Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal stunned Christians across the nation when he chose to veto the Georgia House Bill 757 on Monday. The bill was a VERY narrow, innocuous version of a “Pastor Protection Act” that did little more that protect clergy and religious organizations from civil lawsuits should they decline to perform same-sex marriages or to give sacraments to practicing homosexuals.
This is a matter of protecting the First Amendment rights of Christians across the nation who actually live out their faith and consider the Bible to be God’s word, God’s instruction manual in all matters of living and faith.
The Bible, in both Old and New Testaments, is clear as day concerning homosexual activity. There may be persons with “same-sex attractions” who deny any actions on those inclinations and live blameless. But as noted in Romans 1:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And in 1 Corinthians we read:
9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
Those verses are so very clear, and contrary to the anecdotal and scriptually ignorant who claim “But only the Old Testament is so judgemental and against homosexuality,” the Bible is plain spoken about same-sex intimacies.
Now Governor Deal, who supposedly is a Southern Baptist, has caved to the LGBT bullies. What other subset of America being only 1% of the population could throw their weight around in like manner? This is outrageous, especially in light of the narrow scope of HB 757.
Dr. Michael Brown weighed in on the governor’s cowardice and makes some fine points.
“Governor Deal, with all respect to your role as a publicly-elected official, as the governor of Georgia, I have to say, along with millions of other Americans, I am deeply disappointed with your act of cowardice today.”
“With your attack on religious freedoms today, in your vetoing a perfectly good bill, a bill that would have protected religious rights and freedoms. A bill that would not have discriminated against anyone! A bill that was already softened in many ways to make it acceptable and yet you veto it. And earlier this month you even call on the words of Jesus to justify your position!”
