EAI and the Civil Partnership Bill
Evangelical Alliance Ireland, an organization representing some evangelicals in the Republic of Ireland has issued a statement calling on evangelicals to support the Civil Partnership Bill. The statement is a sad indication of the poverty of biblical understanding of the Gospel now to be seen even within evangelicalsim in the Republic of Ireland.
The deepest concern is that Scripture has been used to justify support for a lifestyle clearly defined in Scripture as one of the ways in which man rebels against the love of God. Whilst we must do good to all men as the Evangelical Alliance Ireland statement makes clear, that 'doing good' does not mean affirming people in their sinful lifestyle, but rather calling people from it!
As Evangelicals we want to affirm God's love towards all sinners, whether homosexual or heterosexual. That love expressed in Christ's death on the cross means calling people to repentance from ways of living that are contrary to God's Word, to faith in Christ and life under the Lordship of Christ. There is only one standard for homosexual and heterosexual, and that is the Gospel. There is no exemption for any group.
Therefore, in relation to the Civil Partnership Bill, the Bible is abundantly clear that an active homosexual lifestyle is a sinful lifestyle, and so Christians cannot support such a Bill. To support such a Bill is to effectively say we do not care about the spiritual welfare of homosexual people. As Evangelicals, we do care about the spiritual welfare or salvation of all groups of people, calling them to new life under the rule of Christ Jesus.
The Evangelical Alliance Ireland statement is not an accurate representation of the Bible's teaching on homosexuality or of the Gospel of Christ. By such a statement, EAI are not only doing evangelicals a disservice, but also are doing a great disservice to homosexual people. Indeed, the statement is doing a great disservice to the Gospel itself and EAI should withdraw it as it will do great damage to the cause of Christ rather than promoting it.