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"And take...the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17)
In this issue:
More on the Homosexual Agenda (Joe R. Price)
Bonanza, Polygamy &
Same-Sex Marriage (Steven J. Wallace)
More on the Homosexual Agenda
Joe R. Price
[This letter was written and sent to The Salt Lake Tribune on
December 15, 1992. To my knowledge it never ran in the newspaper. I’m
sharing it with you to give some chronological context to the current
struggle against same-sex marriage in this country. The homosexual agenda
is obvious and must not be ignored.
Joe]
Dear Editor:
New York City’s education chief wants his school board to adopt the
“Children of the Rainbow” curriculum which is designed to teach children
respect for homosexual parents. Chancellor Joseph Fernandez has a fight on
his hands (The Salt Lake Tribune, Dec. 11). Particular anger has
been directed at the suggested reading list that includes the children’s
books Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy’s Roommate.
We may think ourselves far removed from such an issue here in Utah, the
bastion of conservativism – but think again! Featured in the local section
of The Salt Lake Tribune on Sunday, Dec. 13 was The Utah Stonewall
Center – a ‘safe house’ for homosexuals. A photograph of the center’s
treasurer and board member Scott Carpenter caught my eye. He was holding
the children’s book that is causing such a stir in New York – Daddy’s
Roommate.
Make no mistake; the homosexual community’s agenda of “equal rights”
includes indoctrinating the youngest members of society – our children – to
believe that homosexual conduct is pure, innocent and acceptable. And,
public school officials throughout this country are becoming effective
advocates for their cause (not to mention the incoming White House, which
has considered New York City’s education chief Joseph Hernandez as a
potential education secretary in the Clinton administration).
There is no honor in homosexuality. Neither children nor adults should be
led to believe that homosexual conduct presents positive images of its
participants. It is evident from nature that such behavior is not natural.
With this the Bible agrees (Rom. 1:26-27). The spread of homosexuality is
but one of the signs of a degenerating society which has rejected God and
elevated man (Rom. 1:18-32). We have the “right” to oppose its spread.
Sincerely,
Joe R. Price
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Bonanza, Polygamy & Same-Sex Marriage
Steven J. Wallace
One may wonder
what “Bonanza,” “Polygamy” and “Same Sex Marriage” have in common. I have
to admit, it seems absurd to suggest that Bonanza has anything in common
with these.
Please do not
misunderstand the intent of this article. Watching Bonanza is some of my
favorite form of entertainment. Film in that era was so much more wholesome
than the foolishness that is offered today as “entertainment.” Bonanza
episodes generally promote the triumph of good over evil and the courageous
human will over and through various adversities. Ben Cartwright’s (Lorne
Green) person represents one who is successful yet honest and hospitable.
His fatherly wisdom excels in the art of diplomacy, not only with his sons,
but with his neighbors and even his enemies. Despite the drinking, saloon
fights and gun slinging, life is presented as extremely precious, and
most would deem that the three sons, Adam (Pernell Roberts), Hoss (Dan
Blocker) and Little Joe (Michael Landon) are portrayed as good natured men
who share in their father’s values. Of westerns, Bonanza is as close to five
stars as I have seen.
There are however, two
particular episodes (239, 240) where Ben Cartwright’s wisdom fails miserably
and blatantly contradicts revealed truth. The episode was called “The
Pursued” originally shown October 2, 1966 where Ben and his two sons, Hoss
and Joe, seek to do business with a rancher named Heber Clauson (Eric
Fleming). Surprisingly, when they go to meet Clauson to purchase some
cutting horses, he introduces his two wives. Heber was a Mormon who
practiced polygamy since his first wife was unable to have children. Later
when the three Cartwrights were alone Hoss had expressed some perplexity
about Mr. Clauson’s plural marriages. Ben quickly jumps in and asserts that
before Hoss thinks Polygamy is so strange that “all ancient religions
practiced polygamy.” Well, perhaps many ancient religions practiced
polygamy but it was not practiced in the beginning of creation and was first
invented by Cain’s great, great, great grandson Lamech (Gen. 4:19). God
made Adam and Eve, not Adam, Eve & Evelyn. When Jesus teaches on marriage,
He goes back to this original pattern as something to be modeled today
(Matt. 19:1-9). Jesus remarked,
"and said,
‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to
his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?”
(Matt. 19:5)
He doesn’t
say, the “three” become one flesh, but the “two.”
Hoss
interjected about ancient religions practicing polygamy saying, “ya but pa
that was Old Testament days.” Ben’s response… “Well they’re [Clauson’s
family, sjw] an Old Testament people.” Are Mormons an Old Testament people?
Such are not anymore Old Testament people than they are New Testament
people! They are an extra-Testament people. They don’t practice animal
sacrifices or the many other Old Testament practices, so why call them and
Old Testament people? Many denominations like to pick and choose certain
aspects of the Old Testament to keep today as well. The Mormons may have
chosen polygamy; Catholics light lamps and have a separate priesthood. Many
choose instrumental music in worship because it was Old Testament praise.
But choosing some Old Testament practices does not make one an “Old
Testament people” but a law breaker! Moses wrote:
“Cursed is
the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing
them. And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’”
(Deut. 27:26)
If some are
going to be an “Old Testament people” they must confirm “all” the words of
the law “by observing them.” Picking certain aspects and rejecting another
is sin (Jas. 2:10, 11).
Neither are Mormons New
Testament people as they reject its definition of marriage which consists of
“two becoming one flesh” (Matt. 19:5, 6; Mk. 10:8; Eph. 5:31).
Mormons are an
“Extra Testament people” with their “Book of Mormon” which justifies their
practices. Their book is not the Bible but a counterfeit book of faith for
faithlessness. The Bible proclaims in fact, that God has given to us all
that we need in things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3; 2 Tim.
3:16-17). What would be the purpose of God giving a different revelation if
we already have all that we need to be equipped with in this life? Neither
does the claim that God gave another testament to another sheepfold have any
merit. The gospel had been given perfectly through our Lord’s apostles and
it was declared to the entire world as stated by Paul in the first century:
“if indeed
you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away
from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every
creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister”
(Col. 1:23; cf. Rom. 10:18; 16:26).
If every
creature under heaven was given access to the gospel, why should there be a
different one given for a different fold? A different fold of people would
in fact have to live outside the world to not contradict Colossians 1:23.
So, why would
Bonanza shoot polygamy in a sympathetic light? The Bonanza series seeks to
portray the 1860’s and the Mormon controversy was well established in these
years. It was banned civilly in 1862 by the 37th Congress, a time
when roughly 15-25% of Mormon families were polygamous
(“Polygamy and Politics,” Damon M. Cann,
http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/stu/dcann/polygamy.htm).
Why Bonanza chose to express “tolerance” towards this is difficult to
ascertain unless some within the Bonanza empire were Mormons.
But how does
this relate to “same sex marriage?” It is not directly related to
Bonanza in the episodes. However it was shown in these two episodes that
those who were “anti-polygamy” were prejudiced hateful obnoxious bigots.
These are similar to the charges that are hurled at those of us who denounce
the hideous idea of homosexual marriages today!
I suppose someone today
could say that many ancient religions used homosexual practices and that we
ought not think it strange. But centered in the current debate over what
constitutes marriage is not some mere academic pursuit but the fundamental
establishment that is necessary for the existence of any civilization—the
family.
If men think
they can redefine marriage to make it more inclusive to other models, then
they are essentially destroying marriage as God designed and gave it to man.
As soon as homosexuals replace the “gender” qualifications from “male and
female” to “male and male,” or “female to female” then polygamists can, with
the same logic replace the numerical value of “two” to “three,” “thirty,”
“three hundred,” or whatever man may think is good. These are forces of
corruption at work to decay our nation. The fact that these issues are
issues also shows symptoms of a sick and dying nation, a nation that is
headed for Sodom. We also seek to admonish that if men can change the
gender and the number, what will keep them from changing the
stage of life for marriage from “adult and adult” to “adult and child?” Why
not change the “kind” involved in marriage from “human to human” to “human
to beast?” Will a man be able to marry his horse and have the benefits of
marriage? Perhaps he can marry a herd of horses and claim them as tax
deductions? Wow, what a bonanza of foolishness and immorality that we will
be reaping!
Pedophilia?
“Nevertheless,
because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let
each woman have her own husband”
(1 Cor. 7:2).
Homosexuality?
“If a man lies
with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an
abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon
them”
(Lev. 20:13;
cf. Rom. 1:26, 27, 32).
Bestiality?
“Whoever lies
with an animal shall surely be put to death”
(Ex. 22:19).
Polygamy?
“A bishop then
must be blameless, the husband of one wife. . .”
(1 Tim. 3:2; cf. Eph. 5:31).
Adultery?
“But I say to
you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality
causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced
commits adultery”
(Matt. 5:32; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:19). [Available
online:
http://www.sunnysidechurchofchrist.com/id52.html]
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