The downfall of progressive Christianity

Same-sex marriage and the Church.

There is increasing pressure for the Church to adopt the secular world’s agenda and to ‘show love’ by agreeing to conduct same-sex marriages and show unequivocal support for LGBTQ+ people.

The LGBT agenda has already infiltrated the mainstream media and is increasingly directing Government policy, while any opposition is considered both unjust and immoral. Worryingly, this is extending forcefully into education where OFSTED is now penalising schools that do not teach LGBTQ+ lifestyles as ‘normal’.

No bastion of our society is exempt from this relentless onslaught, including the Established Church, where there are already determined efforts afoot to get it to accept same-sex marriage, following the examples of the Episcopal Churches in the USA and Scotland. As anticipated, the legalising of same-sex marriage in 2013 was the thin end of the wedge – and clauses allowing the Church’s right to opt out on grounds of conscience were never a final guarantee of safety.

Enormous Pressure to Succumb

Although the official policy of the Church of England is that same-sex marriage should not be performed in Anglican churches, some churches already offer services of blessing following civil ceremonies (indeed, the Diocese of Hereford has put forward a proposal that the Church should produce a formal liturgy for these services).

The General Synod has so far toed the official line, although it recently rejected a report upholding the traditional teaching on marriage and, last year, ‘sadness’ was expressed at discipline that had to be meted out on the Scottish Episcopal Church for its decision to flout the current rules.¹

There seems little doubt that the issue will be pushed repeatedly in Synod until opposition gives way. Earlier this year a Government Minister castigated the Church of England for not sanctioning same-sex marriage. Unless Bible-believing Christians wake up and call the Church of England to account, it will likely succumb to the enormous pressure – indeed, many bishops are already in favour.

Unless Bible-believing Christians wake up and call the Church of England to account, it will likely succumb to the enormous pressure.

The recent Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) resulted in a letter being written urging the Archbishop of Canterbury to speak the truth about the Gospel and sexuality - but Justin Welby gives the impression of striving for unity above all else, including biblical truth.Already, Ugandan Anglican bishops have said that they will not attend the 2020 Lambeth Conference because of the woolly thinking of the Church of England and it is likely that other African bishops will do likewise.

If so, the LGBTQ+ movement will have caused a major split within the worldwide Anglican community.

What Scripture Says

So what does the word have to say about marriage and homosexual practices? Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness” (remembering that Paul’s scripture was our Old Testament). In Genesis 2:24 it says “Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh” (and God graciously provided the anatomy to make this possible – and enjoyable). Jesus corroborated this statement in Matthew 19:4, so the principle is established that marriage is between a man and a woman.

What does the Bible say about homosexual practice? Leviticus condemns it - not once, but twice (18:22 and 20:13) - including it with various other sexual prohibitions. As homosexual practice was commonplace in the ancient world, this was radical teaching. In Romans 1:18-32 Paul describes a deterioration in moral behaviour as man abandoned what he knew about God:

Because of this God gave them over to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

This shows us that a rise in homosexual behaviour is actually a stage in the disintegration of society. Strong stuff, but a scripture we should take to heart.

A Truly Christian Approach

Should we then ban people who practise homosexuality from our churches? By no means – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), yet we are all welcomed into the church. But as church members we should acknowledge our sinful ways and, with God’s help, give them up – even if we fall woefully short. We would not welcome a bank robber and suggest that next time he has a job on we will drive his getaway car! We would try to get him to change his ways.

Romans 1 shows us that a rise in homosexual behaviour is actually a stage in the disintegration of society.

The LGBTQ+ agenda says that ‘love’ is paramount, and therefore so long as the couple is in a loving relationship the Church should welcome it. But Jesus said (in John 14:15-21) that love means obeying his commands – and the Father’s love will follow. His commands appear in Scripture, so to say that love conquers all does not wash.

Sexual behaviour is a matter of choice. Archbishop Hope, at a time when bishops were being ‘outed’ by the homosexual community, said that his sexuality was a grey area but that he chose to remain celibate. We live in a sex-mad society, but sexual activity is not the be-all-and-end-all of our existence. Self-control is essential if we are to prosper.

The World’s Agenda

We should take great care whenever an agenda popular in the world’s eyes is foisted on the Church, even from within. Over the years many spiritual authorities have issued warnings about this:

• “Almost everything the Church is doing these days has been suggested to her by the world.” (AW Tozer)
• “I looked for the Church and I found it in the world. I looked for the world and I found it in the Church.” (Horatius Bonar)
• “Worldliness is rampant in the Church. The devil is not fighting churches He is joining them! He is not persecuting Christianity he is professing it.” (Vance Havner)
• “That which the world likes best is sure to be that which God abhors.” (Charles Spurgeon)
• Finally, “God brings about reformation when his people return to the word of God as their sole source of doctrine and practice.” (John H Armstrong)

Within Scripture, there are many warnings against false, worldly doctrines infiltrating the Church. Paul writes, for example: “For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths” (2 Tim 4:3-4). Peter also warns against false teachers in his second letter (chapter 2).

We should take great care whenever an agenda popular in the world’s eyes is foisted on the Church, even from within.

Also noteworthy are the number of warnings in Scripture against outward displays of religion which mask and encourage underlying rebellion. For instance, Jeremiah warned (chapter 7) about complacency in the Temple, where there was an assumption that as long as people went through the external rituals of worship, everything would be all right – they could live how they pleased. And Jesus gave a stark warning in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven”.

The Road Ahead

The Established Church has so far chosen gradual compromise and synthesis with the ways of the world, when in fact stark decisions to hold firm to Scripture in the face of huge opposition are what is needed. It was Spurgeon who said:

Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrine of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved taste of fallen nature: instead however of improving the Gospel, carnal nature pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel and not the truth of God at all.

In months and years to come, God will sift and test the hearts and minds of all within the Church of England, to find out where they truly stand. How they respond will decide the fate of this once-great institution.

References

1 Mbakwe, T. Welby 'sad' to discipline Scottish Episcopal Church. Premier News, 3 October 2017.

All Bible quotes from the New Revised Standard Version.