Integrity and the “High Ranking Gay Jewish Chaplain”
The Times of Israel recently covered the retirement (last April) of US Navy Chaplain (CAPT) Jon Cutler — who was notable, apparently, because he was both Jewish and homosexual.
The article is rich in unintended irony, including celebrating the free exercise of the Jewish faith by US service members in the Middle East — in an era when some are advocating the free exercise of Christian troops be restricted, even within the borders of the United States.
Further, the theme of integrity returns to the issue of homosexuality in the military: With regard to serving as a homosexual before the repeal of DADT:
“[It] takes a toll on you on so many different levels,” he said. “Your individual sense of integrity, how you define yourself…
“The other piece is where you hurt people by not being honest…‘Honor, courage, commitment’ are the Navy core values. How can you cover up? You want to serve. At the same time, you can’t serve.”
Interesting, that some believe “integrity” is best served by changing the rules rather than following them. Some in the homosexual community seem convinced deception is acceptable if it advances their social cause — despite acknowledging the harm caused by violating integrity.
Would Cutler advocate that others violate policies they dislike? Or does the “right” to ignore distasteful rules and regulations only belong to homosexuals?
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Idolatry is the issue here. The first commandment God gives to both Jews and Christians is that He is the only true God and that we are to have no other gods before Him (Ex 20:2-3). He reinforces that with the second commandment against any expression of allegiance to another God (Ex 20:4-5) and which is summarized by the word “idolatry.”
Implicit in our allegiance to the one true God is the concept of obedience to all the things He requires of us. On the other hand, if consistent disobedience to God is the hallmark of one’s lifestyle, it is certain that something else occupies first place in that person’s life. In other words, on top of all his other offenses, he is an idolater.
In the Torah God gives some very specific commands regarding our sexuality, all of which are designed to preserve His master plan that He began with Adam and Eve, namely, the sanctity of marriage exclusively between one man and one woman (Gen 2:21-24). Then, in order to further define this marriage relationship, God lists a series of unacceptable deviations in Lev 20:10-21, one of which is homosexuality (Lev 20:13). Homosexuality is called an abomination in God’s eyes (Lev 18:22) and to be punished by death, a penalty that God personally carried out in His incineration of Sodom and Gomorrah. Nothing in Scripture could be more plain than God’s attitude towards homosexuality—it is an absolute abomination.
Yet, this Jewish chaplain poses with a Torah scroll—the very document that condemns his lifestyle—as if he is an exemplar of the Jewish faith. In fact, he is a disgrace to the faith he purports to represent—a false teacher leading others astray. If the Torah means anything at all, there can be no other conclusion.