Re: Adultery vs homosexuality

Robert L. Miller (rlmiller@garlic.com)
Tue, 20 Aug 1996 22:45:03 -0700

>Bob,
>
> It is quite right that we hear a lot less about adultery and other far
>"worse" sins (if there really are such things as better and worse sin) than
>we do about homosexuality. That would lead one to suspect that the PC
>accusation of homophobes would have some validity. I thought this might
>have some validity until someone said something a few months ago that shed
>new light for me.
> We are not out seeking to condemn homosexuality as a sin of greater
>severity than other sins. In fact, if we err it is in leniency to other
>sins. However, it has not been the heterosexual community out to call
>greater attention to homosexual sin, it has been the gay and lesbian
>community that has kept this issue on the front burner demanding to be
>accepted as equal to heterosexuals. It is the homosexual community that
>demands we treat their lifestyle as not representing sin. It is at this
>point that many are resisting the demand.
> Were an adulterous organization to demand of the church that they be
>recognized as engaging in an equally viable lifestyle, there would be a
>great deal of resistance (I would certainly hope) within the church at
>large. The difference that there is generally a recognition that when a
>member or leader (lay or clergy) falls into adultery that a sin has been
>committed. I don't believe there are many pastors engaged in open
>admitted, unrepentant adultery that are being ordained, yet this is exactly
>what the homosexual community is demanding.
>
>I don't know if this will clarify anything for you, but it was a help to me
>in understanding the difference.
>
>Tom
>
The point I think Janet was trying to make, and I agree with, is that we in
the church are making a lot of noise about the homosexual lifestyle (and to
a certain degree we need to) but are strangely silent about a much more
serious problem in the church, that of divorce and remarriage. I can not
give you a reference off the top of my head but I have read that the amount
of divorce and remarriage by those in evangelical churches reflects what is
happening in the larger society. Jesus was asked about this specific
question and his answer was that unless the divorce is because of
unfaithfulness then it is adultery. If we evangelicals put as much energy
and fury fighting the divorce remarriage problem as we do the homosexual
problem we would probably revolutionize the church.

Bob