Will the Bible's Admonition Against Homosexuality be Termed "Hate Speech"?

Following a ruling by a California judge that in effect, negated the votes of 7 million Californians, same sex marraige will continue for the time being in the Golden State. One question being raised in the wake of the ruling by Judge Vaughn Walker is if Proposition 8 was overturned is if it will be considered "hate speech" for ministers to deliver sermons in which the Biblical admonishions against homosexuality are brought up. Judge Walker wrote in his ruling that "Religious beliefs that gay and lesbian relationships are sinful or inferior to heterosexual relationships harm gays and lesbians." There is already an example we can examine from Sweden in which a minister was arrested for speaking out against homosexuality. Liberty University Law School dean Matthew Staver has weighed in on Judge Walker's ruling...

"It’s an astounding statement by a judge, and if that finding were to be upheld, it would criminalize Christian beliefs, because the Bible and Christian beliefs historically have clearly indicated that homosexuality is sex outside of marriage – and is contrary to God’s design,” Staver told CNSNews.com.

He added: “For this judge to say that Christian beliefs or religious beliefs contrary to homosexuality are actually harmful -- what that essentially says is, that if that’s the case, then you’ve got to change your religious beliefs, and if you don’t, you’re going to be penalized as result. That is a very dangerous aspect of this court decision."

The above cited CNS News article goes on to interview Christian counselor and former homosexual Joe Dallas who had this to say about the judge's ruling...

"For a judge to say that it is literally damaging to homosexual people when churches simply express and maintain a clearly defined biblical approach to homosexuality, is to introduce the concept that the ‘damage’ that’s being done to homosexuals needs to be stopped. That damage will have to be stopped by silencing the Church,” Dallas said. “There’s really no other way to read that particular finding....

By 1984, I had been an active member of the gay community for about six years. I also was a Christian and I realized I was going to have to make a choice between obedience to the teachings of the Scripture – or expression of my sexual feelings,” he told CNSNews.com.

“A clear look at the Scripture and a re-evaluation of my faith reminded me that my relationship with God was far more important than sexual satisfaction. And so, I pursued a life of repentance from homosexuality and abstinence from any sort of sexual behavior outside of marriage,” he said.

The author of 11 books on Christianity and sexuality, Dallas said he would not want to see a law passed requiring all people to make the same decision he did.

“But believe me there are many other men and women who have made a similar decision and I have had the honor of working with them over the years,” Dallas said.

“Clear biblical teaching on human sexuality did not damage us,” he said. “And let me say this plainly: clear biblical teaching on human sexuality does not damage anyone. Can that teaching be misapplied? Can people use it as an excuse to harm people? Well, of course – but the same could be said about clear biblical teaching on parenting children.

“Most people, whether Christian or non-Christian, would agree that parents should have authority over their children and that there should be consequences for misbehavior when children misbehave. Now some people have misused that authority as an excuse to physically abuse their children, but we wouldn’t be silly enough to say that because a small minority has misused that teaching and caused harm, that therefore the majority should abandon that teaching – and the same is true here."

I think there was a serious miscalculation on the part of those advocating same sex mariage in that they probably thought it would be a breeze to pass such legislation after numerous countries in liberal Europe adapted such legislation. But Europe is not America and I predict that the level of opposition to such sweeping legislation to reorder society will bet met with much more organized and widespread opposition here. Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention had this to say about Judge Walker's ruling..

"The confession of faith of the Southern Baptist Convention, which states what the Bible says about the family and about marriage – those are not the products of centuries of hate or animus toward homosexuals. They are adherence to the revealed teachings of the Creator of the universe -- God Almighty. These are religious affirmations of revealed truth,” Land said.

“It is quite clear that God condemns same-sex relations as particularly abhorrent. And if that is indeed the case, and we believe it is, it is an act of love towards those who are engaged in such relationships to tell them that they are violating the most sacred laws of God,” he said. “It would be indifference – or worse – to not tell them.”...

“Let me spell it out for you, If they say that telling what the Bible says about homosexuality is hate speech, and cannot be allowed -- we will be arrested in our pulpits. We will obey God rather than man,.."

In addition to the Southern Baptist Convention, Judge Walker's 136 page decision went on to criticize the positions of such diverse groups as the Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as well. We might well see that through one man's strivings, such equal opportunity, myopic criticism will serve to unite the different segments of God's church in a way they never could have hoped to come together on any one issue if they had faithfully tried to do so on their own.