"God says it -- I believe it -- and that settles it!" So goes an affirmation which has been around for a long time and which not a few Christians have repeated as a way of revealing their stance in regard to God's special revelation, the holy Scriptures, to us.

God has made clear beyond all doubt as to what He expects in human conduct and relationships. Sometimes a distinction is drawn in which certain types of conduct are identified as "sin" -- that is, a transgression against God's standards of righteousness and those types of conduct which are identified as an "abomination" -- that is, an act that is an offense which is many times worse than a sin. Or one might say that an abomination is sin intensified many times over!

Hebrew words in the Old Testament distinguish between what is identified as a "sin" and what is considered to be an "abomination." It is always the abomination which is regarded as far more serious than a sin -- but a word of caution on this -- don't be misled into believing that sin isn't a serious matter. Look at it this way -- suppose a person started out in his automobile and comes to an intersection where there is a stop sign, but he doesn't stop -- he just runs straight through it -- fortunately no one is coming through the intersection, so the guy avoids an accident, but is guilty of breaking the law. Later he stops at a bar and downs a lot of booze. He then leaves, gets into his car, and weaving down the highway is involved in an accident in which he causes the deaths of 2 people in the other car with which he collided. The penalty for this is far more severe than for running a stop sign -- in both cases the law was broken, but the nature of the offenses were quite different. So with a sin and an abomination -- sin is a serious offense that brings the condemnation of God, but an abomination is many times worse!

In the United States it is interesting that you rarely, if ever, find anyone who publicly goes on record as attempting to justify sinful acts or lobbying to pass legislation which declares that certain acts identified as being "sinful" are now acceptable behavior in the culture. Such acts would include adultery, fornication, incest, child molestation, rape, stealing, lying, murder, etc. Certainly some of the aforementioned sins are committed at a high rate of frequency in our society and there are devastating consequences, but there are simply no organized campaigns underway to pressure our society to grant blanket approval -- no "thumbs-up" sign of approval -- no chorus of voices shouting with a deafening roar, "(insert a name of one of the previous mentioned activities here) is OK -- do it any time you want -- there is no penalty when you choose to participate in it!"

BUT for certain abominations, that's a kitty of a far different color! The United States in recent decades has undergone a radical shift in which the following has taken place:

God says, "__________ is an abomination!"

We say, "No, it is not -- in fact, it is very good!"

Consider 2 abominations which are widely accepted in our culture today, and which many at all levels in our society are saying, "It's OK -- it's a good thing!"

First, the abomination of sodomy and lesbianism is gaining increased acceptance. For some time highly organized efforts have been underway to permit sodomites and lesbians to marry, adopt children, etc. Just a few years ago the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same gender couples can legally marry in all 50 states! Any portion of the holy Scriptures which casts a negative view of sodomy and lesbianism is flatly denied as having any relevance whatsoever in the 21st Century! One of many "interpretations" is that back in ancient times certain cultures considered sodomy and lesbianism as being wrong and mistakenly interpreted God as saying so, but that they were mistaken! These persons and their many supporters, including a special breed held up as being "scholars," refuse to accept God's clear revelation regarding same-sex activity as being an abomination in His sight. Further, they are doing everything possible to force universal acceptance of their lifetstyles on all of us, and we are not permitted to take issue with them -- if we do, we are instantly labeled as being homophobic, hateful, unchristian, etc.

On the other hand, they are unable to come up with any portion of God's revelation which places its clear stamp of approval on same-sex activity and same-sex marriage in a positive way. All references to the abomination of sodomy and lesbianism are always negative and under condemnation.

It must be noted that there is an interesting "positive" twist in at least one reference to the practice of same-sex activity and relationships. Paul mentions in his writings to the Corinthians that some of them had been practicing a sodomite lifestyle, but they no longer were living that way. Note closely how the change is described:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJV)

It is extremely clear that a miracle of transformation and deliverance from a destructive way of life had taken place for a number of those Corinthians who now were following Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Another way Paul had of describing the change taking place in the lives of those who had chosen to repent of all sin and follow Jesus is found in the following statement:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)

At this point in time we find our nation in a critical moral crisis -- a major part of that is the fact that growing numbers of persons are climbing on the bandwagon which rolls along with its passengers giving an obscene gesture to God while shouting in response to His statement that sodomy and lesbianism are an abomination, "No they are not -- sodomy and lesbianism are good and healthy!"

Second, the abomination very much accepted in our culture is that of the "shedding of innocent blood." That's how the expression is often referred to in the Scriptures and God always labels it as being an abomination. Historically the ancient Canaanite peoples practiced human sacrifice -- the throwing of an infant or very young child into a raging fire as a sacrifice to a heathen deity. One of these has been identified as Molech. The only way to properly worship and appease Molech was to sacrifice a child alive. There were other deities which were worshipped in similar fashion.

Unfortunately through time the ancient Israelites became corrupted in their worship practices as they compromised with the heathen neighbors and began to sacrifice their children! The original intent was that they were God's people who were to show the way of truth and the proper way of relating to and worshipping the living God to all heathen peoples -- unfortunately, it worked the other way with Israelites adopting the "spiritual darkness and depravity" of the heathen tribes, including the abomination of the "shedding of innocent blood!"

Note some definitive statements about this in the Scriptures:

'And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD." (Leviticus 18:21 NKJV)

"There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God." (Deuteronomy 18:10-13 NKJV)

So they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger." (2 Kings 17:16,17 NKJV)

"And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin." (Jeremiah 32:35 NKJV)

But they mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works; they served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they were defiled by their own works, And played the harlot by their own deeds. Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against His people, so that He abhorred His own inheritance. (Psalm 106:35-40 NKJV)

The "shedding of innocent blood" as innocent young children and infants were sacrificed in acts of worship to heathen idols has undergone an evolutionary change over the centuries, and no where is this more obvious than in the United States! Here is how it has been since the infamous Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision in January 1973:

• The heathen gods now have nebulous names such as "convenient medical procedure."

• The "sacrificial" children are no longer born as was the case with the ancient Canaanites and Israelites -- but any unborn child is a candidate for "sacrifice" up until it is minutes away from a normal birth delivery.

• The nature of the "sacrifice" is rather gruesome, and NEVER publicized on the front page of popular newspapers and magazines in the United States -- the innocent ones are brutally poisoned, mangled, torn to shreds, and then discarded as though one were disposing of unwanted and unsightly garbage!