When Moral Relativism And Religion Meet
By Monte Kuligowski (12/09/04)
Even as the U.S. Constitution can be interpreted to mean whatever liberal judges say, the Bible is like soft clay in the hands of liberal theologians. By liberal, I’m speaking of those given to moral relativism. In their world, homosexual practice is justified and should be accepted as an alternative lifestyle with God’s stamp of approval.
If a picture paints a thousand words, then a moving picture should leave the viewer with a million. A recent TV ad by the so-called United Church of Christ (UCC) does indeed reveal a number of words, but not the ones the church ties to its images.
Their national ad begins by showing two men in black t-shirts standing outside in front of a church, guarding its entrance with a rope-type gate. Church bells are ringing and ominous music is playing in the background. Two grown men approach holding hands. They are greeted by a hand signaling them to stop. “No, step aside please,” utters one of the mean-looking bouncers with a firm voice. As the apparently homosexual couple step aside, the gate is clicked open for two white girls and what appears to be a white family consisting of husband, wife and child. After they enter, the gate is abruptly clicked closed, this time to deny access to a young looking Hispanic man, a black girl and a white man in a wheel chair.
The TV screen then goes black, except for the words, “Jesus didn’t turn people away. Neither do we.” Next, the camera shows a large diverse group. With happy music in the background, a spokesman says, “The United Church of Christ. No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome here.” Finally, the words, “God is still speaking,” are shown above the red background containing the denomination’s name and emblem.
I was introduced to the commercial and saw it repeatedly one day while home sick in bed watching the “History Channel.” The first time I saw it I didn’t see the two men holding hands and I thought, “That’s a good church ad.” It appeared to be good because it contrasted a church turning people away based on race and disability with a church embracing people from every tribe, tongue and nation. (Rev. 5: 9) After realizing the ad’s intended message, at the second viewing, I somehow found the strength to arise and write.
The fact that homosexual men are shown heading for church hand-in-hand speaks volumes. These two are not traversing the church sidewalk because they’re looking for help to overcome their specific sin; rather, they are pushing the envelope. They are looking for a liberal church to accept them in their sin.
“Jesus didn’t turn people away,” says the UCC. That’s true, but there’s always a cost to following Christ. One could more accurately say: Jesus doesn’t turn away anyone willing to turn away from sin. People turn away from Jesus when they are unwilling to keep His commandments. When the rich young ruler came to Jesus asking about salvation, the Lord told him to “sell whatever you have . . . and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 10: 21) The Bible says the man “went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Id. 10: 22) You see, no one can follow Christ on his own terms. Jesus presented the same condition to the rich man that He presented to Peter, James, John and the rest of the disciples: leave all behind and follow.
In another biblical passage, there is often much emphasis placed on the men who brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus. The men tried to test Jesus. The Law of Moses said she must be stoned, but yet they knew Christ desired to show mercy. Jesus skillfully unset their trap by responding, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8: 7) After the last man had released his rock to the sand and walked away, we see that Jesus did show mercy to the woman. An equally important emphasis from this story, however, should be on the condition of Christ’s mercy. As Jesus gently extended His loving hand to her, He said: “Go and sin no more.” (Id. 8: 11) Notice that the Great Physician didn’t allow the woman to remain in her sin, but commanded her to rise above it. The same level of absurdity in imagining the woman turning to seek out a church to accept her adulterous lifestyle also applies to the notion of a man seeking a church to accept his homosexual lifestyle. (It’s even worse that a church would seek to approve the same.)
According to the instruction of the apostle John, Christ’s words (go and sin no more) aren’t meant to suggest that the woman would never sin again or that there would be no struggle to overcome sin, but that she could not practice sin and be His follower. (See 1 John 1: 9; 3: 7; Heb. 12: 3-4)
Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” (Matt. 7: 13)
The United Church of Christ says that “God is still speaking.” How true. Unfortunately the oxymoron known as liberal churches are unwilling to hear Him.
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