Is saying homosexuality a sin being homophobic?

by Matt Slick

One of the battles the homosexuals and lesbians have waged in their attempt to get homosexuality accepted in American culture is the war of words.  The terms "homophobe," "homophobic," "homophobia," are often used to describe anyone who disagrees with homosexuality.  Generally speaking, if they can get us to react to their words on their terms, much of the battle is already won by them.  Such is the case with accusing anyone who disapproves of homosexuality as being homophobic. The intent is to use a term that has a negative emotional connotation and use it in such a way as to accuse the guilty party of unwarranted prejudice and discrimination.  It is, ultimately, a disingenuous way of dealing with the issue.  Generally speaking, when such tactics are used it is because the intellectual arguments in support of it are not that strong.

There are plenty of people in the world who disapprove of various behaviors such as lying, coveting, hatred, mockery, stealing, and pedophilia. Because they disapprove of these things are they automatically be labeled as "liarphobes", "covetophobes", "hateophobes", "mockophobes", "theftophobes", "pedophilophobes", etc.?  

Biblically speaking homosexuality is a sin (Lev. 18:22; 20:13; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Rom. 1:26-28) as are adultery (Exodus 20:14), theft (Exodus 20:15), and lying (Exodus 20:16).  It is not as though the ones against it are emotionally unstable in their phobia of these sins. God has condemned them as being sinful.

So, disapproving of something does not mean that the person has an unwarranted, unhealthy fear of it based on prejudice, ignorance, and bigotry.  And, using the term "homophobe" to describe a person who sees homosexuality as a sin is not an argument based on logic or evidence. Instead, it is based on weak emotionalism and judgmentalism.