Prince and Prince Live Happily Ever After

Now Religion in the News—a report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media. This week’s item is from United Press International, March 18, 2004, with the headline: “Prince and Prince Live Happily Ever After, Wilmington, North Carolina—A school library book checked out by a first-grader in which a prince and a prince live happily ever after has a North Carolina family upset. Michael and Tonya Hartsell, of Wilmington read along with seven-year-old Olivia every weeknight before bed. But when they started reading her new book, King and King, they were stunned at its content, the Wilmington Daily Star reported, especially on an elementary school level.

“In the book, the Queen tells her son he must get married and take over for the King. But the search for a spouse doesn’t go as expected. He waves off all the eligible princesses, falling instead for another prince, and they are married. The last page has them kissing.

“The Hartsells are hanging onto the book until the school agrees to remove it from the elementary school. The school says it will look into the matter. The Hartsells, meanwhile, said they may move Olivia to another school.”

Tom: Dave, this is almost surreal, except it’s going on everywhere, as you know. Here in the state of Oregon, they’re fighting over the same-sex marriages. It’s winning out, hand over fist.

Dave: Well, Tom, “marriage” is a word that has had an established meaning for thousands of years, actually. It’s in the dictionary. It’s in the lexicon, among the—what? Half a million words in English that we have, although they keep adding them.

Now, if they want to get some name for this homosexual/lesbian relationship they want to have, let them come up with a new word. “Marriage” has an established meaning, and they do not have the right to change that meaning, now, to include something else. So, let them come up with something else. If they want to live this way, go ahead. But don’t call it “marriage,” because marriage has an established meaning between a man and a woman for thousands of years.

Now, why do they want to call it this? Well, for certain benefits they get. They want legitimacy. They’re doing this anyway. They’re living together now. So you don’t need to get a license to live together. People live together all the time. They are trying to change society. They’re trying to change established morals, established standards that the entire world in all cultures has recognized for thousands of years. Now, why should we knuckle down for this small minority—what, 2 percent?

Tom: At best—but growing.

Dave: Why should we…

Tom: Through influences like this, Dave.

Dave: Right. Why should the 98 percent be forced by 2 percent to change the way they look at life, to change their morals, to change their standards? It’s not right, Tom, any way you look at it. Of course, as Christians, we recognize that this is sin. God condemns it. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of this.

But forgetting what the Bible says, from a rational, logical standpoint—from a secular standpoint—this isn’t right.

Tom: Romans 1. I think it’s always good to go back to what God’s Word does say. We need to keep reminding ourselves and our viewers. This is Romans:1:24-32 [24] Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: [25] Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. [26] For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: [27] And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. [28] And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; [29] Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, [30] Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, [31] Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: [32] Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
See All...: “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves…

Dave: Tom, let me interrupt right there. Why did it say that? Because the verses that precede say “They did not like to retain God in their conscience.” They have rejected the witness of creation. All nature is against this, and they don’t want to submit to God. Okay, so now He gives them up…

Tom: “…who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause, God gave them up unto vile affections, for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature, and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their lust toward one another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error, which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same…” [cut off ending: “but have pleasure in them that do them."]

Dave: Now, Tom, just two observations from that scripture: number 1, homosexuality, lesbianism, has always been known as “the crime against nature,” exactly as the Bible says. And then, “receiving in themselves that just recompense of the reward.” Well, what is the result? It cuts the life expectancy just about in half. There may be those who get away without their life expectancy cut, but most of them. It’s spreads disease. Tom, it is such a tragedy, and furthermore, I don’t know how you can have “gay pride” parades—how you can be proud of this way of life, when, if the whole world adopted it, it would be the end of the human race, because this form of sex does not generate offspring?

Tom: Well, it’s the way the scripture says, “…leaving the natural use…” This is unnatural.