Gina Miller
"Dear Abby" gets it dead wrong on the Bible and homosexuality
By Gina Miller
We do not subscribe to our local newspaper, but I occasionally read one of the copies that comes to the radio station where I work. This past Monday, I read the advice columns that used to be written by identical twin sisters, Pauline Phillips and Esther "Eppie" Lederer, known to us by their pen names as Abigail VanBuren — "Dear Abby" — and Ann Landers.
The columns are no longer written by these ladies. Eppie Lederer — Ann Landers — passed away in 2002, and her column, now called "Annie's Mailbox," is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar who were two former editors of her column. Pauline Phillips' daughter, Jeanne Phillips, has been writing the "Dear Abby" column exclusively since her mother retired ten years ago, due to health problems. Jeanne Phillips now owns the pen name, Abigail VanBuren.
I have noticed that for many years the writers of both columns are fully on-board the Left's program of trying to cast homosexuality in a positive light. The writers of both columns have nothing but pro-homosexual things to say to homosexuals and their co-workers, friends and family members who write in for advice. The writers of both columns are in the camp that believes homosexuality is an innate characteristic, like skin color, even though the world of "science," trying as hard as it can, has found no proof of this.
It was a letter in the "Dear Abby" column on Monday that compelled me to address this issue in today's Christian Patriot Politicast (of which this column is a transcript). A mother wrote a letter explaining that her son had revealed to her and her husband that he is a homosexual. She said they love their son, as do their other sons and daughters, and then she writes,
"My husband and I are now struggling because we're not sure how God really views gays and lesbians. To listen to some religious people, my son will go to hell. I can't believe that God would create a person to be this way, then turn His back on him.
I tried reading the Bible, but the wording was hard to understand. I don't want to talk to my pastor about it because, even though I have accepted my son for who he is, I still have trouble talking to people about it because I'm not sure how they'll react. Do you believe a gay person will go to heaven? — SOMEWHERE IN THE U.S.A."
How sad it is that this woman has a pastor who should be able to help her, yet apparently she still has little understanding of the Bible. This would be a great opportunity to explain God's clear position on homosexuality and His powerful redemption of us sinners through His Son, Jesus, but that does not happen in the "Dear Abby" column. Instead, here is what Jeanne Phillips wrote in reply,
"DEAR SOMEWHERE: I believe that entrance to heaven is based upon a person's character, not his or her sexual orientation. Today, because of modern scientific studies, we know more about homosexuality than was known when the Bible was written, and that sexual orientation is not a 'choice.'"
Not a word of what she said is true.
Entrance to heaven — or salvation — is not based on our character. It is based on God's grace alone. As Paul, through inspiration of God's Holy Spirit, wrote in his letter to the Ephesians,
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
There is no amount of "good works" that we can do to ever "earn" our way into heaven. Neither can our "character" ever be good enough to gain us entry into God's Kingdom. The world's major, false religions — which include some so-called "Christian" ones — emphasize works to earn one's place in heaven, which only serves to nullify Jesus' redemptive work on the cross. True Christianity is based, not on our pitiful "good works," but on God's grace alone. As Paul wrote, we receive salvation by faith in God the Father through Jesus the Son, and even the very faith we have is given to us by God. Every bit of it is God's doing.
Then, Ms. Phillips says that due to modern science, we know more about homosexuality than was known when the Bible was written. If this were not such a serious subject, I would laugh out loud at the lunacy of that statement. It matters not a whit what Ms. Phillips believes about the Bible, because her belief — or unbelief, rather — will not change the truth of it.
The Bible was written by men who were guided by the Spirit of God — God wrote the Bible. And God, Who made us, knows all there is to know. He most certainly knows everything about homosexuality — more than a billion scientists could ever fathom, and He is quite clear on what He thinks of it.
In Leviticus, God details a number of different sexual sins and the penalties for them under the Old Covenant. Of all the various sexual sins, homosexuality is the one sexual sin that God describes as an abomination. In the first chapter of the book of Romans, the sin of homosexuality is listed together with "all ungodliness and wickedness of men" who hold the truth in contempt.
God's plain thoughts on homosexuality are in direct conflict with the message of the radical homosexual Left. Desperate to justify their wicked behavior, they claim they were "born that way." God says otherwise. These conflicting messages cause confusion in the minds of people who do not have a working knowledge of the Bible. The mother who wrote the letter to "Dear Abby" expressed that confusion when she said,
"I can't believe that God would create a person to be this way, then turn His back on him."
That is because God does not create anyone to be homosexual. What an awful thing it would be for the Lord to command that we not behave in a homosexual manner and then create homosexual people! There is no contradiction in God, and He never changes. Ms. Phillips is dead wrong in her claim that homosexuals do not have a choice in the matter.
As for the mother's question about whether homosexuals can get into heaven, the answer to that is the same as for any other people. Those who accept God's free gift of salvation through Jesus' willing sacrifice on the cross will be saved. Those who reject it will not. Those who accept Christ and receive His Spirit will be able to resist sin's tyrannical hold. Through Christ living in us, we are able to be free from sin, and that includes the sin of homosexuality. This does not mean it is easy. Getting free from any sinful addiction — and homosexuality is a powerful addiction — is a hard process, but through the Lord it can be done. The Lord loves homosexuals just as He loves all sinners, and He wants them to be free from their sins through Him.
Just because we get saved does not mean we are "perfect." Perfection will never happen in this world, and we will always struggle and stumble, but we continue to strive toward the goal of the Kingdom of Heaven set before us, confessing our sins to each other and to God, Who forgives us. We will ever be fighting our flesh, which is sinful by nature, but we are no longer slaves to sin, because God gives us the strength to avoid sin as He helps us grow in Him by His Spirit living in us.
Meanwhile, I hope that mother who wrote the letter to "Dear Abby" gets a second opinion, one that actually contains the truth.
© Gina Miller
May 3, 2012
We do not subscribe to our local newspaper, but I occasionally read one of the copies that comes to the radio station where I work. This past Monday, I read the advice columns that used to be written by identical twin sisters, Pauline Phillips and Esther "Eppie" Lederer, known to us by their pen names as Abigail VanBuren — "Dear Abby" — and Ann Landers.
The columns are no longer written by these ladies. Eppie Lederer — Ann Landers — passed away in 2002, and her column, now called "Annie's Mailbox," is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar who were two former editors of her column. Pauline Phillips' daughter, Jeanne Phillips, has been writing the "Dear Abby" column exclusively since her mother retired ten years ago, due to health problems. Jeanne Phillips now owns the pen name, Abigail VanBuren.
I have noticed that for many years the writers of both columns are fully on-board the Left's program of trying to cast homosexuality in a positive light. The writers of both columns have nothing but pro-homosexual things to say to homosexuals and their co-workers, friends and family members who write in for advice. The writers of both columns are in the camp that believes homosexuality is an innate characteristic, like skin color, even though the world of "science," trying as hard as it can, has found no proof of this.
It was a letter in the "Dear Abby" column on Monday that compelled me to address this issue in today's Christian Patriot Politicast (of which this column is a transcript). A mother wrote a letter explaining that her son had revealed to her and her husband that he is a homosexual. She said they love their son, as do their other sons and daughters, and then she writes,
"My husband and I are now struggling because we're not sure how God really views gays and lesbians. To listen to some religious people, my son will go to hell. I can't believe that God would create a person to be this way, then turn His back on him.
I tried reading the Bible, but the wording was hard to understand. I don't want to talk to my pastor about it because, even though I have accepted my son for who he is, I still have trouble talking to people about it because I'm not sure how they'll react. Do you believe a gay person will go to heaven? — SOMEWHERE IN THE U.S.A."
How sad it is that this woman has a pastor who should be able to help her, yet apparently she still has little understanding of the Bible. This would be a great opportunity to explain God's clear position on homosexuality and His powerful redemption of us sinners through His Son, Jesus, but that does not happen in the "Dear Abby" column. Instead, here is what Jeanne Phillips wrote in reply,
"DEAR SOMEWHERE: I believe that entrance to heaven is based upon a person's character, not his or her sexual orientation. Today, because of modern scientific studies, we know more about homosexuality than was known when the Bible was written, and that sexual orientation is not a 'choice.'"
Not a word of what she said is true.
Entrance to heaven — or salvation — is not based on our character. It is based on God's grace alone. As Paul, through inspiration of God's Holy Spirit, wrote in his letter to the Ephesians,
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
There is no amount of "good works" that we can do to ever "earn" our way into heaven. Neither can our "character" ever be good enough to gain us entry into God's Kingdom. The world's major, false religions — which include some so-called "Christian" ones — emphasize works to earn one's place in heaven, which only serves to nullify Jesus' redemptive work on the cross. True Christianity is based, not on our pitiful "good works," but on God's grace alone. As Paul wrote, we receive salvation by faith in God the Father through Jesus the Son, and even the very faith we have is given to us by God. Every bit of it is God's doing.
Then, Ms. Phillips says that due to modern science, we know more about homosexuality than was known when the Bible was written. If this were not such a serious subject, I would laugh out loud at the lunacy of that statement. It matters not a whit what Ms. Phillips believes about the Bible, because her belief — or unbelief, rather — will not change the truth of it.
The Bible was written by men who were guided by the Spirit of God — God wrote the Bible. And God, Who made us, knows all there is to know. He most certainly knows everything about homosexuality — more than a billion scientists could ever fathom, and He is quite clear on what He thinks of it.
In Leviticus, God details a number of different sexual sins and the penalties for them under the Old Covenant. Of all the various sexual sins, homosexuality is the one sexual sin that God describes as an abomination. In the first chapter of the book of Romans, the sin of homosexuality is listed together with "all ungodliness and wickedness of men" who hold the truth in contempt.
God's plain thoughts on homosexuality are in direct conflict with the message of the radical homosexual Left. Desperate to justify their wicked behavior, they claim they were "born that way." God says otherwise. These conflicting messages cause confusion in the minds of people who do not have a working knowledge of the Bible. The mother who wrote the letter to "Dear Abby" expressed that confusion when she said,
"I can't believe that God would create a person to be this way, then turn His back on him."
That is because God does not create anyone to be homosexual. What an awful thing it would be for the Lord to command that we not behave in a homosexual manner and then create homosexual people! There is no contradiction in God, and He never changes. Ms. Phillips is dead wrong in her claim that homosexuals do not have a choice in the matter.
As for the mother's question about whether homosexuals can get into heaven, the answer to that is the same as for any other people. Those who accept God's free gift of salvation through Jesus' willing sacrifice on the cross will be saved. Those who reject it will not. Those who accept Christ and receive His Spirit will be able to resist sin's tyrannical hold. Through Christ living in us, we are able to be free from sin, and that includes the sin of homosexuality. This does not mean it is easy. Getting free from any sinful addiction — and homosexuality is a powerful addiction — is a hard process, but through the Lord it can be done. The Lord loves homosexuals just as He loves all sinners, and He wants them to be free from their sins through Him.
Just because we get saved does not mean we are "perfect." Perfection will never happen in this world, and we will always struggle and stumble, but we continue to strive toward the goal of the Kingdom of Heaven set before us, confessing our sins to each other and to God, Who forgives us. We will ever be fighting our flesh, which is sinful by nature, but we are no longer slaves to sin, because God gives us the strength to avoid sin as He helps us grow in Him by His Spirit living in us.
Meanwhile, I hope that mother who wrote the letter to "Dear Abby" gets a second opinion, one that actually contains the truth.
© Gina Miller
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