THE LGBT DEBATE - ARCHBISHOP JUSTIN WELBY INSULTS TRUE BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby recently had the audacity to tell an audience of “traditional born-again Christians" that they “must repent" over the way gay and lesbian people have been treated in the past and said most young people viewed Christians as no better than racists on the issue. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10271438/Archbishop-urges-Christians-to-repent-over-wicked-attitude-to-homosexuality.html

Welby’s arrogance in that he has told Christians that they “must repent”  is outrageously inaccurate and highly offensive. Firstly, we need to consider exactly who are responsible for treating gay and lesbian people badly in the past.  Historically the persecution of homosexuals has been state sanctioned! Prior to the fourth century, Christianity was a minor cult with no political influence. It is very well documented that the early Christians were persecuted themselves by the Roman Empire - as such they were not responsible for persecution against gay/lesbian people.

It was in the fourth century that the emperor Constantine (280?-337) reinvented Christianity under the direction of Augustine of Hippo. This was when Roman Catholicism began to hijack Christianity and it became the state religion.  Laws against homosexuality were introduced by the emperor Constantine and later by his sons, emperors Constantius II and Constans who imposed laws against homosexuality in the year 342.  Constantine was anything but Christian.  He worshipped the pagan sun god Mithras and incorporated pagan traditions into Christianity, thus polluting the apostles teaching. He  had his first born son Crispus strangled; he had his second wife Fausta boiled alive; he assassinated friends and advisers and extended the death penalty for minor crimes. Constantine’s/Augustine's unbiblical marriage of church and state was a contradiction of Jesus Christ’s own words: My kingdom is not of this world. (John 18/36)   Augustine redefined Christianity in Platonic terms and followed the false ideas of men such as Origen, Cyprian of Carthage, Ambrose etc. In doing so he went beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4/6).

Canon law was brought in by another uniblical marriage between church and state under the unrighteous Henry VIII, who began the process of forming the Church of England after his split with the Pope in the 1530's.  Henry VIII was a murderer and adulterer who was not worthy of the title "Defender of the Faith".

In Muslim countries, from the birth of Islam in the seventh century to the present time there has been prohibition of homosexuality.  This fact is conveniently overlooked when Christians are being blamed for homophobia.

Paul the apostle stated very clearly that it is no business of the Christian to judge “outsiders”  i.e. unbelievers outside the church, in respect to anything the Bible calls sinful:

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 15/9-12)

In the above passage Paul was referring to an act of heterosexual immorality within the church at Corinth. When he says “purge”, he is talking about disfellowship.  Let him who has done this be removed from among you. (1 Corinthians 5/1)

Sodom and Gomorrah is often quoted in the Christianity v LGBT debate:

…… they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may know (be intimate with) them.  Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.”(Genesis 19/5-8)

It should be noted that no human being lifted a finger against the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord Himself rained sulphur and fire out of heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah after Lot’s escape. (Genesis 19/22-24)

Homophobia is defined as: intense hatred or fear of homosexuals or homosexuality (www.thefreedictionary.com). It is inconceivable that a true born-again follower of the Lord Jesus Christ would have an attitude of hatred (Welby says malice) towards homosexuals. It is totally unchristian to do anything to harm gay people or to call them nasty names. Having said that, Christians do not have to do anything that is unbiblical and against the Lord’s will – we cannot say that something is right when the Bible says that it is sinful, but that is as far as we should go - God Himself is the Judge, not us. The fact is that God cares enough about sinners (that is everyone) that he tells Christians to warn those with any kind of sinful lifestyle to repent because they are all in danger of hell.

….. all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

…..for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers,the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers,liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine……(1 Timothy 1/9-10)

None is righteous, no, not one (Romans 3/10).

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17/9)

I do not think that the homosexual community are fooled by Welby’s hypocrisy for one minute. Ben Summerskill, chief executive of gay rights charity Stonewall, said: "It is a tiny bit rich to say he has great sympathy for gay people when in the 10 years since the introduction of civil partnerships the Church has doggedly refused to bless people's long term partnerships even though they are happy to have services for pets and even canals.”

Welby publicly opposed the Government’s Same-sex Marriage Act earlier this year and says that his own mind is not yet “clear”on the wider issues pertaining to the subject. If he is not even clear in his own mind then why is he pontificating to the rest of us? Is he schizophrenic?

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1/8)

And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? (1 Corinthians 14/8)

Speaking about homophobia, Welby says that “we have to be really, really repentant about that because it is utterly and totally wrong.”   Welby is making wild assumptions about people’s attitudes and he demands that born again Christians repent for unchristian acts and attitudes that they are not even responsible for! Who does Welby think he is – he has clearly been spending too much time with the Pope! Perhaps he should think about repenting himself from his unbiblical and authoritative dictates.

It is not Bible believing Christians who have changed, it is society that has undergone a “revolution” in attitudes towards sexuality. Welby himself admits that the shift in public attitudes to homosexuality is one of the biggest social changes of recent history. Do Christians have to change with societal changes? We must remember that God is outside time, He is eternal. Trends and societal changes are nothing to Him – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13/8)

Your decrees are very trustworthy;
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, forevermore.  (Psalm 93/5)

Welby urges Christians to speak out about what they are in favour of rather than simply what they are against. As a committed Bible believing Christian myself, I can inform Welby that I am in favour of the Bible, God’s Word: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.  (2 Timothy 3/16)    I am not part of the World Council of Churches or any other compromising and cowardly “church”  which bows to the pressures of a fickle society and corrupt religiosity. True Christians follow the Lord Jesus Christ, a person who never conformed to the dictates of the religious leaders of His time or anyone else who thought that they were something when in fact they were nothing at all.

The Bible is very clear that homosexuality is a sin – this is not my opinion it is the Word of God. I do not hate homosexuals; I care enough about them to warn them to repent because homosexuality will lead people to eternal destruction.

Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? (Galatians 4/16)

The Lord……. is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3/9)

Wolves in sheep’s clothing are doing the LGBT community no favours at all by placating them; in doing so they are deceiving them: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5/20) Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."  (Matthew 15/14)

Welby told the General Synod in July that the strength of feeling he encountered in support prompted him to reassess his own beliefs and urged them to face up to a “revolution" in attitudes on sexuality. If Welby’s beliefs are to be reassessed by the strength of feeling of others then what sort of Christian is he? It is very fortunate that Jesus Christ did not reassess his determination to go to the cross because of the strength of feeling of his opponents! The same thing could be said of the apostles of Christ and the Christian martyrs throughout history.

Welby comes from what is termed as the evangelical wing of Anglicanism, which is said to take a more traditional interpretation of the Bible. Welby was a member of Holy Trinity Church in Brompton (HTB) in the 1980's.  He is a proponent of the much criticised Alpha Course which was pioneered by Nicky Gumbel and developed by HTB (Gumbel is now the Vicar at HTB). HTB claims to be an “evangelical” church, though many would dispute its biblical soundness and the antics that have taken place there. HTB hosted the so called “Kansas City Prophets” who falsely prophesied a massive revival in the UK. Furthermore HTB was at the forefront of promoting the disastrous “Toronto Experience" in Britain.

"In London, countless abandoned Christian churches have been turned into mosques.  And yet, about 12 years ago, the Kansas City prophets prophesied at Holy Trinity Brompton, where the Alpha Course started.....  Paul Cain prophesied a massive revival in the United Kingdom...  The revival happened, but the only problem was that he got his religions wrong - it wasn't a revival of Christianity, it was a revival of Islam!!"  http://www.africanaquatics.co.za

There is much more that could be said about Holy Trinity Brompton, but suffice it to say that the public should be aware that many true born-again Christians regard HTB as totally apostate. Welby does not represent the true church of Jesus Christ any more than Augustine of Hippo or Constantine did. These days many true bible believing born-again Christians refuse to be associated with the World Council of Churches ecumenical agenda and the ravings of people like the Kansas City Prophets and those associated with Pensacola, Toronto and more recently in the UK, the so called "Welsh Outpouring".

Whilst the LGBT community and the true church are on opposite sides of the fence, I hope at least the LGBT community will respect the honesty of people who do genuinely care about them enough to warn them rather than to accept the inane drivel and political manoeuvring of people who falter between two opinions (1 Kings 18/21).

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. (John 3/16-21)