The Standard of Liberty Voice
For God,Religion,Family,Freedom
A publication of The Standard of Liberty Foundation
www.standardofliberty.org
September 3, 2006, #25

The Problem with LDS Pro-Gay Theology

(This is an extension of an op-ed piece which has been sent twice to the Salt Lake Tribune, as they have published our pieces in the past. So far they have not responded.)

Newspaper articles pushing homosexuality among Latter-day Saints abound. Lately we’ve heard from creative new groups: “mixed orientation”couples (a gay guy and a straight girl) determinedly marrying (in the temple I presume) and starting families, and “same-sex married” homosexuals faithfully attending their meetings under the threat of excommunication. Evidently, the combination of gay pride plus contrived marriage is a trendy gay LDS option to lifelong celibacy, the promiscuous gay lifestyle, or using traditional marriage to try to “get better.”1

Underlying these ever more innovative travesties is the sexual liberationists’ goal to break down doctrine until gays are publicly recognized as both homosexual (acceptably and unalterably) and faithful Latter-day Saints. As if that is not contradictory enough, they also presume to pressure the orthodox Church to accept same-sex sexual relations as equal to heterosexual unions. They’ve come a long way.

They do this with the help of what former homosexual Christian author Joe Dallas calls pro-gay theology.2 This tactic spins religion to gain not just tolerance but legitimization of homosexuality within the church. Further, it seeks to redefine homosexual lust and behavior as being God-ordained and morally right. Pro-gay theology is popping up in churches everywhere. LDS gays and their apologists say they love the church and don’t want to leave it, so they seek to fit the Church to their proclivities, much like the wicked stepsisters tried to cram their big feet into Cinderella’s tiny glass slipper.

To echo a warning from Paul Morris in Shadow of Sodom, If I were striving to be both LDS and openly homosexual, I think this one question would disturb me most: Am I trying to interpret Scripture in the light of my proclivities; or should I interpret my proclivities in the light of Scripture? The same goes for sympathizers who seek to excuse, accept, or celebrate sexual impurity. They would do well to ask themselves, Am I trying to interpret the Church in the light of political expedience and cultural trends; or should I interpret those trends in light of the Church? It must be noted that there is indeed a very slippery slope between accepting homosexuality and accepting homosexual behaviors, a slippery slope sexual revolutionaries depend on to slide their doctrine of licentiousness right through the door of the Church.

The list of theologically-oriented arguments presumptuously put forth by some pro-gay Latter-day Saints is similar to that of other pro-gay Christians – truth inexorably mixed in with error. Says Dallas, “Twist the scriptures hard enough and you can make them appear to say anything you please.” That is why we must continually return to full reality. No matter what pro-gay rationalizations are concocted, everlasting truths remain. At the end of this article you will find a sample of pro-gay pseudo-theological arguments as compared to corresponding orthodox doctrines.

One often missed aspect of LDS gay theology is the total disregard for the foundational principle of repentance. This has come about with the erroneous concessions that homosexual orientation cannot be acquired or turned away from. Perhaps because of these socially and politically convenient compromises, the dreadful peculiarities of homosexual thought and behavior are being dangerously overlooked. No longer are we hearing that those adopting the homosexual label are on the path to self-destruction, that they need help, or that they have gone astray. Rather, we are watching as the LDS culture adapts itself to homosexuality, rooting for the stepsisters as it were. As a result, the sexually confused or rebellious are being allowed to proclaim their abnormal sexual desires as unchangeable, like some sort of special exemption, while everyone else must continue repenting – striving to conform to God’s will in both thoughts and actions – until this life of tests is over.

What’s most disturbing about this view is the stark absence of concern for the homosexual’s soul or spiritual well-being, indicating the gravest error of all coming from those professing to follow Christ. Also missing is a gross lack of care for the physical health of the homosexually-inclined person. In addition, we are unbelievably naive if we think that by affirming a person as innocuously homosexual he will be chaste. The person motivated enough to “come out” has most likely already immersed himself in highly addictive sexual activities such as sexual fantasies, internet pornography, masturbation, gay chat rooms, phone sex, etc. – activities which can hardly be defined as chaste.

According to one expert, the sexually-saturated culture we live in has now become the main cause of homosexuality today. Not childhood sexual abuse, not family dysfunction, not some gay gene. If our oversexed environment is the cause, it would seem that much easier to overcome homosexuality. But unfortunately, once an individual adopts the gay label, he will most likely plow full speed ahead in order to justify his decision. The message they never hear is that it’s never too late to change one’s mind.

Rev. Andrew Aquino rightly said, “My message to the homosexual is: We love you. Come and struggle with us against sin. Don’t give in to it.” And Dallas reminds us that confrontation is not enough to change a heart. “The heart, having been hardened through deception or rebellion or both, has to be softened. And that is the work of God alone. Ours is simply to speak the truth.”

Of course we would all rather be “nice” than hold forth these large and uncomfortable (and politically incorrect and perhaps financially and socially dangerous) truths. However, ignoring the problem is neither compassionate nor Christ-like. Boyd K. Packer said, “The love we offer may be a tough love, but it is of the purest kind.” And C. S. Lewis wrote, “Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them; but love cannot cease to will their removal. . . Love is something more stern and splendid than mere kindness.”

Certain individuals and groups want to have their cake and eat it when it comes to religion, church, and unlimited sex and sexuality, and would have us all make exceptions just for them. But in the mists and twists of pro-gay theology and politics, the agency and safety of the rising generation, true Christianity, and the preservation of religious freedom require unblinking orthodoxy.

-Stephen & Janice Graham

Pro-Gay Theology
The central message of Christ is love. He came to break down systems of oppression and promote love towards all.
Orthodox Theology
Besides assuming that homosexuality is an immutable condition like race, this sounds like something out of the irreligious 1960s “Jesus Freak” movement. If this were the whole truth, there would be no commandments, no sin, no punishments, and no God, as the hippie culture demonstrated in rebelling against the establishment and traditional morality; we could do whatever we wanted with no earthly or eternal consequences. The whole truth is that God’s plan is to make us better people. His commandments exist for our own good. Christ’s loving Atonement offers the chance to overcome weaknesses, forsake sin, turn back to God, feel His love more and do His will, and in so doing become new creatures qualified for eternal life. Godly love does not include making allowances for sin and the philosophies of men. Accepting sin is not loving. The fact that Christ continually cleansed the temple is symbolic. Those who find the word of God “oppressive” obviously do not desire to keep His commandments, and we will reap what we sow.

Pro-Gay Theology
The issue of homosexuality is too complicated to be addressed by reductionist conservative Christianity.
Orthodox Theology
The simple fact is God has clear laws about how we should and should not direct our sexual feelings. Homosexuality falls outside God’s instructions concerning sexual purity. Latter-day Saints who are troubled by same-sex sexual attraction are obligated to resist it, get help, and hopefully get well, if it takes them the rest of their lives.

Pro-Gay Theology
These individuals didn’t choose to be homosexual so it must be a “gift from God.”
Orthodox Theology
God allows us to face adversity and temptation to give us the opportunity to exercise faith and overcome the flesh in order to become more like Him. Such a “gift” lies in the opportunity to utilize agency to conquer the natural man.

Pro-gay Theology
LDS homosexual people can be chaste.
Orthodox Theology
Homosexual lust falls outside God's law of chastity. An avowed homosexual is not chaste and cannot be a faithful Latter-day Saint. “A priesthood holder is virtuous. Virtuous behavior implies that he has pure thoughts and clean actions. He will not lust in his heart for to do so is to ‘deny the faith’ and to lose the Spirit (D&C 42:23).3

Pro-gay Theology
Homosexuality is not a disorder, weakness, sin, or deception.
Orthodox Theology
Homosexuality is a psychological disorder, a rebellious and willful sinfulness, an embrace of weakness, the result of deception, or a combination of these. God’s creation, the human body, does not safely accommodate homosexual behaviors. Homosexuality uses sexual feelings in ways that fall outside God’s laws. Jesus said, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matthew 5:28).” It would follow then that sexualizing people we have no right to think sexually about is a sin.

Pro-gay Theology
Homosexuality cannot be healed, changed, corrected, or repented of. Reparative therapy is unkind and dangerous.
Orthodox Theology
Homosexuality can be, and has been healed, changed, corrected, and repented of. All healthy people have God’s gift of agency and are ultimately free to choose and change their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Although it is true that in the past this disorder has been dealt with badly, excellent books and therapy are now available for help in overcoming unwanted homosexual desires. There is a high success rate. Thousands of former homosexuals exist. President Kimball said that homosexuality is “overcomable and forgivable, but only upon deep and abiding repentance, which means total abandonment and complete transformation of thought and act.” He tells us that to say people cannot help being homosexual is blasphemy, a way to rationalize and excuse perversion.4 The LDS Church’s position is that “those who desire to be free of same-gender [sexual] attraction can overcome that attraction and find hope by turning to the Lord and committing themselves to a program of change.”5

Pro-gay Theology
It is a bad idea to confess homosexual tendencies to ecclesiastical leaders. They don’t know anything about it.
Orthodox Theology
It is true that LDS leaders often do not understand or know how to counsel people concerning this issue. However, this does not excuse bad tendencies and behaviors. It is ultimately up to the individual to confess weaknesses and sins to the Lord, comply with Church policies concerning repentance, return to the strait and narrow path, and keep his covenants with God. An individual seeking to cover his sins halts his own spiritual progress.

Pro-gay Theology
God loves us just the way we are.
Orthodox Theology
Although God’s love for His children is truly unconditional, His blessings are not. His plan is for us to improve ourselves by striving to do His will and keep His laws out of love for Him while relying on the Savior, and in this way become more like Him and gain exaltation.

Pro-gay Theology
The principles of the gospel (faith, repentance, etc.) apply differently to homosexuals than to others.
Orthodox Theology
The gospel of Jesus Christ applies equally to all people. None of us are above or beyond our need for the Atonement of Christ.

Pro-gay Theology
Those experiencing homosexual desires do not need to repent.
Orthodox Theology
All human beings must repent continually to qualify for the saving grace of Christ’s Atonement. His is a gospel of repentance. The Book of Mormon anti-Christs proclaimed there was no sin and no need for repentance. Those denying the principle of repentance are denying Christ.

Pro-gay Theology
The scriptures condemning homosexuality have been mistranslated, misinterpreted, or taken out of context.
Orthodox Theology
Holy scripture not only specifically and repeatedly condemns homosexual behavior, but also other forms of sexual sin, and obligates us to purify our thoughts continuously as well. Scriptures clearly condemning same- sex sex include: Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, Jude 1:7, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:9-10, Hebrews 13:4, 2 Nephi 13:9. There are many others condemning general sexual impurity in thought and deed.

Pro-gay Theology
President Kimball’s bold pronouncements against homosexuality are outdated and unkind.
Orthodox Theology
Whatever a prophet says under the influence of the Holy Ghost is scripture. President Kimball’s words (and others’) on homosexuality have never been retracted by subsequent prophets. His words are motivated by love. True charity seeks the long term best for all of God’s children.

Pro-gay Theology
Since Jesus himself never specifically mentioned homosexuality, it must be allowed.
Orthodox Theology
Jesus didn’t mention a lot of things that we know are wrong. The Spirit of the Lord will teach us the truth of all things. King Benjamin said, “I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them. But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God . . . even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish (Mosiah 4:29-30).

Pro-gay Theology
Since Jesus himself was tempted to do wrong, homosexual temptations cannot be sinful.
Orthodox Theology
It is how we respond to temptations that determines whether or not we have sinned. Satan tried to tempt Jesus but Jesus was not tempted. He did not entertain those temptations to any degree.He immediately rejected them. Hence, a distinction must be made between bad thoughts that pop up out of the blue and are immediately rejected, and bad thoughts that are invited, encouraged, or indulged in to any degree. Secrets cannot be kept from God. Homosexual lust is sinful and will most likely lead to more sin. We are told to turn to the Lord to resist sin in thought as well as deed. Jesus taught that we are to continually purify our hearts and minds through repentance so as not to become hypocrites. As human beings, it is appropriate to repent, or turn to the Lord, with any enticement, voluntary or involuntary, which is not in keeping with God’s laws so as to arm ourselves against temptations that repeat themselves or are particularly troublesome. The good news is, in the process we will grow spiritually.

Pro-gay Theology
God decides when and if our weaknesses and tendencies toward sin go away.
Orthodox Theology
It is up to each individual to confess weaknesses and sins, turn back to God, and strive to overcome the natural man. This is possible because of agency and Christ’s Atonement and is referred to in the scriptures as the mighty change of heart.

Pro-gay Theology
Those who give up on overcoming sexual addictions and homosexual orientation in this life will immediately and magically be relieved of all characteristics that caused these issues when they enter the next life.
Orthodox Theology
Now is the time to prepare to meet God. We will possess the same spiritual attributes and attitudes in the next life as we developed and adopted while on earth. Some will procrastinate the day of their repentance until it is too late. (Alma 34:32-35.)

Pro-gay Theology
All those who don’t agree with homosexuality are insensitive, homophobic, and unChrist-like.
Orthodox Theology
Most people who don’t agree with homosexuality are kind people who know right from wrong.

Pro-gay Theology
There are same-sex partners who truly love each other and love can’t be wrong. Love and sex are always interchangeable. It isn’t fair that LDS homosexuals are denied sexual intimacy.6
Orthodox Theology
Love is not enough to justify a sexual relationship. Many kinds of love do not include sex, as in friendships and families, and there are many times when sex is wrong such as premarital sex, child sexual abuse, homosexuality, and adultery.

Pro-gay Theology
People who oppose sexual diversity are wrong because the primary moral imperative is the golden rule.7
Orthodox Theology
This argument is an incredibly shallow, irreligious one. If we knew the facts, we would eschew sexual diversity because it is not good for individuals or society in the long run. Those who oppose homosexuality are actually practicing the golden rule. In addition, the golden rule is not the primary moral imperative. Traditional morality has its roots in God’s laws. Because we do not always know what is best, the first commandment to love and obey God trumps every other moral imperative. (A stunning example is God commanding Nephi to slay Laban.)

Pro-gay Theology
Embracing homosexuality isn’t harmful or sinful, only homosexual actions are.
Orthodox Theology
If we care about human souls, we are spiritually and morally obligated to encourage the overcoming of dangerous tendencies. Homosexuality is harmful and sinful in theory as well as practice.

Pro-gay Theology
We can safely accept the LDS gay identity while condemning homosexual behavior. It won’t hurt anyone for openly gay, celibate individuals to serve in practically any church calling.
Orthodox Theology
There are several problems with this statement. First, a distinction must be made between the self-determined, “I can’t help it,” “gay is good” homosexual person (celibate or not) and the humble, repentant person struggling to overcome homosexual tendencies who does not publicize his problem. These are two completely opposite attitudes which will have opposite results. The person who has surrendered himself to homosexuality will most likely promote gay-affirming ideologies, however subtle, while the truly repentant individual will support orthodoxy while privately resisting homosexuality and seeking help as long as he has a real problem with it. Obviously, the first type of individual could be quite dangerous in any church calling, most especially those interacting with young people, while the second might be able to safely handle certain callings while he works on conquering his problems and reorienting his sexual feelings. In addition, it’s essential to realize that there are many degrees of homosexual behavior. A homosexual orientation is kept inflamed by such acts as adopting the gay label, fantasizing, masturbation, pornography, and same-sex flirting and dating on line or in person. Therefore, many who self-identify as permanently gay (whether they have engaged in full physical homosexual behavior or not) are engaging in sin and will try to influence others to accept homosexuality and all it comprises in order to justify their choices. With these distinctions in mind, the contention that LDS who have adopted the same-gender attracted, gay, or homosexual label can safely hold church callings becomes harmful to both the homosexual and those he comes in contact with through the church. In this way the self-determined homosexual is affirmed and emboldened and will continue and may even escalate his participation in sin and sexual activism, and the current and rising generations will be led to wrongly believe that homosexuality is normal, harmless, and unchangeable. Young people may be easily recruited into homosexualism by dynamic homosexuals who are called into positions of authority over them. This contention is also what amounts to blasphemy to those who are struggling to, or have already, overcome homosexuality or any other difficult sin. Incidentally, it is also grossly inconsistent and confusing to homosexuals to be accepted in theory but not in practice.

Pro-gay Theology
Pornography addicts and self-proclaimed homosexuals can be happy and faithful Latter-day Saints.
Orthodox Theology
This is a highly uncharitable and reductionistic argument. Distinctions must be made between pleasure and true happiness, and outward participation in the Church organization and culture vs. true religiosity. If we care about our brothers’ and sisters’ spiritual growth and exaltation, we must hold fast to spiritual truths such as wickedness never was happiness, as a man thinketh so is he, no man can serve two masters, we must give away all our sins to know God, strait is the gate and narrow the way, it is given to us to judge good from evil, a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, etc. etc. etc.

Resources
1. “Gay, Mormon, Married,” Salt Lake Tribune, Aug.5, 2006.
“Gay Mormon Describes Life on the Brink of Excommunication,” Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 13, 2006.
2. “Responding to Pro-Gay Theology,” Joe Dallas, www.joedallas.com, see articles and commentary.
3. Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, Nov. 1986, 45.
4. Spencer W. Kimball, New Era, Nov. 1980, 39.
5. “A New Chapter on LDS Gays,” Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 18, 2004.
6. Ibid.
7. “May the Gay Marriage Debate Push Aside Our Fears,” Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 12, 2006.


Copyright 2006 by Standard of Liberty Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.

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