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NASB | Proverbs 3:13 ¶ How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Proverbs 3:13 ¶ Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom, And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God's word and life's experiences], |
Subject: Sexual orientation determined at birth |
Bible Note: Hi, Pastor Glenn; I appreciate your comments and, no, I don't think you're picking nits. You're right, science (properly, in my opinion) does not take man's sinful nature into account. In the long run, that's why science will never discover the ultimate source (the "first cause") of homosexual behavior. But let's be clear about the term "sexual orientation". Before anyone claimed that homosexuality was simply an "alternate lifestyle", there was no such thing as "sexual orientation". It was only when a handful of psychologists decided that homosexual acts were "normal" for some people that the need arose to find an explanation other than psychological disorder. This change took place in the 1970s. After all, there never was a need to explain heterosexual acts - they were just normal, expected human behavior. The liberals, of course, claim that the Biblical prohibitions ignore sexual orientation. They say that Paul didn't know about sexual orientation because it was just "discovered" in the last century. They say that the prohibitions only apply to heterosexuals actimg in a way contrary to their nature. They say that the prohibitions don't apply to "natural" homosexuals (i.e. men and women whose sexual orientation leads them toward sex with people of the same gender). In an odd way the liberals have part of it right: The Bible doesn't specifically address sexual orientation because it didn't exist in the first century. Nor does it exist in the 21st. "Homosexual orientation" is nothing more than a particular person's prediliction for a particular kind of sin. So I think the passage in Romans describes homosexual behavior, not sexual orientation. The lust is just plain old lust. God wouldn't be any more pleased if the men burned with lust for the women instead of for each other. Sexual orientation goes deeper than acts or even lusts. It goes to the fundamental nature of the person. It says that even if a person remains utterly chaste in both thought and deed, he or she would still have an inborn tendency to prefer either same- or opposite-gender sex. Or both. Don't underestimate the liberals on this one. They have worked very hard to hide their distortions of Scripture in exotic interpretations of ancient Greek and plausible scientific theories. Theirs is a clever decepion. By coming up with an explanation ("sexual orientation") that the Bible does not address, they have fooled many people into believing that the Bible doens't really say what it clearly says. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |