First Baptist Church

The military’s policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” has increasingly been under fire over the past few years as homosexuals in the military seek to serve openly. The policy has always been identified with Bill Clinton as the concept and terminology came to pass during his administration. The policy was “cutting edge” at the time and pushed by a progressive Democratic President. There had been a long standing practice of forbidding homosexuals from serving in the military for a variety of reasons. I am not in a position to evaluate the merits of these reasons or speculations, having never been in a position of military leadership. What I wish to do is consider for a moment some ideas as to why the policy has been under attack by homosexuals.

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was considered, just 15 years ago, a huge advance and psychological victory for homosexuals and their goal of service in the military. It seemed to place the burden back on the individual. All one had to do was, in essence, keep their mouth shut, where their sex life was concerned (perhaps good advice for everyone)! At the time, they enthusiastically celebrated. One has to wonder why so shortly afterwards that policy was no longer good enough?

Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, the issue is sin. Quite simply sin never satisfies! Sin looks like it would satisfy. It is enticing to all of the senses. It holds mass appeal. But, we are warned in God’s word repeatedly that sin is never truly satisfied. It is like the fire which never says enough; it just keeps looking for more to consume. Or it is like the parched earth which never receives enough water. The sin of lust rages, to some degree, in every one of us. It takes a lot of work to keep it in check. These days with the advent of the internet and pay-per-view movies no one has to go out to the 7-11 to buy a Penthouse magazine or go to a “peep show” at the sleazy adult cinema in the rough part of town. Pornography has become mainstream. A few years ago 60 Minutes did a segment on the new President of Vivid Entertainment who held an MBA from Harvard. Much of the shame associated with lust has vanished as the sexual revolution has continued its advance on our culture. Homosexuality has advanced right along with other sexual behavior.

The average homosexual male has dozens, even hundred of sexual partners in his lifetime. Despite all the calls for “gay marriage,” the reality is that very few seek committed, monogamous relationships. The ones we see in line at the court house being denied marriage licenses are largely propaganda for a cause. When people are told they cannot do something they immediately fuzz up and demand they be allowed to do it, whether they really desire it or not. It becomes more of a reaction to the forbidden that it is a true belief, want, or desire.

When it comes to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, homosexuals 1) don’t like to be told what they can and cannot do. 2) they feel that this policy is an assault on their pride or identity (they cannot separate who they are from what they do). I recently read the Christian Classic, Martyrs of the Catacombs out loud to my kids as it relayed the story of how the church existed underground. In the old Soviet Union, for more than 70 years the church had to exist underground. For many Muslims who have converted to Christianity the story is all the same. They believe in their heart in the Lord Jesus and they are content to serve him secretly if that is the only way they can serve Him. They do not feel that Christ is any less than worthy of their praise because they cannot be open with their faith. They know it to be true. Why are not homosexuals at least content with knowing that what they are doing is true and right in their heart? It is because their heart is not at rest. It is in turmoil. If it is not, then they fit the description in Romans 1 where Paul said, “God gave them up.” Most homosexuals genuinely believe that their next big social advance, whatever that might be, will ease the guilt and pain but it never does.

Homosexuals crave the acceptance of the culture in which they live as affirmation. According to the New Testament, the law of God is written on the human heart, therefore those engaging in sinful behavior of any type know that they are doing so, at least to some degree. Society can tell anyone something is either right or it is wrong, but unless society’s assessment aligns with God’s truth there is still an empty vacuum which is not filled. This leads to more crusades to break down the existing societal barriers they feel are keeping them from the feelings of satisfaction and acceptance they believe they should have. After all, societal norms were originally shaped by the Bible in the first place!

The latest push is to have “gay marriage.” This is much more about trying to fill the void of emptiness they feel. They believe the emptiness comes from society’s lack of acceptance or the fact they are denied marriage licenses, but it goes back to God’s Word when He tells mankind that sin never satisfies. When we counter God’s Word at any point, on any issue, at any level, we will find that our thirst is not satisfied. Psalm 40 tells us, “As the deer pants for the water brook, so my soul pants for you, oh Lord.” “Panting” for God the creator is what we are made to do (as we are made in His image), but the sin Paul so bluntly describes in Romans 1 was that they “worshiped and served the “creature” or the “created” things rather than the “Creator – God” Himself. Homosexuality is worship of the “creature/created” and feeding of unhealthy lusts and desires to the blatant neglect of the “Creator.”

Their argument for years is that they are just “born that way.” I believe it is far more about “conditioning” than “biology” but let’s just say for the sake of argument that it is biological. Since when do we say that “desire” trumps right and wrong? That would be like the child who disobeyed his mother when she had told him ‘no cookies before supper,’ using as his excuse/defense/justification for taking the cookies anyway is, ‘mom, I’m sorry, but I wanted to have the cookies so badly that I felt it was ok to disobey you.’ Why not just be honest? Why don’t homosexuals just put bumper stickers on their cars that say, “It’s ok, to disobey!” One simply will not live in a constant state of violating his/her own conscience. What people try to do is adjust their conscience. When they deal with homosexual desires then look at Genesis 19, they latch on to far-fetched teaching of those who have foolishly claimed that the real sin there was being inhospitable to the angels and homosexuality was not in view at all. God reigned fire and brimstone on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because they were not polite to guests. A ridiculous assessment, however it serves to illustrate the truth that people will not live in a constant state of violating their own conscience. When they get Massachusetts to allow the legality of “gay marriage,” it affirms them in their lifestyle. When they get congress to get rid of policies such as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” it affirms their behavior, however the taste of victory will be short-lived. How do I know that? It is because, sin never satisfies. It will quickly become another cause, another issue, another injustice, because sin, of any type will never bring lasting satisfaction. It may make someone happy for a day, a week or a season, but happiness is no substitute for joy. The pursuit of happiness denies eternity. Living for the moment and the gratification it brings is the mantra of our culture. If we were really concerned with the future we would not have a 14 trillion dollar national debt, the average household with more that 10 thousand dollars in credit card debt, people smoking, or people engaging in any type of illicit sexual behavior. Americans are living for the moment, not for eternity. Their 7 or 8 decades here clearly means far more to them than eternity!

The overturning of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” is like getting a “heroin” fix. It will make those who hated the policy feel great for a brief moment, but their addiction to sin will continue to destroy them and continue to lead them down the wrong path. It was a wise man who said of sin: “It will take you further than you planned to go, keep you longer than you planned to stay, and cost you more than you planned to pay.” Don’t be fooled by the rhetoric. This is not about a policy called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” it is about facing one’s Creator. It is about trying to fill the void with someone or something other than God. It is about feeding lusts and every human being’s tender desire for acceptance by his/her peers.

In Christ,

Pastor Allen Raynor