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A text without a context is a pretext. And so it is with recent ad hominem attacks by
progressive democrats on Virginia’s conservative Republican gubernatorial ticket,
especially those directed at EW Jackson, a Christian minister and candidate for
Lieutenant Governor.
The progressive left has chosen to attack Bishop Jackson on
his personal Biblical beliefs not his political policy. Instead their approach
is straight out of their “bible:” Saul Alinsky’s book, Rules for Radicals,
a book dedicated to "the first radical known to man who rebelled against
the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own
kingdom--Lucifer."
Alinksy’s Rule 13 – and by extension the approach of those
who subscribe to his principles – is to “pick the target, freeze it,
personalize it, and polarize it” by eschewing any underlying facts, playing off
public emotion at the moment, and leaving it open to the reader’s interpretation
to draw a conclusion. Progressives are not interested in serious debate. They are interested in only one thing: winning
at any cost, whether the argument has any basis in truth or not. As Alinsky
states in his book, “We live in a world where ‘good’ is a value dependent on
whether we want it.” Apparently, “good” like “truth” has no absolute basis in
the progressive world.
You see, the attack on EW Jackson – and by extension the
conservative Republican ticket – is not about policy, it is about protecting Republican
and Democrat progressivism and its collectivist moral relativism from the
existential threat posed by the resurgence of a vocal, grass roots, moral
majority who subscribe to principle. The real debate is about the progressives’
“bible” versus the “Bible.” It is about replacing
God with government as the author of our individual rights. In short, it is about what progressive
Democrats wish to do in 2013 “C.E.” but could not do in their last presidential
nominating convention held in 2012 A.D. – carve the God of the Bible out of the
Democratic platform, and by extension, out of both American culture and its
Constitution.
Specifically, the progressive left has chosen to label EW
Jackson's views on homosexuality as being “extremely anti-gay” and trying to
use those views to drive a wedge between other members of the ticket and, in
the larger sense, all conservative candidates. They quote Bishop Jackson as
stating "the homosexual movement is a cancer attacking vital organs of
faith, family and military," and "homosexuality is a horrible sin, it
poisons culture, destroys families, it destroys societies; it brings the
judgment of God unlike very few things that we can think of." Similarly, they
quote Virginia's current attorney general and candidate for Governor, Ken
Cuccinelli as saying "when you look at the homosexual agenda, I cannot
support something that I believe brings nothing but self-destruction, not only
physically but of their soul."
Jackson’s quotes ignore
the context in which they were made and the facts upon which they are based.
Jackson’s perspective on “homosexual marriage” is best expressed in a National
Press Club press
conference following the 2012 Democratic national convention, at which the
democrats adopted a plank in their platform supporting “homosexual marriage”
and carved God out of their platform, only to reinstate Him for political
reasons, upon a voice vote of the membership. In context, Jackson’s NPC press
conference comments were directed to Bible believing democrats calling on them
to make a decision to follow their professed Biblical beliefs, not their
party’s platform.
So the question is not about Jackson’s opinion of
homosexuality, but what does the Bible actually say about homosexuality. Is Jackson’s characterization, as a minister,
accurate? For the sake of brevity, I
offer two passages from the Bible, one from the Old Testament and one from the
New Testament. I encourage the reader to
do his or her own study and place these quotes in the context of the cited passage
as well as the overall Biblical context of sexual sin.
“You shall not lie with a male as
one lies with a female; it is an abomination.” [Leviticus 18:22, NASB]
“For even though they knew God,
they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their
speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened [Romans 1:21, NASB] …
Therefore, God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that
their bodies might be dishonored among them.
For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served
the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. [Romans 1:24-25, NASB] For this reason
God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural
function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men
abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward
one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own
persons the due penalty of their error. [Romans 1:26-27, NASB]”
One is entitled to their own opinion about homosexuality and
how we should address it in civil society; however, from a Biblical perspective, the
facts are clear. All sexual sin
(both homosexual and heterosexual sin) is an affront to God and has serious
consequences – consequences that are entirely consistent with Bishop Jackson’s
remarks on this matter. If one believes in a just and righteous God, then these consequences extend to society as a whole. Simply read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah
[Genesis 18 & 19].
My conclusion is that the stories reported in the media have
little to do with Jackson’s actual statements.
The real question posed by the media has everything to do with who do you
believe: God or government? Words form
ideas and ideas have consequences. Policy follows principle. I think we know where EW Jackson stands, and
it is on God’s side.
It’s time to choose between Alinsky’s “bible”
and God’s Bible, a book that was dedicated to all of us.
