MWR : Negating God’s design

Last updated June 15.

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June 11, 2012 issue

Negating God’s design

By John F. Myers Wooster, Ohio

Pastor Joanna Harader’s statement on sexual minorities (“Why I Officiated a Same-Sex Ceremony,” May 28) negates that God had only one design for our sexuality: to bring forth life. While sex is a desirable pleasure and meant to be, it was never designed to be the major thrust of man’s life. God told man to go forth and multiply. Gays and lesbians cannot do this. Therefore they dishonor God’s mandate to populate the Earth. This is not to say that people with such inclinations cannot be loved, they just cannot honor God by fulfilling those sexual urges.

Many of us have been wrongly branded as homophobic and hateful. This is not true. It is because of my love for Jesus and his redeeming blood that I pray for those who misuse God’s gift of sexuality in any way.

If we take Jesus’ interaction with the woman caught in adultery as an example to be applied in many circumstances, including homosexuality, we see that God sees a beautiful person trapped in a wrongful lifestyle. The fact that Jesus’ kindness is linked with the words “go and sin no more” shows how we as a church can be better equipped to deal with those engaged in any sin. Many homosexuals want acceptance and grace without the truth that must be applied along with it, and that cheapens God’s grace.

I respect Harader’s desire to follow Jesus, and I believe her heart is sincere. But that is why all of us need each other to be accountable to. I hope dialogue can open our eyes to what God is saying and doing among us. It is out of a desire for the wholeness of God’s people that we say no to homosexual relationships.

Comments

The last person God directly commanded to "be fruitful and multiply," in Gen. 35:11, was Jacob, who became Israel. Jacob obeyed with the help of two sisters, the second of whom he married while the first was still living, and with the further help of his two wives' respective maids. These became the four mothers of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Maybe God decided that was not exactly what He had in mind, because by the time the prophet Isaiah came along, we read this in chapter 56, verses 3-5:

"[Do not] let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off."

Eunuchs, by definition, cannot "go forth and multiply," but this passage makes quite clear that they are not thereby dishonoring "God's mandate to populate the earth."

If that's not enough to persuade you that "be fruitful and multiply" no longer applies, take a look at Matthew 19:12, where Jesus says there are those who are born eunuchs, and those who are made eunuchs by others, and those who make themselves eunuchs "for the kingdom of heaven's sake."

Whatever Jesus specifically meant by that, it is clear that he did not see inability to populate the earth as in any way dishonoring God's design.

My prayer, too, is that continuing dialogue will "open our eyes to what God is saying and doing among us." May these words make some contribution toward that worthy goal.

- Lin Garber (jun 15 at 5:07 a.m.)
Thanks Lin Garber for those references to eunuchs. I will also ask, what about heterosexual couples who are unable to have children of their own? Do they also "they dishonor God’s mandate to populate the Earth"?

Also, I can't take the "be fruitful and multiply" mandate seriously when there are tens of thousands of children all over the world waiting to be adopted. What do we tell these children, many of whom have parents that are living but unable to take care of them?

Finally, it has been proven that many species in the animal kingdom have sexual relations for pleasure and not merely procreation. Do they also "dishonor God’s mandate to populate the Earth"?

Sexual orientation isn't just about "sexual urges".

- Jake Short (jun 22 at 9:58 a.m.)

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