I say all of this to explain

that those of us that have accepted Christ as our Savior are very concerned

about others' personal choices that result in sin. Who, in good conscience,

would turn their back on someone destined for disaster? We should not

judge someone self-righteously, but we should judge actions by the very

Word of God. So again, absolutely, every Christian should be concerned

about personal choices of others that result in sin.

Dixie Eska-Thedra makes the

point that "every Christian should have the right to choose their

lifestyle and to interpret the Bible and the word of God in a way that

is most relevant and right to them." This expression follows a worldview

called post-modernism. Postmodernism is the belief that truth is subjective

to the individual or, in other words, truth is created rather than discovered.

It is the commonly voiced phrase, "That might be right for you but

it's not right for me."

Society today has moved away

from the belief that truth is an objective standard. It's like saying,

"Two plus two equals five because that's what I believe and if that's

what I believe, it must be true." It ignores an objective fact.

I have heard Josh McDowell,

renowned worldview author, put it like this, "You think things are

true because you believe it, but I believe things because they are true."

The Bible cannot be rightly

interpreted in a way that suits the reader's opinions. It must be interpreted

in the proper context in which it is written in order for it to be completely

understood, appreciated and ultimately put into practice. The Bible is

the objective standard of truth, given by God, because it reveals, in

every way, the true nature of God and His love for His creation.

This is not an empty claim.

The Bible is historical and its contents can be proven. No other piece

of literature in history can match its credentials. It has more manuscript

evidence, archaeological validation, it contains numerous predictive prophecies

that came to be, and through the science of statistical probability its

claims cannot be ignored. It is on this standard that our nation was squarely

based.

In the past decades, popular

culture has moved away from this standard of biblically-based truth in

many areas. Homosexuality is one of those areas. I pray that murder never

fully gets to that point although in 1973 it took a big step in that direction.

We simply cannot define truth subjectively for some things while we cling

to objective truth on others. Only chaos will result (as we are currently

witnessing).

The use of the phrase "homosexual

Christian" raises my concern as well. Those two terms are mutually

exclusive. One cannot be a practicing homosexual and a Christian. That

would be similar to saying, "I am practicing adultery in my Christian

walk." Again, it's an issue of sin. The Word of God, the objective

standard, speaks against both homosexuality and adultery. An attempt to

make it anything other than sin is simply rationalization.

Ms. Eska-Thedra is right in

that Christ taught and demonstrated tolerance. But not the tolerance practiced

in today's society. Today, tolerance is defined as an acceptance of every

person's beliefs, values, lifestyles and truth claims as all equal in

validity. This is not the tolerance Jesus modeled.

Jesus accepted others where

they were at in life but He never, ever agreed with or accepted their

sinful ways. He came to seek and save those that were lost and to turn

them from their sin. Why? Because He loved them and He loves us. The Bible

states that we are created in the image of God and that we are fearfully

and wonderfully made. God hates to see us destroy our lives with sin.

He cares for His creations and that's why through Jesus there is hope.

A point is also made in her

letter that the sin of homosexuality cannot be nearly as bad as murder

or rape since homosexuality makes a large part of society so happy. The

bottom line is this: Sin is sin. Sin is anything that separates us from

the will of God and anything that is contrary to the nature of God. It

makes no difference if the sin makes us happy or not. Some may find it

pleasing to lie, cheat, steal, and, yes, even rape, but that will never

make those things right or acceptable.

I do agree with Ms. Eska-Thedra

that everyone has the right to choose his own way. This right is given

to us by God. He gave us the capacity to choose between right and wrong,

good and evil. We will each bear the consequences of our choice to accept

Jesus as our Savior or not, eternity in Heaven or eternal separation,

respectively. However, I pray that neither I nor any Christian ever become

so disinterested that we turn our backs on those headed for sure destruction.

The goal of my letter is not

simply to disagree with someone but to cause people to think about the

way they view things and ask questions. Is what I believe and the way

I believe measured against a sensible, logical, objective standard or

do I just go by what makes me feel good? Are my beliefs consistent? If

I'm a Christian, how do I feel about those that are lost, those that are

making damaging choices? Am I moved by compassion to help them realize

with gentleness and kindness there is a better way, that Christ came to

give life more abundantly?

To God, every single person

matters! If it matters to God, it should matter to us. Thank God for His

mercy and grace!

Neal Nelson

Fayetteville, Ga.