The U.S. men’s and women’s national soccer teams were asked to wear LGBT Pride jerseys in their latest games, and this did not sit well with Rev. Franklin Graham. Rev. Graham is the son of world renowned evangelist Billy Graham, and he has grown to be a prominent Christian leader in his own right. According to Rev. Franklin Graham, the action of the U.S. national soccer teams are actually acts that flaunt and promote the very things that "God calls sin."
The U.S. national soccer teams’ LGBT Pride jerseys come with the LGBT rainbow which sport half a dozen colors and not seven which is what one would normally see in the real world. These jerseys were worn for the entire month of June as part of the effort in supporting the homosexual Pride month. In fact, the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team happens to be Jill Ellis. Jill has long come out about her being a lesbian, and happens to be "married" to her wife Betsy Stephenson.
Rev. Franklin’s Facebook post mentioned, “Both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Teams wore Gay Pride Jerseys for their latest games. That’s disappointing. They are 'proudly' endorsing what God calls sin—flaunting and promoting it.The Bible warns us, 'The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them!” (Isaiah 3:9)
Apart from the Pride jerseys themselves, the U.S. soccer website itself has showcased a video that promoted its pro-LGBT agenda. All of these do seem to be the norm in this day and age, and if one does not take up a position that supports the LGBT agenda, one is seen to be a bigot and a Bible thumper. Christians have long been called to love the sinner but hate the sin, and it is very easy to know what is sin based on the Bible alone.
God’s Word has been very clear and precise about what constitutes sin, and sexual sin is something that is said to weigh more heavily on a person simply because the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. In addition, it is all too easy to take God’s Word out of context by citing popular verses such as Ezekiel 16:49-50 where it states that it is the sin of inhospitality that led to Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction.
What about the numerous other verses that denounce sexual sin, such as in the Book of Romans where men and women lusted after their own kind and did not fit in with God’s plan for sexual relationships within a marriage (that constitutes of a man and a woman)? While it is true that sexual sin is often magnified far more than other kinds of sin such as gossiping, anger, lust, and stealing, it is important to remember that all kinds of sin should not be tolerated.
Christians are called to be the salt of the world and the light of the earth, and in situations such as this, it is correct for Rev. Franklin Graham to call out the steps taken by the U.S. men’s and women’s national soccer teams to celebrate the LGBT Pride by wearing LGBT rainbow jerseys.
Jaelene Hinkle, who plays for the U.S. women’s national soccer team, has stood up for her Christian faith and beliefs by pulling herself out from all games this month which will require her to wear the LGBT Pride jersey. May other Christians in similar circles of influence be bold enough to step up to the challenge of presenting what authentic Christianity is all about.
