Below is the  response of a trustee of the Baptist Banner to the pastor advocating gay marriage in the Sunday Free Lance-Star (link to article). His name is withheld for his protection.

30 May 2012

To the Editor:

This is response to the Commentary “Gay or Straight . . .” by the Rev. Doug Hodges, in the Sunday, May 27, 2012 Free Lance-Star.  Pastor Hodges appears to make a case for gay marriage based on what Jesus said, or didn’t say.  The fact is, this is another pastor who has succumbed to polite political correctness to appease the amoral Minority Left, ostensibly to make people feel good about themselves.  But political correctness or politeness is no virtue when one is making irresponsible arguments.  This is not a round-table debate on whether the Church should serve real wine or mere grape juice for communion.  Pastor Hodges is attacking the very Word of God.  The Bible says that all Scripture is God-breathed.  The approximately 40 authors wrote the 66 books under direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Orthodox Christianity believes in the Trinity, with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit manifested in three distinct Persons but each equally God, having co-existed since eternity.

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament explicitly teach against homosexual behavior and lifestyle as sinful, against human and God’s nature.  The Holy Spirit didn’t inspire the writers in a vacuum – Jesus the Son was right there too – this didn’t take Him by surprise.  Thus Pastor Hodges’ interpretation of Jesus’ comments (or non-comments) are void.  Like other compromising Christians, he has subjected Scripture to grotesque distortions – all for the purpose of accommodating gays and humanistic thought.

None of Pastor Hodges’ arguments pass the theology smell test.  They are assertions, devoid of factual support.  The fact is, homosexuals are over-represented in sexual diseases such as STDs and AIDS.  And as a demographic statistic, gay marriages have a higher divorce rate than orthodox straight couples.  Long term, the homosexual lifestyle is destructive both physically and spiritually.  Orthodox Christianity indeed teaches that Christ intensely loves all humans – after all, He died on the cross for us (and rose again the Third Day), at a moment in time when we could have cared less about God.  He does not nor does Scripture endorse or approve of destructive living or habits.  To the contrary, the Good News of His Gospel is that He changes lives.

Respectfully,
M.