Which Jesus is This?
Ohio teen, Day of Silence supporter, champions misleading faith approach.
Perhaps you’ve heard about the 17-year old boy in Waynesville, Ohio who is suing his school because they asked him not to wear a controversial T-shirt.
Maverick Couch has a T-shirt featuring a rainbow-colored Christian fish and the words, “Jesus is Not a Homophobe.” Yes, you read that right.
And it all revolves around the pro-homosexual Day of Silence, observed in most schools on Friday, April 20. It’s sponsored by a national homosexual group GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
Maverick wanted to wear the T-shirt on last year’s “Day of Silence,” but the school told him to remove it. So this year he’s going on offense. Since there’s been so much publicity, the school has relented and told Maverick he can wear the shirt, but apparently, the lawsuit will still go forward.
Maverick, who is openly homosexual in his behavior and identity, is probably very sincere in what he is doing. He is quoted as saying that he’s been bullied and called names and he is wearing this T-shirt to encourage respect.
Well, I agree that he should not be bullied and that other students should not be, either. But schools don’t have to embrace homosexuality to prevent bullying, and the even bigger issue here is, the T-shirt is not only extremely disrespectful, it's tragically and profoundly misleading.
The assumptions are wrong, so you can’t even talk about it until we deconstruct the false implications.
"Homophobia" is a mean, hateful term, intended to put anyone with traditional values on the defensive, as if objecting to homosexuality is a phobia. It’s not. It reflects common sense, good judgment, sound health and strong morality. The vast majority of cultures and religions throughout history have had taboos against homosexuality. And for Christians, it comes from the truth of Scripture and what Almighty God taught regarding sexual behavior.
Homosexuality is called an abomination in Scripture (Lev. 18:22). A man lying with another man is always a sin.( See note) There is no place in Scripture, or in the teachings of Jesus, where two men sexually or romantically together is ever right, or two women.
And Jesus taught that marriage is one man and one woman (Matthew 19:4-6). Jesus is one with the Father--that is authentic Christian faith, that He was God on earth. Jesus Himself declared He was the great I AM, the Messiah. So the teachings about homosexuality in both the Old and New Testaments are all from Him.
So, which Jesus is this young man talking about? It’s uninformed Christianity at best, and deliberately falsified at worst. Yes, Jesus loves us. But Jesus hates our sins, which is the whole reason He died on the cross and rose on Easter morning. And homosexuality in the Bible is always a sin.
See our one-page article, Jesus Never Said Anything About Homosexuality, or Did He?
Note:
Some scripture verses directly pertaining to homosexuality:
Genesis, chapters 18 and 19 (chapter 18 is helpful for a broader context); Leviticus 18: 22 and 20: 13; Deuteronomy 23: 17; 1 Kings 15:12; Matthew 19:3-9; Romans 1: 18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4: 3-8; 2 Peter 2 (whole chapter); Jude 7-8; Revelation 22:15.
