Torch, Fall/Winter 2007

I n the early nineties, the sitcom Seinfeld was a trendsetter in social discourse. A fourth-season episode contains a scene where a college newspaper reporter mistakenly thinks that two of the characters are homosexual. Jerry Seinfeld responds passionately, “We’re not gay … not that there’s anything wrong with that!” Seinfeld’s comeback reflects the ambivalence and conflict that exist toward homosexuality in our culture. Cedarville University’s unwavering commitment to biblical truth and biblical sexuality stands in sharp contrast. We affirm that the Bible protects sexual intimacy by celebrating it only within the bounds of marriage between one man and one woman. Last spring, Cedarville’s policies regarding sexual behavior caught the attention of Soulforce, an organization devoted to encouraging the acceptance of homosexuality. To protest our policies that prohibit both homosexual practices and the promotion of a homosexual lifestyle, Soulforce announced their intent to visit our campus. While we did not initiate the contact with Soulforce, we determined to use their protest as an opportunity to equip our students to articulate a biblical approach to sexuality with grace and compassion. As we prepared our students for this challenge, we were mindful that homosexuality is one of the significant social issues confronting our culture and the church today. As believers in Jesus Christ, all of us need to be equipped to respond with wisdom, truth, and grace. This issue of TORCH seeks to make sense of this critical topic and share materials that were part of the Cedarville family’s preparation for the Soulforce protest. We pray this issue of TORCH will help each of us to think deeply, broadly, and biblically about this critical issue. Dr. Bill Brown President Cedarville University 2 TORCH Making Sense of Human Sexuality amid Cultural Confusion I