The Strand Study Bible

GENESIS GENESIS Turek and Norman Geisler, in their book called Legislating Morality , explain that the liberal lobby (the pro-gay liberal left) has induced some states to prevent insurers from asking potential consumers any medical questions, including if they are HIV positive. As a result, every other consumer is paying a higher premium because insurance companies are prevented from identifying clients who engage in high-risk sexual behavior. 6 Hugh Pyle in The Pestilence of AIDS notes: Insurance companies are trying to find out more about the “lifestyles” of those they insure…That makes sense. Insurance companies limit their coverage on those who have cancer or heart disease. They set premiums different for those who do not smoke or drink. Certainly they have a right to know if their applicants are immoral or perverted before they insure them! 7 Not only does the gay agenda hurt a society financially, but it hurts a culture physically as well. Many of the same deadly diseases that the gay community has unleashed upon themselves are now infecting many innocent people. NOTE –The book of Jude reminds us that there is a direct correlation between alternative lifestyles and rebellion against moral disciplines and legal authorities ( these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities – Jude 7-8). 3. Its a crime against common sense Because HIV tests cannot detect the virus 100% of the time, there are three groups of people who have been “banned for life” from donating blood: *Intravenous drug users *Prostitutes *Homosexuals In a recent A ss ociated Press article “ Banned for life: Gay men still can’t donate blood ,” 8 gay men remain banned for life from donating blood, despite the criticism of blood groups. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reiterated its long-standing policy on its Web site not to allow gay men to donate blood. The risk of infecting others, according to the FDA, outweighs the need to supply blood. NOTE – The Apostle Paul reminds us that alternative lifestyles just don’t match up ( that which is against nature – Rom 1:26). 4. Its a crime against the “God-ordained” institution of marriage In the beginning God made a man, not men. He then made a woman for that man, not another man. Nancy Eskijian in The Truth About Our Gay Dilemma notes: 94 As early as the Garden of Eden, the Scriptures define gender as male and female, both reflecting the image of God. The Word also clearly establishes that marriage is to be between a man and a woman, which Ephesians 5 explains is a holy reflection of Christ and His church. The Bible makes clear that sexual relations outside of marriage–in act or imagination, heterosexual or homosexual–exceed the bounds of God’s commandments. Yet many people who identify as gay or have same-sex attractions view God’s design of gender, marriage and sexual boundaries as irrelevant, archaic, painful, incorrect, rejecting, homophobic, bigoted or impossible. “This is just who I am,” we hear. “I was born this way…” Homosexuality as a state of being–“I was born gay”–isn’t recognized in Scripture. A person’s conduct, desires and responses are the product of many factors. Some might argue that a person is inclined or predisposed in a certain direction, but that isn’t the equivalent of being born gay or the result of a gay gene or even an inevitable or unchangeable lifestyle. No two people are born with the same emotional history or natural temperament, yet God’s Word declares that we’re all born sinners and require a Savior. Isn’t Jesus clear when He says we must be born again (John 3:3)? If someone believes he was born gay or has been attracted to the same sex from a young age, that doesn’t mean God designed those desires or that it was His intended plan. Nor does it cancel the clear promise of Scripture where Paul declares, “Such were some of you” (I Cor. 6:11, emphasis added). Any orientation we have toward life consists of emotional patterns gleaned from our families, memories and inherited temperament–some good, some bad, some generational, some imprinted into our very cells. However, engaging in a homosexual act requires a choice, no matter how predisposed an individual is–just like any number of other behaviors. Despite the ease with which a person falls into any sin or pattern of living (called “non-choice choices”), that predisposition still reflects a heart the Lord wants to heal, restore and forgive. 9 Dr. James Dobson in Marriage Under Fire notes: To put it succinctly, the institution of marriage represents the very foundation of human social order. Everything of value sits on that base. Institutions, governments, religious fervor, and the welfare of children are all dependent on its stability. When it is weakened or undermined, the entire superstructure begins to wobble. That is exactly what has happened during the last thirty-five years, as radical feminists, liberal lawmakers, and profiteers in the entertainment industry have taken their toll on the stability of marriage. Many of our pressing social problems can be traced to this origin. 10 NOTE – Because some choose to trust men of evolutionary humanistic thinking, societies quickly erode into debauchery. 5. Its a crime against God Himself Alternative lifestyles not only violate the moral laws of God, but they go against His created order and expressed will. God magnificently designed the human body so that it could reproduce itself. However, without the aid of test-tube science, procreation between same sex partners is non-existent. NOTE – The Apostle Paul reminds us that alternative lifestyles ( them which defile themselves with mankind – I Tim 1:9-10) go against God’s expressed will. NOTE – The destruction of Sodom came as a merited punishment for the consistent practice of sin so degenerate in God’s eyes