A person whom I hold in high regard wrote a letter to the editor of Newsweek concerning the editorial of the December 15th, 2008 issue.  The current issue is, of course, attempting to prove a Bible-based rationale behind homosexual marriage.  In Mr. Crowson’s words, “Since I doubt they will publish it, here it is for your enjoyment.”  So, quoted verbatim from his facebook page, here is the letter.  Feel free to discuss below.

“The Gospel According to Newsweek…Or Something Like That“

“Here is a note I just sent to Newsweek about their December 15, 2008 issue in which they attempt to show that the Bible is for homosexual marriage. Since I doubt they will publish it, here it is for your enjoyment:

For years, people who took the Bible’s teaching seriously, and opposed things such as gay marriage were told, “Keep your Bible out of our policies!” To mention anything from holy scripture in an otherwise civilized conversation brought hysterical cries of “Separation of Church and State!” or “You can’t legislate morality!”

And now Newsweek tells us it is OK to bring the Bible into public debate, as long as it is brought in on the “progressive” side. Imagine that — Newsweek a trustworthy source of sound theology. Who knew? Jon Meacham’s editorial comment about perverting Scripture (“The Devil, as Shakespeare once noted, can cite Scripture for his purpose….”) is especially ironic, in light of the twisting and turning that was to follow, in an article straight from the Stretch Armstrong translation, no doubt.

“The Bible endorses slavery….” Oh, really? I question that. Slavery has been a human institution for a very long time. The Bible sheds light on how believers can live and try to honor God in societies that tolerate things that are truly evil, such as slavery. Nowhere does it endorse it. The article pointedly leaves out the fact that it was believers who were “over represented” in the fight against slavery.

The marriages we see in the Old and New Testaments often fall short of what the Bible otherwise teaches about marriage. Believers have known that for years, and have taken inspiration from the way in which God works His perfect ways with such imperfect people, even more evidence that the record of Scripture was not invented to brag about its “heroes.” Fortunately, The Gospel According to Newsweek is here to save us. In an effort truly worthy of any freshman or sophomore essay, it jumps to the only conclusion to be tolerated in an enlightened age: “What God’s people through the ages have understood has been all wrong. Lucky for you we are here to clear the air and to set things straight.”

Whatever one may make of homosexual practices and relationships, they are not marriage. Marriage patterns in actual cultures and history have always been heterosexual, even among cultures who knew nothing of the Bible (and please, spare us the anecdotal aberrations, as though somehow finding a mushroom on a golf course negates the fact that the course is supposed to be grass). The Trinitarian view of God displays both unity and diversity in relationships. We are told that God created man, male and female, in His image. Much of this mystery challenges our understanding, but it is easy to see that heterosexual unions reflect that image and diversity in a manner totally impossible for homosexual unions.

People deal with all manner of “natural” inclinations that Scripture warns us to flee. Some people seem born to infidelity, while others battle greed, anger, theft, gossip, and any number of other evil things, including homosexuality. The message of the Bible, properly understood, frees us from the power of these natural, though deadly, desires.

But we love each other! How truly ignorant we have become when we can no longer distinguish between love and libido. True love desires what is best for the other. How can it be best for the one I love to bind him or her in a relationship that is truly unnatural, and under divine condemnation? The object of my affection in this case can be the cute guy down the hall, or my neighbor’s wife. They’re both off limits. To pursue either one is to bind them to me in an illicit relationship. Not content to simmer in my own sin, I insist on dragging them down with me, and slapping on the l-o-v-e label as justification. Such is the New Gospel of Newsweek.

No thanks. The original still works just fine.”

-Allan Crowson

I recieve quite a few spam emails, and most of them end up in the trash bin before I even consider opening them.  Today, for some reason, I decided to open a mass mailing from my cell phone carrier, which just so happens to be one of the most popular ones, Verizon Wireless.

Inside was a list of the most-downloaded ringtones.  The number one ringtone on the list is the song “I Kissed A Girl” by Katy Perry.  You can bet that almost all of those ringtones are not on adult cell phones.  Now, I know that this song has been on the radio for a long time now.  I heard it almost as soon as they started playing it and was immediately shocked.  I also noticed that one of my friends posted a warning about this song on his blog in June, for which I was grateful.  Unquestionably, the boundary lines keep getting pushed further and further in the mainstream media.  Here’s another recent example: I was shocked just the other day to see two men full-on making out on a daytime soap opera.  I saw this not because I watch soap operas, but because I was in a nursing home on my job.  How many elderly people, or even young children who were off from school, were subjected to it?  I shudder to think of my grandpa, who is unable to change the channel, having to watch this display. 

Where is the line between tolerance and acceptance?  How can Christians show these people that we care for them out of love while still standing up for Biblical truth?  Is there anything that we can or even should do about it?  These questions have to be answered (and answered well) before our entire nation and way of life disappears forever, never to return again.  Whatever action Christians DO take on the issue of homosexuality, I am persuaded that it should be complimented with a clear understanding of the idea of the total depravity of man.  Basically, all men, without the redemptive power of Christ, are depraved and unregenerate, regardless of what good they do.  Life is meant to be God-centered, not man-centered.