Speaking Out on Social Issues

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Corinthians 13:3

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

NKJV

Giving to satisfy the physical needs of the poor is something God calls us all to do.  In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus equates meeting the physical needs of those in need to feeding and clothing Himself.  However, in Mark 8:36 Jesus also reminds us that to gain the whole world and have all our material needs met and yet lose our souls is no profit at all.  It is therefore important for us as Christians not only to attend to the physical needs of the poor, but also to the spiritual needs of their souls. 

We live in a world that is increasingly turning against social norms and traditions that have their roots in the Word of God and adopting secular humanistic lifestyles based on a post modernistic philosophy that believes one is free to do whatever they believe is right.  This populist anything goes social theory permeates literature, film, and music in our society.  (1)  This social theory also permeates our educational system.  (2) 

This social theory believes that science and logic has the ability to answer any question or problem facing us.  However, as we look at some of the social issues of today that we as Christians are asked to accept and tolerate, we begin to see the failure of this new social order to answer tough questions leaving those believing in this new order with even more questions.

1)      Abortion – The anything goes society believes that sex is something two consenting adults should be permitted to engage in if they believe it is right.  However, this promiscuous lifestyle comes with the risk of pregnancy.  Post-modernism teaches people to use a condom or some other form of contraception to reduce the possibility of pregnancy.  In the event these fail, girls are taught to just have an abortion and the problem is solved.  What they fail to teach is that prolonged use of contraceptives carries increased risk of cancer in women.  This is because oral contraceptives contain synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, which have been found to influence the growth of some cancers.  (3)  Abortion also carries risk for women, which is conveniently not taught.  Among those risks are risks of pelvic infection, blood clots in the uterus, heavy bleeding, perforation of the uterus wall, and infertility.  (4)  Even though pregnancy also has risks and complications, they are far less than the risks from abortion.  Women seeking an abortion are conveniently not told that they can give up their baby for adoption to parents wanting to raise the child and provide a good home for them. 

2)      Gay marriage – Genesis 2:24 tells us “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”  (KJV)  Those in the gay community may argue that in the verse the term wife does not specify that the person is a woman.  However, in the context of this verse, there were only one man and woman on earth.  Adam was the first man created and from one of his ribs, God created Eve, the first woman.  Since all scripture must be interpreted in its context, the only correct contextual interpretation of this verse is that God intended his creation man and woman to join in marriage.  God also condemns the gay lifestyle in both the Old and New Testaments. 

The Old Testament condemnation occurs in Genesis 19:1-29.  Lot receives a visitation from two angels.  The men of the city see the angels enter Lots home and ask him to let them come out so they can have sex with them (Genesis 19:5).  In response to this, the angels remove Lot and his family from the city so they can escape the complete destruction God is going to bring.  This demonstrates both the righteousness and mercy of God.  His righteousness is demonstrated by the fact that the sin of homosexuality was so abhorrent to him he had no choice but to totally destroy a city where this practice was rampant.  However, it also demonstrates the mercy of God in that he removed the righteous from the city and would have even spared the city had there been 10 righteous people living there (Genesis 18:32). 

The New Testament condemnation occurs in Romans 1:26-27, which says, “That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires.  Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other.  27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other.  Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved.”  (NLT)  This condemnation of sin is in the context of God’s anger at sin.  Starting in Verse 21, Paul teaches how sin began its hold on humanity when they began worshiping the creation instead of the creator and then its hold on people grows from there.  The condemnation of homosexuality is actually the high point of the growth of sin in humanity and is a result of God leaving man to the thoughts of a reprobate mind (Romans 1:26). 

In addition to scriptural condemnation, the gay lifestyle shortens a person’s lifespan by an average of 20 years due to increased exposure to deadly sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and other health risks associated with homosexuality.  (5)  Children raised in homosexual households also are at risk, in spite of studies showing they fare no worse than those raised in traditional households.  (6)  Perhaps one of the reasons the homosexual lifestyle places children at risk is that the homosexual lifestyle, according to Simon Fanschawe a Gay journalist, is a sewer, hardly an atmosphere in which to raise children.  (7) 

During election cycles, we will hear about how we must have concern for the children as well as people’s health and welfare.  Of course, the context of political discussions of these issues is usually education, school lunches, government sanctioned health care, and government welfare programs for the poor.  As Christians, however, we need to speak up about the damage the gay lifestyle presents to people’s health and the welfare of children raised in this decadent lifestyle. 

It is clear that the social issues of abortion and gay marriage have a negative impact on our society.  The post-modernism theory teaches that these are non-political issues and a matter of one’s own choice.  However, as Christians, called by God to share the Gospel, we cannot remain silent about these destructive lifestyles. 

Political experts will caution Christians that speaking up on these issues will cost conservatives an election.  My response to them is that elections are not the most important thing in my life.  The most important thing is spreading the Gospel which includes pointing out the damage sin can cause in people’s lives.  If the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution grants Christians the right to practice their religions, they must be allowed to speak out on social issues.  The choice is up to each individual whether to continue in their sinful lifestyles of accept the forgiveness of sin provided by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10). 

If that costs conservatives an election, it only means we as Christians have a lot of work to do.

1. Kellner, Douglas. Postmodernism as Social Theory: Some Challenges and Problems. tcs.sagepub.com. [Online] Sage Journals, 1988. [Cited: June 13, 2015.] http://tcs.sagepub.com/content/5/2/239.extract.

2. Post Modern Psychology. Postmodernism and the Academic Disciplines. www.postmodernpsychology.com. [Online] [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://www.postmodernpsychology.com/main_topics/PM_and_academic_disciplines.htm.

3. National Cancer Institute. Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk. www.cancer.gov. [Online] National Cancer Institute. [Cited: ] 13. http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet.

4. Kliebert, Kathy. Abortion & Pregnancy Risks. dhh.louisiana.gov. [Online] State of Louisiana. [Cited: June 13, 2015.] http://dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/915/n/275.

5. Facts about Youth. Health Risks of the Homosexual Lifestyle. factsaboutyouth.com. [Online] Facts About Youth. [Cited: March 31, 2015.] http://factsaboutyouth.com/posts/health-risks-of-the-homosexual-lifestyle/.

6. PhD., Timothy J. Dailey. Homosexual Parenting: Placing children at risk. www.orthodoxytoday.org. [Online] OrthodoxyToday.org. [Cited: March 31, 2015.] http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles/DaileyGayAdopt.php.

7. Chick Publications. Homosexual Journalist Admits, ‘Gay Lifestyle is a Sewer’ . www.chick.com. [Online] Chick Publications, November/December 2008. [Cited: March 31, 2015.] http://www.chick.com/bc/2008/lifestyle.asp.