The New Testament on Homosexuality and Greed

This is prompted by a recent post by Ken Ham, making it very clear he is against homosexuality:

Why does he hate gays? Or rather, how does he rationalise his hatred of gays? It is in the Bible!

What About Greed?

Okay, but the Bible is rather more insistent that greed is wrong, but Ham never rails against that. Why is that?

For one thing, Answers in Genesis has a net income of $36.8 million dollars in 2017. That is a huge amount. What do they do with all that money? "Executive compensation" was $710,717 that year. That is money that Ken Ham pays himself and the other executives - most of whom are family members.

According to here, Ham pocketed $193,361 just for himself in 2012, and I feel confident saying that that figure has only gotten bigger in the years since. It seems pretty sure Ham pays himself around a million dollars every five years, making him a very wealthy man.

Of course Ham is not going to rail against his own vice! Far better to point out supposed voice in others. It is the Christian way!

Just the New Testament

Most Christians agree that the inconvenient laws of the Old Testament do not apply to them. Sure, they are Gods laws, but they are laws that apply to the Jews only because... well, who wants to give up pork and lobster, right?

So this post will look at the New Testament and what that has to say about greed and homosexuality.

New Testament on Greed

So let us see some of the verses. The one that applies directly to Ham:

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

But there are plenty of others. Here are the words straight from Jesus' mouth telling those preaching in his name not to acquire money (also Mark 6:8 and Luke 9:3). Words Ham ignores. Jesus never said anything about homosexuality.

Matthew 10:9 Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a [a]bag for your journey, or even two [b]coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his [c]support.

Luke 12:15 Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

I can just see Ham obeying this instruction that Jesus gave his followers (of course, I am not about to give away my possessions either, but I do not pretend to be a devout follower of a man who instructed his followers to give away their possessions):

Luke 12:33 “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Romans 1:28 And just as they did not see fit [a]to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, [b]haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,

Ephesians 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, [a]excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality [b]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn [c]Christ in this way,

Ephesians 5:3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;

Colossians 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

2 Peter 2:3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

2 Peter 2:14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;

Hebrews 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”

New Testament on Homosexuality

These verses follow a condemnation of worshipping animals (presumably Egyptian gods), hence "for this reason", so the prohibition should be seen in that context.

Romans 1:26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is [r]unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing [s]indecent acts and receiving in [t]their own persons the due penalty of their error.

These verses will include Ham, given how he covets money! Of course, he will only see the bits he wants.

1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [f]effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

That is pretty much it for the New Testament. Far less than there is on greed, and none of it from Jesus' own mouth. Odd that.

New Testament on Hypocrisy

Jesus also said a lot about hypocrisy. Again, Ham seems not to worry about that one.

Perhaps he should address the beam in his eye.