They have been extremely successful at establishing their special vocabulary of words and phrases -- so successful in fact that just about everyone in U.S. society knows to whom reference is being made or what the issue is when those "special" words and phrases are spoken.

Consider some examples which the sodomite/lesbian connection (no pun intended!) has exploited to the hilt in the pursuit of its agenda:

"gay" -- used to be a word which had a healthy meaning but now mainly applied to a person who practices a sodomite lifestyle.

"gay Christian" & "lesbian Christian" -- intent is to convey the deadly idea that a person can be a Christian and practice sodomy or lesbianism at the same time. Further, these should be permitted to participate in the life and ministry of the church such as holding various church positions and/or be ordained into the ministry of the church. Also the "couples" should be recognized as constituting "family" and be granted the right to legally marry and rear children as would a heterosexual couple which is married and raising children.

"homophobe" or "homophobic" -- one of the most frequently used terms and liberally applied to any person or group which dares to question the sodomite/lesbian cartel in its aggressive agenda and the abominable lifestyles which are practiced -- it is a given that you will be labeled as being a "homophobe" if you state that sodomy and lesbianism are morally wrong!

"committed partnership" -- since sodomites and lesbians cannot yet legally marry in the U.S., about the best that they can come up with by way of defining same-sex relationships is to say they are in a "committed partnership." In recent months things have changed a bit since court rulings in certain areas of Canada now permit same-sex couples to marry. A number from the U.S. have gone to these areas and have been "married." Now they are claiming to be legally married couples because of the Canadian experience!

"queer" -- used to simply mean something that is very odd or peculiar but now is applied to a person who practices sodomy.

But wait -- there's more -- perhaps the most interesting term the sodomite/lesbian crowd has come up with is "clobber passages of the Bible." This term is applied to all Bible references which condemn the same-sex activities of sodomy and lesbianism.

When Christians refer to such Biblical references in a discussion of the sodomy/lesbian issue, then they are immediately accused of using "clobber passages" and by implication are not only in error in such accusations but downright unchristian by engaging in such tactics!

Furthermore, the sodomites and lesbians delight in parading their list of "scholars" in response to those who are guilty of doing the "clobbering." These "scholars" declare that the statements used to condemn sodomy and lesbianism really do not mean what is stated and you have to understand how it really was in a different time and culture. The result is that the green light is always given to the practice of same-sex activity in the context of "loving committed monogamous relationships!"

Now hold on for a moment! Do these people really have a case? Are they the only ones who can claim they are the victims of prejudiced treatment when someone cites Romans 1 for instance and they have been "clobbered" by some verses out of the Bible?

An honest assessment of this issue demands that we face the fact that we all have been and continue to be "clobbered" by Bible statements -- that is, if we want to use that expression!

A good starting point is Romans 3:23 which "clobbers" us with the reality that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God!" And earlier in the chapter Paul quotes from Old Testament references about the fact that there is none righteous, none that do good, etc.

To be sure, specific kinds of conduct are clearly condemned in Scripture in addition to activities such as sodomy and lesbianism.

If I choose to murder another human being then the Bible "clobbers" me about that very serious sin, or if I steal, lie or harbor covetousness in my thoughts and desires, then I'm "clobbered" about those offenses.

And if I engage in such sexual activities as fornication, adultery, or incest I really get "clobbered" by the Bible which clearly addresses these offenses just as it does sodomy and lesbianism!

But the intent of the "clobbering" by the Bible is to remind us of our sinfulness, of God's demand that we repent of our sins, and that we accept God's remedy for our sins which has been provided by the giving of His Son, Jesus Christ.

In reality the sodomites and lesbians have no case established when it comes to being "clobbered" by certain Bible passages. The rest of us have been "clobbered" too, including sins that have been sexual in nature. But it must also be remembered that God draws a line of distinction when it comes to offenses committed -- fornication and adultery are referred to as sins, while same-sex offenses fall into the class of abominations!

The primary difference in the experience of being "clobbered" is the fact that the majority of sodomites and lesbians refuse to repent of their offenses, insisting that to live as they do is acceptable moral behavior in the sight of God, while others of us after being "clobbered" chose to repent of our sins, including those which were sexual in nature!

This difference is as great as the difference between day and night or heaven and hell!

November 15, 2003
by Clayton D. Harriger
Elder in Full Connection
W. PA Annual Conference
The United Methodist Church
and presently pastor of
Gipsy Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Gipsy PA