Many are showing their support for Israel Folau, for his freedom to express his religious views. However, few are willing to publicly agree with what he wrote – the contentious extract, that homosexuals are destined for hell.
And while Australia has changed its laws from prohibiting homosexuality to supporting same sex marriage, God’s laws remain unchanged. God has given us a code of conduct, the Bible, which guides our behaviour towards a goal of ultimate wellbeing.
Something that opposes this code of conduct is known as sin. The consequence of sin is death (aka the grave, Hades or Hell), which is the opposite of our ultimate wellbeing.
Defined at the time God created Man, the code of conduct is for heterosexual marriage and reproduction.
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:24 ESV
… male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply” – Genesis 1:27-28 ESV
Accordingly, homosexuality is sin and results in death. Welcome to the club! We are all sinners and deserve to die. The Gospel (literally the good news) is that Jesus died in our place. Become friends with Jesus while you are still a sinner and experience the change that he brings to your life.
So, will all homosexuals go to hell? No! Some will accept the death of Jesus in their place – just as Israel Folau’s post continues on to offer salvation through Jesus.
Will religious freedom laws resolve the scenario Israel Folau is experiencing? A problem facing lawmakers is the impossibility of allowing all religion. As an extreme example, should they allow child sacrifice to Molech, the god of the Ammonites (Leviticus 18:21)? Therefore, religious freedom will only be for a subset of religion. My fear is that this will exclude some of my beliefs and possibly even the post by Israel Folau.
Yes your point on reglious freedom only be a subset of religion rang home to me. Very true.
Unless you are living your life by the Old Testament, and I mean to every law of it, how can you claim that homosexuals will go to hell?
“Let he without sin cast the first stone”
Christ fulfilled the Old Testament and said nothing of same sex couples. His only commandment was to love each other.
I think you are failing on that account.