Attachment 1: Why Shut Down the Website
1. It tends to deny the power of God to change the sinner’s heart. (There is an underlying acceptance of the gay rights’ doctrine that homosexuality is a propensity which is imposed on them by nature and/or conditioning.) There is also the implicit assumption that even God is not able or willing to change that propensity for those who are new creatures in Christ as opposed to II Corinthians 5:17-22. This position seems to be derived not from good and necessary consequences of Bible exegesis, but from the testimony of those who themselves are entangled in this sin. This is unbiblical epistemology.
2. It fails to expose the works of darkness. However well meaning the motive as a means of preevangelism, this flies in the face of the command of Scripture not to speak of things done of evil men in secret, but rather expose them (Eph. 5:11-12). The stance of the website comes far closer to participating with them, because it creates a rationale for Christians to condone, and even legitimizes what the Bible clearly calls abomination.
3. It presupposes moral rectitude on the part of unbelievers. The supposition that gay rights activists will support Christian civil rights if we will only support same-sex marriage attributes to the enemies of the gospel a fair-mindedness that our Savior gave us no reason to expect. (Cf. John 15:19)
4. It encourages the denigration of Bible-believing opposition to homosexuality. Those who quote from Old Testament legislation to prove that the practice of homosexuality is an abomination are belittled and berated as lacking either brains or campassion. Christians are painted as thoughtless bullies who are picking on decent, intelligent gays as oppossed to I Peter 3:8, Colossians 3:12, Ephesians 4:29 and 32.
5. It calls evil good even if in a qualified context. It advances the argument “let us do evil that good may come” (Romans 3:8). Since same-sex marriage between males will obviously endorse the practice of homosexuality, arguing in its favor is arguing in favor of that which is evil.
6. It gives aid and comfort to those who practice abomination in the sight of God by adopting a posture of understanding and tolerance for the practice of sin (I Thessalonians 4:1-8).
7. It presupposes a neutrality in the area of civil law which rejects any reference to God’s moral standards even on the part of the Christian (Romans 2:14-16 and Matthew 5:17-19).
8. It maintains that in the civil arena, Christians are free to advocate what is declared to be wicked perversion by the Word of God (ie. homosexuality and same-sex marriage Romans 1:26, 27; I Timothy 1:10).
9. It has seriously damaged the peace of the OPC. (A) Some members of Redeemer have left the chapel for reasons of conscience, at least in part due to the existence of the website. (B) The Presbytery of Northern California has asked the Presbytery of Southern California to deal with issues involving the website in a timely manner. (c) Our Session has received a letter from a session of another church in our Presbytery asking us to deal with the website as well.
10. It threatens the purity of the church. Although the disclaimer currently on the website clearly states that the views expressed on it are not the official position of “my local church or denomination”, people familiar with the OPC and the controversy that has taken place over the course of the last year know that an OPC pastor’s wife is the individual responsible for this website.