If you have your baloney-meter properly working, you can spot a load of baloney a light-year away. And this has got to be the biggest load of baloney I have encountered in quite some time. It is mind-boggling stuff, but of course we live in a mind-boggling age.
OK, so check this one out for size: “Four in ten same-sex couples are Christians, according to a detailed snapshot of the nation’s gay community based on the latest census data.”
Hey I couldn’t be stupid enough to say this; it comes from the Sydney Morning Herald – where else? Yep, there we have it folks. And while we are at it, let me offer you a few more: try these out for size will ya?
-Four in ten adulterous couples are Christians, according to a detailed snapshot of the nation’s gay community based on the latest census data.
-Four in ten fornicating couples are Christians, according to a detailed snapshot of the nation’s gay community based on the latest census data.
-Four in ten bank-robbing couples are Christians, according to a detailed snapshot of the nation’s gay community based on the latest census data.
-Four in ten lying couples are Christians, according to a detailed snapshot of the nation’s gay community based on the latest census data.
-Four in ten arsonist couples are Christians, according to a detailed snapshot of the nation’s gay community based on the latest census data.
-Four in ten drug-dealing couples are Christians, according to a detailed snapshot of the nation’s gay community based on the latest census data.
Yeah right… Tell me about it. We expect the SMH to throw out such foolishness, but if any of these so-called Christians believe this, they are worse than kidding themselves – they are completely deceived, and headed for quite a rude awakening on judgment day.
I will take the Word of God any day over what these deceived and deceiving folks are pushing: “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
A much more accurate and realistic line from this story is this one: “Same-sex partners are more likely to report no religion (48 per cent) than heterosexual partners (21 per cent), according to a paper released yesterday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.”
Well of course – how in the world can anyone call himself Christian while living in known, unconfessed sin? Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, said above that such persons will not inherit the Kingdom – that means they are not Christians, they are not saved, they are not part of the redeemed, and they are none of His.
The good news is this however: there were all sorts of homosexuals and thieves and drunkards and idolaters and adulterers in Paul’s day who repented of their sinful lifestyles, renounced them, and came to faith in Christ and became new creations in Christ.
They could proudly proclaim: “yep, I used to be an adulterer” or “Yep, I used to be a homosexual”. But they agreed with God and decided to renounce their lives of sin, rebellion and degradation, and they allowed Jesus to come into their lives and cleanse them from the inside out.
That is the biblical position – indeed it is the only biblical position. If a person claims to be a Christian but is still living in an adulterous relationship, or is still robbing banks, or is still doing other clearly identified sins, and has no problems in doing so, then they simply are not Christians – end of story.
Sure, it is an altogether different matter if a believer is struggling with temptations in various areas, knows they are wrong, wants to change, and repents when disobedient. But what we are talking about here are people who think that what they are doing is just peachy keen, and they can call themselves Christians at the same time.
They are deliberately, knowingly, defiantly and wilfully clinging on to what Scripture clearly and unambiguously identifies as sin – sin which will exclude one from the Kingdom of God. Of course all sin does this, but repented of and forsaken sin is what makes all the difference.
If you know it is wrong, and you agree with God about it, and seek his help to overcome, that is one thing. But to claim it is quite alright and you have no plans at all to renounce this activity or lifestyle, and no plans to agree with God about it, then you are simply deceived – and you are simply still lost, unsaved.
Jesus made this crystal clear when he said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21). It all comes down to who you are going to believe: Jesus or the SMH. So you better pick carefully: your eternal destiny depends on it.
As a regular reader of the Sydney Morning Herald for about sixty years I have noticed my baloney meter registering a more in recent times than it used to. That headline struck me this morning and although it didn’t really surprise me it was still a shock to my ridiculosity meter ( I keep it next to my baloney meter in case of one failing).
Unfortunately some people assume a person is a Christian simply if they put a tick somewhere. If the census document said “Put down a Christian denomination only if you have real faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and are living a life of repentance” the number ticking the box might be just a mite fewer.
David Morrison
These figures are beyond baloney (please don’t insult the baloneys – they are worth a lot, but these data are worth nothing). I worked in a market research company hired by large government agencies, and the data are published regularly on newspapers like this one. It is so ridiculously skewed and evaluated by poorly trained employees. Unfortunately, I fell in the hands of green-supporters that loves to publish materials like this one.
If we insert “religious affiliation” in the survey, we’d find that most Australians are Christians by label, not necessarily by practice. Label doesn’t equate the substance of a person. If we look at the most narrow distinctive ratio of male:female, they could stupendously say “1 in 2 males are gay”— and we know that is definitely a big pile of CRAP……
Martina Martinez
Dear Bill, The Sydney Morning Herald obviously believes in a very important teaching: “Thou shalt not let the facts spoil a good story.” The Morning Bulletin and the Courier Mail is not much better sometimes.
Regards, Franklin Wood
Paul did say that in the later times there will be people will have “their conscience seared with an hot iron.” There are plenty of people who claim they are Christian and they don’t measure up to the standard. I have a friend from school who claims he is a Christian and he is an active homosexual. Obviously the two don’t mix, but apparently they do, according to him.
Ian Nairn
We should pray for and rejoice in anticipation of, the utter and complete collapse of the media. It is responsible for the propagation of so much evil.
Rob Merrells
Rob Merrells. Absolutely true.
I don’t think you can find a more insightful description of the media that 2 Peter 2: 1 ff
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
Isn’t that interesting. They will “exploit you with stories they have made up”.
Tas Walker
-Four in ten evolution-believing couples are Christians, according to a detailed snapshot of the nation’s gullible evolution-swallowers community based on the latest census data.
In this report, the ABS say “In response to the Census question about religion, same-sex couple partners were most likely to report having no religion (48%), followed by Christianity (40%). This contrasted with opposite sex couples, for whom Christianity was the leading affiliation (67%) followed by having no religion (21%).”
In this instance (and please, this is not a general comment re the media or SMH) it is difficult to accuse the SMH of incorrectly reporting the four in ten result (ie. 40%). However I do agree that they should have said “reported to be Christians” rather than “are Christians”.
Also, it is difficult to equate this to “Market Research” as per a comment above, as the ABS census is designed to capture the entire adult population of Australia. This contrasts with market research companies whose samples can be very small and “potentially” biased.
It is interesting to note that, from this ABS report, “Same-sex couples account for a very small proportion of all couple families. They comprised 0.7% in 2011, up from 0.6% in 2006, and more than twice the proportion in 1996 (0.3%).”
I agree though, that sadly the term “Christianity” has been diluted to such an extent that its use in our society has no consistent practical definition. As Ross says above, this is very sobering for those who think they are “Christians” but in reality are not followers of Jesus Christ. And sobering for the rest of us to demonstrate the difference more clearly.
Peter Baade.
Thanks Peter
But I of course nowhere said that the SMH was “incorrectly reporting” anything. What I did say was that the SMH, the ABS, and those who claimed to be homosexual Christians are all full of baloney in making this assumption. These so-called 40 per centers are just one big oxymoron. That was the sole point of my article, and that happens to be all quite true.
Sobering words indeed. Thanks Bill.
Ross McPhee
As a regular reader of the Sydney Morning Herald for about sixty years I have noticed my baloney meter registering a more in recent times than it used to. That headline struck me this morning and although it didn’t really surprise me it was still a shock to my ridiculosity meter ( I keep it next to my baloney meter in case of one failing).
Unfortunately some people assume a person is a Christian simply if they put a tick somewhere. If the census document said “Put down a Christian denomination only if you have real faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and are living a life of repentance” the number ticking the box might be just a mite fewer.
David Morrison
These figures are beyond baloney (please don’t insult the baloneys – they are worth a lot, but these data are worth nothing). I worked in a market research company hired by large government agencies, and the data are published regularly on newspapers like this one. It is so ridiculously skewed and evaluated by poorly trained employees. Unfortunately, I fell in the hands of green-supporters that loves to publish materials like this one.
If we insert “religious affiliation” in the survey, we’d find that most Australians are Christians by label, not necessarily by practice. Label doesn’t equate the substance of a person. If we look at the most narrow distinctive ratio of male:female, they could stupendously say “1 in 2 males are gay”— and we know that is definitely a big pile of CRAP……
Martina Martinez
Dear Bill, The Sydney Morning Herald obviously believes in a very important teaching: “Thou shalt not let the facts spoil a good story.” The Morning Bulletin and the Courier Mail is not much better sometimes.
Regards, Franklin Wood
Paul did say that in the later times there will be people will have “their conscience seared with an hot iron.” There are plenty of people who claim they are Christian and they don’t measure up to the standard. I have a friend from school who claims he is a Christian and he is an active homosexual. Obviously the two don’t mix, but apparently they do, according to him.
Ian Nairn
We should pray for and rejoice in anticipation of, the utter and complete collapse of the media. It is responsible for the propagation of so much evil.
Rob Merrells
Rob Merrells. Absolutely true.
I don’t think you can find a more insightful description of the media that 2 Peter 2: 1 ff
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
Isn’t that interesting. They will “exploit you with stories they have made up”.
Tas Walker
-Four in ten evolution-believing couples are Christians, according to a detailed snapshot of the nation’s gullible evolution-swallowers community based on the latest census data.
Dave Best
Hi Bill,
I am assuming the SMH was quoting the data from the 2012 Census conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. (see http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2071.0main+features852012-2013)
In this report, the ABS say “In response to the Census question about religion, same-sex couple partners were most likely to report having no religion (48%), followed by Christianity (40%). This contrasted with opposite sex couples, for whom Christianity was the leading affiliation (67%) followed by having no religion (21%).”
In this instance (and please, this is not a general comment re the media or SMH) it is difficult to accuse the SMH of incorrectly reporting the four in ten result (ie. 40%). However I do agree that they should have said “reported to be Christians” rather than “are Christians”.
Also, it is difficult to equate this to “Market Research” as per a comment above, as the ABS census is designed to capture the entire adult population of Australia. This contrasts with market research companies whose samples can be very small and “potentially” biased.
It is interesting to note that, from this ABS report, “Same-sex couples account for a very small proportion of all couple families. They comprised 0.7% in 2011, up from 0.6% in 2006, and more than twice the proportion in 1996 (0.3%).”
I agree though, that sadly the term “Christianity” has been diluted to such an extent that its use in our society has no consistent practical definition. As Ross says above, this is very sobering for those who think they are “Christians” but in reality are not followers of Jesus Christ. And sobering for the rest of us to demonstrate the difference more clearly.
Peter Baade.
Thanks Peter
But I of course nowhere said that the SMH was “incorrectly reporting” anything. What I did say was that the SMH, the ABS, and those who claimed to be homosexual Christians are all full of baloney in making this assumption. These so-called 40 per centers are just one big oxymoron. That was the sole point of my article, and that happens to be all quite true.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch