By Ron Halbrook
Religious liberals won another victory in September 1985 with the election of E.L. Browning as Presiding Bishop of the 2.8 million-member Episcopal denomination. He holds the post through 1997. His liberalism is typical of the disregard for God’s Word which has caused so much moral and spiritual decay in our world. His views throw the Bible out the window. The news is filled with reports of religious leaders upholding theories directly opposed to Scripture.
1. “I would hope we are not frozen in any kind of set belief about homosexuality,” says Browning, who believes that practicing homosexuals may serve as ministers (Time Magazine, 23 Sept. 1985, p. 67). God rained fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah in order to teach all mankind of “the vengeance of eternal fire” against homosexuality (Jude 7). Men who practice this sin put God out of their mind and God gives them up to suffer a horrible fate – “that recompense of their error which was meet” (Rom. 1:26-27). Such sin can be forgiven if we obey the gospel of Christ if we truly repent and are baptized so that his blood can cleanse us (Acts 2:23; 22:16).
2. Browning believes that women can be public ministers of the Word. But God said concerning the assembly of men and women before Him, “I suffer not a women to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” (I Tim. 2:9). Men are to lead all phases and activities of the worship assembly. The liberal attitude pays no attention to such instructions from God. If what God said about homosexuality can be thrown out the window, why not throw out what he said about men rather than women leading in worship?
3. Browning wants passages of Scripture which speak of God as our Father to be rewritten and read publicly in “non-sexist” language. God chose to reveal himself in the figure of a “Father,” and his beloved Son taught men to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matt. 6:9). It is silliness gone to seed when people accuse God’s Word of demeaning women – and arrogance gone to seed when people change God’s Word to fit their theories! Revelation 22:18-19 warns us not to add anything to or take anything away from the Word of God. When liberals throw the Bible out the window, Revelation 22:18-19 has to go out too.
The root of all these problems is that men have taken the sinful liberty to make their own religions, churches, and doctrines rather than following what the Bible teaches. The bad news is that many people, even religious people, reject the Good News of Christ in favor of their own opinions and theories. The Good News is that Jesus will save us if we turn to him and turn away from the opinions and theories of men.
Guardian of Truth XXXI: 18, p. 548
September 17, 1987