What is Truth?

Many are asking this question. Maybe you are asking this question. Many have given up on finding truth—they tell us, “We can’t know anything for sure,” which quickly leads to, “We can’t know right from wrong.”

What do you think? Are you an honest doubter—someone who is willing to listen to a different viewpoint? If so, keep reading.

“We can’t know anything for sure”?

“Humans are hopelessly limited,” many people are saying. “We cannot know something with omniscience (all knowledge) so we can’t be certain about anything.” This is the issue of epistemology (from the Greek word for knowledge; a branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge)—how we know what we think we know. Many postmodern thinkers say everything is relative—that we are so impacted by our genetics, social background, education (every one of us had different teachers), culture, religious influences, historical time period—we can’t possibly put all those influences aside and then sort through the evidence and opinions and determine what is absolutely true.

…But, we can know with reasonable certainty.

If omniscience is the only standard, then they’re right—we can’t know anything with absolute certainty. But, omniscience is an unreasonable standard—too strict. We can investigate, we can accumulate data, we can talk with eyewitnesses and experts, we can take into consideration our genetic, social and historical influences, then know things with high levels of certainty. Just because it is difficult to determine truth does not mean it is impossible.

A few years ago, I read D-Day by Stephen Ambrose. Should I trash it as unreliable because the perspectives of all those people he interviewed are hopelessly influenced by their genetics, background and social perspective? No—it was well researched and documented. It was filled with eyewitness accounts which corresponded with other accounts of D-Day. Stephen Ambrose had no reason to write an enormous lie. We can trust it with reasonable certainty as accurate history.

This is true of the Bible as well. We can (as I and many others have) examine the ancient manuscripts, consider the case for their reliability and preservation, read eyewitness testimony, look at the uniqueness and geography and history and archeology of the Bible, research its long history of acceptance over many years and many cultures, talk to people whose lives have been transformed by it, etc. and determine with “reasonable certainty” that this book is exactly what it claims to be: God’s Word.

…But, we can know through divine revelation.

If one with omniscience (all knowledge) tells us what is true, then we can know with absolute certainty. The Bible certainly claims to be the divine revelation of the omniscient God. So, when His divine revelation tells us that there are absolute truths for all people, in all places of all times—we can know absolute truth. For example, God is so far beyond us, we can’t really know Him, right? Not if He tells us a few things about Himself. Psalm 11:7 tells us, “…the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness…” 1 John 4:8 tell us, “…God is love”. If the Bible is what it claims to be—the divine revelation of God—then we can know that the Lord is righteous and He loves righteousness and God is love. We can then read further to know what righteousness and love are exactly. We can read even further and discover more and more about God, about ourselves, about sin, about salvation, about Heaven—even the future!

“We can’t know right from wrong.”

“All systems of morality are social constructions,” we’re told, “differing from culture to culture. This culture says drinking is wrong, but that culture says it’s okay. That viewpoint says marriage should be between one man and one woman, but those people say it’s okay for two men or two women to get married. That religion says Jesus is the only way to know God, but that religion says there are many ways. All of us are products of our upbringing, influences, genetics and personal preferences, so right and wrong is a matter of personal perspective—relative.”

…But, this is self-contradictory and therefore, impossible to live by.

The statement “We can’t know right from wrong” is an absolute statement about what is true! To say, you disagree is to be considered wrong. To say something is true for you, but not for me, is to say that my view of truth is right and yours is wrong. Relativism is self-contradictory.

For example, many postmoderns tend to be strong advocates for social justice—fighting against human trafficking, abuse of animals, destruction of environment, etc. They tell us these things are wrong! That’s an absolute truth which I happen to agree with! But it illustrates that whether or not we accept the Bible’s definition of right and wrong, we will accept some standard of right and wrong—we simply cannot live day-to-day without such standards.

…But, this is dangerous and therefore, unwise to live by.

If morality is a personal issue—a matter of personal perspective—anything can be justified. The environment will be polluted, animals will be destroyed for entertainment, unborn humans will be slaughtered and newly born babies will be discarded; the elderly and the handicapped will be euthanized, etc.

People who believe truth is personal will experiment with sexual lifestyles and life choices that usually result in disease, emotional devastation or death.

The Bible tells us the violation of God’s moral laws results in negative consequences—by design! Romans 1:27, for example, tells us that when people reject God’s standard of sexuality for one man and one woman in a life-long marriage covenant, and choose homosexuality instead, they will receive “in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” But, if we discover right and wrong from our Designer, and live by those standards, we will remain under His umbrella of protection and avoid the heartaches and destruction of sin.

Can I tell you with omniscient certainty everything that is true and right and wrong? I cannot. But we don’t need to be absolutely certain. We can be reasonably certain. And, we can be reasonably certain that there is a God because the magnificence of what we see around us tells us this is so. And we can be reasonably certain—as we look at the Bible—that it is the revelation of God. Then, we can read it and know what the all-knowing God wants us to know.

Faith is often mocked in our time. But, “without faith it is impossible to please” God (Hebrews 11:6). God wants us to have faith. Not blind faith—He has given us plenty of evidence that points to His existence and the reliability of His revelation. But, He wants us to put our faith in Him—to trust Him.

Do you remember what the original postmodern thinker, Thomas the Apostle, said? “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). When Jesus gave him the absolute proof he asked for, Thomas fell on his face and said, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus said something that should shake the emerging idea that faith is foolish and absolute proof is necessary. He said to Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

For more, listen to  “What Is Truth?” on the CBC Podcast.

In The Arena

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

Teddy Roosevelt speaking at the Sorbonne in 1910.

 

What do you think is the most successful way to share your religious beliefs with strangers?

[ Note: This post appeared in the March 27, 2011, edition of the Lawrence Journal-World. I was asked to write it for the Faith Forum section. ]

There are many popular methods for sharing one’s faith: The media blitz—radio, television, mailers. Street preaching and knocking on doors. The “big event” approach offers free pizza, awesome entertainment and (in small print) an evangelist. The “forced conversion” approach is still being used in places. And let’s not forget the “prophet of doom” approach: shouting thanks to God for “dead soldiers” and waving banners declaring what “God hates”.

But, the New Testament directs Christians to an incarnational approach. Absolutely, we must speak the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. We are sadly deficient—indeed, unloving—if we fail to tell people what the Bible teaches about Jesus: “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

But, most of our instructions for sharing our faith are about living what we believe—“being” people worthy of Jesus’ name. Being the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). He said His followers were to “be” His witnesses—not just “do” witnessing (Acts 1:8).

The Apostle Paul taught us not only to “speak” but also to “pray” and “conduct ourselves with wisdom toward outsiders” (Colossians 4:4-6). He taught us to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect” by “living sensibly, righteously and godly…zealous for good works” (Titus 2:9-15).

Is this the most successful way to share? Yes! Statistically, most Christians were converted through the words and life of a close friend or family member who authentically lived the life and patiently explained the truth. This is the “incarnational” approach—not just talk, but living the authentic Christian life.

Read with me! Part 1: The Invitation

I’m not the first Christian in history.

Brothers and sisters throughout church history have walked with Christ, struggled with the Scriptures and engaged every kind of culture imaginable.

I’m not the only Christian alive today.

Brothers and sisters around the world are walking with Christ, struggling with the Scriptures and engaging every kind of culture imaginable.

The wonderful thing is, those brothers and sisters of the past wrote about what they learned. They shared their experiences in books. When we open the pages of those books and read, amazing things happen. We can benefit and learn and grow from those lessons they learned and those experiences they lived. Isn’t that wonderful?!

This is also true of those brothers and sisters who are alive today. Their words aren’t the word of God. Their books should never be mentioned in the same breath as Scripture. But, like a good sermon, books can help us know God more deeply. Like the words of a wise teacher who has studied the Scriptures for decades, books can help us grow in our understanding of the Bible.

I know this, because I have experienced it. I was not a “reader” when I became a Christian. But I desired to grow and I found that books helped me. Challenged me. Encouraged me.

Here’s my point: I want to invite you to read with me in 2011.

If you’re not a “reader” I hope you’ll pick one or two or three of these and work your way through. I hope you’ll find the audio books and listen on your way to work. Then, I invite you to read my posts about what I’m reading and then add your comments.

Here’s my reading plan thus far. I reserve the right to tweak later:

Books of the Bible I’m reading:

Romans – Philemon. I’m currently reading and listening to the epistles of Paul as I prepare to continue my message series His Story—From Genesis to Revelation. I’ve preached one-sermon messages for every book from Genesis to Acts—you can listen to those on the CBC podcast. I’m very excited to begin preaching Paul’s letters because they are so crucial to being a “spiritual” and mature believer as well as having a well-established church. I can’t encourage you enough to read these treasures with me.

Books I encourage you to read with me this year—compiling the Big Twelve:

I’m hoping to compile a list of about a dozen books I’d like every member of our church to read as a way of encouraging one-mindedness, so your input will be very helpful. I don’t have plans at this time to start a book club, but again, I will be posting reviews as I read and I’d love to get your comments. Several books I’ve already read are on my list of possibilities for the Big Twelve, but the list below includes books I haven’t yet read entirely:

• January: Keep in Step with the Spirit by J. I. Packer. I have never read this book from cover to cover even though it is a modern classic. For several reasons, I feel as though it is time. In the preface, Packer wrote about this book: “A widely traveled leader has said that Christianity in North America is 3,000 miles wide and half an inch deep, and suspicions of shallowness have been voiced elsewhere, too. But however that may be, it is out of the sense that the Spirit is stirring us that this book has emerged…It has been put together to help Christians who mean business with God and are prepared to be dealt with by him.”
• February: Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave—Finding Hope in the Power of the Gospel by Edward T. Welch. This book comes highly recommended by some of the Christian counselors I’ve read in the past. If you’re thinking this book is not for you because you’re not an “addict,” read what the author wrote in the preface: “You will probably come to this book with a particular role in mind. For example, I came with the idea of helping others. Bug as I dug into Scripture’s teaching on the reckless nature of the human heart and its rich teaching on self-control, it made me see that I needed help as well.” Here’s a video of the author discussing this important subject and a curriculum he developed after writing this book:

• March: Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. This book is available for free on-line (click here). I listened to a message by Piper in 2010 by this same name and was really touched. If the book is half as good it should have no problem making the Big 12. To give you some idea of the intensity of this book, read what the author wrote in the preface: “This is not a book about how to avoid a wounded life, but how to avoid a wasted life. Some of you will die in the service of Christ. That will not be a tragedy. Treasuring life above Christ is a tragedy.”
• April: Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow. The title of this one makes it kind of irresistible. Here’s a snippet from the back: “David Murrow’s groundbreaking new book reveals why men are the world’s largest unreached people group. With eye-opening research and a persuasive grasp on the facts, Murrow explains the problem and offers hope and encouragement to women, pastors and men. Why Men Hate Going to Church does not call men back to the church—it calls the church back to men.” Come on, CBC! You need to read this one with me!
• April: Body Life by Ray Stedman. I’ve read some of this book, but it has had too much impact on the Bible Church movement for me to neglect it any longer. It too is available for free on-line (click here).
• June: Reformation in Foreign Missions by Bob Finlay. Finlay has already had a big impact on my thinking regarding Foreign Missions. He started Christian Aid Ministries and I’ve read some of the things he’s written including chapter 21 of Reformation, which is an overview of all of Finlay’s key ideas. That chapter convinced me that I—and every Christian who cares about missions and has ever participated in missions—should read this book. I feel compelled to read the entire thing soon to confirm my thinking that this is as earth-shaking as I think it is. It is available for free on-line (click here).
• July-December…coming soon

Books I’m reading for my own edification or enjoyment:

• The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare. This award-winning historical fiction book is set in the time of Christ. I’m reading it to my three oldest children as part of our home education curriculum.
• Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose. This book is about the American soldiers who took down Hitler. I’ve made something of a personal commitment to read periodically about the Americans who have fought for the United States of America. I want to remember those who put their lives on the line—or gave their lives—to protect and preserve the freedom I enjoy. It’s my way of honoring them—simply to remember what they did.

2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 5,300 times in 2010. That’s about 13 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 17 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 89 posts.

The busiest day of the year was March 30th with 672 views. The most popular post that day was Question: Is the mark of the beast in Obamacare?.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were goldfuture.wordpress.com, community-bible.org, facebook.com, mail.yahoo.com, and google.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for school for the gifted far side cartoon, the far side school for the gifted, school for the gifted far side, lovers of self, and farside school for the gifted.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Question: Is the mark of the beast in Obamacare? March 2010
28 comments

2

My all-time favorite Far Side! March 2009

3

Lovers of Self? August 2007
1 comment

4

About December 2007
2 comments

5

Question: How do I lead my wife? March 2010

How would you expect Jesus to celebrate his birthday if he were a modern man?

[ Note: This post appeared in the Christmas Day edition of the Lawrence Journal-World. I was asked to write it for the Faith Forum section. ]

How would I expect Jesus to celebrate his birthday if He were a modern man? Exactly the same way He did in the first century.

He didn’t celebrate the exact date He was born in Bethlehem. But He did celebrate His birth. He celebrated not by getting presents, but by giving the most tremendous gift of history.

Here’s how I know: Shortly before He died, Jesus asked,

“…What shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?” (John 12:27).

“This hour” referred to His death. Though He clearly would have preferred to avoid the Cross, He knew He would follow through and die for us. Why? Look what He said next in John 12:27:

“But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

There’s Jesus’ birthday! He “came” to earth (was born) for that “purpose” of taking on Himself the wrath of God for the sins of the world.

Unlike us, Jesus chose to be born. He existed before His birth and “gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:7-9, NLT).

That’s how Jesus celebrated His birthday: By fulfilling the purpose for which He came. And that’s exactly how I would expect Him to celebrate today. This also tells us how He wants us to celebrate His birthday: By believing that He died for our sins and rose again to give us eternal life.

Charles Wesley got it right: “Mild He lays His glory by; born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth! Hark! The herald angels sing: ‘Glory to the newborn King!’”

What’s in a name?

Shakespeare’s Juliet asked: “What’s in a name?”

The irony of the question lies in the fact that her name was her biggest problem! The reason she could not be with her Romeo was precisely because her name was Capulet and his was Montague. Capulets didn’t love Montagues—they hated them!

“That which we call a rose,” she argued, “by any other word would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title.”

Juliet didn’t think his name mattered at all—what mattered was the person. And perhaps in that case, she was right. And perhaps in many cases, the name or title of something makes no difference whatsoever.

Ask for the whatchmacallit or the doohickey or the thingamajig and you’ll probably get what you want. Call him Santa Claus, Father Christmas or Saint Nick—it doesn’t matter! Name your son Austin, Peter or Max—it probably makes no difference.

But not so with God.

If Juliet was speaking of God and said, “What’s in a name? Call Him whatever you like,” she would be dead wrong. It’s true that this Rose—the true and living God—would “retain that dear perfection which He owes without (the Biblical) titles.” But, the names and titles of God found in the Bible were not given to us in a random and pointless way. They are not incidental.

The names and titles for God found in the Bible are carefully brushed strokes on the canvas of God’s most awesome work: The revelation of Himself.

Herbert Lockyer wrote, “God alone can reveal His character and will to man. The Unknown and the Unknowable, as far as fleshly wisdom is concerned, can only make Himself fully known. This, God, along with Christ and the Holy Spirit, have done in the many designations they have given us, all of which mirror their respective attributes and activities” (All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible, Introduction).

Each time we come across a name or title of God in the Bible, we learn another great truth about the God who created us.

• “YHWH” tells us He is eternal and personal.
• “Father” tells us He is the perfection of love and discipline.
• “Shepherd” tells us He is our protector and provider and guide.

On and on it goes. The more we encounter these one-word revelations, the more we know Him. The more we appreciate Him. The more we—along with the psalm writers—see that “His name alone is exalted” (Psalm 148:13) the more we will “sing praises to His name for it is lovely” (Psalm 135:3).

As Lockyer pointed out, this is true of each person of the Trinity. When we come to the stories of the birth of Jesus, we find them rich with names and titles for the newborn King.

He is…

• “The Messiah…son of David, son of Abraham…Jesus Christ…Immanuel…King of the Jews…a Ruler who will shepherd…son of Mary” in Matthew 1-2.
• “Jesus…great…Son of the Most High…the Holy Child…the Son of God…A Savior…Christ the Lord…her (Mary’s) firstborn son…a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” in Luke 1-2.
• “The Word…light…the Only Begotten God (God the One and Only, NIV), who is in the bosom of the Father” in John 1.

“Jesus” is just one example of how each of these names is like a blast from God’s trumpet of revelation. The “angel of the Lord” told Joseph to give this name to the Boy because “He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). “Jesus” is a Hebrew name that means (can you guess?) “Jehovah is salvation”!

Notice the word “son” popping up several times: “Son of David…Abraham…the Most High God.” He is called Mary’s “firstborn son”. All the “Son” references add up to tell us that He alone was qualified to fulfill the two greatest covenants God ever made with humans—the Davidic and Abrahamic covenants. As Mary’s Son, He not only took on human flesh that He might bleed human blood for the sins of the world, but He also became Heir to the promises God made to the two greatest Israelites in history. “Son of the Most High…God” tells us His life did not begin in Bethlehem—He has always existed in an eternal relationship with the Father. It explains what kind of King can have a kingdom that will last forever: the Eternal King, God’s only, unique Son.

Or what about “Word”. What is a “word” for? Communication! What did this “Word” do, according to John? “The Light shines in the darkness…” he wrote. What kind of “light”? The-knowledge-of-God kind of light. But, He wasn’t just another self-proclaimed guru speculating about things he didn’t understand. His perspective is like no other: “No one has ever seen God. But the one and only Son is himself God and is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us” (John 1:18, NLT).

Every angle has been played to try to motivate Christians to not forget the true meaning of Christmas. Here’s a really practical idea for keeping your focus where it should be this time of year (hang on, this is really profound): Read the Bible! Read what Matthew recorded about Jesus’ birth. Read what Luke uncovered in his research. Read John’s epilogue—some of the most profound theological statements in the Bible about Jesus’ true identity.

Let God’s Self-revelation renew your mind. Stop and enjoy every name. Underline every title. Each one is a delicate brush stroke deserving of close examination. But when seen together, they are a jaw-dropping revelation that should result in nothing less than what the Magi did when they saw the Child in His mother’s arms: “They fell to the ground and worshipped Him” (Matthew 2:11)!

How Will You Celebrate?

Three decades after D-day, Gen. O.N. Bradley wrote that he returned to the beaches of Normandy many times to remember the men who fought and died there—as well as those who survived and won the day by the slimmest of margins. He said, “They should never be forgotten.”

Some historical events are like that. They’re so important we should never forget them. And that’s why we celebrate Christmas—to return once again to the familiar story of Christ’s birth. As surely as the Allied forces invaded Europe in June of 1944 during her darkest days in modern history and freed her from the darkness of Nazi oppression, God Himself invaded the darkness of planet earth long ago through Bethlehem and liberated us from the oppression of sin. The darkness did not prevail.

Remember

I invite you to return once again to Bethlehem. To remember.

Read John 1:1-18. Like John, remember that the baby in Bethlehem was so much more—He was the Word made flesh—the Creator God.

Read Matthew 1:1-17. Like Matthew, remember that the son of a humble, Jewish girl named Mary, was also the Son of King David, the Son of Father Abraham, the long-awaited, pre-announced Messiah of God.

Read Luke 1:26-38. Like Mary, remember that an angel declared that this baby was great, the Son of the Most High who will sit on the throne of His father, David, and will reign forever.

Read Matthew 1:18-25. Like Joseph, remember that the baby Mary carried was conceived by the Holy Spirit with a heaven-given name, Jesus, because He would save His people from their sins—and that He should be called “Immanuel” because He was God with us.

Read Luke 2:1-20. Like the shepherds, remember that this one whose birth was announced by a host of angels was born in a place where men kept animals.

Read Matthew 2:1-12. Like the Magi, remember that Jesus was announced by a spectacular light in the sky and that He was a newborn King. Also, like the Magi we invite you to worship—fall on your knees! To hear the angel voices! To remember that holy night. That divine night—the night when Christ was born.

Respond

But, the fact is, this child those Magi saw demands much more than just remembrance. He demands a response. The very nature of His incarnation, life and teaching, death and resurrection demands that we make choices. One cannot be ambivalent about Jesus. As C. S. Lewis suggested, one who said the things Jesus said and did the things Jesus did should either be denounced as a cruel deceiver or worshiped as Lord and Savior.

Somehow the Magi knew that this star, this light would lead them to Jesus. When they knew that or believed that, they had a choice: Follow or not. Go and see or stay and wonder what might have been. Those Magi—Gentiles—traveled hundreds of miles to see the King of the Jews. The Jews they met in Jerusalem refused to travel just six miles—from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.

Will you, like the Magi, make great sacrifices, give expensive gifts and bow to worship Jesus?

Will you, like the Shepherds, believe that this child in the manger is exactly who the angels declared Him to be—Christ the Lord? Then, will you glorify and praise Him, and tell everyone who will listen?

Will you, like Mary and Joseph, believe what the angel said—that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, born of a virgin and that He saves people from their sins and that He will sit on the throne of David and rule forever; and believing, will you obey God no matter what anyone thinks of you?

Will you take to heart what Matthew wrote of Jesus—that He was the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, the Messiah, who displayed great humility by being born into a family of sinful, undeserving people though He Himself was without sin?

Will you, like John, receive Him. Do you remember what John wrote in 1:12? “…To all who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God…” John had received Jesus. He had believed that Jesus was who He claimed to be. That He had died for our sins and risen from the dead that we might have eternal life. Only then did he become a child of God. We are not children of God simply by virtue of being human. We are born into the human race. We must be born again to become children of God. John repeatedly invited his readers to “believe”—to trust Jesus Christ with their eternal destiny.

As you remember Christ during Christmas, how will you respond?

(Originally posted December 25, 2007; click on http://keepyourhead.wordpress.com/category/christmas/ to see my other “Christmas” posts.)

Dr. Ravi Zacharias

One of my favorite people in the world is Dr. Ravi Zacharias. The motto of his ministry really says it all: Helping the Thinker Believe. Helping the Believer Think. Few people have done such a good job at these two tasks as Dr. Zacharias. He deals with lofty issues in a way that most people can grasp them. Enjoy this short clip that shows what I mean. He talks about postmodernism in a way that makes you wonder why so many books have been written on the subject. Then visit his website (http://rzim.org) and check out the “resources” link:



An Email from a Lesbian—Part 2

The following is Part 2 of a conversation I had with a lesbian (click here for Part 1). I’ll call her Linda, but that’s not her real name. Other names will be changed also. Everything else, however, is unchanged from the original email exchange except for an occasional clarification (which I’ll put in parentheses) and a few grammatical corrections (we’re not real careful in emails are we?).

I share this conversation hoping it is helpful to others—whether you’re a homosexual or the family member of someone who claims to be homosexual. My guess is this was not a totally unique occurrence. Obviously, I did not get the kind of dialogue I was hoping for. But, hopefully the research listed will be helpful to some. Go to http://www.robgagnon.net/ for the best Biblical response to homosexuality and related issues. 

Linda’s 2nd Email:

You’re right, John is free to believe however he wishes. You may want to reconsider using the “study” you quoted to support your religious beliefs in the future. Check out this link and then do some more research on your own. The author of that study, Paul Cameron, is no better than Fred Phelps, who John says is evil and crazy (of course, that isn’t a judgmental statement for John to make, right?). Living by the Bible is not THE way to live, it’s ONE way to live. You are not more correct for your beliefs than I am for mine. I just ask that when speaking of gay men and lesbians, make sure you are using sound, scientific evidence, not a study that has been viewed disreputable for 20 years.

My reply to Linda’s 2nd Email:

Thanks for your reply, Linda. 

First, I don’t know anything about Fred Phelps or John’s opinion of him (Note: At the time I wrote this email, I had just moved to Kansas and had not yet been “introduced” to Mr. Phelps.) But, I’m wondering whether my email was helpful in appreciating where John is coming from. Can you be tolerant of John’s beliefs and work toward some type of peaceful co-existence?

Second, what do you mean by “you are not more correct for your beliefs than I am for mine”? It’s illogical to say that our beliefs are equally valid—they completely contradict each other. They can’t both be correct. Either I’m right and you’re wrong. Or I’m wrong and you’re right. Or we’re both wrong somehow. But we can’t both be right. As far as I can tell, your beliefs are your own opinions. Mine are based on science (see below as well as my statement about anatomy in the first email) and the ancient, time-tested and time-proven Christian Scriptures. Can you really say that human anatomy supports your view of homosexuality? Can you confidently assert that your view of homosexuality is just as valid as that which is taught in the Bible?

Third, Cameron was not my source. I had never heard of him until I read the article you sent me. Linda, please don’t dismiss everything I had to say by assuming I was quoting a 25-year-old debunked study. In addition to all the links below, I’ve read articles which quote a study published by St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia (1997) in the International Journal of Epidemiology; the New England Journal of Medicine; a study by researchers Bell and Weinberg; another article in the Annals of Internal Medicine which quotes the Federal Centers for Disease Control; The New York Times as well as gay authors Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen (who admit that sexual promiscuity among homosexuals approaches 100%).

Here is some sound, scientific evidence to support what I told you—and more. I hope you will follow the advice you gave me and do some research of your own:

http://www.narth.com/docs/riskfact.html

This study found that 62.1% of lesbians had considered suicide during their lifetimes, compared to 58.2% of gay men, while the figures for those who have actually attempted it were 29.2% for women and 28.8% for men. The respondents to the internet-conducted study also provided data that suggests lesbians are more likely to smoke, drink liquor, use such controlled substances as cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD, and mescaline, as well as being more prone to be overweight and even—in this particular study—to have more sex partners than gay males. 

http://ssdv.acon.org.au/providerinfo/private_lives_report_0.pdf.pdf

This massive study done in Australia tells us homosexuals have a higher instance of abusive relationships with a same-sex partner, drug use was higher than among the general population, forty percent of the males reported having pubic lice; one in five reported gonorrhea and more than one in ten men reported other STDs. Eight percent of the males were HIV positive. Females also contracted a high instance of genital warts, chlamydia, herpes, candidiasis, urinary tract infections, vaginitis, PID and triochomonas. The report also found high rates of depression and suicidal ideation. Of those surveyed, 15.7% indicated suicidal thoughts in the two weeks prior to completing the survey. Depressive disorder was high: 48.6% for men and 44.4% of women scored at least one of the two criteria for a major depressive episode (MDE). 

http://www.cancer.org/downloads/PUB/DOCS/SECTION29/104.pdf (Note: This link is no longer good, but the book and chapter can be found on Google Books)

The American Cancer Society has this online book, Cancer Medicine, which includes a chapter titled, “Neoplasm of the Anus.” This chapter deals specifically with the rising levels of anal cancer among homosexual males and notes that gay men are now getting this cancer at a younger age from the regular practice of anal intercourse. 

http://www.narth.com/docs/whitehead.html

Here’s an article which clearly shows the link between homosexuality and mental disorders: Note the long list of references Dr. Whitehead compiled in doing this research. 

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/pdf_files/Diseases.pdf

(Note: This article has since been removed without explanation, but this link directly to the CDC provides several articles that affirm the basic premise.)

I’m sure you’re not crazy about the Traditional Values Coalition, but this article does not quote Cameron. It quotes numerous sources including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in showing the link between homosexuality and disease.

http://www.narth.com/docs/studiesofinterest.html

Here are some summaries of research studies and journal articles. One article shows good evidence for a link between child molestation and lesbianism. To be more specific, 22% of those who identified themselves as lesbian also reported that they had been the victim of homosexual molestation as children. Homosexual molestation rates among heterosexual women were only 1%. 

http://www.narth.com/docs/alcohol.html (Note: This link was removed because the article included research by Paul Cameron.)

This link is a little hard to read, but lists several statistics derived from the Medical Journal of Homosexuality, the Post-Tribune, and the FBI that show the link between homosexuality and life expectancy.

http://www.narth.com/docs/alcohol.html

This study found some depressing links between lesbianism and alcohol abuse.

http://www.narth.com/docs/evidencefound.html

One more: This study shows that “Reorientation Therapy” works. You can change. These links may also be helpful to you. I especially recommend this one: http://www.exodus.to/content/blogcategory/25/148/, But this one might also be helpful: http://www.worthycreations.org/index.html.

I sincerely hope you’ll take a look at all this. If nothing else, I hope you’ll do one thing: Pray and ask God to show you the truth about Himself. Just that one simple prayer. I’ll pray for you, too.

Sincerely,

Shaun LePage

Note: Linda never replied to this email. I have not heard from her since. She and her partner, Jane, are no longer together.