Regarding the Sept. 14 letter “Doesn’t fit with a loving God”: The letter writer’s theory logically flows, but I’d like to make a few points.

The letter writer stated that God knows [who will be homosexual] and allows those who make that choice to enter into it. I am no theologian, just a simple guy who takes the Bible and God at his word. Yes, God is omniscient and omnipresent. So it would fit that he knows beforehand who is going to enter into homosexuality. I would also state, again based on choice and free will, God also knows who is going to be a drug user, adulterer, thief, murderer, etc.

All of these are life/personal choices. As such, all hinge on the freewill decision to enter into.

God makes a way to help. He loves all of us. He loves the sinner (those who break his commandments/law), but hates the sin (John 3:16). God judged the world’s sin once already by “permitting” his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and take his wrath for our sins. By that I mean all those years ago he looked ahead to this day and knew (just like then) there would be sin — people caught up in things they may have never intended to get involved in, but did. He still loved them and he does us today (Romans 5:8).

However, while God cannot stand/tolerate sin, he pleads with us to come to him (again using that free will) and acknowledge that we’ve fallen short. Yes, everyone misses the mark when it comes to measuring up to God’s standards of being, well, perfect — without sin (Romans 3:23). It doesn’t matter if you are/were engaged in homosexuality, adultery, theft, drunkenness or whatever (even told a lie or looked upon an attractive person in lust), God says all those things are wrong/sin and they separate you from God.

Senior Master Sgt. Rich Arthur

Southwest Asia

Don’t forget original sin

In response to the Sept. 14 letter “Doesn’t fit with a loving God”: I would like to point out that the God described by the author is not the God of the Bible. Two things are missing.

The first is original sin. Adam sinned and sin entered the world through him (Romans 5:12-15). All people are naturally conceived with a sinful nature, born hostile toward God. Adam had free will but used it to sin so now we, all being from Adam, are born with wills in bondage to sin.

Sin manifests itself in various ways, one of which is homosexuality.

Christian chaplains must be allowed to call homosexuality a sin and call all sinners to repentance and the forgiveness of sins. Some homosexual activists have shown through their actions that they would like to make this a hate crime.

In the United Kingdom pastors have actually been jailed for this very thing. That is why chaplains are worried.

Concerning God’s love, all have transgressed God’s law and deserve hell. The fact that God has not destroyed us all is evidence enough that he is both loving and merciful, but he is also just. As the letter writer pointed out, God knew we would sin beforehand, but God did not leave us stranded. He had a plan from the beginning to save us (Genesis 3:15).

The Gospel in a nutshell is that God sent his only begotten son to become a man born of the Virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit, live a perfect life in our place, die for the sins of the world on a cross, and raise on the third day for our justification (seen by eyewitnesses), so that all who repent and believe in him for their salvation will be saved. The cross of Jesus Christ is proof of God’s love.

Jason Thorp

Wiesbaden, Germany

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