A bill known as the “Equality Act” is currently working its way through the legislative process in Washington, D.C. While I don’t like to write about politics, this bill has some truly devastating implications for Christians and for the church at large. On the surface, it is designed to prevent discrimination against anyone who falls under the LGBTQ label, but it will directly affect what kind of people churches and Christian schools can hire and fire (even if they are living a lifestyle that is contrary to Scripture). While I’m not here to raise an alarm about this bill (although calling your congressman wouldn’t be a bad idea), I am concerned about some of the false claims it contains that society keeps serving up and I’m afraid many in the church have begun to believe.

FALSE CLAIM #1 – “There are more than two genders” – It seems surreal that anyone would actually need to address this claim, yet this belief in many genders has been gaining traction (some argue for as many as seven!). Genesis tells us clearly on multiple occasions that “male and female created He them”. It should be self-evident from simple observation that there are only two genders in our world. Additionally, science backs this truth. There are only two configurations of chromosomes in a human being which exclusively define them as either a boy or a girl. God made us this way. It is part of His perfect created order and the means by which procreation occurs. As Christians, we must not allow ourselves to be swayed by this kind of thinking.

FALSE CLAIM #2 – “You can choose your gender” – The next claim being propagated in our society is that a person’s gender should be based on how they feel and what they decide. If you were born male but feel more like a female, then that is what you really are. There is no sense that your gender was assigned to you at birth. Yet, this is just what the Bible tells us. God himself formed you and decided on your gender before you were born. “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee” (Jeremiah 1:5). Science tells us that even if surgery and hormones are used to change the appearance of someone’s gender, it does not change them biologically. That person still carries the chromosome configuration that defines their gender. So, why do people feel that gender can be chosen? Sin. Sin has corrupted our senses and warped our thinking. It leads us to all kinds of wrong actions. In the same way that sin leads heterosexual people to have intimate relationships outside of marriage, it sometimes causes others to have an attraction towards those of the same gender. Likewise, as with the question of choosing a gender, it has lead people to desire that their gender be different from what God assigned them. Sin always corrupts God’s perfect plan for mankind and it often affects our feelings which, in turn, drive our choices in life.

FALSE CLAIM #3 – “It is wrong to discriminate” – While you might have easily agreed with the previous two, this one is the biggest lie that many Christians have come to believe. One of the great “morals” being upheld by our society today is to not recognize any distinctions between race, people, genders, or anything else. In other words, “all things are equal.” By definition, to discriminate means “to recognize a distinction; to differentiate” and so, by definition, this is the worst of sins today. Does the Bible tell us not to discriminate? No! In fact we are told to discriminate! We are to determine right from wrong. We are to know the difference between light and darkness. We are to rightly divide the word of truth. We are supposed to discriminate in every action, thought, and decision we make in life as we shall one day be held accountable for it! This all may sound un-Christian to you. But note that while the Bible tells us to discriminate, it does not tell us to diminish others or show disdain for them. Yes, we are to properly identify false claims, wrong thinking, and sinful lifestyles but being judgmental, un-loving, or unfair with others (even those who are in sin) is not the way of Christ. We are told to love those in the world and be a light to them. Our light is to shine in our world so that others might be able to see the truth for themselves. It is the light of the gospel that allows others to see their sins clearly. We are to illuminate the darkness and call people to repentance in love.

There may come a day when laws are passed that put the church and individual Christians in a place where they must choose to obey God rather than men. The persecution of the church in America may be just on the horizon. The false ideas that our society is putting forth must not be allowed to inform our thinking. God’s Word is truth and our light depends on us standing firm upon it. All things are not equal but God loves all of us equally and wants us to turn to Him!