Last week’s exposure of evangelical leader, Ted Haggard, is going to bring a lot of questions to the surface. Gay rights activists, the secular media, and many others are going to say, “See, why should we ban homosexual marriages? Even the Christians do it. Why should we say it is wrong? And why should we even become Christians? They are no different.” And is it any wonder that non-Christians will ask these questions? As they see it, Christians accept (and are often even a part of) homosexuality, homosexual unions, homosexual religious leaders, pedophile priests and pastors, etc. But regardless of the news of Ted Haggard’s secret lifestyle, and in spite of increased acceptance of homosexuality, even among much of evangelicalism, the practices of homosexuality and pornography are harmful, and they destroy families and society.
I would like to tell you a story about a Christian family and what homosexuality and pornography did to them. It is a true story. Catherine was 25 years old and pregnant when her husband deserted her and their children. He was gone for two years, having utterly abandoned his family. Then one day, he showed up, but with him came a secret so great and so horrible and one Catherine would not learn about for three long years. In the end, the innocence of her children was ripped out of their lives-for at the hands of their own father, they were subjected to the abuses of a homosexual pedophile and used to make money through a father’s immoral means. After a conviction in court that should have given these children and this mother assurance of future safety but instead offered neither, Catherine had no choice but to take her children and go into hiding in another country.
What does homosexuality and pornography do to families? Add to that the victimization of children, which is often the case, and you have the ingredients to destroy a society. Throw in drugs and New Age mysticism… and you have little to hold on to. While everyone, both Christian and non-Christian alike, have their thoughts and opinions about Ted Haggard and the implications of this situation, let us remember that homosexuality and pornography destroy. How do I know? I am Catherine, and my story, Laughter Calls Me, is the story of my own children. In reading about Ted Haggard, I decided to come forth with the hope that some child or some family might be spared the suffering that mine and countless others have experienced.
Today, all eyes are on Ted Haggard for his indescribable actions, but we must look further than just this one man. Christian leaders, as a whole, have been walking in deception and sin for some time, and they have bankrupted the Christian church at the price of truth, and souls have been lost because of it.
I pray there will be judgment in the house of the Lord – that the sexual perversions, the mysticism, the New Age, the over zealous marketing and deceptions will be eradicated and the true body of Christ will shine through (even though Jesus said the world will hate us – did the leaders forget that part?)
As leaders like Rick Warren have contacted us at Lighthouse Trails, and as I have seen first hand their efforts to defend themselves and cover up the truth, I have wondered why they should still be called the leaders of the church. And then I realized, the true body of Christ is not made up of leaders that compromise, deceive and preach false doctrines that the Bible warns about.
The true body of Christ has one leader, and He is a powerful – yet loving, a righteous – yet compassionate God. And He is the only way of salvation – there is absolutely no other way. As opposed to the religions of the world, with Christ we cannot earn salvation; He gives it freely. While we are all sinners and equally need forgiveness from him, and while we do sin and need to go to Him in humility and confession, we cannot abide in sin if He lives in us. And He will live in the repentant soul who humbles himself and asks Jesus Christ to be Lord of his life.
Saved by His grace,
Deborah Dombrowski
(aka: Catherine Brown)
Editor-Lighthouse Trails Publishing
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” I John 1:5-10
