The Westboro Baptist Church is famous for its public protests and demonstrations in which many of the participants carry signs saying “God hates fags.” The name of the church’s website is godhatesfags.com.
Are they right?
Does God hate fags?
There is some truth in what they say. It is a sin for two people of the same gender to engage in sexual activity. But Westboro is guilty of two errors about this subject.
The first is to focus exclusively on this sin and ignore others. Here is what the Bible says.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV
Homosexual practice
is a sin but it is only one of many sins that will keep a person out of God’s kingdom. There is no indication that it is worse than any other sin and it isn’t even first on this list. As far as I know Westboro has never publicly protested any of the other sins.
The other error is to imply that those guilty of this sin can never be forgiven. The quotation above is immediately followed by this statement
And such were some of you. 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 6:11 ESV
Those who are guilty of homosexual sin can be forgiven just as those who commit any other sin can.
Westboro Baptist Church claims to speak for God but instead teaches lies that contradict what He has actually said. This makes them guilty of a sin that is far worse than the one they condemn. This raises another question: Does God hate Westboro Baptist Church?
Before his conversion the apostle Paul was guilty of the same kind of sin Westboro is comitting. He did evil and claimed that in doing so he was obeying God. In spite of this he was forgiven.
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
1 Timothy 1:12-16 ESV
If Paul could be forgiven, so can the members of Westboro Baptist Church.
Does God hate fags? The answer is no. And he doesn’t hate Westboro Baptist Church either.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:16-17
But he does hate their sins and all who refuse to repent and put their trust in Jesus Christ will face God’s judgment.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 3:18 ESV
Here is a good place to learn what the Bible really teaches about homosexuality.
http://truefreedomtrust.co.uk/