The Seed of error in Article 8 of the Nashville Statement

Dear Friends
I congratulate your Nashville Statement, but Article 8 does not quite match the other articles.

"Article 8

WE AFFIRM that people who experience sexual attraction for the same sex may live a rich and fruitful life pleasing to God through faith in Jesus Christ, as they, like all Christians, walk in purity of life.

WE DENY that sexual attraction for the same sex is part of the natural goodness of God's original creation, or that it puts a person outside the hope of the gospel." (Accessed 9 September 2017)

I speak as one who once treated homosexuals and written about their sexual demands.

I was also the first Christian to research AIDS as it was presented to a gullible public.

I would not accept that people whose minds are filled with sexual attractions for the same sex can lead “rich and fruitful lives... through faith... as they walk in purity of life.” Homosexuality
in particular, along with transgenderism, are not like most other sins, but become more entrenched and wicked with time. Their thoughts replace all other thoughts.

Indeed, this statement contradicts the “We deny” part below. (See 'Sam Allberry the Master of Contradictory Statements' and this method of attack on gospel truth.)

Scripture tells us that the sinful thought is equal in potency to the sinful act.

Thus to have sinful thoughts about same sex attraction is, to God, the same as acting it out.

I have counselled people over their sins for five decades and at no time would I accept that they can live fruitful or holy lives if they harbour sexually perverse thoughts. I have found through many sessions that these thoughts are all-embracing and take up most of the person’s thinking time. That makes it a prevalent sin that trumps any holy thoughts. Indeed, I cannot see them having genuinely holy thoughts. Their time is spent lusting in their hearts and minds, possibly also taking in pornographic images to bolster them. This is why God speaks of what they think and do as an abomination, anathema. And in Romans 1 we find homosexuality in particular to be an all-embracing pit of evil that affects all areas of life. When one lives out this sin it is anarchic in structure.

To walk in purity of life demands that we put to death ALL sinful thoughts. We may not succeed fully but it MUST be our aim and purpose in life. Purity means purity.

We all sin and all fail, but to allow that we can think evil thoughts about sex and yet live a pure life is not true. Homosexual thoughts take over all other thoughts, pushing aside all other thoughts. I have discovered this throughout my pastorship.

I would sincerely love to sign your statement but this Article prevents me from doing so.

This I find sad for we need a strong public statement of faith in the matter. I believe Article 8 can be salvaged with some change in the wording. Without such change I can see this
Article being used by homosexuals and heterosexual sinners as a breach in the otherwise strong arguments put forth.

Whenever I write about these subjects I make very sure I leave nothing to chance or to allow even the smallest of re-definitions. I have no doubt your team earnestly and biblically made a sound statement, but the seed of error is in Article 8.

May I urge you to consider my proposal for the sake of utter clarity and the strongest of biblical statements.

May the Lord bless your efforts.

In His Name

Barry Napier
Bible Theology Ministries