HELP FOR GAYS. One of the ongoing problems facing all people on planet Earth today is how to deal with people who hold to life-styles we feel to be unwise without abusing their rights. There have been some horrible things done to people simply because they differ with others on religious, moral, or political issues. No where is this problem clearer than in the issue of homosexuality. Gays have been subjected to some horrible abuses over the years including murder, just because of their sexual choices. This abuse is wrong and is strongly condemned by the Bible. At the same time, the Bible speaks clearly about what God's will for men and women sexually is. The debate has revolved around this point and the question of why people are gay, and we have discussed this extensively in previous issues of this journal. The point of this note is that there are a large number of organizations that now offer help to gays and their families, and while we do not agree with every position of these groups we do feel they offer help that people need to be aware of. Here is a list of phone numbers and web sites that may be helpful:
 
 

National Association for Research  and Therapy of Homosexuality	818-789-4440   www.narth.com
Exodus International North America	888-264-0877   www.exodusnorthamerica.org
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays	703-739-8220  www.pfox.org
Focus on the Family	719-531-3400  www.family.org and www.lovewonout.com
Evergreen International	800-391-1000  www.evergreen-intl.org
Transforming Congregations	215-938-8770  www.transformingcong.org
International Healing Foundation	301-805-6111  www.gaytostraight.org
Jonah (Jews Offering New  Alternatives to Homosexuality)	201-433-3444  www.straight.org

 Christian Beliefs are Dangerous. We continue to see daily situations where being a Christian and having beliefs about morality are dangerous. At Tufts University in Medford, MA, the Christian Fellowship branch of IFCF has been ordered off the campus because they would not accept a bisexual as a leader. In Laos, Christians have been sentenced to five years in prison with up to 60 jailed simply for meeting together. Persecution continues to grow everywhere, including the United States, (Christianity Today, June 12, 2000, page 24.)

Related Issue. If you want to see a bad example of thinking along the lines of gay rights, we suggest you look at the editorial in Newsweek, May 29, 2000, page 9. There is an article there by David Levinson titled "Helping to Create a New Kind of Family." In the article, the author who is gay explains why he is donating sperm to a lesbian to have a child. Statements like "I want a child but not a live-in baby" run through the article, and the selfishness of the whole picture is overpowering. It is interesting that as readers reacted to the article in later weeks, even homosexuals objected to the lack of concern for the welfare of the child. I would suggest that the article is worth reading because it shows how vastly superior God's plan is for a loving, warm family to bring up a child than the alternatives being offered by our society.

Likelihood of Life on Mars Grows. Every time NASA is in trouble and appears to be in a situation where Congress might cut off their money, a new discovery is announced that saves them. Last time it was the discovery of bacteria on Mars, which turned out to probably not be true. Now we have another discovery that comes after a series of flops and may revitalize NASA again. We will not impugn their motives or timing for this one, but an interesting discovery has been announced in the major news magazines (See Time, July 3, 2000, page 52; Newsweek, July 3, 2000, page 48; and US News and World Report, July 3, 2000, page 46). What has been discovered is active water on Mars.

The problem on the surface of Mars has been that the air pressure is so low that water does not exist today on the planet as a liquid. Underground this may not be such an issue. In the wall of a crater named Noachis, NASA personnel have seen places where water apparently has seeped out and producing a variety of channels and debris fields that are believed to only be possible by water. If there is water under the surface of Mars, the probability of life is much greater than if water does not exist. The timing is great for NASA, because now they can ask for money to go look. We want to emphasize that if there is life on Mars it poses no problem for the message of this journal and this work. The Bible does not say that this is the only place where God created life. The discovery is interesting, and we will look forward to more information but it is not a biblical issue at all.

For many years we have conducted field trips into the Grand Canyon as a part of this work. The purpose of these trips has been to educate people on the evidence that is found in the Canyon for the credibility of the original language of the Genesis account, and how to correlate the fossil record with the biblical record. Nils and Sherry Jansma have worked with us on most of these trips, and Sherry has written a novel titled Journey Through a Jewel based upon the boat trips that we have worked together on. This novel is rooted in fact. While the characters are fictitious, most of the events have in fact happened. We have had people who have moved from disbelief to belief while on the trips. We have had our share of adventures and yes, even romance. Sherry has captured this along with a large amount of teaching on the geology and spiritual connections of such a place as the Grand Canyon.

Because of the connections of the book with our work, we are offering this book at our cost. It retails in bookstores at $15.99 plus shipping, and we are making it available for $11.00 postage paid. Like all of our materials, it can be borrowed. If you would like to borrow or purchase the book, please fill out the form below or a copy of it and mail it to John Clayton, 1555 Echo Valley Dr., Niles, MI 49120.

Enclosed please find $ __________ for ____ copies of the
book Journey Through a Jewel. (Note: If you wish to borrow
the book, the $11.00 is a deposit which will be refunded when
the book is returned. )

Name _____________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________

City ___________________________ State_____ ZIP______

Back to Contents Does God Exist?, SepOct00.