Rev. Randy Fossum,

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Austin

The definition of what constitutes sin nowadays in our postmodern culture has been redefined.

You are much more likely to be given a guilt trip from society and even from some churches for driving a gas-guzzling SUV or failing to recycle the aluminum pop can than if you committed indecent (dare I say it?) and sinful acts with someone of your own sex.

Why, they’ll even ordain you! It’s interesting isn’t it, that individuals, pastors and churches can exhibit the greatest reluctance to declare something sinful where God has indeed spoken, arguing that God’s Word has not made this or that clear, and yet without any hesitation seek to bind people’s consciences in matters where God has remained silent.

And what is more, should you suggest that some things are right or wrong, true or false, efforts will be made to burden your conscience with our age’s greatest of all sins, ‘intolerance,’ and you will be exhorted to bend and blend for the sake of love! But where in all of Holy Scripture is there ever encouragement to compromise in matters where God has spoken even under the guise of love?

Israel compromised the Word of God and lost a nation. Samson compromised and lost his sight and his life. The examples are endless and they are set before us so that we might learn from them: 1 Cor. 10:6.

But do we? People and church bodies seem to lose sight of the fact and are blind to the truth that you cannot deny a truth of God’s Word and not expect that there will be a slippery slope effect. Is there not evidence of that in our own personal lives?

I read recently the following comment, “The amusing thing is listening to those who have rejected Biblical teachings on one step in the process attempting to concoct reasons why the one step is acceptable, but the next ones are not only unthinkable, but impossible. And yet the results are perfectly predictable. One can violate the laws of God if one chooses, but one should not expect the consequences to be significantly better than violating the laws of gravity.” Well said!

Which leads me to predict that in the not too distant future, there will be those who have deceived themselves into believing that they are still Christian and Lutheran, will meet in Minneapolis and vote to approve of humans engaging in sinful acts with goats and sheep and other four-legged creatures; their church’s decisions, of course, all in the name of tolerance and love. Excluding of course the love of God and His Word.