“For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in the lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do things which are not fitting” (Romans 1:26-28).
When the apostle Paul wrote the above passages of Scripture, he was alluding to the days of Lot. Sodom and Gomorrah were the forerunners of the current-day LGBT malaise. Then it reached a point whereby everything spiraled out of control with abdominal acts that tested the patience of God. He hardly hesitated with his mighty hand of judgment, which reduced these cities to ruinous heaps.
Since that day, the likes of homosexuality and lesbianism were given the thumbs down in about every civilization – be it heathen or not. The gays and the lesbians of that era were heavily castigated, forced into a closet-like setting, which negated any awareness of their existence – save for moments whereby they were pilloried before the public eye!
This practice was aligned in the direction of keeping the social order, which was in turn governed by the laws of nature, as the secularists would call it. Ultimately, it fostered a sense of stability when roles were clearly defined. A lot of this stability placed strong regard for the family unit, this being the cornerstone of a heterosexual union between opposite genders – marriage involving a male with a female!
Same-sex unions were taboo then; the same would apply to even discreet relationships of such a nature. Repressive measures to minimize if not totally eradicate these deviations from the established norm were rather heavy-handed. Take the case of Alan Turing, the brainchild of the Enigma device that shortened the last World War – his wartime contribution was overshadowed by the punishment he received for being gay. Chemical castration was an integral part of the punitive regimen, which resulted in his untimely demise through suicide. All this was the way homosexuality was treated in the 1950s.
By the swinging Sixties, voices of dissent were gaining momentum, and by the early 1970s, homosexuality was no longer treated as a psychiatric malady. From that time until the present millennium, it was more of a case of gaining acceptance where this group of individuals mattered. It only took a few years into the present millennium, whereby a dramatic sea of change was more than creating waves. The queers would not put up with mere acceptance – they were asking for legitimacy; henceforth, we saw the LGBT acronym gaining popularity.
A populist movement claiming legitimacy would eventually sweep the globe in an aggressive manner, to the point that it took on a militant face. The Obama years would be best remembered for strong-arm moves against ‘homophobia’ in this regard. Donald Trump did something of a pullback, but with him out of office recently, the militant facet of LGBT more than regained momentum. By then, Canada and a good portion of Europe (including the UK) were moving in lockstep. Even Taiwan became the first Asian nation to endorse same-sex unions!
The sad truth with these unprecedented developments is that there is a brutal backlash against long-held practices. No leeway was given; conform or face recriminations! Tolerance was indeed brushed away in the face of coercion, if not indoctrination. Big corporations would sway towards a new but disturbing preference through their advertisements that glorify the LGBT cause. Traditional marriage between a man and a woman was deemed homophobic. With this gender realignment, even legal terminology would risk a difficult-to-swallow modification. Then there is the notion of perceived sexuality, accounting for bizarre moves such as hormone therapy for children. How about cross-dressing classes for school summer camps!
We are definitely at a time in human history where it is as good as helter-skelter. Everything that we learned from the Word of God is under assault. It could be a little while longer before these proponents of an alternative view come down very hard on those that cling on to the Counsel of God. Herein is a good question: is our loving Heavenly Father going to slumber over this? Definitely not! On the contrary, He has about seen enough – exactly like in the days of righteous Lot. The defiant mob that was in Sodom and Gomorrah was indeed given over to a depraved mind. They were given an opportunity to do as they desired, albeit with a hefty price tag – their ultimate destruction!
What we are witnessing at this point in time closely mirrors that which took place over several thousand years ago. Do not be disheartened by what goes into your ears and before your eyes. Our God is faithful. He delivered a righteous man like Lot before Sodom and Gomorrah met their fate. Surely, He will deliver us; all of us know what it is going to be. It could be a matter of time!
Maranatha
Edwin
Contact me at edwinuk13@gmail.com