By Jordan Tsaddiq
Soulforce Article Critique, Part 4
In this section, he attempts to convince the reader that Leviticus is not “laws” but only a “holiness code.” He even uses the word abominationas a spring board for his squirming around truth by claiming that abominations at this time are “behaviors that people in a certain time and place consider tasteless or offensive.” However, Strongs’ concordance gives this definition of the word abominationas used in Leviticus 18:22: “properly something disgusting(morally), that is, (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatryor (concretely) an idol: - abominable (custom, thing), abomination.” The diligent Bible student would call any sin an abomination – morally disgusting, an abhorrence, idolatry. To use Mr. White’s words “tasteless or offensive” would include such actions as belching at the table or passing gas in public. To say that homosexual activity is only “tasteless or offensive” is a pitiful stretch of logic for God did not create human sexuality for that reason. Mr. White says, “To the Jews an abomination was not a law. . .” Strongs, a very often validated Greek and Hebrew source, claims that idolatry fits in the category of abomination. One should note here that any sin, including homosexuality, is idolatry since when choosing to sin, one is claiming that the particular sin is more important that God.
He claims that “Jesus and Paul both said the holiness code in Leviticus does not pertain to Christian believers.” However, a New Testament writer taught that other Scripture was written as an example so a complete dismissal of the Old Testament teachings may not be wise.
On page fourteen, Mr. White says, “. . .let’s talk together about setting sexual standards that please God – standards appropriate. . . based on loving concern, health, and wholeness for ourselves and others.” God did not write His Word for His child to set standards “based on loving concern.” He gave His Word so that His child would “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”[1]
One must question the “loving concern” of an action that is well-known to cause terminal illnesses and raise the risk of suicide.
Mr. White, on page fourteen, uses a red herring – a logical fallacy in which an observation is used to draw attention away from the main issue: he discusses a verse “that was used for centuries to condemn masturbation.” This article is not about masturbation; it is about what the Bible says and doesn’t say about homosexuality.
In the context of this statement, he uses the expression “For Jewish writers of Scripture. . .” Research shows that these examples he gives (masturbation, interrupting coitus) were not necessarily laws of God written in Scripture – they were Jewish laws. There is a difference between Jewish law and Scripture!
In passage four, Mr. White commits another incident of stacking the deck – simply ignoring the evidence. He brings up Romans 1:26-27. He then says, “This verse appears to be clear: Paul sees women having sex with women and men having sex with men, and he condemns that practice. But let’s go back 2,000 years and try to understand why.” Knowing the reason for an action that Paul condemns does not justify the sin. It is still sin. Mr. White is ignoring his own statement – “and he condemns that practice.”
On page sixteen, he quotes four paragraphs of Louis B. Smedes’ writings. In three of those paragraphs, Mr. Smedes uses the words “homosexuals I know” twice and the words “homosexual people I know” once. He also says, “Getting to know a lesbian, gay, or bisexual person of faith will help you realize…” Anecdotal episodes do not constitute truth nor does it confirm or deny God’s Word. One’s getting to know a homosexual does not change truth. This practice of a red herring negates his point.
Passages five and six are combined – I Corinthians 6:9 and I Timothy 1:10 – “because they are so similar.” However, this is quite incorrect. I Timothy 1:10 is speaking of the law being appropriate for certain people.[2]I Corinthians 6:9 teaches quite a different truth.[3]
Mr. White also plays the stacking the deck card again: he ignores verse 11: “And such weresome of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”(The emphasis was added.) This verse in and of itself should negate any belief that someone choosing to be actively pursuing the activities listed in the passage is not living the life of “such weresome of you…[being] washed. . .justified…”
In the explanation of Mr. White’s sixth premise, he contradicts himself. On page eighteen, he claims, “Homosexual orientation wasn’t even known until the 19thcentury.” Yet on page nineteen, he states, “Ulrichs recognized that homosexuals had been around from the beginning of recorded time, . . .” Either this activity was not known until the nineteenth century or it has been around since the beginning of recorded time; it cannot be both.
Mr. White lowers God to fit his little box when he says, “The authors of the Bible are authorities in matters of faith. They can be trusted when they talk about God. But they should not be considered the final authorities on sexual orientation any more than they are the final authorities on space travel, gravity, or the internet.” If the authors were led by the Holy Spirit (the same one that Mr. White says Christians are to follow), then whatever they wrote was approved by the Holy Spirit. God absolutely would not allow a man to write Scripture incorrectly. How absurd!
His seventh premise argues that Christians should love one another. Bible-obeying Christians can agree with that statement whole-heartedly.
On page twenty-one, he states “Because Christians refused to let their understanding of God’s Word be informed by science, . . .” He again contradicts himself for on several pages, he insisted that believers follow the Bible or the Holy Spirit: p. 3: “. . .I take the Bible seriously!”; he spent “more than 50 years reading, studying, memorizing, preaching, and teaching from the sacred texts”; “I’m convinced the Bible has a powerful message. . .”; p 4: “Often people. . .have never given careful and prayerful attention to what the Bible does or doesn’t say. . .”; “They haven’t read them [verses that reference same-sex behavior], let alone studied them carefully.”
p. 6: He uses examples from Scripture (Paul, Peter) to prove his point; p. 7: “That’s why we study the Bible prayerfully, seeking the Spirit of Truth. . .” More examples could be given to raise the question: If he wants believers to study the Bible prayerfully, then why does a Christian need science to interpret what God the almighty omniscient Creator has written to mankind?! Mr. White needs to decide if he’ll study Scripture or study science.
In his eighth premise, Mr. White says, “I love the Bible. I read God’s Word in it and hear God’s Word through it.” Many thesauruses claim that a synonym for the Bibleis “God’s Word.” He cannot read something in the same something.
Mr. White is correct in his belief that many Christians have been unkind to people with whom they disagree. Scripture does not give license to be unkind even though it demands that believers maintain Godly standards.
Mr. White has broken almost every debate technique in addition to promoting his literary dishonesty in this article. Research has shown that his writings have permeated the internet and as such, he has literally destroyed any educated, intelligent conversation on this topic. The wise person will not even consider what he has to say about individual verses and their meanings because he has twisted every premise in this article and thus he cannot be trusted on anything he claims about God’s holy Word.
Missed Part 3? Get it here: http://baptistwriters.com/blog/2019/4/26/soulforce-article-critique-part-3
[1]Ecclesiastes 12:13b-14.
[2]“Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.”
[3]“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”