As the secular world embraces homosexual culture to a greater degree, we support the viewpoint that love and tolerance must be shown by Christians toward the people of that world. However, love and tolerance of the sinner should not be construed as acceptance of the sin.

The Rev. Gene Robinson has been confirmed as the bishop of New Hampshire by a vote of 62 to 45 at the Episcopal General Convention in Minneapolis.

Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, said that he hopes the American church and the worldwide Communion carefully consider this development “before significant and irrevocable decisions are made in response.”

According to Scripture, however, only one response is acceptable: to recognize that homosexuality is a sinful lifestyle, incompatible with the daily pursuit of Christ we are called to engage.

Paul writes in Romans of men who “abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another … and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion” (Rom. 1:27, NIV).

By placing Robinson in a position of spiritual leadership, the Episcopal Church is saying that homosexuality is not a sin, just another way of living. Robinson described his nomination as a “calling from God” and said of his confirmation and the church’s apparent support of homosexuality that “it’s been a long time coming.”

But Robinson’s appointment cannot rightly be considered a calling from God.

A homosexual lifestyle defies God, and to ignore the Biblical teachings in this matter would be disastrous for the church.

By condoning that type of alternative lifestyle, the church endangers itself as an amoral group held together by tenuous, subjective laws of man.

As a body of common believers, Christians must be vocal in this and firmly hold to the Scriptural teaching that any sexual relationship or lifestyle apart from the heterosexual bond in marriage is wrong.

Robinson’s appointment marks a new era in American religion, one that needs to be handled by Christians with the love of Christ and the strength of our convictions.

If Christians do not address the problem of increasing support for homosexual leadership in the spiritual roles, then the Anglican church, and the body of Christ, will suffer.