Life's Answer, Volume 8, Number 6, September 1980 Page: 4

                                
To keep our readers informed about the subject of homosex-
uality, Life's Answer submitted questions to James Robison,
President of the James Robison Evangelistic Association, and Dr.
Campbell Read, a member of the board of directors of the Dallas
Gay Political Caucus These questions and their answers follow
An interview with James Robison
Q. Do you feel homosexuality                                            O   S
is a learned behavior?
A. Yes, I personally believe that
no one is born a homosexual or
bound by heredity to homosex-
ual desires. Evidence indicates                      _
that with some individuals, a
tendency toward homosexuality                          through the power of Christ, just as any Christian can overcome
develops very early in life. Some                       any temptation. I would question the validity of a profession of
never recall feeling an attraction       i              Christianity in which the person said, "I will accept Christ as
for the opposite sex. Many in-                          Savior but I intend to go on being a practicing homosexual."
fluences can tend to reinforce                          Salvation is based on true intent I don't believe there can be true
homosexual leanings-an un-                             intent to turn to Christ apart from true intent to turn from sin.
wholesome family life, youthful                         Q. Do you feel homosexuals can change?
sex experiences, etc. But we                            A. Definitely. I know many who have changed. Even secular
can't blame God or heredity for  James Ro bison         therapists, according to many reports and surveys on the subject,
the condition. No one is locked into it by birth.      indicate homosexuals can change. In their study, sex specialists
Q. What do you feel is the basis for homosexual behavior?  Masters and Johnson said they saw more success in changing
A. The basis for all sexual behavior is the sex drive, perhaps the  and overcoming problems by homosexuals than by heterosex-
strongest drive known to humanity. Homosexuality is one of the  uals. All sexual problems stem from disobeying God's laws. If
many ways the world offers for attempting to satisfy the sex  homosexuals return to God and obey Him, they find victory. All
drive.                                                 things are possible with God (Luke 1:37). The greatest force
The breakdown of the home contributes enormously to  working against change by homosexuals is the propaganda
homosexuality. The fact that homosexuals have come out of the  contending they can't change. This persuades many to abandon
closet and their lifestyle has become more acceptable also  desire to change and destroys all hope in those who sincerely
fosters homosexual behavior. Many people have dormant   want to change. In 1 Corinthians 6:11 Paul says, "And such
desires of various types. If they are told those desires are right,  were some of you; but you were washed, but you were
they are likely to give vent to them.                   sanctified but you were justified in the name of the Lord
As I stated in the television program which met so much  Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God " Some of the
opposition from Mr. Read and from the gay community in  Christians Paul was writing to were homosexuals. But at the
Dallas, law enforcement officers, including the Los Angeles  time of his writing, this was no longer so. God had changed them
Chief of Police, state that homosexuals do, indeed, prey on one  Q. What advice would you give to a homosexual who asked
another, often times in a dangerous manner. An example of this  for your guidance?
would be the Gacy case in Chicago. These quotes were in the  A. If he were not a Christian, I would try to lead him to accept
article from the National Enquirer to which Mr. Read took  Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. Christ delivers the
exception.                                              captives, regardless of what the captivity might be. I would lead a
Q. How do you view homosexuality from a biblical stand-  Christian overcome by homosexual desire to yield control of his
point?                                                 life to the Lord, to make Christ the center of his life and to focus
A. Homosexuality is totally contrary to the Scriptures. It's  all his attention on God. I would help him get his eyes off self and
condemned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament  his mind off sexual gratification and to focus his life on a desire to
In Leviticus 18:22 God commands men not to have sexual  please God. With Christ in control, his mind could be renewed
intercourse with men. He brands such behavior "an abomi-  (Rom. 12:2) to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure
nation." Romans 1:26-27 indentifies homosexuality as one of  and virtuous (Phil. 4:8), rather than on sensual pleasures. When
the degrading passions that result from not honoring God as  we become Christians, Christ is our life(Col. 3:4). No sin is too
God. 1 Corinthians 6:9 lists homosexuals among those"unrigh-  great for Christ to overcome. In Him, we are "dead to sin, but
teous" who will not" inherit the kingdom of God." Homosexual-  alive to God" (Rom. 6:11). We don't understand these truths
ity can be forgiven, but it is a sin which must be repented  with our human intellect Before they become real in our
Q. How does homosexuality affect the future of the tradi-  experience, we must claim them by faith. We don't understand
tional American family?                                 how Christ's life could be our victory. All we can do is claim it by
A. Homosexuality is terribly destructive of the family. Homo-  faith and let Him begin to show us His victory in our everyday
sexuals do not produce offspring. They cannot achieve the  lives. "And this is the victory that overcometh the world
oneness God designed for persons of the opposite sex in  even ourfaith"(1 John 5:4). Anyone who believes that Jesus is
marriage. They present misleading role models to children,  the Son of God, that Jesus lives in him and that Jesus is his life
influencing them to develop distorted sexual attitudes and  can overcome any sin, and that includes the sin of homosexuality.
behavior patterns. If homosexuality becomes pervasive, it will  I would lead a homosexual to pray: "I claim by faith that I am
destroy the moral fiber of the nation.                  dead to sin and alive to you, Father, because I have been
Q. Do you believe a person can be a homosexual and a    crucified with Christ, raised to new life with Him and made to sit
Christian at the same time?                             with Him in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). Now I'm counting on
A. Any Christian can have any tendency or desire under the  you to make these truths real in my life."
sun, including those that are homosexual in nature. But a  To a homosexual who refused to accept these truths, I would
Christian will dedicate himself to overcoming his desire to do  say, "I will continue to love you and to pray for you," but I feel
anything contrary to God's commandments. A Christian may  there would be little chance of deliverance for him apart from
have homosexual desires, but he can overcome those desires  God's mercy and a true repentance of his sin.  0
Life's Answer September 1980

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