Ethics and the Christian
Understanding Why Homosexuality is
Wrong
Discrimination on the basis of race is
Biblically wrong—even though it has been
widely practiced in the U.S.
1. Colonist/American Indian relations
A. The Naturalization Act of 1790 excluded Indians,
Indentured Servants, Slaves, Free Blacks, and
Asians from U.S. Citizenship
2. Race Based Slavery
1. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857): Blacks have no
legal standing, since they are property
2. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): segregation is
constitutional (“separate” but equal”)
3. Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
A. Chinese workers were banned from immigrating
into the U.S. for 10 years. The Law was finally
repealed in 1943
4. “Gentlemen’s Agreement” (1907)
A. In exchange for not passing a law banning
Japanese from immigrating to the U.S. Japan
agreed to not allow immigration to the U.S.
5. Plus an entire cultural mentality of racism
This kind of discrimination is Biblically
wrong because
1. Israel’s discrimination against other nations was
covenant based, not race based.
2. Racism is “built into” the fall, and fixed only by
the cross. Ephesians 2.11-12
3. Salvation is for all races. Revelation 5.9 And they
sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to
take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for
thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by
thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation;
“Discrimination” on the basis of gender is
NOT wrong, if confined to Biblical precepts
1. Men and women are equal, spiritually:
Gal.3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free, there is neither
male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ
Jesus
2. Men and women are not equal, functionally:
1Ti 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach,
nor to usurp authority over the man, but to
be in silence.
This is no more an insult to women
than is the distinct function of
Jesus Christ, as opposed to His
Heavenly Father
But being against homosexuality is
not in the same category as racial
discrimination
Human marriage is ultimately about
God’s glory
1. Ephesians 5.22-33; especially 5.27
2. This is how the marriage functions: I
Corinthians 11.7/ Proverbs 12.4
3. If there is no woman in the marriage, how
can there be glory?
4. If there is no man in the marriage, how can
there be a head for the glory to rest on?
5. And it is the rejection of God’s glory that
leads to this distortion. Romans 1.20-25