment