Dr. Albert Mohler, speaking on the “imbroglio” of the planned and then reversed decision to have Pastor Louis Giglio give the benediction at President Obama’s inauguration, made some particularly astute observations.

In short, Pastor Giglio was not welcome once it became clear he had once preached a Christian doctrine:

A Christian pastor has been effectively disinvited from delivering an inaugural prayer because he believes and teaches Christian truth…

Mohler notes that “avoiding” the issue of homosexuality, with a view to public perception, is a “failed strategy:” 

Pastor Giglio has strategically avoided any confrontation with the issue of homosexuality for at least fifteen years…Given the Bible’s insistance that sexual morality is inseparable from our “ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ,” this must have been a difficult strategy. It is also a strategy that is very attractive to those who want to avoid being castigated as intolerant or homophobic. As this controversy makes abundantly clear, it is a failed strategy…Anyone who teaches at any time, to any degree, that homosexual behavior is a sin is now to be cast out.

Importantly, Mohler describes the controversial sermon by Pastor Giglio as “filled with grace and the promise of the Gospel.”  It was not a ‘tirade against gays,’ as some may have assumed or surmised.  It was a sermon that noted “all have sinned” — but all also need to repent:

Giglio did not just state that homosexuals are sinners — he made clear that every single human being is a sinner, in need of the redemption that is found only in Jesus Christ. “We’ve got to say to the homosexuals, the same thing that I say to you and that you would say to me…It’s not easy to change, but it’s possible to change,” he preached. He pointed his congregation, gay and straight, to “the healing power of Jesus.” He called his entire congregation to repent and come to Christ by faith.

That is the quintessential Christian Gospel. That is undiluted biblical truth…

Dr. Mohler closes with the firm statement that, despite the social outcry for “evolution” in beliefs about homosexuality, no man can change what God has said:

This is precisely what biblical Christians cannot do. While seeking to be gentle in spirit and ruthlessly Gospel-centered in speaking of any sin, we cannot cease to speak of sin as sin. To do so is not only to deny the authority of Scripture, not only to reject the moral consensus of the saints, but it undermines the Gospel itself. The Gospel makes no sense, and is robbed of its saving power, if sin is denied as sin.

Believe it or not, there are some who make the moral judgment that it is “wrong” to call homosexuality “wrong.”  (Oddly, those same people won’t often defend other sins, but that’s a topic for another time.)  There are even some connected to the US military who think any statement that declines to affirm a homosexual lifestyle contradicts military policy.

Fortunately, the DoD itself addressed this when DADT was repealed.  The recommendations on repeal spelled out that professional respect was required, even among those who disagreed on moral issues.  (Notably, that respect is supposed to work in both directions.)  Respect, however, does not equate to agreement.  From the DoD’s repeal implementation plan:

Respect does not mean agreement with a person’s point of view. Respect does mean honoring a person’s right to hold their point of view even if it differs from yours.

US troops — whether they are Christian or not — are permitted to hold and express beliefs in opposition to the homosexual lifestyle.  Servicemembers are also permitted to hold and express beliefs in opposition to moral or religious objections to the homosexual lifestyle.

The only requirement is they demonstrate respect even as they disagree — which is the same requirement levied on every issue.

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