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Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

Email:
Pastor Scott Carson

Secretary Patti Hall

PASTOR'S PENS 2003

Grace Church of Burlington November 16, 2003 What’s the big deal about homosexuality?             Last Friday, Governor Doyle vetoed a bill making marriage between a man and a woman. Tuesday, The Milwaukee Journal carried a column announcing that Governor Doyle was seeking benefits for homosexual partners for State employees (though our State is in a financial crisis).             It would be easy for someone to think, “So what? What business is it of ours what people do in the privacy of their homes?” As Christians, God has called us to be salt and light in a morally decaying culture. We do have a responsibility for civil and political involvement. Obviously, our primary goal is to reach individuals with the message of salvation, that Jesus Christ died on the Cross to pay for all of our sins. And homosexuality is a moral sin, just as adultery and pre-marital sex are. Sexual sin is sexual sin.             At Grace, we believe that God’s plan is the only moral and legitimate place for sexual intimacy. His plan, as outlined in Scripture, states that sexual intimacy should only be within marriage between a man and a woman. Interestingly, sociologists now have documented the fall-out of sexual intimacy outside of marriage.             But the homosexual community does not want to just be left alone. They also want us to approve of their lifestyles and even grant them minority status. Let me just share two recent examples.             A British pastor, Peter Forster, was recently investigated by the police for a Hate Crime for saying that homosexuals can “reorientate themselves.” Rev. Forster had told the Chester Chronicle, "Some people who are primarily homosexual can reorientate themselves. I would encourage them to consider that as an option, but I would not set myself up as a medical specialist on the subject ‑ that's in the area of psychiatric health. We want to help them but I don't offer it as a panacea. I am about giving honor to marriage." As a result, he was investigated by his local police department.             And a woman (Dr. Cheryl Clark) in Colorado was forbidden by a Colorado judge from exposing her child to anything that might be considered “homophobic.” The Washington Times reported that the Judge specifically meant Focus on the Family and Promise Keepers materials. The Washington Times stated that, "it was those materials that prompted a Denver judge to forbid Dr. Clark from exposing her daughter to anything 'that can be considered homophobic.’” Denver District Court Judge John W. Coughlin issued his order after Miss McLeod [Clark's former lover] testified that the religious materials at Dr. Clark's church were “somehow improper.” Dr. Clark’s former homosexual lover did not think her church was appropriate because it had Promise Keepers pamphlets in the foyer.             Folks, please get this. Not only do homosexuals want to continue in their immoral behavior, they want the rest of us to condone and approve of it. If homosexuals are granted minority status, our church could lose its tax exemption if we preached against homosexuality and said that it was a sin.  These are dangerous trends which undermine both the rights of parents and religious freedom. According to the Associated Press, "University of California at Berkeley law professor Joan Hollinger, said, ‘It seems way beyond the authority of a court to attempt to control the content of religious instruction, or the lack thereof.’” But they are doing it and will continue to do it...unless Christians stand publicly for righteousness. Throughout most of history the Church has been persecuted and much of the Church is persecuted around the world today. What a tragedy, though, it would be if we lost our religious freedom in America because we failed to speak out. Freedoms once lost are very difficult to ever regain.