Thursday, January 28, 2010

Should God Apologize To Sodom And Gomorrah?


Should God Apologize To Sodom And Gomorrah?
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
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"This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It's the right thing to do." … B. H. Obama President of the United States in his State of the Union Address January 27th, 2010.

There is an old expression that says: "If God does not destroy America the He owes an apology to Sodom and Gomorrah!" It seems more applicable today than ever before.

Look, having a known homosexual in a military unit disrupts that unit’s cohesiveness. If it happens to be a combat unit, lives are at stake.

Homosexuality is even splitting apart mainline religious denominations in America and around the world… and you REALLY think it will not disrupt the US Military? Get REAL, PLEASE!

As a subscriber to the Christian faith, I believe homosexuality is an sinful lust forbidden by God. In the scriptures we are told that God, himself, said to His people Israel, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination" (Leviticus 18:22). "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them" (Leviticus 20:13). In these passages homosexuality is condemned as a sexual perversion. It is considered a “Prime Sin.” As a Christian I cannot change how God views homosexuality and I cannot turn my back on it and say that well, times have changed, and God must change too. THAT is blasphemy.

Now, before some of you point out the obvious, that this scripture is from the OLD Testament; I give you Saint Paul’s view of Homosexuality from the NEW Testament. (Paul is the Apostle credited with bringing the Christian faith to the Gentiles of the world.) Paul wrote a letter to the people of the Christian church in Corinth. In that letter Paul said the following: “ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10- nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”
It could not be any clearer. Homosexuality is condemned in the scriptures just as murder, adultery, premarital sex, kidnapping, lying, and idolatry are condemned.

Back to the incompatibility of Homosexuality with the military: “Homosexuality is simply incompatible with the principles of military services, which include a focus on the mission, service, discipline, bodily integrity, and control over one's impulses. Homosexuality does not appropriately reflect these principles.” This sentiment was reflected in an article signed by Gen. Carl E. Mundy, Jr., a former commandant of the Marine Corps; Adm. Leighton W. Smith, a former commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe; Gen. Charles A. Horner, who commanded U.S. aerial forces during the 1990-91 Gulf War; and Adm. Jerome L. Johnson, a former vice chief of Naval Operations. They wrote, succinctly, "Homosexuality is incompatible with military service". Read the article HERE.

In 2008, the Republican Party Platform said the following: "To protect our servicemen and women and ensure that America's Armed Forces remain the best in the world, we affirm the timeliness of those values, the benefits of traditional military culture, and the incompatibility of homosexuality with military service." Read the article HERE.

Many retired military officers, including several who were top commanders, have urged President Barack Obama and Congress to maintain the law that bars gays from serving openly in the armed forces. They claim openly serving homosexuals would undermine recruiting and retention, impact leadership at all levels, have adverse effects on the willingness of parents who lend their sons and daughters to military service, and eventually break the All-Volunteer Force. They, too, believe that repeal of the current law, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” could jeopardize morale and “unit cohesion.” Read the article HERE.

Back in June of 2006, I wrote the following: “As a veteran, when I served, a homosexual was not allowed in the service, period. If they did manage to get in, as soon as they were found out, they were gone. And it was quick.

I remember, in July of 1959, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, as we stood in formation on Tank Hill, we recruits were instructed to immediately turn in any in our ranks we suspected might be homosexual. We were led to believe that if we knew, and did not turn them in, we were in danger of being kicked out of the service as well.

I liked that. It gave me a certain confidence in my fellow soldiers… that they were who they said they were.

In my time in the US Army there was no such thing as privacy. You did everything as a unit. You slept in the same room, you showered together, you ate together, and you even relived yourself in full view of all the other soldiers who happened to be in the latrine at the same time. There were no “stalls” with toilets in them. There was a line of toilets, in a row, and it was quit possible for two soldiers to have a conversation, while relieving themselves, sitting on those toilets. Did I mention there was no privacy? I did, didn’t I?

It was important that a soldier knew his fellow soldier was the same gender as himself.”
My opinion has not changed.

There is no effort here to “gay-bash.” I am merely expressing my opinion as a Veteran of the US Military and as one who subscribes to the Christian faith.

For the record, I do not care a whit what other country’s militaries do. They can have all homosexual regiments for all I care. But, I DO care what the US military does.

Public support of the US military is vital to their morale and their effectiveness as a fighting force. Allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the US military will rob them of the support they now enjoy from the American public. It will destroy the All Volunteer Force we have so painstakingly built up. That means the return of the draft.

I do not support the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. I support the old policy of not allowing homosexuals to serve in any branch of the US Military -- at all.
J. D. Longstreet

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