Michael Youssef
The Christian Post reported
that on August 21, 2011, Mike Weatherley, a MP [Member of Parliament]
for Hove, wrote a letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron saying,
"As long as religious groups can refuse to preside over ceremonies for
same-sex couples, there will be inequality."
In 2004, The United Kingdom passed laws legalizing same-sex unions, but
churches were not required to participate in these unions. In 2010, the
Conservative - Liberal Democrat Coalition proposed an amendment to
those laws which allowed places of worship to "opt-in" to register
same-sex ceremonies, something that MP Weatherley called a "messy
compromise."
But that is not all that MP Weatherley had to say. He [and he is not
alone in the British Parliament] said that churches should be
"compelled" to register civil partnerships, the same way the Parliament
"compelled" 11 Catholic adoption agencies to provide adoption services
to same-sex couples.
Incidentally, some of those adoption agencies had to shut down based on conviction.
So much for freedom in a democratic society. What a shame western civilization as we know it is going down the tubes!!
Consider with me this deep, slippery slope:
Initially, homosexual lobbyist groups said, "All we want is to be left alone."
Then, a few years later, they said, "We just want our lifestyle to be accepted."
Not long after that it was, "We want our lifestyle to be legally recognized as a civil union."
And finally it went all the way to, "We want nothing less than
marriage," which, since creation, has been defined and accepted as a
sacred institution between a man and a woman.
Now, in England at least, they are demanding that churches be
"compelled" to do that which is contrary to their deeply held
convictions. I guess the homosexual lobbyists' attitudes are, "Forget
their consciences and their biblical teaching and belief system."
Soon they will demand [and some of them already have] that we teach children to uphold homosexuality as a virtue.
In America, we are watching the breathtaking success of homosexual
lobbyists as they intimidate well-known evangelical mega-church pastors
into apologizing for their former, but now defunct, biblical conviction
on the issue.
For a person who loves people regardless of their chosen sin, I am
flabbergasted - but not surprised - by this runaway train that leads us
to the same fate as that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
I am not surprised at their continual demand for increasing affirmation
of their life style, because God created us in His own image and He
placed a mechanism within us that alerts us when we are defying God's
natural laws. Even homosexual lobbyists know deep down that
homosexuality is contrary to God's created order.
Therefore, the fire of their burning consciences will not stop at being
left alone, or being accepted, or being promoted as the norm, or even
elevating their lifestyle as a virtue. Why?
Because that fire will only be quenched when they acknowledge that they
were born sinners, just like me, and come to the only Savior who can
set them free, giving them victory over the bondage of sin.
Tragically, as the Apostle Paul wrote, "They are darkened in their
understanding and separated from the life of God because of the
ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having
lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so
as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed"
(Ephesians 4:18-19). This is grievous! We must implore them to repent
and to turn to God to receive His wisdom, understanding and ultimate
victory over sin--something every Christian must do.
