When Sin is No Longer a Sin! Part 2

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Authored By  :
Bill Kochman

Published On :
June 14, 2001

Last Updated :
April 22, 2009


NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.

Christ's Words To Thief On The Cross, Forsaking God's Mercy Flee From The Light, Reinterpret The Bible Through Deception, Presbyterian Struggle, Baptist And Episcopalian Compromises, Split Between Episcopalian Church USA And Anglican Communion, "We Are All Normal", Tactics Used By Gay And Lesbian Militants, Political Maneuvers, Governor Howard Dean And Gay's "Civil Union" Victory In Vermont, Countries Where Gay "Marriage" Is Legal, US States That Have Legalized Gay "Marriage" Relationships


We find Jesus extending His Father's Mercy in other stories that are found in the New Testament as well; and often, it is because the individual in question has recognized their sinful condition, as well as their need for Repentance and Forgiveness. In His final agonizing hours on the Cross, Jesus forgave one of the two thieves, because that man too did not try to hide his sin. He knew that he was guilty, and that he deserved every- thing that had come to him. He also recognized that Jesus was his only chance at Salvation; and so once again, Jesus extended His Father's Mercy to the man, as we see here:

"And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise."
Luke 23:39-43, KJV


So you see, the difference between the adulterous woman, as well as the one thief, and these gays and lesbians today, is that unlike these two Biblical characters, some of them are not even willing to acknowledge their sin. These gay men see absolutely nothing wrong with having anal or oral sex with their boyfriends; and these lesbians see nothing wrong with putting on a dildo, (a synthetic rubber penis), and pretend- ing to be a man, in order to fulfill their own sick sexual fantasies, as well as the desires of their girlfriends. In fact, to my amazement, I was informed by one of our readers, that in some places in the United States, it is actually considered "cool" to be gay. In their delusion, these poor people call their desires love; but in reality, it is only unnatural sexual lust, which is totally contrary to the Natural Order established by God Himself in the Garden of Eden.

What is truly sad about this situation, is that where there is no recognition of one's sins, or any kind of repentance, neither can a person claim God's Mercy; which means that he may eventually be subject to the full weight of God's Law when his day of Judgment arrives. By accepting Satan's lies and delusions, these gays and lesbians have refused, and in fact, have forsaken, the Mercy which God wishes to have upon them. As the Prophet Jonah cried out at the height of his suffering, after he had tried to run away from God's Will for his life:

"They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy."
Jonah 2:8, KJV


As we saw in part one, because many gays and lesbians have rejected the truth of God's Word, they have had to convince themselves that sin is no longer a sin. For some, this has meant totally throwing out the Bible as the inspired Word of God, being as they cannot stand in the Light of its truth; while for others, it has meant trying to reinterpret it. In the case of the former, I am reminded of the following words spoken by Jesus in chapter three of the Gospel of John:

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."
John 3:19-20, KJV


In short, some people seem to think that they can keep their sins from being exposed by God's Word, by simply rejecting the teachings of the Bible, or by trying to hide from it; but as we saw in part one, nothing is hidden from the face of the Lord. Everything will be revealed in His time. In the case of the latter group, as we likewise saw in part one, the Devil has indeed raised up an evil seed of false clergy who have perverted the true meaning of the Scriptures, and popularized the false doctrine that God loves and accepts each and every one of us just the way we are; even if some people do happen to be gay or lesbian. In their delusion, these deceivers have nullified the doctrine of repentance which was preached by John the Baptist, by the Lord Himself, as well as by all of His Apostles, including Paul. Remember again that Jesus said "Go, and sin no more"; He did not say, "I love you and forgive you, but go ahead and keep on living in sin. It's okay." These modern false prophets remind me of two additional warnings which were issued by the Apostle Paul. In two of his Epistles he wrote:

"But evil men and seducers shall wax [grow] worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."
2 Timothy 3:13, KJV


"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transform- ing themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
2 Corinthians 11:13-15, KJV


These false apostles, these deceitful workers, these false ministers of righteousness, as Paul calls them, are not only deceived themselves, but they are leading others into their same web of delusion and sin. As we saw in part one, some of these clergy are preaching exactly what the gay and lesbian community wants to hear; and that is that sin is no longer sin. There should be no doubt then, that America is in fact spiritually eroding from within, and has been for quite some time now. Exactly how divided are the spiritual leaders of America? Consider the following article circulated by the Associated Press in June of 2,000. It is quite revelatory:

----- Begin Quote -----

Presbyterians to debate church's role in same-sex unions

June 25, 2000

LONG BEACH, California (AP) -- Presbyterian leaders gathering here this week will debate whether to ban blessings of same-sex unions even if the ceremonies stop short of marriage, the latest ecclesiastical conflict over recognition for gay and lesbian couples.

Organizers of the annual meeting of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) hope a consensus reached at the weeklong gathering that convened Saturday will unify factions of traditionalists and reformers threatening to fragment the church over the issue of homosexual unions.

"The differences are real and serious . . . and I hope the discussion will enable us to focus on the fundamental nature of our responsibility," said the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, who is required to remain neutral on policy debates in his supervisory position in the denomination's General Assembly

The 560-member General Assembly is the chief policy-setting body for the 2.6 million-member church.

Issues of gay rights have dominated other major religious gatherings this year. The United Methodist Church last month upheld its doctrine banning gay ordination and the sanctioning of same-sex unions. In March, the Central Conference of American Rabbis voted to let rabbis choose to preside at same-sex union ceremonies.

Homosexual advocates said they are optimistic that the Presbyterians will decide to permit recognition of same-sex couples because recent rulings by the church high courts have favored gays.

"This church is so close to doing right. But then, they've had 27 years of discussion. It's time to decide -- are we welcome in their churches, or are we not?" said the Rev. Mel White, of the largely homosexual Metropolitan Community Churches based in West Hollywood that are not Presbyterian.

A group of Presbyterian delegates, or commissioners, will meet Tuesday to discuss proposed amendments to the denomination's Book of Order, or constitution, that seek to explicitly prohibit same-sex unions.

A fourth proposal up for debate suggests that churches be permitted to determine their own policies on ministering to gays and lesbians, said the Rev. Charles Proudfoot, a spokesman for the assembly.

The committee's recommendations will go to the full assembly later this week, where approval would require a simple majority.

If the measures are passed, they would go before the ordained Presbyterian ministers and elders nationwide for approval.

Opponents to same-sex unions argue the church should not condone homosexual couples because their lifestyles conflict with biblical principles.

"I believe same-sex unions are just a way to get people to start approving of (gay) marriages, and that's just not appropriate," said the Rev. Greg Loskoski, of Savannah, Ga., a member of the committee debating the issue.

Supporters of same-sex unions plan to protest at the convention, saying church discrimination against gays and lesbians prevents them from fulfilling their faith.

Soulforce, a multi-faith coalition of gays, lesbians and supporters, has scheduled a protest Sunday where dozens expect to be arrested while forming a human chain and blocking one of the many entrances to the convention center following the Presbyterian convention's opening worship service.

"Gays and lesbians across this country are saying that if the church can't grow up and accept reality, then we don't need the church," said White, co-founder of Soulforce. "We can find ways to worship on our own."

----- End Of Quote -----

Thankfully, in this case, the Presbyterian church held to its Christian convictions, and defeated the gay and lesbian agenda by a very narrow margin. A week later, the Associated Press reported the following:

----- Begin Quote -----

Presbyterian Leaders Vote Against Commitment Ceremonies For Gays

July 1, 2000

LONG BEACH, California (AP) -- The chief policy-making body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted by a narrow margin Friday to recommend barring its ministers from officiating commitment ceremonies for gay couples.

The measure still must be ratified by scores of ministers and elders nationwide before it can become part of the Book of Order, the constitution for the 2.6 million-member denomination.

It passed the church's General Assembly by a vote of 268-251, with four abstentions. If the ministers and elders in the church's 173 presbyteries approve, the ban would be put into effect at next year's meeting of the General Assembly.

A similar ban on gay commitment ceremonies was approved the church's General Assembly in 1994 but failed to win ratification.

After the vote, gay-rights advocates streamed out of the meeting, many of them in tears.

"We are crying out for justice and we are crying out for this church," the Rev. Jane Adams-Spahr of San Rafael said as she led a group of some 50 opponents of the ban in prayer.

Several said they were still hopeful that the church's presbyteries would not uphold the ban.

No state has officially legalized gay marriage, but a new Vermont law legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples took effect Saturday, and other states have debated similar laws.

A month ago, the church's highest court ruled that local congregations may conduct such religious ceremonies celebrating homosexual unions as long as those ceremonies stop short of marriage.

But the amendment approved Friday night, if ratified, would overpower that ruling by prohibiting church officers from performing gay commitment ceremonies and barring such ceremonies from church property.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) prohibits homosexuals from serving as ministers but does not exclude homosexuals from the church.

Proponents of the ban argued that the Presbyterian Church must stop blessing same-sex unions because that implicitly condones homosexual behavior, which the church views as a sin.

Other supporters said recognizing gay couples could cripple the church's missionary work in countries with conservative values.

The Rev. Charles Castles of San Joaquin, whose presbytery proposed the amendment, said he considered Friday's vote a "step of the journey" toward clarifying the church's stance on homosexuality.

----- End Of Quote -----

As the previous reports reveal, the Presbyterians are by no means the only church which has had to struggle with the gay and lesbian issue; and sadly, as we saw previously, some of America's churches have completely abandoned their long-held Christian convictions and values, and have yielded themselves to political and societal pressure. Take, for example, the following report included in the July 3rd, 2000 issue of the Baptist Information Service newsletter, which discusses two Baptist churches in the American Northwest:

----- Begin Quote -----

American Baptists Embrace Sodomy

"At its convention in Salt Lake City in May, the Northwest region of the American Baptist Church voted against banishing two Seattle churches that accept homosexual pastors and welcome practicing homosexuals as members. The vote was 161 in favor and 92 against.

The churches are Seattle First Baptist and University Baptist. The latter is pastored by a woman, Anne Hall, and a homosexual male, Tim Phillips.

----- End Of Quote -----

What a true tragedy indeed! Once the loathsome disease of compromise begins to take root, it seems to spread quickly, very much like an uncontrollable cancer. In July of that same year the Associated Press news agency published the following reports regarding ongoing discussions within the Episcopalian church. Sadly, rather than fully reject the ungodly demands of the gay and lesbian community, the Episcopalians embraced a sickening, look-the-other-way compromise, as you can see here:

----- Begin Quotes -----

Episcopalians mull couples' rites

DENVER (AP) - Episcopalians disappointed that church policy hasn't fully embraced same-sex unions may end up with the next best thing: A rite for people in monogamous, committed relationships. Officials meeting at the Episcopal General Convention were to consider a proposition Tuesday that would develop rites for Episcopal couples - both homosexual and heterosexual. Acceptance of homosexuals in all aspects of the church is one of the biggest issues at the 10-day convention. There was speculation that the 1,000 delegates might try to avoid conflict by sticking with the status quo: tacit approval of dioceses that bless same-sex unions. But a committee shelved that plan and proposed developing rites for those in monogamous and committed relationships. The plan would have to pass the 824-member House of Deputies and the 300-member House of Bishops.

Episcopalians nix gay rites

DENVER (AP) - Episcopal bishops argued vigorously for ceremonial rites for same-sex unions Wednesday, a day after the provision was narrowly rejected by clergy and lay delegates at the church's national convention. The church's House of Deputies, fearing such a bold step would divide the church, rejected a provision Tuesday to add rites for all unmarried couples, however it approved provisions calling on the church to support unmarried couples in monogamous relationships. While the measure doesn't mention homosexuals, it is seen as a response to a push for the church to bless their relationships. The resolution also acknowledges that individual dioceses will continue to bless same-sex unions without churchwide sanction. Several bishops said Wednesday that is not good enough.

----- End Of Quotes -----

The previous news reports were published nine years ago. It is indeed sad that today, the situation within the Episcopal Church is much, much worse. In fact, if you've been following the news, you will already know that a serious schism has now split the Episcopal Church USA from its parent organization; that is, the Anglican Communion, or Church of England, which is currently headed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams. A December 2008 Yahoo news article discussed the long-foreseen split, as we see here:

----- Begin Quote -----

Conservatives form rival group to Episcopal Church

Yahoo News

December 3, 2008

WHEATON, Ill. – Theological conservatives upset by the liberal views of the Episcopal Church are forming a rival denomination.

The new Anglican Church in North America will include four Episcopal dioceses that recently split from the U.S. church, along with breakaway Anglican parishes from Canada.

The announcement Wednesday in Wheaton, Illinois, comes after decades of debate over what Episcopalians should believe about issues ranging from salvation to sexuality. Tensions erupted in 2003 when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop.

The world Anglican Communion is a fellowship of churches with roots in the Church of England. The Episcopal Church is the Anglican body in the United States. But the new North American church says it represents true Anglican beliefs.

----- End Quote -----

The previous news article is referring to V. Gene Robinson, who is an openly gay man in a long-term relationship, who in 2003, was ordained the bishop of New Hampshire. While these news reports concentrate on the sick compromise which is now occurring within the American Christian church, please note that gay and lesbian militants have in fact been advancing their agenda worldwide for many years now. This is not just an American phenomenon. For example, also in July of 2,000, the Associated Press reported the following development occurring in Norway:

----- Begin Quote -----

Norway Approves Gay Clergyman

OSLO, Norway (AP) - Norway's minister of churches has upheld the appointment of an openly gay clergyman - a precedent-setting ruling that defies the state Lutheran church's religious guidelines. Minister of Churches and Education Trond Giske announced Thursday that he had hired Jens Torstein Olsen. The decision makes Olsen the first clergyman hired to preach in the Church of Norway while openly living in a homosexual relationship. The appoint- ment has caused furious debate that some fear could split the church. Gay marriages are legal in Norway, with all the rights of heterosexual marriages except church weddings and the right to adopt.

----- End Of Quote -----

There should be absolutely no doubt then, that the gay and lesbian community has carved deep inroads into organized religion; not only in the United States of America, but in a number of other countries as well; and it is clear they have no intentions of stopping there. In fact, sadly, since 2000, gay "marriage" has become legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa and Norway; and next month it's due to become legal in Sweden. Furthermore, the nations of Israel and France, and the state of New York, USA, recognize gay "marriages" that are conducted abroad. Also of note is that gay "marriages" which are performed in the Netherlands are also recognized as legal in Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles.

The previous evidence makes it rather clear that these gay and lesbian militants are not happy with just living their own delusion and lives of sin as they claim; it is in fact their ultimate goal to convince the rest of the world that their lifestyle is normal and acceptable behavior. They want to convince the rest of us that, contrary to what the Word of God clearly tells us, sin is no longer a sin. They want everyone to embrace them as normal people, who are just like the rest of us, but are they? While we have now taken a look at the religious angle of their agenda, you are undoubtedly aware of the fact that there are other techniques which the gay and lesbian community is employing, in order to achieve their goals. Let us discuss some of them.

In addition to coercing the religious establishment into accepting their ungodly lifestyle, another obvious part of their program is to gain influence with certain sympathizers within political parties and institutions, with the ultimate goal being to convince them to modernize and amend certain laws of the United States of America so that homosexuals and lesbians are not only protected by law, but are also granted certain rights and privileges which, until recently, were only bestowed upon heterosexual, (or male-female), marriage relationships. Aside from gaining political ground, just as they have been doing in the religious arena, their intention seems to be to envelop these unnatural relationships in an aura of decency, normalcy and respectability; and gaining a legal status will do exactly that. If you doubt it, just continue reading.

As more and more misguided priests and politicians begin to bestow their blessings upon these ungodly relationships, more and more people will likewise begin to view gay and lesbian unions as a normal part of American life. In fact as you may already know, it has already begun to happen; particularly with the more liberal-minded younger generation. As a result of this aggressive push by the gay and lesbian community, the belief that homosexual, (gay and lesbian), relationships are sinful has already begun to slip into the past; and that is exactly what they want to happen. They want to replace God's Standards, with man's standards. They want people to believe that their sin is no longer sin.

As most of my readers will know by now, the gay and lesbian community gained a great victory in this area on April 26, 2000, when Howard Dean, the misguided governor of the state of Vermont, signed into law, a bill which created a legal status for gay and lesbian unions, known as "civil unions", which bestows upon them many of the same rights which are enjoyed by normal, married, heterosexual couples. Following is a news article from the Associated Press from that time, which contains the details regarding this historical law:

----- Begin Quote -----

Vermont Governor Signs Bill Creating Marriage-Like 'Civil Unions'

April 26, 2000

MONTPELIER, Vermont (AP) -- Gov. Howard Dean signed a first-in-the-nation law Wednesday granting gay couples nearly all of the benefits of marriage.

"I think it is a courageous and powerful statement about who we are in the state of Vermont," the Democrat said. "I also believe that this legislation speaks to the heart of this state, and certainly to my heart."

The legislation creating marriage-like "civil unions" reached the governor's desk shortly before lunch time, just a day after the House gave its final approval. And by the time of a 2 p.m. news conference, he had already signed it out of view of TV cameras, photographers and reporters.

Dean said he signed the bill privately because he did not want the ceremony to be a triumphal party by supporters of the law. Instead, he said, it was time for the state to begin healing.

"In politics, bill-signings are triumphal," he said. "They represent overcoming of one side over another. These celebrations, as the subject of the matter of the bill, will be private."

The law will allow gay couples to form civil unions beginning July 1. That will entitle them to all of the hundreds of rights and responsibilities available to married couples under Vermont law in such areas as taxes, inheritance and medical decision-making.

Other states will probably not recognize Vermont civil unions, and such status will not entitle gay couples to any the benefits available to married couples under federal law in areas such as taxes and immigration.

Nevertheless, no state has gone further than Vermont is giving gay couples something approximating marriage.

The bill came about after the Vermont Supreme Court unanimously ruled in December that gay couples were being unconstitutionally denied the benefits of marriage. The court left it up to the Legislature time to decide whether to let gays marry or to create some kind of domestic partnership.

The legislation passed after strong debate in which opponents argued that homosexuality is "against natural law." Opponents have warned that they will make their anger known at the polls in November when members of the Legislature are up for re-election.

Under the law, gay couples will be able to go to their town clerks for licenses and have their unions certified by a judge or member of the clergy. Breakups will be handled in Family Court, just as divorces are, although they will be called dissolutions.

----- End Of Quote -----

Several months after this bill became law in Vermont, state Representative, Nancy Sheltra, launched a counterattack. She insisted that the law had to be repealed, before it spread to other states as well. Sadly, today, nine years later, we can see the devastating effect that this law had on the USA. As I write this series update in April 2009, "gay marriage" has been, currently is, or will be, legal in five American states. Consider the following table:

Massachusetts   Nov 2003 gay "marriage" legalized
California      Jun 2008 gay "marriage" legalized
Connecticut     Oct 2008 gay "marriage" legalized
California      Nov 2008 Proposition 8 defeats gay "marriage"
Iowa            Apr 2009 gay "marriage" legal as of 04-27-09
Vermont         Sep 2009 gay "marriage" legal as of 09-01-09

Please go to part three for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .


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