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by Bill Seng

"Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." ~Romans 8:33-34

It is no secret that things in America have changed in the past few weeks. It has been proven that not only has the office of the chief executive and our legislative branches been corrupted, but so has our court system. Today we are governed in a manner not much different from the way it was back in the day of the judges: as each person felt was right. Aside from that, the definition of marriage has been ransacked and destroyed. You could marry a potato now and I would be a bigot in pointing out the absurdity in it. But none if this is my point in this post. What I would like to talk about are these absurd claims concerning how the church is actively persecuting the homosexual community.

Yes, this is an absurdity. For one, the church is responsible for electing officials who have made it possible for such legislation to pass that would legalize so-called same sex marriage. I, for one, am exhausted of having to waste my breath apologizing every time I address the topic of same sex marriage. The term itself is an oxymoron, but every time we speak about it anymore we have to preface that it is not the worst of all sins. I agree, but in conceding that point we must also agree that there is a hierarchy of sins otherwise, or else we cannot make the statement that there are worse sins. If there were not, then how can we say it is not the worst? Second, sexual sin is acknowledged as being a unique sin because it is a sin against your body and it unites you with another person. The Bible also says not to partake with those who call themselves believers but are engaged in sexual sin. I can go on about all of the ways that the Bible condemns sexual sin, but once again I am side tracked from my main point: Who within Christianity is persecuting the homosexual community?

My answer is that it is not happening. Christians are not persecuting the homosexual community. Yes, perhaps some crazy fringe Christians that even duke it out with fellow believers are, but as a whole it is not happening. I truly do not know of one church where I live in Findlay, Ohio, that would not welcome a homosexual if his or her true intent would be to seek God. I am even including the fundamentalist churches. But even if they did not, they most certainly would not harass such people; they would send them on their way and pray for them. I have heard claims that people have been excluded from church for the sake for such reasons in different cities but many of those are misrepresented and false, and the others I find highly suspect. It is incredible what people will falsely accuse you of these days.

Another accusation is that Christians are unloving toward homosexuals. Really? In every debate with homosexuals on this topic and the Bible, I hear and observe Christians asserting over and over that we do not hate homosexuals. We love them as Christ loved us before we submitted our will to him. But the counter argument is that we cannot love them unless we approve of their lifestyle. Well, if we believe it is sin, Romans says some strong things about people who approve of sin. But we know that Jesus came to save sinners.

We have been charged of hatred and to this I say “nonsense.” To yearn for your salvation and to desire to see you healed of the pain that has driven you into this lifestyle is the furthest thing from hatred and the closest thing to love. We have bent over backwards to express the love of Christ to this community only to have our businesses shut down, our churches closed, and our God ordained traditions dismantled and rubbed in our faces.

But who is our accuser? Romans 8 is implying that none can accuse us now because all of the accusations directed at us land on the cross. It is not we who are persecuted but Christ himself, for all of Satan's accusations concerning our sins were accepted by Jesus and no longer are we representatives of ourselves, but of Jesus. So long as we walk in his ways and teach what he taught us, no one has any cause against us.

It appears that more of the church is being persecuted by the homosexual community than the homosexual community is being persecuted by the church. We are accused of wickedness. Although none of us are perfect, our yearning to see homosexuals come to Christ in a vulnerable and humble way is our expression of love for them. But what is love? It can only be found when you have met Jesus Christ.

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