GCM Watch announces July Monument Award
GCM Watch is pleased to announce Darlene Osborne, Publisher of Christian Online Magazine as the July recipient of The Monument Award.
In 1973, amidst controversy, the American Pyschiatric Association bowed to tremendous pressure from homsexual activists and removed homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, commonly referred to as the DSM. But Darlene’s post Has God Changed His Mind About Homosexuality? offered readers a solid review of just why homosexuality was not removed from God’s DSM (detestable sins manual), commonly referred to as the Bible.
When approached by someone who most likely was looking for a convert, it prompted Osborne to earnestly look again at what God said. What she found was that God’s Word was still the same, just as God himself is unchanging, the same today, yesterday and even forevermore.
“A few weeks ago someone, who claims to be a Christian, approached me with the idea that it’s okay to be gay. That as a Christian I should change my opinion on homosexuality because God accepts the gay lifestyle and so should I. This person provided scriptures that were taken so far out of context that it was actually scary. However, in their quest to change some minds on this issue they may have actually swayed a few. But, I will not be swayed. There’s no bible evidence that God was ever okay with the gay lifestyle.”
GCM Watch commends Darlene Osborne and Christian Online Magazine for contending for the faith once delivered to the saints and for reminding us that since God hasn’t changed his mind, neither should we. Now, that’s Monumental.
Nominations for The Monument Award may be sent to our email. Please include a link to the post and a blurb about the author.
Related Posts: GCM Watch launches Monument Awards
0 comments
Darlene’s article is excellent! Thank you for sharing a link to her online Christian magazine. I have added it to my website links! Congrats Darlene!
I’m the one who wrote the article to Darlene Osborne. Contrary to what she is telling everybody, I did not quote Scripture out of context to try and prove my point. I backed everything I said up with rock solid Scripture and research. Remember, Scripture is subject to many different interpretations and nobody has all the answers to everything in spite of what you hear to the contrary. In the past, Scripture has been used to justify slavery, segregation and the supression of women in exactly the same manner that it is being used to bash gays and lesbians today. Fifty five years ago, it was the communists who were the scapegoats for all the wing nuts to blame the troubles in the country on. Now that communism has become a dead horse, these same people have switched to gays and lesbians. Seems like some things never change.
I came to my conclusion to accept gays and lesbians as normal people as a result of being obedient to God and studying to show myself approved unto him. The Bible never means what it says, it always means what it means. The only way to understand it properly is to take off the homophobic goggles and keep an open mind. It is necessary to see things as the writers saw them then rather than how we see them now. The conditions and events being addressed then are not necessarily things that apply today. When we base our beliefs on false assumptions, we arrive at wrong conclusions.
Hopefully, this will set the record straight. And by the way, I am a straight woman who has been married to the same man for 35 years who is fully behind my beliefs.
Darlene S,
The first few lines of your message contain error already, so Im inclined to believe Darlene Osborne. Here is just one example of several I saw:
You say: “Scripture is subject to many different interpretations…”
The scripture says: 2 Peter 1:20
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
If you can’t see the apparent error in your understanding versus the scripture, then I can see why Darlene O. had to write such a refutation of your ideology.
It appears you are doing exactly what the scripture forbids. Just like those who used scripture falsely to justify slavery and the subjugation of women, you are using it to justify homosexual conduct against the clear teaching of the scripture.
Good answer, gcmwatch!
I recently wrote a post over at Talkwisdom which expresses the reasons why I believe that the Lord Jesus has been leading me in the direction of speaking out against the gay theology movement (and their supporters/cheerleaders).
As I have stated in a previous comment here, one goal (of the gcm) appears to be one of elevating “tolerance” and “inclusion” above our Lord’s calling for us to strive for holiness and righteousness!
This is exactly what Darlene S. has done in her comment.
I would venture to say that another goal of the gcm is to lead many into the heresy of dismissing obedience to God’s Word; and thus, ignoring God’s call for followers of Jesus to strive for holiness and righteousness!
Every person who agrees with the gay theology movement ALWAYS stresses “tolerance” (which has been re-defined as total acceptance for their particular sinful behavior), “inclusion,” (meaning, if you don’t agree then you are evil and a bigot). The outstanding goal in their minds is to express ONLY the love of God (while completely ignoring His equally important characteristics of holiness, righteousness and judgment)!
My support is out 100% to Darlene S and what she had to say. I have read the article by Darlene Osborne myself and find that it is found to be wanting throughout. I sent an e-mail to Darlene Osborne giving Scriptural refutations of everything that she had to say over two weeks ago with a follow up a week ago but as of today, I have received no reply from her. Could it be that her case is weak and human pride will not let her admit that she may be wrong.
Were you aware that there is no word for homosexual in the Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic Languages that the Bible was originally written in. Therefore, when we quote Moses and Paul, we are reading into the Bible what we want it to say rather than what is really says. Since there is no word for homosexual we are only assuming that certain passages are talking about homosexuality as we understand it today.
Jesus Christ had a lot to say about right and wrong but not once did he ever say anything against loving homosexual relationships or homosexual orientation. Since Jesus is God in the flesh, the question asked by Darlene Osborne with regards to God changing his mind about homosexuality can now be answered. GOD HASN’T CHANGED HIS MIND ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY. HE NEVER CONDEMNED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!
If you wish to see the complete letter that I sent to Darlene Osborne that has never been answered, e-mail me and I will be glad to send you a copy.
GCMW: Bruce, I see you have bought the John Boswell story hook line and sinker. You may want to read what we found out about him.
2 Peter 1:20-21 reads:
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
If you are going to quote Scripture, please quote the whole thing. The meaning is entirely different when you do. This Scripture does not in any way refute what I have to say. It is simply saying that the writers of the Bible did not act on their own when writing it, but were inspired by God as they wrote, a fact which I most certainly believe.
The Bible is most certainly open to many different interpretations. The Church Fathers from the beginning have been far from unanimous about many points of doctrine. Why do you think we have so many denominations in the world? There is a stronger case for allowing slavery in the Bible than for condemning homosexuality (The Baptist Church suffered a north and south split over slavery in the 19th century) but we are against allowing slavery today and for discriminating against gays and lesbians. Where is the logic in this?
It is far too easy to use the Bible as an excuse for our own failure to do as Jesus commanded us to do and “judge for ourselves what is right”. It is the old “I was just carrying out orders” excuse with a new twist to it. The so called clobber verses used against gays and lesbians do have other interpretations to them besides the ones given by Darlene Osborne. Our failure to do an internet search for the websites containing this information to see what they have to say is a failure on our part to judge for ourselves what is right. We cannot form any opinions unless we hear all sides of the story. Let us obey God and study to show ourselves approved unto him so that we may understand what the Bible really says. We were wrong in the past about slavery and it took a Civil War unfortunately to right the wrong. I hope that it doesn’t take a war to right the wrongs done to gays and lesbians.
RELIGIOUS BASED BIGOTRY IS WRONG! LETS END IT NOW AND FOREVER!
Darlene, you dimiss scripture way too easy. That’s characteristic of spiritual blindness. If you are blind (by your own violition) then there’s not much convincing you as to scripture’s truth.
Additionally, whether we quote the whole or half the verse, it still very clearly says YOU are wrong for having a “private” interpretation (read: your own) regarding sexual conduct. Did you see the part where it said prophecy came not by the will of man? What man or men do you think it is referring to?
You cite the historical errors of the Baptists and a lot of other whites by the way, as a parallel to justifying sexual conduct outside of the will of God. That’s a social assumption, not a biblical truth. You can read the scripture upside down and have it approved by the US Congress. In the end, let God be true and every man a liar.
What church fathers are you referring to? Since when is the word of a church father greater than God our FATHER? Any church father, mother, sister or brother who departs from the Word of God is a liar.
Your emotional attachement to homosexual “justice”, more than anything is driving your perspective, but it yet remains polar opposite the Word of God.
Darlene Osborne was right for standing with the Word, you are wrong for going against it.
Darlene S.
You seem to infer that Darlene Osborn, me, and gcmwatch should be labeled as BIGOTs. Well go right ahead and think that way. Doesn’t bother me one bit. Want to know why?
Because to me, the
Bible
Is
God’s
Only
Truth
I never called any of you bigots. I was simply stating what I think about religious based bigotry. [edited]
If we are honest with ourselves we all have our own private opinions about how the Bible should be interpreted.
[GCMW: No Darlene, we don't. Remember thats' your thing! ]
The Southern Baptists believe in eternal security, the Free Will Baptists believe you can lose salvation and the Primitive Baptists believe everybody is going to get saved in the end. Some churches sprinkle babies, others baptize only adult believers. Some churches believe that baptism is necessary for salvation, others that it is only an outward symbol of confirmation like joining a lodge. Some churches believe in the Trinity, others believe in Jesus Only. Some churches believe that speaking in tongues is necessary for salvation, others believe that it is not for this age as we now have the Bible and that speaking in tongues is of the devil. Now you tell me, which beliefs are the right ones.
[GCMW: That's easy, the ones that line up with scripture. Please dont miss the simplicity of the gospel by attemtping to make it out of some sort of insurmountable maze.]
If we cannot agree on these things and many other things that I have not listed, it goes without saying that those who think that homosexuality is a sin just might be wrong. Something to think about, don’t you agree?
[GCMW: Actually, no. God has already spoken his will concerning sexual immorality. You do the research like the Bereans if you care to. It has been wrong since the first man and or woman did it. It doesnt matter how much we love someone or want to see them get justice, wrong is just wrong. Why spend time thinking yourself out of the will of God?]
Those who think that homosexuality is NOT a sin just might be wrong!
What Does the Bible REALLY Say About Homosexual Issues?
I seriously suggest that you read “A LETTER TO LOUISE” by Rev. Bruce W. Lowe who is a straight Baptist Minister from Dallas, Texas. I have never found a more kinder or understanding person towards the plight of persecuted gays and lesbians than him. He changed his viewpoints about homosexuality after he heard the cries of his dear friend Louise who was concerned about her gay brother because he thought he had lost his salvation and was going to hell. After assuring Louise that nobody who puts his trust in Jesus is going to hell, he started doing some serious research into the homosexual issue and the letter mentioned above was the result. A Google Search will find it.
I credit Bruce Lowe with helping me in seeing the light on this important matter. He is now in his 90′s but is still active. He was in his 80′s when he changed his mind which shows that you are never to old to learn.
Please read this letter. It just might change your life.
I base my beliefs on the Bible, not on what John Boswell may or may not have said. My only exposure to John Boswell has been a couple of short articles.
Just because he died of AIDS at the age of 47 doesn’t mean that John Boswell was a bad person or that he wasted his life.
David Brainerd was a Christian missionary to the Native American Indians who died at the age of 29 from TB. Nate Saint aged 32, Jim Eliot aged 28, Ed McCully aged 28, Peter Fleming aged 27, and Roger Youderian aged 31, who were Christian missionaries in Ecuador in 1956 were all killed by a group of Huaorani (Auca) Indian warriors while trying to bring the gospel message to them. All five left behind wives and small children. Were any of these people bad people who wasted their lives? Why did God allow them to die so young when they still had so much work to do for him?
Bertrand Russell who was an agnostic did show some Christlike qualities in that he supported the right of women to vote, racial equality and interracial marriage. However, he also said “A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage; it does not need a regretful hankering after the past or a fettering of the free intelligence by the words uttered by ignorant men.” George Bernard Shaw who was also an agnostic also displayed Christlike qualities in that he also supported the right of women to vote and was a vegetarian and a teetotaller. However, he scoffed at superstition, churches, ecclesiastics, rituals, ceremonies, and creeds. In THE ADVENTURES OF THE BLACK GIRL IN SEARCH FOR GOD, a sardonic tale published in 1933, he derided the myopic sectarianism that strews dissension among Christians. Bertrand Russell and George Bernard Shaw in spite of all this managed to live to the ages of 97 and 94 respectively. Why did God allow them to live so long and the others mentioned before to die so young? Sort of throws your case against John Boswell out the window, doesn’t it?
[edited]
“It is time to say that gay bashing is not only wrong, it is unchristian. If Christianity is grace, then judgement is the ultimate apostasy. If Christianity is love, then cruelty is the ultimate heresy.”-REV. JIM RIGBY-A STRAIGHT PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER FROM AUSTIN, TEXAS
Bruce, please cite at least 3 specific instances of “gay bashing” from GCM Watch.
You seem be making an issue of something we did not make one. John Boswell’s age is not the issue, but rather a tragic component in his lifestyle choice which needed to be mentioned and indeed is mentioned in all of his secular bios. Yhy you seem to be offended by that is still unclear. Again, whether YOU claim to follow him or not, you still advocate the SAME false doctrines and thus are partaker to the apostasy.
Do you condemn the murders of gays and lesbians whose only fault was being who God created them to be? If you don’t, you are just as guilty as the ones who fire the gun or swing the bat. And that is gay bashing.
GCMW:That may be a question you should direct to Bishop Carlton Pearson, who says that all are going to heaven no matter what sin they have committed. Including those who murder gays. Once you receive an answer from him, please share it with us.
Why do you misrepresent Mel White on your website? You say that he doesn’t want to talk to you or any of your followers. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. I read in one of Mel White’s Books that he wanted to have a talk with a certain well known TV Pastor from a certain large church in Florida, but when this famous Pastor came face to face with him, he refused to be civil with Mel and all he did was keep shouting “REPENT” like a Johnny One Note until Mel finally gave up trying to reason with him. And that is gay bashing.
Do you have a direct telephone line to heaven? Unless you do which I kind of doubt, have you arrived at your understanding of what the Scriptures say by studying and arriving at the conclusions on your own. Or are you just repeating what has been drilled into you by some Pastor or Evangelist? We criticize the Roman Catholics for letting the Pope do the thinking for them but are we not doing the same thing in a different way? Jesus told us to judge for ourselves what is right. Why aren’t we doing it? If you are wrong in your understanding of the Scriptures and who is to say that you aren’t, you are guilty of gay bashing.
GCMW: I assume these are the three specific citings of so-called gay bashing you were asked for. Not one of them even meets the faintest criteria of “gay bashing”. Bruce, your wild and unproductive sermonettes/accusations are in violation of our comments policy. If you desire you continue posting here, please read and adhere. Its your choice but unfortunately you would rather be an accuser, rather than dialogue.
[edited] GCM Watch is not a landing zone for gcm sermonettes. Please carefully review the comments policy.
Bruce H,
Can you please tell me where in the Bible it says the following:
“Christ’s death on the cross covers the sins of everybody, no exceptions.”
Have you read A LETTER TO LOUISE yet by Bruce Lowe? I am anxious to hear your comments about it.
DarleneS, you are arguing that gays should not be persecuted. We agree, as long as the definition of persecution does not mean that one cannot call homosexuality what the Bible calls it. Violence against gays doesnt eliminate or change the fact that homosexuality is sin which must be repented of any more than violence against prostitutes make prostitution okay.
Is the letter supposed to have more moral weight because the writer is “straight” or “Baptist”? Straight, Baptist people go against the word of God just like gay, pentecostal people. Why are you pointing out these things? They do not affect the rightness or wrongness of a matter.
Finally changing your mind about what is true because of people only means that you walked away from God’s truth. How is that a good thing?
You did not provide a link to the letter you wanted read.
Here is the link to A LETTER TO LOUISE by Bruce Lowe:
http://www.godmademegay.com
Please read and then comment. Just one question. How can you keep calling homosexuality a sin when the original Bible languages did not even have a word for it. And to top it off, if it was such a terrible sin, why did Jesus not preach long and loud against it? You are doing as they would say in court “quoting facts not in evidence.” You are making statements without any proof to back them up. Just because some verse appears to be talking about homosexuality doesn’t mean that it is.
“Please read and then comment.”
We’ll dissect this in a separate post. Its full error and a good example of what happens when Christians lean to their own understanding.
Until then, this post is closed to comments other than those about the post itself.
Just to let you know that when Darlene Osborne’s Poll regarding God’s attitude towards homosexuality closed yesterday, just before the close the votes were 431 (214 & 217 combined) saying that God Approves and only 113 saying that it is an abomination, along with 15 voters uncertain. A pretty big margin, don’t you think?
Perhaps the USA is having a change of attitude.
First, I want to thank the GCM Watch for allowing me to be the July recipient of The Monument Award. Thank you! Second, I want to tell Bruce H. that according to my web stats the only reason the poll about homosexuality closed with more saying that God is in favor of, rather than against the gay lifestyle, is because a couple of people voted over and over. I guess they wanted the poll to go in their favor so badly that they padded the votes. Web polls are very unscientific so I wouldn’t put so much stock in them if I were you Bruce. However, let me say this, if every poll on the entire World Wide Web produced results saying, it’s okay to be gay, God’s Word still says its an abomination and guess who I am siding with? You guessed it! I am siding with God. I have received several emails and in each email the same message is repeated, almost word for word. I believe these particular emails are all coming from the same person only from different email accounts.
Darlene S, unfortunately we won’t be discussing the “Letter to Louise”. The author requires that the letter be posted in its entirity. Something we do not wish to do. Perhaps he is afraid to have it scrutinized.
As far as I am concerned, discussion of its contents will not occur on this site.
Your refusal to discuss the “Letter To Louise” because Bruce Lowe said he requires it to be posted in its entirety is a cop out and you know it. I know of a Seventh Day Adventist Site that posted it and made comments in some places. I know Bruce Lowe and he is certainly not afraid of having what he said scrutinized. He is a father and a grandfather and is one of the sweetest and kindest Christians that I have ever known. We need more people like him in this world. Ever thought about asking permission from him to quote certain parts? People writing books do it all the time. I am sure he would be only too glad to let you comment on it. He wishes that more people like yourselves would read it. If you can’t reach him by e-mail his phone number is listed online in Dallas, Texas and his full name is Bruce W. Lowe.
As for Darlene Osborne’s comments to BRUCE H with regards to the Homosexual Poll, if the poll had gone top heavy in her favour, would she still have been saying that web polls were unscientific. And also, she never mentioned if any of the votes on the other side were padded or not. Very interesting, don’t you think?
“…web polls were unscientific.”
That’s an issue we’ll refer back to Darlene Osborne. We don’t conduct polls here.
It is almost two months and Darlene Osborne has not replied. Perhpas she has been wrong in what she had to say and is too proud to admit it. What say you?
It’s too bad that Darlene Osborne was unable to accept her loss. I used to think just like Darlene with regards to gays and lesbians but when I realized that I was wrong, I adjusted by attitudes and moved on. She should do likewise if she wants to be a happy Christian. Nothing is impossible when you put your trust in God. The spirit moved me, I followed and my life has never been happier. It really works!