Russell Moore’s Condemnation of Uganda’s Anti-Gay Law is a Trainwreck of Deceit and Stupidity
This is a Twitter thread from Paul Biegler, adapted into article form. Read Russell Moore’s full article for the context and then come back, as Moore makes a horrible case here.
First, he strawmans his opponents as arguing that Leviticus *mandates* civil penalties for homosexuality, when in fact, they argue that Leviticus *allows* civil penalties for homosexuality.
Second, he applies intra-church stories and teachings to the civil magistrate. Yes, Paul told us simply to purge homosexuals from the church. No, Paul never told the government to punish them, but neither did he tell the government *not* to punish them. Why would he?
Third, Moore’s thesis is near the end of the article:
“Unleashing the violence of state-ordained execution, imprisonment, and surveillance on gay and lesbian Ugandans is a condemnable act of authoritarianism and a violation of the self-evident and unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To do such a thing is a matter of power, not of conviction. It demonstrates not a commitment to the Bible’s authority but a rejection of it.”
This argument is laughable.
To Moore, the “self-evident and unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (obviously cribbing the U.S. Constitution) includes the right to homosexuality. This would have been a surprise to its drafters. These rights have natural limits – this is obviously the case, otherwise there would be no prisons.
The question is where a society places those limits. One example is murder. We take life and liberty when killing is perpetrated upon another – even consensually! Moore’s true issue is that he cannot conceive of a consensual act of homosexuality as a perpetration of evil upon another.
Ugandans do. The Bible clearly does, as well.
So, while different countries might disagree on the proper (if any) punishment for homosexuality, calling Uganda’s democratic decision a “condemnable act of authoritarianism” is, ultimately, taking a stand against God’s Word.
Also, as has been pointed out ad nauseum (but conspicuously left out by Moore) the definition of “aggravated homosexuality” warranting the death penalty makes the death penalty seem pretty warranted! Moore says:
“At issue is a harsh new law signed by Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni that would not only outlaw homosexuality but also mandate conversion-therapy-type “rehabilitation” for gay people who are arrested and require a kind of surveillance culture in which citizens are criminally liable for not turning in people they know to be gay. But most chilling of all, the law would impose the death penalty on categories deemed to be “aggravated homosexuality.”
But what is the reality?
Almost reflects the recent laws of *gasp* the United States.
Editor’s Note. We added the last quote by Moore. You can read the whole Twitter thread in its original form here, or read the full Uganda bill here. Here is what constitutes “aggravated homosexuality” It’s hardly chilling.
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Meanwhile, in the west, where sexual immorality has been made a protected class, we are not allowed to honor 1 Cor. 5, 2 Tim. 3:5, and other scriptures which specifically instruct us to purge them from among us, to turn away, and to not associate with them. As if the roman government at the time had stepped in and said to the early church that it’s against the law to kick him out.
That too is authoritarian toward Christians.
These politically-minded, worldly fence-riders still haven’t figured it out. There is no middle ground. One side or the other is going to be under an authoritarian fist. And the only way to avoid that inevitable authoritarianism is to maintain separate nations, separate states, separate counties, cities, towns, and so on.
Yet professing Christians on both sides of the aisle advocate against such separations, by sticking their noses in Uganda’s business, while also arguing that Christians should be the ones under the authoritarian fist.
Moore’s “you can’t legislate morality” argument is the same old nonsense it has always been. The truth is, you can’t not legislate morality – the only question is which morality, who’s morality – what God says or what rebellious mankind contrives. Entire separation would require legalizing anything and everything that God has defined as sin, which would pretty much result in the elimination of all law altogether, as well as substantiation for the existence of God-given rights in the first place. You can’t defer to God’s authority on the existence of rights, and then use those rights that He gave as a basis to argue against His authority in other matters. That’s entirely irrational.
The bottom line is there is no such thing as a right to sin.
Rights are things that God says others are obligated to respect. Sin isn’t one of them.
If the Bible says to purge them from among you and to not associate with them, then it’s not something that others are obligated to respect, and therefore is not a right, or valid exercise of a right.
This is basic stuff that an “esteemed ethicist” like Moore should be able to comprehend. His arguments are self-refuting. Betraying the fact that sexual immorality is not a right, and that no one is obligated to respect it.
A God-given right is a license.
Jude, and other scriptures, warn about those who pervert the grace of God into a license for, or right to, immorality.
There is no such thing as a right to sin.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” – 1 John 5:3
Galatians 5:13-24 is one such scripture which addresses directly the distinction that the right of liberty is not a right to sin, and reiterates that those who remain unrepentant and continue such sins will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In Jesus’ final words to us in His word, the last two chapters of Revelations, He makes it clear, reiterating for the final time, giving His absolute final word that fence-riding, cowardly, faithless, deceitful fake Christians will be thrown into the lake of fire right along with the murderers and sexually immoral.
The extent of the problem couldn’t be more obvious:
God’s word clearly says “you must marginalize them!”
The government says “you must include them!”
Only a complete reprobate would believe there is any possible compromise or middle ground. There is none. One side or the other is going to be under a real or perceived authoritarian thumb. Which, then, do Christians deem to be grievous: the commandments of God or the commandments of men.
Moore’s argument is that the commandments of men are less grievous than the commandments of God. Yet the Bible clearly states the commandments of God are not grievous at all.
What these fence-riding, worldly-minded, politically-minded fake Christians are essentially arguing for is an authoritarian one-world government, where Christians are persecuted. Which, of course, sounds very familiar to any who know a bit about end times prophecy.
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Ever notice that countries and cultures that allow homosexuality to proliferate seem to destroy themselves while the people who practiced them do the same? That’s because it promotes a culture of death, including pretty much everything that the political left stands for.