Standing on God's Word despite cultural pressure

Well, another LGBTQ Pride Month (June) has come and gone. This annual emphasis is specifically based on a person’s sexual identity and is celebrated internationally. With all the wins the LGBTQ movement has racked up over the past 25 years, I’m not sure there is anything left to change in society. The United States Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling allowing for same-sex marriage was the crowning achievement for this group.
Many Americans have adopted an attitude of I really don’t care what you do in your private life; just don’t try to force others to agree with you.
Christians should hold to the biblical teaching that homosexuality is a sin against God. Numerous Bible verses can be cited, but Romans 1 speaks clearly about this topic. Read the entire chapter to better understand the context of St. Paul’s words. He calls idolatry and same-sex behavior immoral acts of rebellion against God. To be fair, various other sins – which incriminate all of us – are mentioned in different parts of the Bible, thus showing us all our need for repentance, forgiveness, and salvation.
However, the problem comes when people who believe the Word of God are pressured to meet the expectations of culture by renouncing their beliefs or adopting views accepted by popular culture. The LGBTQ movement has been successful in labeling anyone who disagrees with them as haters. It’s not fair, but it works.
Having been around conservative Christians my entire life, I have never met anyone who genuinely hates people who identify as homosexual. In fact, believers are forbidden from harboring hate in their hearts toward anyone for any reason. The Christians I know have compassion for those living in rebellion against God, understanding that all are sinners in need of the Savior – Jesus Christ.
It makes me think of this familiar analogy I’ve heard: Just because I hate alcohol doesn’t mean I hate the alcoholic.
That said, a growing number of Christian Americans (and others) have had enough of the LGBTQ agenda being force-fed to them. Some have courageously stood up for themselves, including three San Francisco Giants baseball players who recently took a bold stand.
NBC News reported: “The Giants held their annual Pride Night on June 12 at Oracle Park, with most players wearing caps that had the team’s iconic interlocking ‘SF’ logo in rainbow colors, instead of its traditional orange and black colors.”
However, three San Francisco players altered their caps. Pitcher Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote “Gen. 9:12-16” beside the rainbow logo on their caps. Those verses speak about how God used the rainbow as a promise to never again destroy all living creatures with a flood.
So, basically, the LGBTQ movement hijacked a historical, religious symbol and adopted it as their own.
Initially, Major League Baseball (MLB) considered taking disciplinary action against the three players for tampering with their uniforms, which is against MLB regulations. However, the league changed its stance after Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) issued a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred accusing the MLB of a double standard (allowing the Giants to alter the uniforms by using the rainbow logo – but not the three players). In response, the commissioner backed down and issued a statement clarifying that the Giants organization should have informed the players of their right to opt out of wearing the pro-LGBTQ uniforms.
What a win for religious liberty and fairness! This was a courageous act by these three players, especially to take this stand in San Francisco, where they would knowingly be publicly rebuked and called “haters.”
Let us follow their example and continue to stand for God’s Word while proclaiming the truth in love!