Recent surveys conducted by two different research organizations found that homosexuality is growing more acceptable in the United States. This spring, LifeWay (an arm of the Southern Baptist convention) asked American adults, “Do you believe homosexual behavior is a sin?” What they found was that this question almost splits the American public down the middle. 48% said that homosexual acts are sinful, but 45% disagreed. Only 39% of Roman Catholics reported believing that homosexual acts are sin. 61% of Protestants assume this position and 79% of evangelicals.
A separate survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life approached the issue in a slightly different way. The researchers asked, “which of the following statements comes closer to your own views-even if neither is exactly right? 1. Homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society. Or, 2. Homosexuality is a way of life that should be discouraged by our society.” 50% of Americans said that homosexual behavior should be accepted by society. Religious groups differed in the way they responded to this query. 79% of American Jews, 58% of Catholics and 56% mainline Protestants said that the American public should accept homosexuality. Among evangelicals, only 26% call for the acceptance of homosexuality. 27% of Muslims and 39% of its adorably black churches opted for the acceptance of homosexuality.
32% of Americans in the LifeWay survey said they would be negatively inclined toward joining a congregation, who taught that homosexual behavior is a sin. Among the “unchurched,” that percentage rose to 49.
Ed Stezer, director of research for LifeWay, said that it is getting more difficult for religious leaders to confront issues like premarital sex, divorce, cohabitation and adultery. He concluded, “ultimately, the modern church has failed to proclaim and explain a biblical ethic of sexuality.”
This dramatic shift in our culture reflects the absence of biblical teaching about sex in the home. Parents need to realize that this prevailing moral view is impacting their children in public schools, through the media (especially youth music) and other dimensions of today’s youth culture. They must counter these influences in the children’s live by teaching them the truth about sex.
These changing public attitudes deeply reflect the negligence of the church in equipping parents to become the primary sex educators of their children from a biblical point of view. But, how can we blame parents for this neglect when the church refuse to step up to theplate and teach parents how to carry out the sacred responsibility of the home?
The is why I am so committed to Parents First…a program designed to teach churches how to enable parents to become the primary sex educators of their children. The Parents First kit includes my 240 page hardback book, Teaching Your Children the Truth about Sex; an Instructor’s Guide that gives detailed instructions for setting up the program in small groups or as an elective in the local church’s Christian Education program; a DVD containing five minute intros for each chapter; and, a Parent’s Notebook for helping parents indivualize their learning experience. More information about this program is available by calling: 330-715-5127 or 330-865-1403.
