Curing Gays

Q: You recently shared a link on Facebook to a news story about how Apple is embracing an iPhone application from Exodus International --- which aims to "cure homosexuals." Isn't this just hate-mongering? Aren't we supposed to love the sinner hate the sin? And does anyone really believe gays can be "cured?" I mean, if God made them that way, who are we to change them?

A: The Biblical position is that homosexual activity is a sin. And as Jesus pointed out, lust in our minds and hearts is also sin. So homosexual fantasies are sin (just as hetero-sexual fantasies outside of committed, marriage relationships are sinful). The Biblical position is also that temptation to sin can be resisted, and is to be resisted. So no, I don't think it's "hate mongering" to try and offer loving, spiritual-based assistance to people who need to resist and turn from the temptations they may have to engage in sinful behavior. Quite the contrary. If we really love the self-proclaimed gays in today's society --- then we really owe them the decency of that loving, spiritual guidance and support.

Finally, I'm not deluded by the notion that gays can be "cured." Only Christ Jesus can completely free us from the temptation to sin. He is the only cure.