“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

— 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV)

Wow, that’s quite a list of wicked folks who won’t slip past the pearly gates.
An event I attended last week served as a good example of how some people use this passage to denounce the religious faith of others.

Peter LaBarbera, founder and president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, used this scripture to open a forum on how the Religious Left is corrupting American Christianity. It featured Linda Harvey, founder of Mission: America, and was held June 5 at AFTAH’s new headquarters in Carol Stream.

Harvey said that people who claim homosexuality is moral are not authentic Christians. Members of the Religious Left are undermining Christianity by saying homosexuality isn’t an abomination, Harvey said.

That is what the Bible claims, but this approach presents Christians with a dilemma. If we accept the Bible’s word that homosexuality is an abomination, what about everything else it condemns?
God commands us to detest sea creatures with no fins or scales, so eating shellfish is a no-no (Leviticus 11:10-12). And so is wearing clothing made with two kinds of material (19:19). Did you know that trimming your sideburns or beard is forbidden (19:27)?

These portions of the Bible, though, don’t inspire much outrage on the part of Christians. Many people have even abandoned their preaching against divorce, which is definitely frowned-upon in scripture.

One particular passage seems to be overlooked most often by those who believe they can discern who is a Christian and who isn’t: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). What gives?

Jerry Moore is the opinions editor for Suburban Life Publications. Contact him at (630) 368-8930 or jmoore@mysuburbanlife.com. His blog, Suburban Shoutout, can be found at blogs.mysuburbanlife.com/jerry-moore.