On the day that California same-sex marriage case AB19 failed, Gospel Post news reporters interviewed Rev. Thomas Wang, founder of Chinese Churches Coordination of World Evangelism, President of Great Commission International, and Chairman of Christian Social-Endeavor Foundation, on the recent struggles fighting against homosexual laws legalizing homosexual marriages in California. Rev. Wang encourages the Chinese Americans Christians to pray for America, and he hopes that the churches won’t place the lamp under a bowl. Rather it would be placed on its stand and give light to everyone in the house.
Q: In the end, AB19 failed to be approved and legalized. What were some of the things that Chinese Christians have helped in this aspect?
A: To have this kind result, we are very thankful to the Lord. Actually, it is not something Chinese Churches along can do, but it is all by the grace of the Lord.
In this aspect, we held a campaign against same sex marriage in Larson Park of the Sunset District in San Francisco, April 19, 2004. We gathered 7000 people, and then we also sent 30 representatives to meet the mayor and tell him of our opinions. We said to the mayor, “If you do this, not only are you going against the law of California, but you are also going against the law of God.”
We gently told him that he needs to repent. Last year in October, we united with the American church leaders, including Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families founder. We had a huge joint meeting at the national mall.
100,000 people came out to the event. Among the 100,000 about 5000 are Chinese. We all wore the t-shirts imprinted.
Someone commented that the “The anti-homosexual campaign held in Washington D.C. may have helped the November election.” By the grace of God, Chinese churches were able to exert some strength. Even yesterday, we have sent out a letter to Sin Tao Bill.
We called the state senators. Especially to those three undecided senators, it was 37 to 36, it takes 41 to win. There were 8 undecided. It was very dangerous. But thank Lord, the bill did not pass. This represents our concern and care.
Looking ahead, we think that Chinese churches in United States have lots of responsibilities. It doesn’t matter what region of Chinese we are, America has helped the Chinese in many ways. Our young adults came to receive education, our seniors receive security.
Have we ever thought about making contributions to America? We need to contribute to United States. We only think about receiving. We encourage American Chinese churches to pray for America. United States have everything already, but what can we do? We can pray. We can remind them of their Christian heritage with love. We remind them of the faith of their fathers. United States was established upon the grace of God. Mayflower came to United States is based upon the teaching of the Bible.
On the dollar bill, there is the motto that says, “In God we trust.” America leaving God is very ungrateful nation, ungrateful people, we cannot forget the grace. In 200 years, America became the most democratic and richest nation in the world. This is the Lord’s grace. We can’t leave God once we have this. Thus, Chinese Churches need to become the reminder. We wish to give contributions to the United States.
What are the short-term goals and future planning of Chinese Christians in this campaign against homosexuality?
Because of last year’s meeting, many Chinese Christians were inspired. For example, the New York Chinese Church established the Marriage- 1 Man and 1 Woman.
1. In the east coast, they have been pushing this movement in encouraging Chinese to make voices and exert efforts.
2. In the west coast, we also established Christian Social-Endeavor Foundation. I am currently serving as the chairman. In one more week, we’re going to have a meeting. On June 14, Tuesday 6:30pm, we’re going to have the second board meeting.
San Francisco and Washington DC – Inspired by these conferences, two organizations were established. In both coasts, we are pushing forth. In the Tuesday meeting, we’re going to think about some concrete plans and projects and future actions. We have goals, direction, and projects.
In our hearts, we have thought about some possibilities.
First, we think that education is really important. There are some misunderstandings, Myths about homosexuality. They thought that homosexuals are born with their sexual preferences, thus, they pity those people who are born that way. They say that it is not their fault, so people shouldn’t blame these people for their sexual preferences. This is a myth. More and more scientists, physiologists, psychologist know that homosexuality is not innate. Rather it is because of the environment and decision. Therefore, the individual is responsible. Even though the environment may influence the people, it cannot be used an excuse. Just like when you committed murder, the criminal would not be considered as innocent of the guilt even if it the environment has some kind of influence over it. Responsibility comes with choice. This is something that everyone should know. We need to hold seminars and workshops to inform the society and churches. Many pastors and missionaries do not understand this. We need to inform many Christian leaders about this. It is quite obvious that it is against the bible. We will invite professionals to speak at our seminars. We will hold them in Chinese population center.
The second is that we will continue to improve in literature. In the future, we will contribute to education and media to motivate everyone to become diligent in these aspects.
I was in Toronto 10 days ago. A pastor told me that they are not able to openly say to them that homosexuality is wrong. It is discrimination to the Churches. It has become a discrimination against the churches. Around two to three weeks ago, a Pastor said that homosexual was against the bible. That person was taken to the court and put in prison for thirty days.
Q: After the incident that happened in Northern part of Europe, what are the reactions of the Chinese Churches in the United States?
A: We went to parks and protested in parks raising signs with slogans against homosexual marriages. In the beginning, we were criticized by people for our actions. They said what are Christians doing on the streets? They should remain in church attending their services. However, after this period of time, people have come to realize how urgent this situation is. More people became sympathetic to this. Very traditional close-minded Christians still do not understand this situation. They say that Christians should remain in church. In Chinese proverbs, there is a saying, “The fire has already burn to the eyebrow.”
Whenever, I present to this case to people, I would make the referenced to Moses going to meet Pharaoh, who is Egypt’s highest political leader. As a prophet of God, Moses did not just recklessly involve in politics, but he met the pharaoh in order to testify the word of God. Some people criticize us for playing with politics, but we are not. If there are injustices in the society, we have the responsibility to tell them and tell them about the word of God.
Q: How should the Chinese Churches respond to provide support?
A: Not only should Chinese churches stand up: Not supporting homosexuals, but they should also provide positive and practical ways to support. For example, education must be provided. Education is not only speaking to the churches, but it is also speaking to the society. Especially towards the younger generations, we need to explain and teach well the harm that homosexuality can bring to mankind and the society. We are responsible for the entire society.
The opposition is very strong. We’ve been told that homosexual leaders want to be legally recognized. This is only one step. The next step is to promote the legalization of prostitution. It is possibly totally liberating any conservative viewpoints. For example, the traditional marriage is defined as the one man and one woman union. They want to destroy this concept. First, they want to make it so that any combination is fine. Second, the society today does not allow family members to get married with one another; however, their philosophy is that as long as they love each other and agree with each other then it is fine. They would counter the traditional marriage by saying that these traditions have nothing to do with them. Then, they would take this even further. The tradition is to have one woman and one man, but they want to challenge the union of 1 man and 1 woman. They ask, “Why is it only one man and one woman. Why can’t you have more than just one?” This is their challenge. They want to be free. They don’t want any law, conservative rules, and God. There is an organization called man-boy association. Some people really like small boys and they want to have sexual relations with them. Some people are sympathetic about this. As long as they love each other, then how can we say no? They want to break all the rules on marriage union in the union of sexes and numbers of partners. This is very dangerous, but there is something more dangerous. It is that there are still many people who do not know about this.
They have already begun and they are very smart. They have powerful lawyers and attorneys. They have a lot of money. The have famous lawyers, and they have already made strategies. They have started planning since the 60s. In the beginning, the church did not know what they were doing, because they were planning one step at a time. In the past 40 years, they have done so much. Their first accomplishment was gaining the support and sympathy of media. Right now, television, newspaper, radio, and talk shows support and show sympathy to them and condemns the conservatives. They have received the sympathy of the media. Second, they are very successful in describing them as the victims, who are oppressed by the people with conservative faith; lastly, they are very successful in creating this public image that if there is anyone who does not agree with them is the one who hates them. Sometimes, they would say, “what do you hate us?” But we say, “We don’t hate you, but we disagree with your lifestyle. We are concern about you and love you, we want you to repent, change, and be saved.” The positive attitude is that we love and are concern about the homosexuals. Just as Jesus hates the sins as sin, but he loves the sinners. We are the same. We don’t agree to the activities of the homosexuals. We wish to proclaim the gospel to them. We need to educate our churches to have a positive attitude towards them. We shouldn’t hate them.
Q: How should Christians pray for this?
A: We should pray that churches can be awake to understand the urgency and danger, and to provide support and become active in this movement. Why?
In several countries in Europe, Holland, Denmark, Spain, Beirut, Scandinavia, it has happened: Homosexual marriages have already been legalized. Two homosexuals came into a church to ask the pastor to wed them. If the pastor does not wed them, then he would be sent to prison. Second, if the pastor is not firm in faith, and he accommodate and comprise under pressure, then they will go around promoting that certain pastor from certain church last Saturday wed two homosexual into couples. They would bring shame to church and bring more support to themselves and pressures to other pastors. One by one the pastors would fall by domino effects. Our missionaries are foolish for allowing them to strategize. We need to be diligent in crying out the churches!
One point that is causing great agony for us is that we only care for the group of people inside the four walls of the church. Church does not care enough about the congregants outside the church. This is a reminder that we need to give to the church. We need to open this door and enter the society. This is the responsibility that Jesus gave to society. You are the light of the world and the salt of the sea. It should not be covered, rather it should illuminate all. Church often times only put these light within the church. You need to also be light and salt. 2000 years ago, there was no penicillin. Salt was used to prevent corruption and food to go bad. Jesus says that church is salt. It should be the salt that prevents the society to become corrupted. However, today’s churches do not do this and they only care about themselves and their own denomination. This is today church’s flaws.
Q: Regarding the incident in Scandinavia, why didn’t the churches in Scandinavia prevent the activities of the homosexuals in the very beginning?
A: Europe is a Christian continent. In the 16th century, Martin Luther brought about the reformation. Since then, in the aspect of faith, they have always been in the leading front. Large number of missionaries traveled from Europe to North America and across Europe to establish church to proclaim the gospel. Unfortunately, in the 16th century, the Renaissance movement began, and their spirituality began to deteriorate. Movement of centering on man began to grow and expand. They started exalting man and placing man as the center of universe. Until the Enlightening movement, man feels that they have become mature. They said that man “no longer needs God.” In the 19th~20th century, mankind became even more advanced, for they invented the airplanes, which allowed them to enter space and began the thinking of “Man is destined to win over the heavens.” Until modernism, they started proclaiming that man is God. The devil, angel of wisdom, also wanted to become like God, so the present day Europe is going step by step away from God.
If you look at the core of this problem, they are opposed to traditional marriages, opposed to one man one woman marriage tradition, which is just pointing to the fact that they are going against God and His laws. Why is it that during the period when homosexual activities first began, there wasn’t any strong opposition? Because Europe has already become farther and farther away from God at that time, they were alert to do anything. Simply speaking, homosexual activity is the movement of abandoning God, going against God. Presently, their forces in Europe are quite immense. Even if the churches want to do something, it is already kind of late. The pride of man is the root of the problem, so this homosexual movement is that man is without God. The root of all sin is to go against God.
It is my decision to decide how many people I want to get married with. This is the problem of man. That’s why in the beginning people are against this. We wish that America won’t go on the same path.”
Be careful of the Ambush, I have stated this in different churches. There are many Korean missionaries in china. They are in the front line proclaiming the gospel, but God came to the backside where the people of God are. They are corrupting countries. Some churches do not really have correct teachings. Some don’t believe in Jesus Christ and his resurrection. He is attacking the backside. They are attacking the mission centers and large camps. Some one brought this problem out to churches. It is good that we go out to the society to proclaim the gospel. If America becomes Sodom and Gomorrah, then how are we going to go out there?
Our church should do the spiritual battles in two fronts. We should proclaim the gospel in both sectors. We need to hold on to our faith, and bring about revival in both the front and back. We need to put in this effort.
