THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Posted on Monday, July 29, 2002
Page 9A

Lotz wisely values biblical correctness

DAVE JOHNSON
Special to The Observer

Many have heard or read about the flap caused by Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham, when she spoke in Charlotte in May at a rally to promote her upcoming fall event called "Just Give Me Jesus." But were those who objected to her comments justified in their protest?

In her message on May 6 she used Isaiah 1:4 as her text: "Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him" (NIV).

In her talk, Lotz spoke of a number of sins of which Americans need to repent, including abortion, homosexuality, drugs, greed, political corruption, lying, jealousy, pride, lust, and adultery. She said the bottom-line problem in our nation is sin and that America today is doing as Israel was doing in Isaiah's day — forsaking God.

After she listed homosexuality as one sin among many that is an offense to God, several members of the choir from Seigle Avenue Presbyterian Church who were singing at this event walked out in protest.

They said they were "hurt and angered" by Lotz' condemnation of homosexuality as a sin, and they said they did not want to be seen as endorsing what she was saying by remaining on the same stage. One choir member who walked out said, "I think it's our business to love each other. We're called to a ministry of reconciliation, not hate."

The Charlotte Observer printed a letter from the choir members explaining their actions and their position. They stated that God creates some people as homosexual and some as heterosexual and He loves all unconditionally. They see homosexuality as an inborn condition, not as a choice, and therefore not a sin. They took offense at the message because it was "judging and condemning our brothers and sisters because they are gay." They concluded by quoting from a song: "We pray that all unity may one day be restored, and they'll know we are Christians by our love."

In recent years, several mainline denominations have been wrestling with this issue. Many have either openly embraced homosexuality as being normal and not sinful, or they have "agreed to disagree" by not taking an official position. Too few have simply taken their stand on the biblical teaching that homosexual acts are an abomination to God (praise God for the Southern Baptist Convention and the Presbyterian Church in America).

It is fascinating to examine the arguments used by the choir members in their protest against Lotz. Basically they are saying that the gospel of Jesus is love, so it is unloving to condemn homosexuality and to be divisive. To speak against homosexuality is to "hate."

But certain questions should be asked: Do the choir members live up to their own standards? Or are they shown to be hypocrites by their own arguments?

If it is unloving to be divisive on any issue concerning the church, then weren't the choir members being unloving when they walked out in the middle of a rally because they disagreed with another Christian's position? If it is hateful for Lotz to preach against homosexuality, then is it not equally hateful, by their own standards, for the Seigle Avenue people to speak out against her statements? If judging homosexuality as sinful is wrong, then is it not also wrong to judge Lotz' comments?

As usually happens in these kinds of debates, the people on the wrong side use self-defeating arguments. If the choir members really believe all divisiveness is wrong, then they would have remained seated and silent when they heard a message with which they disagreed. If speaking against the beliefs of another is hateful, why did they protest against Lotz? Do they really hate her? And how do they think their hateful and divisive comments will achieve the "unity" and "love" they say they desire?

The inescapable fact is that all doctrines do divide. They divide right from wrong and true from false. The question is not "Do I believe things that are divisive?" but "Do I believe things that are true and biblical?" It is better to be divided by truth than united in error.
Christians must ever seek to be biblically correct, not politically correct.

Dave Johnson is a graduate of Southern Evangelical Seminary and president of Contend for the Faith. Write him at [1] Dave@ContendfortheFaith.org.

[2] http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/opinion/3755586.htm