I was astonished to read in the (Anglican) Canadian Churchman (October 1976) an editorial calling on the church to speak for homosexuals. The latter, says the editorial, are without a voice in Canada, and as-a result their human rights are violated.

"There is a role for the church to play." Indeed, for homosexuality is an enormous and ever, increasing problem in Canada. I don't know where the figures come from,.but it is estimated that there are about one and a half million homosexuals in Canada! If anything is an indicator of the collapse of a Christian civilization, this is! The church, faced with such a disaster in moral standards, has indeed a role to play: it should accept the homosexual as a person, inform him that God judges homosexual activity as sin, lead the sinner to repentance, so that his sins may be forgiven. The church should speak clearly on the issue, offering hope to the homosexual that by the power of the Holy Spirit his life style can be changed.

But that's not the kind of role the editorial speaks of. Rather, the church "could join ranks with those in the gay community working towards changes in provincial and federal law. It could work towards changing the public attitude that makes the gay man or woman an outcast in society."

There undoubtedly is prejudice among Christians against homosexuals. Prejudice is never good. But if the church starts supporting gay groups in their fight against prejudice, without saying a word about the evil of homosexuality itself, only one conclusion is possible: that church no longer considers homosexuality as sin. This, indeed, is the case with the 'Canadian Churchman'. Homosexuality, it says in another article on the editorial page, depends on three major factors: genetic, endocrine, and psychological. The heterosexual, says the article, is prejudiced if he cannot accept "that others may be different and may prefer a different form of sexual expression

Here, as the Dutchman would say, breaks my wooden shoe! I am quoting from a Christian magazine. Something which in the Bible is condemned as a horrible sin (Leviticus 20 :13; Romans 1 : 26-32); I Corinthians 6 : 9, 10) is referred to as a matter of preference. Sad to say, the reason that one can make a statement like that is - yes, you have guessed it - the refusal to accept the Bible as the final authority in these matters. Once human reason is set up as the final judge as to what the Bible teaches, the way is wide open to 'updating' God's Word! The Bible is out-of-date when it comes to understanding particular moral issues - that is what I read between the lines in the 'Canadian Churchman'. And not only between the lines! In yet another article in the same issue ("Understanding Homosexuality") it is stated that what the Bible says about homosexuals are "Judgments that are made in a particular culture at a particular time' . And since we now live in a different culture and at a different time, homosexuality apparently is no longer a sin. The Anglican Church as a whole has drawn the consequences of such an interpretation of Scripture: it has ordained several priests who are self-admitted homosexuals! If you have ever wondered what happens when Scriptures becomes 'out-of-date', you have your illustration!

If the 'Churchman' would have a chance to revise Paul's Letter to the Romans, it would probably edit out what the inspired apostle wrote on the subject. In case you are interested in the original: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness ... For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie ... For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire towards one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error . . . and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." (Romans 1 : 18-32).

It is not unlikely that at least someone who reads this FOCUS is a member of the 'gay society'. I want you to know that there is hope for you! Jesus Christ can change you. "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (II Corinthians 5 : 17). God offers you a new heart and a new spirit, a new power to overcome sin! In your struggle against a wrong habit you may find yourself helpless and bound. You may agonize, "Who will set me free . . . ?" But your answer, like Paul's, can be:

Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord I have been set free!" (Romans 7 :24, 25).

No sin can separate us from the love of God, as long as it is confessed! And to confess means "to turn away from" and by God's power walk in a new and holy way. "If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (I John 1 : 7).