FEATURES
Gays March Against Biblical Standard
by William S. LaCasse
On a rainy afternoon in Ft. Lauderdale, a small contingent of about two hundred protesters representing the gay community, marched in front of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. The march was intentionally staged on June 19th while the denomination*s General Assembly was in session, according to one protester. Coral Ridge was targeted because of its pastor, Dr. D. James Kennedy and his vocal biblical stance on homosexuality, broadcast from his television and radio ministry, as well as in the press.
Dr. Kennedy watched from the front of his church as picketers marched back and forth past a large sign posted by the congregation. The sign simply read, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation of our sins." ( John 4.10 ) KJV.
The protesters carried their own signs. One read, " Temple of Doom." Another proclaimed, " Religious Nuts Give Me Indigestion." Many wore T - shirts bearing the gay slogan, " Hate Is Not A Family Value." Dr. Kennedy sighed as he looked on.
"They call me Nazi and homophobe. I don*t call them names." Dr. Kennedy said, " They have threatened to blow up the church and throw AIDS tainted blood in my face." Dr. Kennedy questioned where the gay community gets the perception that the church hates homosexuals. He told reporters that gays were welcome to attend services at his church.
Grant Ford, pastor of a homosexual church in Ft. Lauderdale said, " Dr. Kennedy misrepresents scripture to spread hate and fear." During a brief rally, Ford picked up a bull horn and called Kennedy a " sinner, because he lies and spreads hatred, violating biblical standard." Asked if he thought of himself as a Christian, Ford said, "Oh yes."
Carole Benowitz, Regional Director for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays ( PFLAG ), said she lost her son to AIDS. She told the Trumpeter she did not want her son to be hated; especially by the Church. Tearfully she said, " I believe he is with God."
The voice of the protesters was mixed. Some spoke with a tone of anger and belligerence, some with sad memories of loved ones lost to the deadly AIDS virus. Yet, the bravado of the group*s leadership was to denounce the frightening health statistics associated with the gay lifestyle, as the lies of despotic church leaders; specifically, Dr. James Kennedy.
Richard Culbertson, Director of Worthy Creations, is a former homosexual. He now operates a ministry, under the auspices of Exodus International, to assist gays who want out of the lifestyle as well as AIDS patients. Culbertson, a tall man with an infectious smile, knows first hand of the gay agenda and its tactics.
" First," he says, "homosexuality is a relational problem. There is no genetic predisposition, as gay activists would have us believe. The homosexual*s relationship with God, with others and with his or herself holds the key to their sexual identity." Mr. Culbertson went on to say there is a lot of hatred and jealously within the lifestyle. "From this, comes the victim profile gays transfer to the general public."
Furthermore, Culbertson points to spiritual bondage which helps fuel the gay movement and proliferates the delusion that gays cannot change. " This is where the church*s attitude and willingness to reach out becomes critical." says Culbertson. "Getting out of the lifestyle need not be as traumatic as when they came out of their closet." When a homosexual comes to the Lord and joins a church, success is said to correlate directly with the degree of openness and support received from the individual*s community of faith.
One day after the protest at Coral Ridge, Richard Culbertson is guest speaker at an AIDS awareness meeting at Calvary Chapel in Pompano Beach. Pastor Gennarino Destafano and Marilyn Parsons, Director of Calvary Chapel*s Concerned Christians, are spearheading a new project to enlist volunteers willing to work in the community with AIDS sufferers.
The plan, according to Destafano and Parsons, is to send volunteers out " two by two" where they can receive training and work with groups like Center One, a nonsectarian agency who helped pioneer AIDS assistance programs free to the general public. Their vision, is to be salt and light where it counts most; in a community that operates under the assumption they are despised by the church. The focus, " is not to beat them over the head with a bible, but to offer unconditional love and practical help." said Destafano. The group leaders believe their volunteers can make a difference in a segment of society wrought with pain and hopelessness. Richard Culbertson, present with other ex-gays, assures the group that the power of God can transform the life of a homosexual. They are not beyond God*s redemptive love.
The protesters at Dr. Kennedy*s church say Christians spread lies that are " dehumanizing" the gay community. However, Culbertson will say the most dangerous lie of all comes direct from the mouths of gay activists who say, " homosexuals are born this way. God created us to be who we are."
" Because of this lie," says Culbertson, " gays who are desperate to leave the lifestyle believe they can*t. For them, there is no hope. So they resign themselves to the gay lifestyle." Culbertson wants them to know this is not true. " You can get out. There is hope."
If the goal of the protesters at Coral Ridge was to shake the General Assembly, their efforts were in vain. Bill Devlin, spokesperson for the General Assembly and Director of the Philadelphia Family Policy Council said in response to the protest, "The denomination*s stand on homosexuality is one of a pastoral mindset; seeking first to introduce the individual to Christ. Transformation of behavior naturally follows a person*s acceptance of Christ." Devlin adds, " Our message is one of hope."