It is more than interesting that the homosexual rights advocates in Maine are dusting off their Bibles to convince us of the worthiness of their cause. There are at least three reasons that I find this fascinating.

The first is that we have been told by the same crowd not to bring religious argument into the discussion or into public policy choices. Now that they have found some religious leaders liberal enough to stand with them, they have altered their rhetoric to allow one side to be heard. “Preaching and politics, church and state, religion and law must all be separated,” they have said. But apparently they meant that only religious views they disagree with should be silenced.

The second thing I find interesting is that the only ones who are using the Bible to promote homosexual inclusion in the Maine civil rights law are those who do not believe the Bible is to be taken as the Word of God. That is, they do not attest to its truth and infallibility. They have been very selective in their use of the Scriptures, even while criticizing imaginary opposition positions. So if the Bible fits their theology, it is trustworthy but if it doesn’t, then it is apparently irrelevant.

Number 3 is the issue of homosexuality itself. Until recently, the Maine Won’t Discriminate crowd has been saying this referendum is not about the morality of homosexual behavior. Yet here we have been given a series of opinions by their ministers proclaiming that there is no such prohibition in the Bible or that homosexual behavior is approved in its pages.

This strange turn of events leads me to offer another viewpoint. It should be noted that this comes from a pastor who believes the Bible to be inspired, accurate and infallible.

Homosexual behavior is just that. It is not an “orientation” or a matter of genetics. The Rev. T. Richard Snyder wrote in the Nov. 1 Bangor Daily News that there is “much scientific evidence” otherwise. He failed to give any of that evidence because it does not exist. If there was any such scientific evidence, does anyone believe that it would have been held quietly by those advocating for homosexual rights? I suspect it would front page fodder in most of Maine’s newspapers.

The Bible does in fact prohibit homosexual behavior. The Old Testament and New Testament alike list such behavior as a violation of God’s standards. This is probably not the forum to debate that matter, but I mention it here because the “Vote No” forces introduced it.

Jesus was not silent on the issue. He plainly described marriage as a union between a man and a woman, even relating it to creation. Further, He is the author of all the Scriptures, not just those verses printed in red. This is true even when the pen was held by John, Paul, Luke and others. Any pastor should know that the Scriptures are to be taken as a whole, not piecemeal as they fit our personal agendas.

Caring for those who are suffering, exploited and oppressed is a worthy cause. It is our Christian duty. But when Jesus did so, He refused to approve of wrong behavior. “Go and sin no more” was His admonition to the adulterous woman after he scolded others for their unfair treatment of her. Question 1 is not about oppression or discrimination. It is about identifying a class of people in Maine by their behaviors and requiring governmental approval of those behaviors. The law uses fuzzy terms such as “actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality or gender identity or expression.”

The American Psychiatric Association lists more than 20 definitions of sexual orientation. The law being repealed does not exclude any of them. A recently heralded report focuses on one-sided stories that often refer more to attitudes than to discrimination. The group producing the report even claims to be an advocate for homosexual rights, thus calling into question the objectivity of their methods and conclusions.

Question 1 is about homosexual marriage. It may not be intentional, but it is true. Article 1, Section 6-A of the Maine constitution states that “no person shall … be denied the equal protection of the laws, nor be denied the enjoyment of that person’s civil rights. …” When sexual orientation, becomes part of Maine civil rights laws, the basis for excluding same-sex couples from marriage will be lost.

For these reasons and several others, I will be voting yes on Question 1.

The Rev. Robert Emrich is the pastor of the Emmanuel Bible Baptist Church in Plymouth and the director of the Jeremiah Project, a coalition of social conservatives.