Maine Legislation LD1196 & Homosexual Agenda

It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick...I did not come to invite good people but to invite sinners. Mt. 9:12-13

Below is a portion of an article I discovered while surfing the web. As I am a professing Christian and live in the United States, this article disturbed me beyond belief. This has not been on my local media stations nor the radio and it concerns me that this type of legislation is being discussed and voted on without our knowledge. We may not live in that state, but remember, that what one state allows can affect us all!

I have included the link to the entire article as it is quite lengthy and in several parts.

May 14, 2005
THE RADICAL HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA

By: Larry Austin, Norway, Maine
http://www.christian-news-in-maine.com/larry_austin.htm

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you. I Peter 4: 1-4.

Under LD1196 is will continue to be permissible for all churchs to believe, teach and preach that homosexuality is wrong but, as an individual Christian, you will be in violation of Maine law if you openly express that belief in public. LD1196 is designed to drive the individual into the closet as another means to undercut Bible believing, Christ loving faith in this state. LD1196 isn't simply legislation to give homosexuals what they already enjoy but a blatant attempt to undercut the morals and traditions of our community as a whole to say nothing of our Christian faith. LD1196 is an out and out attempt to enforce an anything goes sexual permissive lifestyle on all Maine citizens of high moral values. By its very wording LD1196 seeks to normalize not only homosexual behavior but to foster adult/youth relationships as well as multi-union and human/animal sexual relationships.

Stockholm, Sweden -- May 5, 2005. In 1944 homosexuality and bestiality became legal in Sweden. Known for its decent into sexual immorality, Sweden continues to sink deeper in its moral descent by increasing reports of sexual abuse of animals by Swedish males and females. According to the Swedish Animal Welfare Agency bestiality has risen more than one thousand percent since the l970's. Animal welfare agents are not concerned about the morality of the sexual acts between humans and animals but by the fact that these animals may be physically hurt during this sexual rape and may suffer psychological harm by being the subjects of Swedish male lust and sexual activity.

With the legalization of homosexuality and bestiality in Sweden marriage between one man and one woman began to plummet. In "The End of Marriage in Scandinavia" by Stanley Kurtz, Mr. Kurtz writes "Sweden is probably the most secular country in the world. Secular scientists (most of them quite liberal radicals ) have largely replaced clerics as arbiters of public morality." We all know that ministers in Christian churches in Sweden who preach against homosexuality are jailed for a month for hate crimes.

LD1196 is an insult to religious people because religious faith is not merely an institutional or organizational expression. Religious faith and practice are personal. Christians realize they, as individuals, are not saved by church membership or by any of the rites or rituals imposed upon them by such membership. They are saved and live a life acceptable to Our Father by their faith in and continual leaning on Jesus Christ as not only the author and finisher of their faith but as the source of how they feel and act when confronted by all manner of problems and opportunities throughout their individual walk.

LD 1196 is legislation that forces Christians to either hide their faith walk or face penalties if they choose to honestly and publicly express the demands their Lord Jesus Christ places on them, if they choose to remain within His family. One does remain a member of the family given to Jesus Christ by Our Father by remaining a part of an organization but by keeping, as individuals, God's Laws as Christ writes them upon their hearts through the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. If LD1196 is acceptable and if discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and behavior is wrong and illegal, then it is clearly wrong and illegal for religious organizations as well.

The reason, or one of many reasons, the Roman Catholic Church in Maine is officially neutral in regard to LD1196 is because the Roman Catholic church is exempt from its provisions. This, of course, was considered when the bill was written and voted and signed into law. If the religious establishment, as a whole, is exempt then that establishment may be counted on to support questionable legislation because the establishment may hide behind their exemption while a debased society perceive the establishment is reaching out in support of a debased lifestyle without itself becoming affected.

But the Christian community is not composed of establishments in Our Father's eyes. The Christian community is composed by individuals who are directly affected by this horrible piece of legislation. In other words, this religious exemption is a farce. The Roman Catholic church is protected but the Bride of Christ, which is composed of individuals are not. Thus the establishment may hide behind this exemption and act and speak accordingly but those who make this establishment a reality fall under the curse of this pro-homosexual legislation. This is a secular liberal's dream. Out of your compassion appear to accommodate those whose earthly walk is different than yours while destroying that earthly walk on an individual basis. For Christians LD1196 is a Catch-22. It allows the Roman Catholic church to remain neutral, thus allowing them to project an image of inclusion while destroying the church from within by tossing those who compose the church into the lions den. And make no excuses. LD1196 is designed to throw the Maine Christian into the lions den. One of the side issues of LD1196 is to further weaken the resolve of Maine Christians to continue in the walk demanded by Our Lord.