Historic Articles

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I, like millions of others, turned on my television and watched as in a matter of minutes, my life, my nation, and my world was changed forever. A blatant, brutal attack on American soil, killing thousands and injuring thousands more, left widows, orphans, loved ones with open wounds and broken hearts. Except for being late or out of town, five of our L.I.F.E. people might possibly have died. Somehow every New Yorker knew we would never again have the carefree life we had had. We were used to danger, but this was different. They wanted us all dead.

TOLERANCE: 1. A fair and objective attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one’s own. (Webster’s New Universal Dictionary)

As usual, language is being distorted. Those who cry out for tolerance really mean acceptance of behavior without limits. Note that Webster’s definition is directed toward people. We tolerate people; we discriminate against behavior.

The full-page ads telling of freedom and the death of a young man in Wyoming – call for a renewed declaration of the truth. Normally, our space and energy in the newsletter are used in showing how freedom is achieved, but I felt that LIFE needed to address two aspects of the current turmoil. In addition, I am offering a document LIFE has produced to equip the Church. It will aid in understanding the issue and speaking the truth in love to the wide range of opinions we encounter today.

What an extraordinary experience it was to speak and testify at Yale Divinity School in February this year! We were the second part of an event titled “Homosexuality and Christian Faith – an Invitation to Dialogue”. The other speaker was Rev. John Rankin, founder and president of Theological Education Institute in Hartford, CT. He is an excellent apologist and a dear brother in the Lord who gave some solid rational arguments that helped our witnessing later.

It is with much sadness that we report to you that Dr. Tony Campolo has fallen further into the errors he displayed in the book he wrote, “Twenty Hot Potatoes Christians Are Afraid to Touch”, released in 1989. At the time, we were so appalled by the false statements in the chapter on homosexuality that we wrote a rebuttal, “Homosexual Covenant – Good News?” which was publicized by Christianity Today. Being very concerned about the impact of Dr. Campolo’s misleading “teaching” in that chapter, we wanted to do all we could to counteract it.

The next morning, December 9, was the DONAHUE show on NBC right here in little old New York, and did the Lord go before us! So many had been praying that those on the show, Sy Rogers, Colin Cook, Frank Worthen, and Joanne Highley would be allowed to give solid answers to questions from the audience and not be harassed by Phil Donahue’s usual tactics. Again, it was more than we had asked for, as Donahue seemed confounded by the simplicity and honesty of the remarks by the panel.

The Christian perspective on AIDS must begin with the Christian perspective on homosexuality. Homosexuality is not being over sexed but under loved. It is not a problem of the glands, but of the heart. It is a collage of hurt, rejection, fear, and isolation, which festers into anger, rebellion, and envy. Finally, after long struggle, it is making of peace with an “identity”, once unthinkable, saying “Yes, I am gay”, and later, because of the false ideas about being born that way, blatantly trumpeting “I AM WHAT I AM”.

The news of Pastor Ted Haggard from the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, having been involved with a male prostitute and using drugs during the experiences, was devastating. We had met him and his wife while we were in Colorado Springs as part of a Focus on the Family Apologetics Conference for Teens. Our dear friends, Brian and Susan Kerkhoff attend that church and had introduced us to the Haggards after a Sunday morning service in August 2005.

The new movie about the life and work of Alfred Kinsey and starring Liam Neeson is an obvious attempt to portray this man as a pioneer of the Sexual Revolution, “freeing” people to have sex in any way, any time, anywhere, with any gender they feel like. He dreamed of a sexual utopia, where men would have many partners and so would women. He stated in early “sex education” classes at Indiana University as early as 1938, that the only sexual dysfunction was abstinence, delayed marriage and lack of variety in sexual experience.