In A Homophobic Malaysia Hong unfairly slates his country and risks losing his credibility. Even the most partisan writer if he wants to be taken seriously, has to be balanced and fair, giving both sides of an issue a fair hearing’

It is onerous for one to refute his views, if only for the public record, lest silence is misconstrued as consent. There already is a reader’s comment in Hong’s column taunting Christians for their silence. Hong himself agrees with the Christian outrage as he wrote, ‘(I) fully understand it when one is anxious to protect the integrity and infallibility of the Christian faith.’ But why the unfair slander on Malaysia?

Malaysiakini writer, Helen Ang, commented in one of her columns , ‘My take: If Bangsar Malaysians want to puff out their chests like roosters and point everyone to admiring their tail feathers of ‘Liberal Compassion’, go right ahead. But in the case of them bashing conservative Christians as being ‘fundamentalists’ and ‘full of hate’ for objecting to the gay Reverend’s insistence that Christian teachings have no issue with homosexuality, I, (even as a non-Christian) find it to be too much to stomach.’

So how is Malaysia homophobic? Hong did not give any solid reason. He merely compares his country with the West. But do Malaysians really have to ape the West to prove itself? Is the West the best benchmark carte blanche for moral conduct? And even in the West do all Westerners warmly embrace the gay agenda? I know that many Westerners do not condone the gay agenda and are outspoken about it, unlike most Malaysians who leave gays alone until they start offending our sensitivities such as pushing a heretical Christianity. And we merely write letters to express our disagreement and outrage.

Even lesbian Australian Finance Minister, Penny Wong is not spared. Because she did not push for gay marriage Hong took pains to criticize her for contradicting ‘her past-position on marriage’ though the truth is she has not changed her position, only not pushed for it – now. And the reason? The Labor Party would not have won the last election. I heard what Penny Wong said because I watched the Q&A program cited by Hong.

I am not interested in discussing the gay issue, only setting the record straight on Christianity's view on homosexuality, because you can’t reason with irrational people. How do you reason with someone like O Young who asks for evidence of a ‘straight gene’ to justify the absence of a ‘gay gene’? And you only need to read the irrational and irate comments of the irascible who are better at name-calling than intelligent debate. My primary concern is to correct the gay Christian heresy not homosexuality, an ancient practice already denounced by Christianity and even Islam, the country’s official religion. Hong said many left Christianity implying they could not stomach its traditional stand against homosexuality.

Well, many also forsook Jesus when he told them things they could not accept. And that is the litmus test of faith – shape up or ship out. You can’t change religious dogmas to suit yourselves. But you can be saved from the wrath of God if you repent. My views were published in a letter some weeks ago. Ultimately gays with spiritual needs and who find comfort in Christianity will do better to adopt sound teaching than the fluffy faith of a false Christianity.

What is the Christian faith if it is not based on God’s divine revelation and commands preserved in what Hong himself concedes as the ‘holy book’? The Christian faith based on God’s Word is not something dialogists and debaters invented. ‘All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness,’ wrote the Apostle Paul.

Apostle Peter wrote even more definitely, ‘Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.’ And it is this refusal to submit to the authority of the Bible and sound teaching that is causing the so-called ‘Christian’ gays a headache. The more they rationalize what God has clearly condemned the harder they tie themselves in a knot and get upset when Christians expose their error.

Homosexual or straight we all have to deal with our sexuality and not sin against God. That is why Jesus told the prostitute, ‘Go and sin no more.’ We all need to exercise self-control and moral propriety because how can anyone be a Christian and still continue in sexual sin? God provides the solution but if we mess about with the solution we risk offending God and pseudo- Christians, gay or not, stand condemned unless they repent and follow the Bible’s teachings properly.

It is one thing to be gay, as it is a fundamental right to be whatever people choose to be, but it is another matter to misrepresent Christianity. If gays are not prepared to pay the price of discipleship by following sound teaching they should examine themselves and see if they are really in the faith.

I am a friend of gays and want those who want to be Christian to have the real thing not a counterfeit Christianity of which there are many in the world today. We live in a world of deception and it behooves impressionable gays to open their eyes and wake up because from their writings and comments in the present debate, many show a scant or false idea of Christianity, perhaps from listening to the wrong people. Ignorance or a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, as is heresy.

Besides the religious dimension, Hong cites anal intercourse and oral sex as heterosexual activities as well. But because gays and straights do some common things does not mean an act is right or wrong. The Bible is not a sex manual but a book of religious truth and moral guidelines and we know it says homosexuality is wrong because God created a man and a woman and gave them the command to procreate. Sex is not only for procreation but recreation as the Bible also suggests but within the sacred institution of marriage between a man and a woman.

If people enjoy anal sex, that is their business but it does not negate the scientific view that the anus is not made for sex and there is the risk of damaging the body part and anal intercourse makes one more vulnerable to catching an infection from the act, gay or straight. If we love someone we won’t want do anything that may compromise their health and bodily safety.

Incidentally Penny Wong lives in a country that is more likely to see people more directly and openly abusive of gays than in Hong’s own country which has a high tolerance of homosexuals. So is it fair to slam your own country as homophobic because they reject homosexuality not because they are scared of it?

Before we lose sight of the real debate it is not about gays. It is about the hijacking of Christianity by certain gays. Some of them are beyond help, victims of self-condemnation as the Bible says but there is help for those who genuinely seek God and ask him for deliverance according to God’s terms not as the misguided gay preachers and writers dictate.

Malaysians are not homophobic but discerning. But obviously there is paranoia in some gay circles as Hong has demonstrated in his recent writings.