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Hermeneutics is the study of proper Bible interpretation.  Fancy word, simple definition. 

Miley Cyrus fans have seen her go from a "Jesus rocks" little girl to a rebellious liberal-minded faux believer.  The Hollywood brand of Christianity, touted by the likes of Cyrus and Beyonce, looks nothing like what Jesus Christ said it meant to follow Him. 

Please do not, I repeat, do not look to Miley for theology, doctrine or Bible interpretation.  Apparently she has been having a spat with a fan on FB over a "gay rights" tatoo she now has on her finger.  It is an "equals" sign and Miley posted something to the effect of "All Love is equal" on her fan page.  http://wonderwall.msn.com/music/Miley-Cyrus-confronts-fan-over-gay-rights-tattoo-1633175.story?gt1=28135 

One fan decided to take her on, and he has been ostracized and lambasted.  Miley of course used the most well-known (and most mis-interpreted) verse in the Bible - "Judge not lest you be judged."  That's Matthew 7:1 for all you Bible students.  Of course, interpreted in context (which is a hard and fast rule of hermeneutics that Miley obviously never learned), Jesus is actually teaching His followers how to properly assist a fellow believer fight sin in his or her life.  Jesus is actually telling us in Matthew 7:1-5 to judge according to the right standard (God's Word), and to fight sin and pursue purity in our own lives FIRST, so that we can then effectively help others identify and fight sin in their lives.  So, it's funny so many throw this verse around like it's the way to end all discussions of sin.  Even funnier that in context the passage is not at all addressing a pronouncement concerning sin among non-believers.

At any rate, Miley goes on to say "God is love."  So, that's her argument.  "Don't judge.  All love is equal.  God is love".  Tidy.  Neat.  Trite.  And a total distortion of everything the Bible teaches about judgment, God, and love. 

Precisely because God is love (1 John 4:7-11), any action posing as "love" that runs counter to His holy character is most decidedly not love.  By Miley's reasoning, pedophilia is also "equal love."  So, too, is "doggie love," called bestiality.  Friends, love is fixed forever.  Because God is its very source and definition, and He never changes, so true love never changes.  It is not open to Miley's whims!  God is love and showed us what love is by sending His Son in the flesh to bleed out for homosexual sinners and heterosexual sinners.  Jesus is love in the flesh!  His love penetrates all sin, breaks down all barriers, and is a settled act of His will that always acts sacrificially for God's glory and the good of the beloved.  This is the definition of love.  Sexual perversions which God has condemned have no claim upon "love."  Rather, they fall under "lust of the flesh."  They are the very wickedness that put True Love on the cross!

And, Miley should rest assured that it matters not whether she thinks it's "judging" someone to tell them their actions are sinful.  God is the Holy Judge of all the earth and every person will give account to Him.  Even if Christians never said another word about homosexuality being a sin, God will still judge it as such on the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. 

Friends, to warn sinners to "flee from the wrath to come" is the most loving thing to do.  If God has spoken in and through the words of the Bible (and He has), then whether sexual perversions are sinful or not is not up for debate.  The Bible is crystal clear on those accounts.  It is not an act of judgment for me to simply tell people what God the Judge has said.  No, it is an act of mercy and love and compassion.

The Lord told the Prophet Ezekiel that if he did not warn the  people of his day, their blood would be on his hands.  That sounds pretty serious to me.

Miley, stop playing Hollywood games.  Repent and trust Jesus as Lord of all, rather than treat Him as your psychological feel-good guru.  Jesus never missed a single opportunity to warn sinners to fear the Holy Judge (and He even claimed to be that Judge in John 5).  Follow His example and use the platform He has granted you to "speak the truth in love."  Making sinners of any sexual persuasion "at ease" in their filth is sure to put their blood on your hands.  I advise against it.

And, please, Miley, go take a good Hermeneutics course.  They offer them at Boyce Bible College in your home state of Kentucky!  And while you're at it, interpret Psalm 5:5 for me.

by Keith McWhorter