What is our yardstick?

I was on a Christian site the other day that I visit occasionally. They have a few blogs, and I check those out occasionally. This time, one addressed the issue of homosexuality, and threw out some questions for those who try to say the Bible really doesn't condemn it as a sin. The replies were varied. There were some who were insisting that the Bible really doesn't mean that it is wrong. I won't go into all that much. I made a few comments, and I do not think of myself as a genius, but think I made a good point:

I pointed out that the Bible always said it was wrong. God hasn't changed. What has changed is society's view of homosexuality, so now people are trying to throw out what the Bible says since it is accepted by most of the world.

I read one interesting comment from one of the guys insisting that it is ok. He said that the Bible says other things that Christians don't hold to, and he pointed out how the Bible says men should not have long hair and women should.

Now I agree there is a big difference between the hair issue and the issue of homosexuality, but he did have a point. I have argued the hair issue before, and Christians who are on the opposing viewpoint say Paul was just talking to the church there, that back then it was an issue because of homosexual men, and so forth. But the common point they make is that the verses just applied back then.

OK, lets look at the homosexual arguments. They argue that the verses just meant pedophiles, and promiscuity among gay people, that it wasn't singling out loving relationships of the same sex, and that those verses were just aimed at the people of that day. Any arguments sound familiar there?

I heard a preacher make a comment once that the church is only ten years behind the world. That if the world is doing it today, the church will be doing it ten years from now. I think it is true. There was a time when everyone took the verse in the Bible for standards of dress at face value, but then the world started changing the way they dressed, and the world followed. Now if you practice standards of modesty and dress differently according to gender, you are considered odd, old-fashioned, and weird. Yet there was a day when all Christians did, and a vast majority of non-Christians.

What are we using as a yardstick for how we live our lives? What activities we do? How we dress? How we talk? The Bible, or the world, or even other Christians?

I am afraid we all are just drifting along molding our lives to fit the world, not the Bible. We take our yardstick and shave off a bit since the world and some Christians think this is ok, or that is ok. And then the next generation shaves a bit more off the yardstick, and goes just a bit further than their parents did.

I really believe that if Jesus tarries long enough, that we will see the day that most churches will ok homosexuality. There are many who already do, and you may think "yeah, but not MY church". Maybe, but go back a few generations, and your and my ancestors would be shocked at what Christians are ok with in this day we live.

I'm pretty sure I made this point before, but it bears repeating. If we were suddenly thrust into this world with no prior influences, and just had the Bible and prayer to go by, how would we live? Would we take things at face value that we read in the Bible if we had no Christians who found ways around some of those verses? I truly think we all would be more careful and different in our lives.

One thing that I firmly believe has changed society's view - and sadly, the views & beliefs of the church also - is the TV. If they put something on there often enough and long enough, it starts to seem normal and ok, even to Christians. They are doing that with homosexuality. Research it sometime - there are websites that give statistics of how many TV shows have either a recurring homosexual role, or have homosexual roles played occasionally. I looked it up a couple of years ago, and there were a lot. Think that is an accident? No way. They know by doing that, that it will seem more acceptable to people.

In closing, don't jump on me and think that I equate homosexuality with some of the other things Christians pass over like the hair issue. Yes, I firmly believe that the Bible says men should have short hair, and women should have long - and yes, the one guy made a good point by saying that we do overlook what we want to, but that is still vastly different from saying homosexuality is ok. I am also not slamming anyone who doesn't believe just like me - I am including myself in this.

We look at people who say homosexuality is ok, and wonder how on earth they can read what the Bible says and think that, but I have thought that myself about other things, like the hair issue, and I am sure people can look at something and wonder how I believe something also,

We all need to look more to God and His Word for our standard for living, and not do something just because the world and other Christians say it is ok.